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GM contamination of certified seed in Canada



June 4, 2003
Prof. Joe Cummins
e-mail: jcummins@uwo.ca

“Contamination of certified seed with transgenes for herbicide tolerance”
The spread of transgenes from genetically modified crops is a matter of
great importance in insuring the quality of certified seed. Canola (
(Brassica napus, Brassica rapa , Brassica campestris) is the second most
valuable crop in Canada. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) , a
sub department of Agriculture Canada, established a distance of 200
meters separation of fields growing certified seed from any other
Brassica and a distance of 50 meters from weedy relatives . Recently,
producers of hybrid canola seed have required a separation of 2
kilometers from a Brassica crop. Pollen from a Brassicas crop may travel
as far as a kilometer or more. CFIA separation distances seem inadequate
for insuring the purity of certified seed.
Friesen, Nelson and Van Acker (1) studied the level of contamination of
certified transgene free Canola with transgenes for herbicide tolerance
to glyphosate, glufosinate or thifensulfuron. Certified seed was studied
in field plot application and 95% of 27 certified seed lots were found
to contain some herbicide resistance. 52% of the seed lots exceeded the
.25% maximum cross contamination standard for certified seed. Some lots
were resistant to both glyphosate and glufosinate . Downie abd Beckie
(2) a year earlier examined 70 certified canola seed lots using a
laboratory Petri dish assay . They found 59% of the seed lots had
detectable herbicide tolerance and 25% had contamination levels
exceeding the standard for cross contamination. The standard for cross
contasmination was established for conventional not transgenic cultivars
and presently there are no standards for transgenic contamination of
certified cultivars in Canada (standards for transgene contamination of
canola oil or oilseed cake for animal feed would be desirable for export
purposes)..
The extensive contamination of certified canola seed with transgenes for
herbicide tolerance is staggering. The Canadian Canola crop extends over
about 5 million hectare of which roughly 60% is planted to transgenic
varieties. The extensive cross contamination by transgenic varieties
should have been foreseen and predicted at the time field plot testing
was undertaken. Presently, it seems unlikely that transgene free canola
can be produced in western Canada. It is disturbing that CFIA seem
unconcerned over the extensive contamination even though the
contamination seems to provide evidence of bureaucratic negligence. A
truly independent regulatory agency free of conflicts of interest would
be highly desirable.

References
1. Friesen, L.F., A.G. Nelson, and R.C. Van Acker. 2003. Evidence of
contamination of
pedigreed canola (Brassica napus) seedlots in western Canada with
genetically
engineered herbicide resistance traits. Agron. J. 95:(In press)
2.Downey, R.K., and H. Beckie. 2002. Isolation effectiveness in canola
pedigree seed
production. Internal Research Report, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada,
Saskatoon Research Centre, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7N 0X2, Canada. 14 pp.