§ Alan SimpsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what spray density in litres per hectare was used in the GM maize farmscale evaluation programme; and what spray density she expects will be used if commercial cultivation of GM maize goes ahead. [136609]
§ Mr. MorleyThe recommended individual and maximum permitted application rates of the herbicide glufosinate-ammonium used on GM maize in the farm-scale evaluations were defined by the conditions of the simulated product licence that formed part of the experimental pesticide approval. This specified a maximum permitted rate of eight litres per hectare and a recommended individual rate of four litres per hectare, depending on the weeds present and their growth stage. Application was permitted until the nine-leaf stage of maize. For further details, and for details of other non-herbicide sprays used, see Champion et al. 2003; "Crop Management and Agronomic Context of the Farm Scale Evaluations of Genetically Modified Herbicide Tolerant Crops"; Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society (B). 358 (1439): 1801–18. A copy of this journal has been placed in the Library.
Before glufosinate-ammonium could be used on a commercial scale on GM-maize, it would need full pesticide approval. In seeking approval, the necessary data package would have to be supplied by the applicant and be subjected to the considerations of human and environmental safety which have been established for all pesticide uses. Any approval given would specify recommended and maximum application rates in the same way as the experimental permit. These conditions would be determined by the Pesticide Safety Directorate taking due account of advice from their expert advisory committee the Advisory Committee on Pesticides.