§ Gregory BarkerTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many GM plants per square metre would be expected to grown in a field of conventional crops of which 0.9 per cent. of plants are GM in respect of(a)oil seed rape, (b)sugar beet and (c)maize. [158276]
§ Mr. Morley[holding answers 2 March 2004]:Seed drilling rate is variable, depending on conditions, and only a proportion of those seeds sown will establish. Approximate figures for established plants are as follows: Oilseed rape 50–60 crop plants per metre square; Beet 8–10 plants per metre square; and, Fodder Maize 10 plants per metre square. Accordingly, 0.9 per cent. of these values would give 0.45–0.54 plants per metre square for Oilseed Rape; 0.07–0.09 plants per metre square for Beet; and, 0.09 plants per metre square for Maize.