Risk of GE pollen escape 'small'

Fairfax

SAFE: An expert says the risk of pollen escaping from an experimental field of genetically engineered onions in Christchurch is minimal.

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The risk of pollen escaping from a field of genetically engineered (GE) onions near Lincoln is minuscule, a United States genetics researcher says.

United States Department of Agriculture professor of horticulture Michael Havey has written to Crown research institute (CRI) Crop and Food Research supporting its plans for a 10-year programme to plant up to 2.5ha of GE onions, spring onions, leeks and garlic.

The research, in a securely contained, undisclosed field somewhere near Lincoln, aims to test the plants' tolerance to herbicide and resistance to fungi, bacteria, viruses and insect pests.

Some plants will be allowed to flower but will be covered with cages composed of fine mesh small enough to keep in pollinating insects and keep out other insects.

In a letter to lead Crop and Food researcher Colin Eady, Havey said he had read the CRI's application to the Environmental Risk Management Authority (Erma) for authority to carry out the field trials.

For more than 20 years his research work had used fine-meshed cages and had planted dominant white and red onion bulbs in cages next to cages containing yellow bulbs with recessive genes.

"If pollen escape occurred, either wind or insect-borne, we should have observed occasional white or red bulbs in our yellow lines," he said.

"I ... have never observed dominant white or red contamination of our yellow lines.

"I must conclude that the probability of pollen escape from these small-mesh cages is extremely small and I recommend that the New Zealand authorities allow their use."

In a report for the Erma hearing, Crop and Food production general manager Prue Williams said pollen and small insect traps would be placed around the caged onions to monitor onion pollen and assess the risk of its release.

"It would be preferable to initially test this on non-GM (genetically modified) onions in case substantial pollen flow occurs," she said.

Erma received 124 submissions on the proposal. Thirty-four people including representatives of GE Free New Zealand, the Soil and Health Association of New Zealand, Federated Farmers, the Sustainability Council, CRI Scion and Ngai Tahu will present their views at an Erma public hearing in Christchurch on August 12.