Scientific advisory panel makes recommendations on optimum acre-max seed blend refuge
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EmailEditor’s note: This article is from the archives of the MSU Crop Advisory Team Alerts. Check the label of any pesticide referenced to ensure your use is included.
The final
report from the Scientific Advisory Panel (SAP) reviewing the Optimum
Acre-Max seed-blend rootworm refuge is publicly available. The Panel was
made up of scientists with expertise in genetics, entomology,
integrated pest management (IPM), crops, toxicology, and environmental
issues. They reviewed an application from Pioneer to blend a approximate
2 percent refuge (non CRW seed) with Herculex Xtra. The purposes of the
seed-blend were to reduce the current 20 percent CRW refuge for
Herculex CRW corn and to increase grower compliance.
The Panel identified many “areas of uncertainty” (technical stuff
related to the toxin, beetle genetics, and biology) such as mode of
action of the Bt toxin, mortality of susceptible & heterozygous
beetles, implications of delayed adult emergence and uneven sex ratio on
development of resistance, frequency and type of resistance genes in
the CRW population, the physical mechanics of mixing seed to achieve a
certain percentage and the distribution of non-GMO plants in the field.
While the Panel supported the concept of a seed blend in general for
CRW, they found no evidence to reduce the refuge percentage. Quote - “In
general, the Panel concluded that there are uncertainties with the use
of a seed blend and clear problems with reducing the refuge size. The
Panel recommended additional research that would more completely examine
the performance of the seed mix strategy”.
The Panel found “…no compelling evidence to reduce the proportion of
non-Bt plants (either as a seed blend or spatial refuge) from 20 percent
and there was strong concern with the request for any reduction in the
refuge size with a seed blend of 5 percent or less. Data were not
presented that supported a claim that potential yield losses justify a
seed blend of no greater than 5 percent....Therefore the Panel concluded
that, based on current science, it would be reasonable to commercially
use 20 percent seed blend refuges, while research suggested by the
committee and research projects are conducted to example performance of
the seed blend strategy.”
The Panel is only advisory to EPA, but its recommendations carry weight.
In a related issue, the Panel received an anonymous statement from 26
university corn entomologists raising a concern about company
restrictions on university research using commercially available GMO
seed. The Panel specifically commented on this statement: “ …in response
to two public comments, several panel members believed that access to
transgenic plants by qualified researchers must be more open and
transparent to maximally foster resistance management research. It does
not reflect well on the biotech industry, nor does it help researchers
achieve further advances in resistance management, to restrict research
by public sector researchers to plant varieties that can be purchased in
the open market.”
For those of you want light weekend reading, below is a link to the EPA
web site with the report. Under final meeting minutes, click on the pdf
icon to open the minutes. http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/main?main=DocumentDetail&o=090000648084e03c
