ECONOMIC EFFECTS OF CO-EXISTENCE MEASURES IN MAIZE CROP AND SEED PRODUCTION - A CASE STUDY OF FRANCE

Paper prepared for presentation at the Second International Conference on Coexistence between Genetically Modified (GM) and non-GM based Agricultural Supply Chains (GMCC) Montpellier (France), 14th and 15th November 2005Genetic engineering, GMO, Maize, Co-existence, Agricultural and Food Policy, L51, O32,

ECONOMIC EFFECTS OF CO-EXISTENCE MEASURES IN MAIZE CROP AND SEED PRODUCTION - A CASE STUDY OF FRANCE

The paper analyses the economic effects of specific co-existence measures (like e.g. increasing isolation distances between GM and non-GM plants, changing flowering time between varieties, non-GM buffer zones) in maize crop and seed production in selected regions in France. The results are based on simulations of agronomic measures and corresponding cost calculations for specific measures and landscape simulations. In maize grain production levels of adventitious presence below 0.9 % can be achieved without any co-operation between farmers in neighbouring clusters. In case fields are located in the same cluster, additional measures have to be taken with very differing cost effects depending on the specific characteristic of the measure. Additional measures should also be taken (either by the seed company or by the commercial GM grower) for ensuring co-existence between commercial GM fields and non-GM seed production clusters, while current practices would be sufficient for ensuring co-existence between GM and non-GM maize seed production plots for a threshold of 0.5 % adventitious presence

Barriers and enablers to crop diversification: a case study from France

International audienceRural areas and farms in France have become more and more specialized, while there is evidence that crop diversification can largely contribute to reducing input use in agriculture (pesticides, fertilizer, irrigation) and related negative environmental impacts. This study analysed potential obstacles to crop diversification at various levels of the supply chains through two approaches:• Interviews with stakeholders, to conduct a cross-cutting analysis of impediments to the development of various diversification crops; • A detailed study of the value-chains and of their modes of coordination, focusing on three case studies: pea and linseed for animal feeding, hemp for insulation and biomaterials. A lock-in was identified around the dominant species, such as wheat, rapeseed, and maize, which are more and more profitable with increasing investments in genetics, agronomic references, markets... This situation has been favoring short rotations over time. This lock-in caused several inter-connected impediments hindering crop diversification, such as: • the lack of availability of crop varieties and methods of crop protection for minor crops, • the scarcity of data on performances of minor crops at the crop rotation level, • the complexity of the knowledge to be acquired by farmers, • logistical constraints to harvest minor crops, and • the lack of coordination within the emerging supply chains. The simultaneous and coordinated implementation of two major categories of levers was proposed to help actors incorporate greater crop diversity into their productive systems and foster agroecological transition: 1. Support the development of innovative niches and develop learning- for-innovation processes through e.g. long-term partnership between supply chain actors, research and development, advisory and decision-makers, labelling systems, investment in technological innovations for minor crops, management of crop diversification at landscape level; 2. Encourage the standard sociotechnical system to evolve and make it more disposed to crop diversification, through public policies, including the Common Agricultural Policy, regulation and promotion of diversified value chains via public contracts. All recommendations have to be considered simultaneously and on the long-term, as sectorial measures, which target only one component of the value-chain, have proven to fail. This study was a direct source of inspiration for the ongoing H2020 project DiverIMPACTS (Diversification through Rotation, Intercropping, Multiple Cropping, Promoted with Actors and Value Chains towards Sustainability, http://www.diverimpacts.net/), which uses the same theoretical framework, further extends the case studies to intercropping, multiple cropping and crop rotation strategies across Europe, goes beyond the identification of barriers to co-design practical solutions together with value chains’ actors and makes recommendations for institutional changes

Integrated management of damping-off diseases. A review

Damping-off is a disease that leads to the decay of germinating seeds and young seedlings, which represents for farmers one of the most important yield constraints both in nurseries and fields. As for other biotic stresses, conventional fungicides are widely used to manage this disease, with two major consequences. On the one hand, fungicide overuse threatens the human health and causes ecological concerns. On the other hand, this practice has led to the emergence of pesticide-resistant microorganisms in the environment. Thus, there are increasing concerns to develop sustainable and durable damping-off management strategies that are less reliant on conventional pesticides. Achieving such a goal requires a better knowledge of pathogen biology and disease epidemiology in order to facilitate the decision-making process. It also demands using all available non-chemical tools that can be adapted to regional and specific production situations. However, this still is not the case and major knowledge gaps must be filled. Here, we review up to 300 articles of the damping-off literature in order to highlight major knowledge gaps and identify future research priorities. The major findings are (i) damping-off is an emerging disease worldwide, which affects all agricultural and forestry crops, both in nurseries and fields; (ii) over a dozen of soil-borne fungi and fungus-like organisms are a cause of damping-off but only a few of them are frequently associated with the disease; (iii) damping-off may affect from 5 to 80% of the seedlings, thereby inducing heavy economic consequences for farmers; (iv) a lot of research efforts have been made in recent years to develop biocontrol solutions for damping-off and there are interesting future perspectives; and (v) damping-off management requires an integrated pest management (IPM) approach combining both preventive and curative tactics and strategies. Given the complex nature of damping-off and the numerous factors involved in its occurrence, we recommend further research on critical niches of complexity, such as seeds, seedbed, associated microbes and their interfaces, using novel and robust experimental and modeling approaches based on five research priorities described in this paper

The Co-Extra Decision Support System: A Model-Based Integration of Project Results

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