New GM trial sites announced


23 July 2001



New GM trial sites announced

By Tom Allen-Stevens

THE next phase of genetically modified crop sites in the Governments three-year farm-scale evaluation programme was announced on Monday (23 July).

There are 30 autumn-sown oilseed rape sites across England and Scotland, which will be planted with herbicide tolerant varieties.

Half of each site will be planted with GM oilseed rape with an equivalent non-GM variety in the other half.

The aim of the trials is to deliver information about the impact of crop management on both plants and insects.

Independent scientists will monitor each site for any differences in the abundance and diversity of farmland wildlife.

The trials will also quantify the pollen flow to allow precise management of the risk of cross fertilisation with neighbouring crops.

“The research is not about the safety of these GM crops,” said Roger Turner, chairman of the Supply Chain Initiative on Modified Agricultural Crops.

“This has already been established after many years of testing in the laboratory, in greenhouses and in small-scale field plots.”

Around 6.6 million acres of gm oilseed rape was planted this year in Canada, of which 1.25 million acres are the same type as that being trialled in the UK.

The trial sites are listed in the table below:

Site Grid Reference

Parish

County
SK 586 706 Cuckney Nottinghamshire
SO 567 483 Felton Herefordshire
TF 940 250 Colkirk Norfolk
SJ 715 870 Lymm Cheshire
TM073 885 Banham Norfolk
SP 056 354 Buckland Gloucestershire
TM 099 872 Winfarthing Norfolk
TF 208 975 Thorganby Lincolnshire
TA 020 005 North Kelsey Lincolnshire
SK 968 913 Spital in the Street Lincolnshire
SJ 685 259 Hinstock Shropshire
TL 049 101 Great Gaddesden Hertfordshire
SY 677 845 Bincombe Dorset
SY 671 862 Bincombe Dorset
SP 151 489 Long Marston Warwickshire
NZ 198 371 Oakenshaw Durham
SU 365 980 Hinton Waldrist Oxfordshire
TQ 878 399 Biddenden Kent
TF 198 985 Thorganby Lincolnshire
TF 211 890 Ludford Lincolnshire
SJ 398 275 Hordley Shropshire
NZ 132 134 Wycliffe with Thorpe Durham
NZ 133 108 Hutton Magna Durham
SP 038 369 Dumbleton Gloucestershire
SE 754 309 Howden East Riding of Yorkshire
TA 015 622 Nafferton East Riding of Yorkshire

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