Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Table 4.
Economic Effects of Coexistence Measures in Maize Seed
Production
Percent of
Variable
Percent of
Additional Coexistence
Costs/income
Production Gross
Measure
Losses in
/ha Costs
Margin
€
Increasing isolation distance by:
100 m (wheat as alternative crop)
322
14.8
21.6
150 m (wheat as alternative crop)
483
22.2
32.5
Planting additional male rows on non-GM seed maize field
6 additional male rows
80.85
3.7
5.4
18 additional male rows
242.5
11.1
16.3
Changing flowering time of cultivated maize varieties from . . .
Very late to late (30
◦
days)
446.8
20.5
30.0
Late to mid-early (60
◦
days)
114.0
5.2
7.6
Source:
Menrad and Reitmeier, 2006.
production plots. To meet a threshold of 0.5 percent in maize seed pro-
duction, costs of around 410
/ha have to be assumed (almost 28 percent
of the gross margin) in the case of non-GM seed plots of 0.5 ha, whereas
this threshold can be met without any additional costs in the case of 5 ha
non-GM seed plots (Figure 2). The same picture emerges if a 0.3 percent
threshold has to be met: in the case of 0.5 ha non-GM seed plots, addi-
tional costs of around 650
€
/ha (around 44 percent of the gross margin)
have to be expected, which fall to 114
€
/ha in the case of non-GM seed
plot sizes of 5 ha. The costs of additional measures to meet a 0.1 per-
cent threshold add up to more than 650
€
/ha even in the “best case” 5 ha
€
non-GM seed plots (Figure 2).
Taken all together, it can be summarized that in maize grain produc-
tion, levels of adventitious presence below 0.9 percent can be achieved
without any cooperation between farmers in neighboring clusters. When
fields are located in the same cluster, additional measures have to be
taken with very differing cost effects depending on the specific character-
istics of the measure. Additional measures should also be taken (either
by the seed company or by the commercial GM grower) for ensuring
