Australia
October 24, 2007
Source:
Australian Cotton Grower's
Research Association (ACGRA)
Permit to extend Bollgard II
Planting Windows
Monsanto Australia Ltd. has been granted a
Permit to extend the Bollgard II®
planting windows for this season by the Australian Pesticides
and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA). The permit has been
granted in response to the dramatically reduced areas of early
cotton plantings this season. The permit application was
supported by the Transgenic and Insecticide Management
Strategies Committee (TIMS).
RE: Permit to extend Bollgard II ®
planting windows (No. PER 10372)
Monsanto Australia Ltd. has been
granted a Permit to extend the Bollgard II® planting windows for
this season [only] by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary
Medicines Authority (APVMA). The permit has been granted in
response to the dramatically reduced areas of early cotton
plantings this season. In considering the permit request the
APVMA has consulted with the Office of Gene technology Regulator
(OGTR) and relevant state government agencies (DPI’s).
The permit application was supported by the Transgenic and
Insecticide Management Strategies Committee (TIMS). The TIMS
Technical Panel considered that current forecasts for the
planted cotton area represented significantly reduced exposure
of the Bt toxin to the pest (Helicoverpa spp.) in the 2007/08
season. The forecast planted area at the beginning of October
represented approximately 10% of the largest cotton crop area
recorded in the 1998/99 season and was uniformly distributed
across the industry. Therefore unlike a ‘normal’ season when
‘significant’ areas are planted to Bollgard II over the 42 day
planting window, this season presents the possibility of a
relatively small initial area being planted early to Bollgard II
compared to a significantly larger ‘potential’ area being
planted late to Bollgard II should belated spring rains occur.
This skewed planting schedule would approximate the requirements
needed for approving a Bollgard II Planting Window Variation
(PWV) but may lengthen the total period of the window between
early and late plantings.
Should there be a dramatic turnaround in seasonal conditions in
late spring Monsanto and the TIMS committee wanted a mechanism
to be in place to enable an immediate response to changed
conditions and planting intentions. Therefore a preemptive
request to the regulator was made for a contingency plan to
allow growers to plant Bollgard II cotton after the close of
their Bollgard II planting window as prescribed under the
Resistance Management Plan (RMP) and/or Bollgard II planting
window variation (if granted). This request has been approved
with some conditions for fields planted in ‘the extension’
period.
Permit:
http://www.seedquest.com/News/releases/2007/pdf/20747.pdf
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