§ Lord Hyltonasked Her Majesty's Government:
As regards genetically modified plants and food, whether there is evidence:
- (a) from Canada that weeds resistant to three herbicides are spreading; and
- (b) from North America that genes from modified oilseed rape and maize have crossed into non-modified plants. [HL3576]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Whitty)Weeds displaying resistance to herbicide (as opposed to crop plants growing as weed-like volunteers) are a regular part of the arable landscape and a near unavoidable consequence of the use of herbicides. The problem is not specific to GM crops. World-wide over 250 biotypes of herbicide-resistant weeds are known (different resistances and/or different weeds) with over 30 in Canada alone, including such plants as wild mustard (sinapis arvensis) with known resistances to six commonly used herbicides of conventional crops.
The Government are also aware of studies in Canada that have detected the occurrence of multiple-herbicide-resistant oil seed rape occurring as weed-like volunteers in fields that have previously grown herbicide-resistant oil seed rape crops. This includes volunteers with resistance to two herbicides associated with GM herbicide-tolerant oil seed rape varieties (glyphosate and glufosinate ammonium) and to one herbicide associated with a conventionally bred herbicide-tolerant oil seed rape variety (imidazlinone). If different varieties of herbicide-tolerant oil seed rape were grown in the UK we may want to take steps to prevent this occurring.
The Government are also aware of evidence from North America that genes from genetically modified oil seed rape and maize can cross-pollinate with non-GM equivalent crops or sexually compatible wild relatives. Similar evidence has been collected in the UK and indeed the Government have commissioned studies into the frequency and extent of cross pollination between crops and wild relatives. Before any GM crop was approved for commercial cultivation in the UK the potential environmental impact of cross-pollination would be carefully assessed.