Research and analysis

Qualifying higher plant notification (reference: 23/Q02)

Published 8 March 2023

Applies to England

© Crown copyright 2023

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Notification requirement for release of qualifying higher plants

Information to be provided to the Secretary of State alongside a notice of intention to release a qualifying higher plant under schedule 3A of the Genetically Modified Organisms (Deliberate Release) (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2022.

1. The title of the project

Field assessment of gene edited Oilseed Rape with pod shatter resistance.

2. The aim of the project (including any matters being investigated as part of the project)

To assess the agronomic performance and pod shatter characteristics of gene edited oilseed rape under UK field conditions.

3. The full name of the qualifying higher plant to be released under the project, including:

(a) family name: Brassicaceae; subfamily N/A

(b) genus: Brassica

(c) species: Brassica napus (Oilseed rape)

(d) subspecies: N/A

4. The expected date on which the project will start

On or after 1 August 2023.

5. The expected duration of the project

Three growing seasons (until September 2026).

6. Confirmation that the person with overall responsibility for the project will put in place appropriate measures[footnote 1], as necessary, to minimise the possibility of material from the qualifying higher plant being placed on the market, for example by cross-fertilizing sexually compatible commercial crops

I confirm that appropriate measures will be put in place to minimise this possibility. The QHPs will not be grown within 200 metres of commercial winter oilseed crops. Our SOP states that any similar plant that can cross pollinate with the QHP that is flowering at the same time within 200m radius of the trial will be removed.

7. Confirmation that the person with overall responsibility for the project has read the ACRE guidance on genetic technologies that result in ‘qualifying higher plants’ and has assessed that the higher plants covered by this notification meet these criteria

I confirm that I have read the guidance. I confirm that the oilseed rape lines to be grown in this experiment meet the criteria described in that document.

Oilseed rape lines were edited to introduce small INDELS intended to reduce seed losses due to pre-harvest pod shattering. Small INDELS are known to arise naturally, and the plants were edited without the integration of foreign DNA and therefore meet the criteria for a Qualifying Higher Plant.

  1. Notifiers may wish to refer to published ACRE advice concerning measures for the minimisation of cross-pollination from UK GMO crop trials authorised under retained EU legislation ↩

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