BULLETIN 1
Field Trial of Gene-Edited Wheat in UK Gets ACRE Approval
ISAAA February 12, 2025

 

The United Kingdom's Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment (ACRE) has approved the field trial of wheat with improved yields and stress tolerance using CHLORAD technology. The ACRE Advice to the Secretary of State under section 124 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 said that it is satisfied that all appropriate measures have been taken to avoid adverse effects on human health and the environment from the proposed release. ACRE sees no reason for the release not to proceed.
Nine gene-edited plant lines will be included in the field trials, eight of which still retain the transgenic construct that was transformed into the plants to perform gene editing. The ACRE advises that the applicant, the University of Oxford, observe the following to minimize the likelihood that GM wheat from this trial will enter the human food or animal feed chains, the applicant should:
1. Ensure that there is 20m surrounding the trial site, in which no cereals or grass species will be left to grow, other than those being trialed under separate GM releases.
2. Plant a wheat pollen barrier, of 2m width, to flower at the same time as the GM wheat as an additional precautionary measure.
3. Control Elymus repens (Couch Grass) and E. caninus (Bearded couch) using hand-weeding, other mechanical methods, or application of glyphosate herbicide, within the trial site and the surrounding 20 m, before flowering and for the duration of the trial.
4. Ensure that any GM or non-GM wheat plant material remaining in the area of release at the end of the trial is disposed of appropriately.
5. Ensure that following harvest, the area of release is lightly tilled twice (once after harvest and again in the following spring) to a depth of 5 cm to stimulate germination of any wheat plant volunteers. The release areas should be left fallow and monitored for wheat plant volunteers for 2 years following harvest.
6. Record the number of wheat plant volunteers that germinate before destroying them with hand pulling, mechanical methods (e.g. harrowing) or application of glyphosate herbicide prior to flowering.
7. Ensure that suitable measures (such as those described in the University of Oxford's application) are put in place to keep large birds out of the trial area and that the efficacy of these measures is kept under review.
For more details, read the Advice on the ACRE website.

BULLETIN 2
Mexico Cancels GM Corn Restrictions, Follows USMCA Ruling

Mexico lifted GM corn restrictions to comply with the decision of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) dispute panel. The ruling revokes the decree of former President López Obrador protecting native corn species.
The decision, published in the Federal Official Gazette and signed by Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard, follows a complaint filed by the United States in 2023. The US argued that Mexico's February 2023 decree, issued by then-President López Obrador, violated USMCA trade commitments by restricting GM corn imports. The panel, established in response to the US complaint, concluded in December 2024 that Mexico's measures were inconsistent with the trade agreement and recommended alignment with USMCA obligations. Thus, the Mexican government has nullified the application of Art. 6 (Section II), 7, and 8 of the 2023 decree, effectively lifting the restrictions. Administrative actions referring to the revoked provisions will also be rendered void, according to the publication.
For more details, read the original article from Mexico Business News.
See https://www.isaaa.org/kc/cropbiotechupdate/article/default.asp?ID=21197

 

SCIENTIFIC NAME

Effects of genetically modified maize MON810 on surface-active springtails (Collembola)
Ľudovít Cagáň, Lenka Minarčíková, Pavel Šebek, Lukáš Čížek, Oxana Skoková Habuštová
Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata; First published: 05 February 2025; https://doi.org/10.1111/eea.13539

  

Abstract
Springtails (Collembola) are an integral and beneficial component of soil communities. As part of a comprehensive study of the effects of the Bacillus thuringiensis-maize hybrid DKC4442YG (Bt event MON810) expressing Cry1Ab toxin on nontarget invertebrates, we studied abundance and diversity of surface-active springtails in the temperate region of central Europe (western Slovakia) over 3 years in 10 plots with Bt and 10 plots with the near-isogenic non-Bt event DK440. Standard fertilizer and herbicide applications were used without the use of insecticides. Springtails were collected throughout vegetative season, nine to 11 times in each plot every year, using pitfall traps; a total of 580 samples were collected throughout the study period. In total, 7945 individuals of nine species were collected. We found that maize hybrid (Bt vs. non-Bt) did not affect the average number of species, abundances, or community composition of springtails. There was also no significant interaction between the maize hybrids and seasonal patterns of species numbers, abundances, or community composition. To conclude, the studied genetically modified maize event MON810 did not have any impact on the communities of surface-active Collembola.
See https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/eea.13539

  

Figure:
Numbers of (A) surface-active Collembola species and (B) total abundances of Collembola per sample (springtails sampled with two pitfall traps in each plot exposed for 1 week and set several times throughout season) in the Bt and near-isogenic non-Bt event. No significant effect of the maize hybrids was found when tested by generalized linear models.