Date of publication: February 5, 2004
Source:
http://gmoinfo.jrc.it/gmp_browse_geninf.asp
Notification
report
General information
Notification Number:
B/ES/04/08
Member State:Spain
Date of Acknowledgement:09/01/2004
Title of the Project:
Evaluation in field conditions of Fungal resistant wheat.
Proposed period of release From:01/03/2004
To:30/11/2004
Name of the Institute(s) or Company(ies): Instituto de
Agricoltura Sostenibile Consejo Superior de Investigaciones
Cientificas;
3. Is the same GMPt release planned elsewhere in the
Community?
No
4 - Has the same GMPt been notified elsewhere by the same
notifier?
No
Genetically
modified plant
1. Complete name of the
recipient or parental plant(s)
|
Common Name |
Family Name |
Genus |
Species |
Subspecies |
Cultivar/breeding line |
| wheat
|
poaceae
|
triticum
|
triticum
aestivum |
|
|
2. Description of the traits and characteristics which have
been introduced or modified, including marker genes and previous
modifications:
Two individual transformation events will be used in this
trial: FR3173 and FR3177. They were transformed with :
- An frg gene coding for a protein capable of conferring a
Fusarium fungal resistance characteristic (See Appendix 1
Confidential Business Information).
- A pmi gene, used as a marker gene for selection during the
plant transformation process, which gives the plant the option
to use mannose as a carbon source.
FR3173 event has only one intact copy of the frg gene.
FR3177 event has only one intact copy of the frg and pmi genes.
Genetic
modification
3. Type of genetic
modification:
Insertion;
4. In case of insertion of genetic material, give the source
and intended function of each constituent fragment of the region
to be inserted:
- A frg gene coding for a protein capable of conferring a
Fusarium fungal resistance characteristic (See Appendix 1
Confidential Business Information).
- A pmi gene, used as a marker gene for selection during the
plant transformation process, which gives the plant the option
to use mannose as a carbon source.
Mannose tolerance is conferred by the pmi gene, isolated from
Escherichia coli. In plants and other organisms, mannose
intervenes in the intermediary metabolism of the glycolytic
pathway; it is phosphorylated into mannose-6-phosphate by a
hexokinase. Naturally, the plants are not capable of using
mannose-6-phosphate as a carbon source; the pmi gene codes for a
protein, Phosphomannose Isomerase, which converts
mannose-6-phosphate into fructose-6-phosphate, a metabolisable
sugar, which enters glycolysis directly. Plants containing the
PMI gene are capable of transforming mannose into
fructose-6-phosphate.
6. Brief description of the method used for the genetic
modification:
The transformation method applied is microprojectile-mediated
direct gene transfer using a microprojectile gun for cell
cultures produced from the culture of immature embryos published
according to Chang et al., 1999 (Patent US 5,955,362).
After gene delivery, the cells are transferred onto the
selection medium containing mannose. The presence of the fungal
resistance gene (frg) is screened for in the cell clusters that
develop on this medium, using PCR.
7. If the recipient or parental plant is a forest tree
species, describe ways and extent of dissemination and specific
factors affecting dissemination:
Not applicable.
Experimental
Release
1. Purpose of the release:
The objective of the field release is to evaluate the
performance of these plants in Spain by assessing the damage to
wheat ears due to infection by Fusarium and to study the levels
of the main mycotoxins in the GM wheat compared to conventional
wheat.
2. Geographical location of the site:
Finca experimental "Alameda del Obispo".
Término municipal de Córdoba
Instituto de Agricultura Sostenible
Alameda del Obispo, s/n - 14004 CORDOBA
3. Size of the site (m2):
The area comprising the released GM wheat plus the non-GM
wheat border rows (no less than 5 m) will be approximately 325
m2.
The GM plants will occupy 55 m2.
4. Relevant data regarding previous releases carried out with
the same GM-plant, if any, specifically related to the potential
environmental and human health impacts from the release:
Similar field trials have been conducted in the USA and
Canada and no adverse effects to humans and the environment were
observed. Also, over 20GM wheat field trials have already been
conducted in Europe with no adverse effects reported.
Environmental
Impact and Risk Management
Summary of the potential
environmental impact from the release of the GMPts:
The trial has been carefully designed to isolate the GM
plants and the risk assessment conducted prior to the release
indicates that the potential effects on humans and the
environment will be minimal.
The likelihood of the wheat plants becoming more invasive or
persistent in the environment as a result of this release can be
considered negligible.
The self pollinating nature of wheat, the short pollen life, the
absence of species with which hybridisation is possible at the
site, the border of non modified wheat and the distance the
trial will be located from other wheat and barley crops,
indicates that there is very little potential for gene transfer
either to the same or sexually compatible species, or from the
same or other sexually compatible species to the trial plot,
under the conditions of the trial. The likelihood of any
selective advantage or disadvantage being conferred to these
species can be considered negligible. No direct, indirect,
immediate or delayed effects on non-target organisms are
expected as a result of this field trial. No immediate or
delayed effects on biogeochemical processes arising out of
direct or indirect interactions between the modified wheat and
the target Fusarium fungal pathogens are anticipated
If there were any unanticipated effects, these would be likely
to be short-lived due to the small scale and transient nature of
the trial. No reports of any adverse effects were received from
similar field trials in the USA and Canada, where wheat plants
with the same genetic modification have been released.
Brief description of any measures taken for the management of
risks:
- The nearest cultivated durum wheat, rye or triticale will
be no less than 10m from the proposed trial site.
- In order to minimise the limited pollen pressure exerted by
the genetically modified wheat plants, a border 5m wide with
conventional wheat will surround the test site. This border will
be treated as if it were transgenic at the end of the trial.
- A net will cover this area to prevent birds coming into the
field straight after sowing and at early ear emergence.
- The ears from genetically modified plants, as well as the ears
from the conventional control plants for analysis, will be
harvested manually before they reach full maturity, to avoid
spontaneous hulling.
- The wheat ears remaining in the plots and the wheat grain from
the conventional 5m border will be bagged and incinerated. A
total vegetative control herbicide will then be applied to the
trial area. Herbicide treated plant material remaining after
harvest will be pulverised and incorporated into the soil.
- The following year, a crop other than a cereal, that will
allow the clear identification of volunteers, will be grown and
any wheat volunteers emerging will be removed and incinerated or
destroyed by treatment with an appropriate herbicide.
- The trial site will be carefully monitored regularly
throughout the release and for one year after trial termination.
Any wheat seedlings that appear as volunteers will be easily
identified and will be removed and incinerated or destroyed by
treatment with an appropriate herbicide.
Summary of foreseen field trial studies focused to gain new
data on environmental and human health impact from the release:
The trials have been designed to gain new data on the
environment and human health impact of the release. |
