Food Safety Network

HARVEST OF GENETICALLY ENGINEERED SWEET CORN AND POTATOES BEGINS AT BIRKBANK FARMS

30.aug.00

Sources

• >From a press release

HILLSBURGH, ON -- The first sweet corn and table potatoes of the season, including genetically engineered varieties, were available for consumers at Birkbank Farms today. The crops are part of an experiment comparing different pest management technologies coupled with consumer buying preference in a complete farm-to- fork approach. To deliver the high-quality, affordable sweet corn and table potatoes that Canadian consumers demand, producers use a mix of technologies, techniques and experience. All of the sweet corn that became available today was sprayed with a herbicide on July 2 and received one application of fertilizer. The conventional sweet corn was sprayed either three times with the insecticide carbofuran or four times with Bt as a foliar spray (Bt is short for Bacillus thuringiensis, a natural, soil-borne bacterium that produces protein toxins specific to families of pests). The last treatment was on Aug. 23. All conventional varieties required a fungicide, which was also applied on Aug. 15. The sweet corn genetically engineered to contain Bt required no insecticides and no fungicides. The potatoes required two applications of fungicide, largely due to the wet spring and summer. Conventional potatoes were sprayed either once with the insecticide Admire or twice with Bt as a foliar spray. The genetically engineered Bt potatoes required no insecticides. All of the products used have been approved for safety by Canadian regulators and were used according to recommended guidelines to ensure safety. Jeff Wilson, the Hillsburgh-area farmer hosting the trials, said that the one clear message from his customers over the past few years is to reduce pesticide use. "We started with integrated pest management (IPM) systems appropriate for our farm and location several years ago, but eventually reached the point where further pesticide reductions led to a product that consumers simply would not buy," said Wilson. "Based on initial observations, the Bt corn and potatoes are proving to be an important additional tool to help meet consumer demand for reduced pesticide use." The project was publicly announced on June 6 following public meetings and consultation with neighbours. A 3 km walking trail was created so visitors to the farm market could stroll among the crops and garner a better understanding of the trade-offs and technologies involved in food production. The corn and potatoes will now be segregated at harvest and labeled so that direct consumer testing for purchasing preference can be conducted. Katija Blaine, a research assistant in the department of plant agriculture