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

<p style="text-align: justify;">The canola line GT73 was field tested in Canada starting in 1992, in the United States since 1995 and in Europe. Agronomic and adaptation characteristics such as vegetative vigour, overwintering capacity, days to flowering, time to maturity, seed production or yield, germination and dormancy were within the normal range of expression of characteristics in unmodified counterparts. Stress adaptation was evaluated, including resistance to major <i>B. napus</i> pests such as the fungal pathogen <i>Leptosphaeria maculans</i> (blackleg) and other pests (<i>e.g.</i>, sclerotinia, flea beetles, diamondback moth larvae) and determined to fall within the ranges currently displayed by commercial varieties. Similarly no differences were observed for abiotic stress factors such as heat, drought and frost. The only significant difference between GT73 canola and the parental non-transformed variety was the increase in the CP4 EPSPS enzyme and GOX protein that confer tolerance to glyphosate. Overall the field data reports demonstrated that canola GT73 has no potential to pose a plant pest risk.</p>

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

<p style="text-align: justify;">Transgenic canola line GT73 displayed normal reproductive characteristics. <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>.</p>

<p style="text-align: justify;">The genes coding for glyphosate tolerance, CP4 EPSPS and goxv247 are not expected to confer an ecological advantage to potential hybrid offspring. If glyphosate 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 glyphosate containing herbicides are applied for broad spectrum weed control, or when used to control weeds in plant varieties developed for tolerance to glyphosate. In the event that a glyphosate tolerant plant survived, the herbicide-tolerant individual would be easily controlled using mechanical and other available chemical means.</p>

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

<p style="text-align: justify;">Field studies on weediness potential, such invasiveness and survival characteristics, comparing GT73 canola to non-transgenic counterparts determined that the transgenic lines were not different from their counterparts in this respect. Studies on fitness characteristics such as germination, seed production, pest and disease resistance, response to abiotic factors and sensitivity to herbicides other than glyphosate, demonstrated that there was no increase in weediness potential for canola line GT73. It was determined that glyphosate tolerance did not confer a competitive advantage to GT73 canola over non-transgenic varieties since the herbicide resistance trait did not confer any pest resistance, alter reproductive biology or change any physiology related to survival. It was determined that weed management control would not be affected, since glyphosate tolerant <i>B. napus</i> volunteer plants were shown to be easily managed using alternative herbicides with different modes of action. It was concluded that GT73 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 genetically modified canola line GT73 did not have a significant adverse impact on organisms beneficial to plants or agriculture, nontarget organisms, and was not expected to impact on threatened or endangered species. The novel proteins CP4 EPSPS and GOX expressed in GT73 did not result in altered toxicity or allergenicity properties as previously determined from studies using simulated digestive fluids, acute toxicity studies in mice, and amino acid sequence homology studies.</p>

<p style="text-align: justify;">Plant residue studies were conducted to determine the effect of residues from GT73 on the agronomic performance of succeeding crops of barley and peas. No significant differences in either plant counts or grain yield were identified between field plots where GT73 and the non-modified counterpart &#39;Westar&#39; had been previously grown.</p>

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

<p style="text-align: justify;">The transgenic canola line GT73 has no novel phenotypic characteristics which would extend the use beyond the current geographic range of canola/rapeseed production. Since outcross species are only found in disturbed habitats, transfer of novel traits would not have an impact on unmanaged environments. Studies have demonstrated that GT73 was not invasive of natural habitats, and that it was not more competitive than its counterparts, both in natural and managed ecosystems. It was determined that the relative impact on biodiversity of GT73 was equivalent to that of currently commercialized canola lines.</p>
