The German Plant Breeders Association 1 Kindly Made Available the Compilation of Data to the Field Destruction

Modern Plant Biotechnology: Feld Destructions 2004 – 2012 in Germany An Overview: The German Plant Breeders Association 1 kindly made available the compilation of data to the field destruction. The notes are overtaken with few slight editorial alterations. Certainly, the locations for the field destructions were specifically selected according to the data of the German GMO location register. These filed destructions / devastations were carried out almost across the whole area of Germany. Main emphases of the actions were Ba- varia, Brandenburg, Baden-Württemberg, Hessen, Lower Saxony, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Saxony-Anhalt. The number of the field damages and the amount of damages clearly show that this is not a trivial offense, but criminal and in part organized deeds. Field destructions in 2004 03/29/ Bernburg: Two test fields for the sowing of GM wheat were made useless by spreading other seeds by unknown followers of Greenpeace 04/03/ Bernburg: Devastation of the first experimental release of GM wheat in Germany. The wheat plants were torn out or/and trampled underfoot 05/23/ Oberboihingen: Unknown destroyed a field planted with GM maize on the research fields of University on applied sciences Nuertingen. 06/22/ Golm: Destruction of a release experimental field release with GM potatoes of the Max-Planck-Institute (MPI) for Molecular Plant Physiology. All potato plants are cut off. 06/27/ - 02/07: Wittingen: Destruction of a field trial with transgenic starch potatoes; about 1,500 plants are cut off, the remaining 150 ones are not sufficient for an experimental evaluation. 08/06/ Rastede: Destruction of an experiment with transgenic starch potatoes. Two thirds of the 200 m2 large area was devastated. A scientific evaluation is not more possible. Field destructions in 2005 07/31/ Strausberg: Announced field liberation by the action group "Gendreck-weg”. Approx. 600 m2 commercial cultivation of GM maize MON 810 are devastated. 08/11/ Gusow: 19 plants from are destroyed in a nightly action. 08/16-17/ Haselbachtal: Approx. two hectares of a commercial cultivation are devastated in a nightly action. 08/17/ Rotthalmuenster: GM plants were destroyed. The plants belonged to a scientific study of the State Research Center for Agriculture, 3,000 Euro damage. 09/09/ Seelow/Alt-Langsow: 200 m2 of from commercial cultivation are destroyed. 1 The authors thank Dr. K. Moench, German Plant Breeders Association 2 GM genetically modified 1 09/09-12/ Heinersdorf : 1000 m2 of a commercial cultivation are devastated; discovered at 09/13/. 10/15-16/ Werne: Complete destruction of an experimental field release of herbicide tolerant corn. This field belonged to long-term study on biodiversity. Discovered at 10/18/ Field destructions in 2006 04/15-16/ Gut Roggenstein, Olching: Destruction of a field used for biosafety research by ap- plication of diesel oil . In 2005, on this field GM potatoes were grown. It is intended to sow conventional wheat in 2006. The soil has to be removed due to environmental damages; the experiments were no longer feasible. 06/02/ Gießen: Destruction of an experimental field release of GM barley. About 20% of the area is damaged, but the experiments may be continued. (Project of biosafety research!) 06/05/ Oberboihingen: A field release of a value audit trial for maize. The evaluation of the test is critical as 94 maize lines; including nine GM maize varieties are destroyed. Ap- prox. 10% of the area was devastated. The tests are part of the official examination of new varieties by Federal Office of Plant Varieties. That field releases are legally re- quired and form the basis for new approvals. 06/17-18/ Brunswick: At the Federal Research Institute for Agriculture (FAL) a field grown with conventional maize for animal feeding is accidentally destroyed. The field grown with Bt-maize for coexistence studies remained undamaged. 06/24-25/ Neureetz: 0.5 ha of 4.5 ha commercial Bt-maize cultivation is devastated. 06/24-25/ Dachwig: A field release of a value audit trial for maize is destroyed. The experiments are partially evaluable. 07/02-07/ Ladenburg: Complete destruction of a field for value audit trials. The test is no longer evaluable. 07/02-04/ Dachwig: A field used for value audit trials of maize was destroyed. The continua- tion of the test is endangered. 07/09-10/ Rheinstetten-Forchheim: Destruction of a field of the State Institute for Plant Pro- duction. Together with the FAL the institute carried out studies on co-existence be- tween Bt-maize and conventional ones. An area of about 2,000 m2 of Bt-maize are destroyed. The test to coexistence is still evaluable, as the field with conventional maize corn remain undamaged. 07/20-21/ Oberboihingen: Complete destruction of parts of the field release of a value audit trial, which might be still able to evaluate after the attack at 06/05. 07/19/ Hassloch: Partial destruction of a field release of a value audit trials by the Federal Office of Plant Varieties. Only fields with conventional maize varieties were devastated. By accident only, Bt-maize fields are not destroyed. Discovered at 07/24/ 2 07/28/ Borken: Greenpeace supporters enter a field trial of Monsanto's GM maize and steal plants. Greenpeace announced this action and described it as "removal of plant samples”. The plants should be used for analyzing the "poison concentrations in GM maize". 07/30/ Strausberg: Destruction of about 100 m2 of a field grown with conventional maize in the context of an announced weekend action by "Gendreck-weg". 07/30/ Badingen: Destruction of about 150 m2 of a field grown with Bt- maize. The action was announced as a weekend happening by “Gendreck-weg”. During the action, 24 persons are temporarily arrested; another 64 persons are taken to observation of the particu- lars in custody. 08/03/ Borken: Again, Greenpeace supporters invade into the experimental field and take plant samples. 08/09/ Wölsickendorf: Greenpeace activists have "harvested" 642 plants on a field of commercial Bt-maize cultivation. The plants were sent to the Campina`s headquarter in Heilbronn in order to protest against feeding cows with GM crops. Twenty activists are arrested. 08/12-13/ Greven: Destruction of a field of the Federal Plant Variety Office used for value audit trials. Plots inside the field, where the GMO varieties are growing, are targeted destroyed. Overall, about 1,500 m2 are trampled down. 09/10/ Eberswalde: Märka, a trader`s cooperative, narrowly escapes an arson attack. Incen- diary agents are discovered under four vans. The materials has been ignited, but do not get on fire for unknown reasons. A letter signed with "autonomous groups" claim- ing that the attack “should give an emphatic step for thoughts to withdraw from the genetic engineering business". 09/11-12/ Grub: Destruction of an experimental field of the Bavarian State Research Center for Agriculture. The perpetrators had driven worm-shaped tracks on 1,200 m 2 of the cornfield and destroyed the entire field. The corn is intended for a feeding trial with cattle. The aim of the experiment is to collect data on cultivation and feeding of the animals with GM maize. GM maize from another location must be used for continuing the feeding trial. The damage is estimated to be five-digit area. 09/20-21/ Werne: Destruction of an experimental field of GM maize with herbicide tolerance. At an area of about 3,000 m2, all plants are twisted one´s ankle. The damage is valuated at a five-digit sum. The field was already destroyed in 2005. 10/10-14/ Zolkendorf (Ivenack): Unknown persons have bound iron rods at plants of a field with GM maize. Apparently, the purpose is to damage harvesting equipment. 10/15/ Strehlow (Demmin): Unknown persons have put organic potatoes into a research trial with GM potatoes having an altered starch composition. 3 Activities in 2007 Destruction of GM crops 04/19/ Gross-Luesewitz: Opponents of the G8 conference have committed a paint attack on the “AgroBioTechnikum” at Gross-Kuesewitz nearby Rostock. G8 police unit "Kavala" reported that one of six experimental fields for the cultivation of GM potatoes is destroyed. 05/06/ Giessen: Unknown destroy in large parts of the filed for the value trials of maize. On behalf of the Federal Office of Plant Varieties, the Institute of Plant Breeding at the University of Giessen carried out variety trials on 700 m 2. Eight varieties out of 60 maize lines are genetically modified. 05/30/ Bokel (Cuxhaven): Unknown persons vandalize a 3000 m2 large field for value audit trials. In the middle of the field of GM-maize is grown on an area of 450 m2. 06/13/ Giessen: Parts of a trial field for biosafety research were destroyed at the Justus-Lie- big-University in Giessen. It is investigated whether GM barley has undesirable effects on beneficial soil fungi such as Mycorrizzha. Radical opponents of genetic engineering had already damaged the field in the previous year. Despite the destruction the experiments could be continued. 06/20/ Werne: Like last year, unknown persons destroy a field with GM plants. Monsanto carried out long-term trials with Bt-corn at this location. 06/23/ Forchheim: Already like in the previous year, parts of a field trial with GM maize were destroyed. The trial was part of the research program "Coexistence" funded by BMELV in which practical issues of coexistence were examined. In the night, radical opponents of GM crops invaded into the field and trampled down corn plants. A representative of the Ministry of Agriculture, Baden-Württemberg said "significant area" is destroyed. Nevertheless, it appears to be possible to incorporate the non-damaged sub-areas in the evaluation.

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