EDP Sciences Journals List
Home Document
Subscriber Authentication Point
Free access article

Issue Environ. Biosafety Res.
Volume 4, Number 2, April-June 2005
Page(s) 71 - 87
DOI 10.1051/ebr:2005013

Environ. Biosafety Res. 4 (2005) 71-87
DOI: 10.1051/ebr:2005013

The co-existence between transgenic and non-transgenic maize in the European Union: a focus on pollen flow and cross-fertilization

Yann Devos1, Dirk Reheul1 and Adinda De Schrijver2

1  Department of Plant Production, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, University of Ghent, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
2  Division of Biosafety and Biotechnology, Scientific Institute of Public Health, Juliette Wytsmanstraat 14, 1050 Brussels, Belgium

(Received March 25, 2005; accepted August 8, 2005)

Abstract
The ongoing discussion on the co-existence between genetically modified (GM) and non-GM crops becomes more important in the European Union (EU). With the recent inscription of 17 GM maize varieties in the common EU catalogue of varieties of agricultural plant species, the acreage of transgenic maize for market purposes is expected to increase in some European countries. In the EU, specific tolerance thresholds have been established for the adventitious and technically unavoidable presence of GM material in non-GM produce, and member states are elaborating legal frames to cope with co-existence. As maize is a cross-pollinated crop relying on wind for the dispersal of its pollen, technical management measures will be imposed to reduce cross-fertilization between transgenic and non-transgenic maize. Various biological, physical and analytical parameters have been identified to play a role in the study of cross-fertilization in maize. This variability may hamper the comparison between research results and may complicate the definition of appropriate isolation distances and/or pollen barriers in order to limit out-crossing. The present review addresses these parameters and proposes containment measures in order to not exceed the legal labeling thresholds in maize.


Key words: Zea mays L. / maize / pollen flow / cross-fertilization / co-existence / thresholds / isolation distances / pollen barriers / GM-crop-free zones

Corresponding author: Yann Devos Yann.Devos@UGent.be

© ISBR, EDP Sciences 2005


What is OpenURL?

The OpenURL standard is a protocol for transmission of metadata describing the resource that you wish to access. An OpenURL link contains article metadata and directs it to the OpenURL server of your choice. The OpenURL server can provide access to the resource and also offer complementary services (specific search engine, export of references...). The OpenURL link can be generated by different means.
  • If your librarian has set up your subscription with an OpenURL resolver, OpenURL links appear automatically on the abstract pages.
  • You can define your own OpenURL resolver with your EDPS Account. In this case your choice will be given priority over that of your library.
  • You can use an add-on for your browser (Firefox or I.E.) to display OpenURL links on a page (see http://www.openly.com/openurlref/). You should disable this module if you wish to use the OpenURL server that you or your library have defined.