Working Group meeting on the "Environmental implications of gene flow from genetically modified sugarbeet to seabeet"
A working group meeting to discuss the consequences for the environment and the monitoring of the commercialisation of GM beet with transgenic sequences.
Background
There is a high probability that transgenic sugar beet (Beta vulgaris ssp. vulgaris var. altissima DÖLL) may influence wild beet (Beta vulgaris ssp. maritima (L.) ARCANG.) populations in Europe. Geographical ‘hot spots‘ of first gene transfer are located in the seed-production-areas like eastern England, south-western France and north-eastern Italy. For this reason a survey of the local wild beet populations and their habitat characteristics are necessary, before transgenic beets and their offspring could become established. First monitoring pre-studies have been conducted in some areas of England, France, Italy, Denmark and Germany where wild beet is found in natural vegetation. In general, there is still a great need for the development of suitable methods to harmonise European monitoring activities and to ask questions about the environmental impact of transgenic hybrids for the whole continent.
This workshop will bring together researchers involved in European biosafety research on sugar beet. The planned meeting should focus on:
- determining what are the research priorities for beet,
- discussion and agreement on approaches, methods and ecological endpoints,
- production of a report which summarises 1 and 2.
Date and Location
Brugine (Piove di Sacco), near Venice, Italy on 17-20 May 2001
Workshop organisers
Organiser:
Enrico Biancardi
ISCI - Istituto Sperimentale Colture Industriali
via Amendola 82
45100 Rovigo
Italy
Co-organiser:
Dr. Detlef Bartsch
Aachen University of Technology RWTH
Biology V (Ecology, Ecotoxicology, Ecochemistry)
Worringerweg 1
52056 Aachen
Germany
