Spillage of Viable Seeds of Oilseed Rape along Transportation Routes: Ecological Risk Assessment and Perspectives on Management Efforts

Abstract

Seed spillage during handling and transportation promotes establishment and invasion of feral crops into adjacent semi-natural habitats. This is also the case for oilseed rape (OSR, Brassica napus), where seed spillage may lead to establishment of herbicide resistant OSR populations in countries without cultivation of genetically modified OSR. Using data from Austria-where cultivation and import of genetically modified OSR are banned-as a prime example, we demonstrate that ports, oil mills, switchyards, and border railway stations to countries with different electric current systems-where trains have to stop-are the sites of primary concern with respect to seed spillage. Based on the results of the Austrian case study we discuss common measures to limit crop seed spillage which include intensified controls at border railway stations and the mode of seed packing during transportation. We further recommend sufficient cleaning both of goods wagons and of loading areas of trucks and ships as well as an appropriate weed management.Keywords: oilseed rape, transport, seed spillage, feral crop, invasion, mitigation measures, risk assessment, AustriaSeeds of arable crops are regularly spilled during transport and handling activities. These incidents cause intense management efforts and additional costs (Yoshimura et al., 2006). Moreover, the origin and establishment of feral populations along transportation routes contribute to the uncertainty concerning containment of genetically modified (GM) crops outside fields and could therefore interfere with a successful weed management. Here, we focus on oilseed rape (OSR, Brassica napus), a frequently spilled crop (Von der Lippe and Kowarik, 2007) with GM lines already in use, to identify spillage hot-spots due to transportation and handling, allowing us to develop perspectives on common management approaches.Spillage of OSR seeds has intensively been studied worldwide (e.g., Schafer et al., 2011), which makes OSR a primary model system in this context. We chose Austria as study region because this small country is situated in the center of Europe rendering it a nodal point for traffic and international goods carriage.

Diversity of Naturalized Hairy Vetch (Vicia villosa Roth) Populations in Central Argentina as a Source of Potential Adaptive Traits for Breeding

“…As HV natural seed dispersal potential is very limited (Jannink et al, 1997), seed spillage due to handling and transportation was probably the most important distribution method. Humanmediated dispersal is the most likely explanation of establishment and subsequent naturalization of HV into further suitable habitats (Horvitz et al, 2017;Pascher et al, 2017).…”

Case Study 2: Oilseed Rape (Brassica napus L.)

“…Brassica napus exhibits relatively well studied environmental interaction types that are prototypic for many other plants, in particular addressing relations of cultivation and genetic exchange with feral and weedy species Pascher et al 2006Pascher et al , 2010Pascher et al , 2017. It is one of the species that has its centre of origin in Europe, and thus a specific responsibility of the European Union to secure sustainability conditions for related wild species may be implied.…”

Gene Drives at Tipping Points

“…Brassica napus exhibits relatively well studied environmental interaction types that are prototypic for many other plants, in particular addressing relations of cultivation and genetic exchange with feral and weedy species (Landbo et al 1996;Pascher et al 2006Pascher et al , 2010Pascher et al , 2017. It is one of the species that has its centre of origin in Europe, and thus a specific responsibility of the European Union to secure sustainability conditions for related wild species may be implied.…”

“…Large-scale cultivation of transgenic oilseed rape over several years supports the formation of hybrids and thus the propagation of transgenes. It can establish feral populations at ruderal sites and occasionally even in natural habitats such as river banks (Pascher et al 2000(Pascher et al , 2017Pascher and Gollmann 1999). Also, the persistence of oilseed rape seeds in the soil is an essential factor.…”