§ Baroness Byfordasked Her Majesty's Government:
What is the definition of the maize crop which is part of the genetically modified farm scale trial; whether this is different from the so-called Bt Maize; and why the latter is not part of those farm scale trials. [HL3612]
§ Lord WhittyThe maize being grown in the genetically modified crop farm-scale evaluations is a type of GM herbicide tolerant maize produced by Aventis CropScience GmbH (formerly AgrEvo) that is known by its code number T25. The maize is tolerant to the widely used herbicide glufosinate ammonium; 13WA this has been achieved by the insertion of a gene that makes the enzyme phosphinothricin acetyltransferase (PAT). PAT inactivates glufosinate inside the plant rendering it non-toxic. This is quite different from so-called Bt maize which is maize genetically modified to express an insect control protein derived from the common soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis. Expression of the protein throughout the plant provides control of the insect pest, the European corn borer, and certain other lepidopteran insect pests to which the protein is toxic.
The farm scale evaluations only involve GM herbicide tolerant oil seed rape (both spring and winter sown), maize and beet. In 1998 these three types of GM crop were on the verge of entering commercial agriculture in the UK when real concerns were raised about the impact the management of these crops with their specific herbicides would have on the agricultural environment. The Government, through a voluntary agreement with industry, have halted their commercial introduction and that of other GM crops until the evaluations are completed.
Bt maize was not included in the evaluations because there was and continues to be no proposal to grow it in the United Kingdom. Unlike other parts of the European Union, the corn borer is not a pest in the UK. In addition, the current methodology of the farm-scale evaluations would be inappropriate because the same herbicide management regime would apply to both Bt maize and non-GM maize. If there were a proposal to grow Bt maize here we would need to be satisfied that the potential impact of its insect resistant properties and the overall management regime for the crop did not result in unacceptable environmental effects.