Brussels, 25/06/2015 (Agence Europe) - Those seeking market approval for a genetically modified (GM) plant should be better placed to complete their applications and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to improve its risk assessment thanks to guidance published by EFSA on 24 June.
This guidance clarifies the data needs for the agronomic and phenotypic characterisation of genetically modified (GM) plants - a key requirement for carrying out GM plant risk assessments.
The recommendations set out relate to the generation, analysis and interpretation of agronomic data (such as yield and pesticide tolerance) and phenotypic data (the plants' observable appearance, such as height and colour) on the selection of test materials and sites, the quality and design of field trials, and the selection of specific plant characteristics to measure its biology and behaviour.
Any risk assessment of GM plants includes the comparison of the agronomic and phenotypic characteristics of the GM plant with its conventional counterpart. (Aminata Niang)