Biotechnology, environmental forcing, and unintended trophic cascades

A long ongoing discussion between scientists and policy decision-makers seems to have entered recently into a new phase. The consequences of release of transgenic crops into the environment are being discussed not only by scientists but also by farmers, environmental groups and politicians, while an increasing amount of data is becoming available at all biological scales, including the field level. However, data still rely on experiments designed to capture direct consumer¿resource interactions. Here we argue that we should attempt to concentrate on the ecosystem functioning of soil biota under genetically-modified (GM) plants, because functional and mechanistic analysis of the multitrophic effects of GM plants on soil biota is still lacking. It is our opinion that we should avoid addressing taxa and soil communities separately, but link them at their functional level. We shall explain why, using examples from ecosystem services, allometric scaling, and soil food webs. The energy flow of any food web under stress incorporates several factors and pooled information on ecosystem services and on the different responses of soil invertebrates to induced perturbations in other trophic levels. Therefore, we will systematically focus on the complementarities of these approache

Langzaam draait slagschip Europa

Is het gezichtsbedrog, of is er na een patstelling van tien jaar echt wat aan het veranderen in de Brusselse opstelling rond de teelt van gentechgewassen? Nederland heeft in ieder geval voorgesteld Europese lidstaten meer vrijheid te geven om zelf te bepalen of ze de teelt toestaan of niet

Biolandbouw kan profiteren van gentech

Gentechnologisch onderzoek kan indirect van nut zijn voor de biologische landbouw. Zoals bij het onderzoek aan resistentiegenen voor de aardappelziekte fytoftora, zegt agro-ecoloog Bert Lotz. De kennis die met cisgenese over resistenties is verkregen, kan zorgen dat klassieke veredelaars gerichter met resistentiegenen aan de slag kunne

Outcrossing and coexistence of genetically modified with (genetically) unmodified crops: a case study of the situation in the Netherlands

With the introduction of genetically modified (GM) crops the EU has demanded that individual member states enact measures to prevent inadvertent admixture – through outcrossing – of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) with products from conventional and organic farming. A literature review on outcrossing was prepared for the Coexistence Committee installed in the Netherlands in 2004. For sugar beet and potato, isolation distances do not appear to be of overriding importance, as true seeds are not part of the harvested product. The only route for admixture is through persistence of GM hybrid volunteers, and these should already be subject to strict control in good agricultural practice. Data on maize indicate that a distance larger than 25 m is needed to keep admixture below the EU labelling threshold of 0.9%, and larger than 250 m to remain below the 0.1% threshold as favoured by organic farming organizations. Oilseed rape is more complex because apart from pollen flow also persistence of volunteers in and outside arable fields, and hybridization with wild relatives play a role. At the present state of knowledge, isolation distances of 100–200 m and rotation intervals of 6–8 years might be warranted for the 0.9% threshold. It is as yet not clear whether a threshold of 0.1% is achievable in practice. The conclusions are compared with the measures recommended by the Dutch Coexistence Committee

Deskstudie biologische bestrijding van invasieve exotische oever- en wateronkruiden in Nederland

In dit rapport wordt een overzicht gegeven van biologische onkruidbestrijding in het algemeen, en ontwikkelingen op het gebied van biologische bestrijding van elf belangrijke exotische oever- en wateronkruiden in Nederland in het bijzonder. Twee relevante casussen worden nader belicht: de graskarper en de waterhyacin

Hard surfaces and weed infestations

This note presents pictures of weeds on hard surfaces, which can be used in training and instruction programmes on weed management in urban areas