Biological control of pests in GM plant experiments: risks, benefits and consequences for containment

In greenhouses and growth chambers sometimes pests, such as aphids, whiteflies and thrips are present. To reduce the presence of these pests, chemical pesticides are used when working with GM plants. The use of chemical pesticides may be detrimental to the plant, and have an influence on the experimental design of the experiment. The number of available chemical pesticides that can be used is declining because of danger to the environment and the employee. In addition, the efficacy of some chemical pesticides deceases. In greenhouses biological control is a standard method to reduce pests. When biological control agents are used in GM greenhouses or growing cells, they can potentially take up and distribute GM plant material.

The report describes the biological control agents that are used in greenhouses in the Netherlands and what the consequences might be for the containment when working with GMOs. In the report a number of biological controls agents and their ability to spread pollen are described. To gain more insight into the route of dispersal of GM pollen through biological control agents COGEM has commissioned a follow-up study. In this study experiments will be performed to investigate whether the spread of GM pollen through biological control agents is possible.