> No claims are being made that bees are 'staying away' from
> GM.  As I recall Allen Dick used to make part of his income
> from pollination services for GM canola seed production -
> are you out there Allen?!

I doubt that any difference between canola varieties that bees--or 
anyone--can detect in the fields would be due to the GMO aspect.  All 
canolas are altered from the original rape varieties.

Reaching back into antiquity, the method of improving crops was by selection 
and propagation of 'superior' individuals found in general plant 
populations. Some were the result of crosses and others from natural 
mutation.  Over succeeding generations, repeated selection amplified 
desirable characteristics and eliminated the undesirable ones, eventually 
creating a new high-yielding, disease resistant crop varieties suited to 
various purposes and localities.

In the past century or so--maybe longer?--breeders,not satisfied with the 
slow rate of natural mutation, subjected seeds to harsh chemicals and/or 
radiation to encourage random mutation.  The result was to increase the 
variability from which to select and thus speed up progress,  Either one or 
both of these two methods produced many/most of the "non-GMO" farm crops in 
popular use today.

In the past quarter century, however, the process changed from being a 
shotgun approach, creating many random mutations, to a carefully targeted 
process.  Using new gene manipulation methods, technicians design and 
generate 'mutations' by methodically inserting specific promising genes, 
rather than by merely creating genetic chaos and picking the 'good' 
results--if any--from the mess of random natural, chemical and radiation 
assisted mutation.

So, knowing the above, we can understand that there is no magic difference 
between 'GMO' and non-GMO crops.  Actually all crops are genetically 
modified from the original stock.  The only difference is how the mutation 
and selection were accomplished, what the criteria were, and how long the 
transformation took.

That having been said, all crops are selected for various properties, and in 
flowering crops, nectar production and pollen nutrition for bees are not 
necessarily a top priority--unless the breeders are reminded of the needs of 
pollinators, so in some cases, nectar secretion may suffer.  As we have 
learned in bee breeding, seeking one desirable characteristic may result in 
diminution of others that are just as important.  Only so many criteria can 
be set before the task becomes impossible.  Seed fields are very carefully 
controlled genetically, so all plants are very close genetically.  Since the 
fields are so homogenous we have noticed distinct variations in 
attractiveness and nectar production from year to year and variety to 
variety.  This is due to the selection, and IMO has nothing to do with 
whether the crop is 'GMO' or not.

Commercial canola crops, using commercial seed, tend to be very clean (no 
weeds) and well-sprayed, as well as being comprised of genetically almost 
identical plants.  In our experience with pollinating commercial seed crops, 
plants are grown in huge expanses, with no competing bee forage in the 
margins or, sometimes even the neighbourhood.  (At other times, alfalfa or 
other crops will be available nearby).  Often there are often no landmarks 
in the fields, so the bees tend to work the margins or near any landmarks 
there may be, distorting the distribution.  Moreover such crops tend to 
bloom all at once and often only for a few days/weeks.  With no weeds or 
other bait to have trained the bees to the crop, bees may ignore it if they 
are happy elsewhere.  Temperature and time of day are huge factors, too. 
I've been out counting bees per square metre, and understanding what is 
happening is not simple.

That is all a long way of saying that I have never seen any evidence that 
bees avoid any canola, whether it be the older varieties or the newer ones, 
and whether it is Roundup Ready, or Bayer's equivalent, Liberty Link, or 
not.  Any differences observed are, IMO, due to the sudden short bloom 
period of commercial crops and lack of weed attractors, when compared to 
less intensely managed crops of similar varieties.

The possibly of an unfortunate oversight in selection that affects timing, 
temperature sensitivity or attractiveness of  the nectar or pollen 
production (which would have nothing to do with GMO) can occur in any 
variety under development or maintenance, and smart beekeepers maintain 
contact with plant breeders to keep our needs on their minds when they are 
selecting.

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