In the maize field: various methods for the assessment of 'non-target organisms'

Bt maize biosafety research: undesirable side-effects?

How do genetically modified plants behave in the environment? Could they – possibly in the long run – cause 'ecological damage'? For many years the German government has been supporting independent 'biosafety research' seeks to answer such questions. Transgenic maize alone has been the subject of 45 projects since 1997. The issue is whether there are possible harmful side-effects on other animals such as butterflies, bees, beetles, spiders, plant bugs and green lacewings. Scientists are also interested in how transgenic maize deteriorates in soil and if any harm is bestowed on beneficial organisms present in soil.

Biosafety is a focal point once again in 2011 in the Üplingen Plant Science Garden.

Methods to assess non-target organisms in a field of transgenic maize are demonstrated. In each case, the number of organisms and composition of species are determined. A trial field is generally divided into several plots. In the last research project, carried out up to 2010 in Brunswick, there were 40 plots studied.

In each case, plots of transgenic maize were compared with maize of the same variety without the new transferred gene as well as other conventional maize varieties. Tests generally run over a three-year period.

Methods for the assessment of 'non-target' organisms

Click here to start the picture stream (7 Pictures)

Date: 2011

The interactive maize field

Genetically modified Bt maize: a danger for bees, butterflies, earthworms, aquatic organisms…? Find out.

Videos: Bt maize and non-target organisms

Research project: Pollen diet for caterpillars

Research project: the possible effects of Bt maize on honey bees

Bt maize resistant to the Western corn rootworm. An interview with Dr. Stefan Rauschen, biosafety research coordinator.

When genetically modified Bt maize is cultivated, the Bt protein produced by the plant gets into the soil. Can it accumulate there over time? Questions to Prof. Dr. Christoph Tebbe of the Biodiversity Institute of the Johann Heinrich von Thünen Institute (vTI) in Brunswick, Germany.

Safety research? gmo-safety!

Information on all research projects and their findings can be found on the gmo-safety.eu internet platform.