Annual post-market environmental monitoring (PMEM) report on the cultivation of genetically modified maize MON 810 in 2014 from Monsanto Europe S.A.

Following a request from the European Commission, the Panel on Genetically Modified Organisms of the European Food Safety Authority (GMO Panel) assessed the annual post-market environmental monitoring (PMEM) report for the 2014 growing season of maize MON 810 provided by Monsanto Europe S.A. The GMO Panel concludes that the insect resistance monitoring data do not indicate a decrease in susceptibility of field Iberian populations of corn borers to the Cry1Ab protein over the 2014 season. However, as the methodology for insect resistance monitoring remained unchanged compared to previous PMEM reports, the GMO Panel reiterates its previous recommendations for improvement of the insect resistance management plan. The GMO Panel considers that the farmer alert system to report complaints regarding product performance could complement the information obtained from the laboratory bioassays, but encourages the consent holder to provide more information in order to be in a position to appraise its usefulness. The data on general surveillance activities do not indicate any unanticipated adverse effects on human and animal health or the environment arising from the cultivation of maize MON 810 cultivation in 2014. The GMO Panel reiterates its previous recommendations to improve the methodology for the analysis of farmer questionnaires and conduct of the literature review in future annual PMEM reports on maize MON 810. The GMO Panel urges the consent holder to consider how to make best use of the information recorded in national registers to optimise sampling for farmer questionnaires, and requests to continue reviewing and discussing relevant scientific publications on possible adverse effects of maize MON 810 on rove beetles. Also, the GMO Panel encourages relevant parties to continue developing a methodological framework to use existing networks in the broader context of environmental monitorin

Protection intégrée des cultures : d’une combinaison de techniques à une valorisation de la biodiversité

International audienc

Origine et dynamique des populations de colza hors des champs

National audienceWithin the context of the release of transgenic oilseed rape into the environment, feral oilseed rape populations present on road side verges are likely to induce management problems to take over transgenes and reduce their spread in space and time. Especially, in the case of herbicide tolerant oilseed rape, weeding problems and the persistence of transgenic oilseed rape after the end of their cultivation are expected. The risk assessment associated with the take over of any transgene is conditioned by a good knowledge of the origin and the dynamics of these feral populations. Our study, which combines observations, modelling and experiments at the level of a small agricultural area, shows that (1) oilseed rape seeds can persist at least 8 years after cultivation by secondary dormancy breakdown and/or self-recruitment and (2) farming machinery plays a role in both the spatial distribution and the seed dispersal of feral populations. Results of the model designed for an isolated feral population highlight the effect of mowing and chemical spraying in road side verges and the effect of the seed bank, even under demographic and environmental stochasticity, on the persistence of feral oilseed rape populations.Dans le cadre de l'introduction de colzas transgéniques dans l'environnement, les populations de colza présentes en bordure de champs (populations hors-champs) sont susceptibles de poser un certain nombre de problèmes de gestion en cas d'échappement du transgène : problème de désherbage dans le cas de colzas résistants aux herbicides, rôle de relais du transgène et persistance de colzas transgéniques après un arrêt éventuel de leur mise en culture. L'estimation de ces risques associés à l'échappement et au maintien du transgène est conditionnée par une bonne connaissance de l'origine et la dynamique de ces populations. Notre étude alliant observations à l'échelle d'une petite région agricole, modélisation et expérimentations, met en évidence une persistance de colzas au moins 8 années après leur mise en culture par levée de dormance secondaire et/ou par autorecrutement, ainsi que le rôle des engins de récolte dans la répartition spatiale des populations et donc dans la dispersion des graines. Les résultats d'un modèle réalisé pour l'instant à l'échelle d'une population isolée mettent en évidence le rôle de la fauche et des traitements chimiques des bordures sur le maintien des populations hors-champs et le rôle de la banque de graines dans un contexte de stochasticité démographique et environnementale

Multi-Attribute Modelling of Economic and Ecological Impacts of Cropping Systems

Modelling of economic and ecological impacts of genetically modified crops is a demanding task. We present some preliminary attempts made for the purpose of the ECOGEN project "Soil ecological and economic evaluation of genetically modified crops". One of the goals of the project is to develop a computer-based decision support system for the assessment of economic and ecological impacts of using genetically modified crops, with special emphasis on soil biology and ecology. The decision support system will be based on a rule-based model incorporating both economic and ecological criteria. In this paper we present some preliminary results of developing the integral model and describe four specific sub-models. The first two sub-models are concerned with ecology and assess the ecological impacts of various types of weed and pest control, respectively. The other two sub-models assess the economic impacts of cropping systems at the farm and regional level, respectively. All the models were developed using a qualitative multi-attribute modelling methodology, supported by the software tool DEXi