<p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Field Testing</b></p>

<p style="text-align: justify;">The Oxy-235 line was field tested in Canada from 1992 to 1996 and assessed for a number of agronomic characteristics, including seed yield, days to maturity, silique shattering, and overwintering capacity. In comparison with non-transgenic commercial canola varieties, all of these parameters were within the normal range of expression. Stress adaptation was evaluated, including resistance to major <i>B. napus</i> pests such as the fungal pathogen <i>Leptosphaeria maculans</i> (blackleg) and the susceptibility of Oxy-235 was within the ranges currently displayed by commercial varieties. The only significant difference between Oxy-235 canola and the parental non-transformed variety was that Oxy-235 exhibited field tolerance to ioxynil and bromoxynil.</p>

<p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Outcrossing</b></p>

<p style="text-align: justify;"><i>B. napus</i> plants are known to outcross up to 30% with other plants of the same species, and potentially with plants of related species <i>B. rapa</i>, <i>B. juncea</i>, <i>B. carinata</i>, <i>B. nigra</i>, <i>Diplotaxis muralis</i>, <i>Raphanus raphanistrum</i>, and <i>Erucastrum gallicum</i>. Previous studies have demonstrated that gene flow is most likely to occur with <i>B. rapa</i>.<br />
The <i>bxn</i> gene is not expected to confer an ecological advantage to potential hybrid offspring. If tolerant individuals arose through interspecific or intergeneric hybridization, the novel trait would confer no competitive advantage to these plants unless these populations were routinely subject to herbicide treatments. This may occur in managed ecosystems where oxynil herbicides are applied for broad spectrum weed control, or when used to control weeds in crop plants which exhibit herbicide tolerance such as cereals, or plant varieties genetically engineered for tolerance. In the event that a tolerant plant survived, the herbicide-tolerant individual would be easily controlled using mechanical and other available chemical means. This can be avoided by the use of sound crop management practices including both crop and herbicide rotations.</p>

<p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Weediness Potential</b></p>

<p style="text-align: justify;">No competitive advantage was conferred to Oxy-235 canola, other than that conferred by resistance to ioxynil and bromoxynil herbicides. Resistance to these herbicides did not confer any pest resistance, alter reproductive biology or change any physiology related to survival. In the event that a tolerant plant survived, the herbicide-tolerant individual would be easily controlled using mechanical and/or alternative herbicides with different modes of action such as 2,4-D and MCPA. It was concluded that Oxy-235 canola had no altered weed or invasiveness potential compared to currently commercialized <i>B. napus</i> varieties.</p>

<p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Secondary and Non-Target Adverse Effects</b></p>

<p style="text-align: justify;">It was determined that Oxy-235 did not have a significant adverse impact on interacting organisms including humans. The nitrilase protein expressed in Oxy-235 did not result in altered toxicity or allergenicity properties as determined from studies using simulated digestive fluids, nutritional composition and amino acid sequence homology studies.</p>

<p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Impact on Biodiversity</b></p>

<p style="text-align: justify;">Oxy-235 has no novel phenotypic characteristics that would extend its use beyond the current geographic range of canola/rapeseed production. Since most related species are only found in agricultural ecosystems, the transfer of novel traits would not have an impact on unmanaged environments. It was determined that the relative impact on biodiversity from Oxy-235 was equivalent to that of currently commercialized canola lines.</p>
