WILD BEE ABUNDANCE AND SEED PRODUCTION IN CONVENTIONAL,
ORGANIC, AND GENETICALLY MODIFIED CANOLA
LORA A. MORANDIN AND MARK L. WINSTON

The study in question looks into why wild bees are less abundant in GM
canola fields. While their study does seem to confirm this observation, they
never suggest that the effect is due to some essential difference in the
canola itself. The plants apparently produce nectar and pollen normally.
Like it or not, genetically modified food is now the norm, at least in the
US. So far, it apparently causes no serious harm. I believe, as many people
do, we should proceed with caution in the development of new technologies. I
also think that it is very important to deal with facts and not be swayed by
what may be emotional arguments. We are talking about food and people's
perception of what is "safe". It does no good to anyone to raise false alarms.

* * *

Quoted for review purposes only:

Different cropping methods associated with GM,
conventional, and organic canola may affect wild bee
abundance in fields. Transgenic herbicide-resistant canola
fields can be treated with broad-spectrum herbicides
after canola emergence, resulting in more effective
weed control than in conventional systems. Organic
canola growers primarily rely on pre-sowing tillage
and fast growing canola varieties for weed
management and, consequently, organic fields tend to
have larger amounts and greater diversity of weeds than
conventional and GM fields (L. A. Morandin and M.
L. Winston, unpublished data).

Although insecticide treatments were similar between
GM and conventional fields, GM fields were
treated with Roundup, a highly effective herbicide,
which resulted in lower weed diversity and abundance
within GM fields than in conventional fields (unpublished
data), possibly affecting bee abundance. Williams
(2002) suggested that herbicide-tolerant crops
such as oilseed rape (B. napus and rapa), because they
employ more effective weed control strategies than
non-GM rape, will possibly reduce weedy and nonweedy
farmland plants, causing a reduction in food
resources for insects, including bees.

Ecological Applications, 15(3), 2005, pp. 871–881

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