COEXISTENCE AND IDENTITY PRESERVED PRODUCTION (Page 5)



Coexistence in agricultural production systems and supply chains is not new. Different agricultural systems

have co-existed successfully for many years around the world. Standards and best practices were

established decades ago and have continually evolved to deliver high purity seed and grain to support

production, distribution and trade of products from different agricultural systems. For example, production of

similar commodities such as field corn, sweet corn and popcorn has occurred successfully and in close

proximity for many years. Another example is the successful co-existence of oilseed rape varieties with low

erucic acid content for food use and high erucic acid content for industrial uses.



The introduction of biotech crops has sparked a debate concerning the coexistence of biotech production

systems with conventional cropping systems and organic production. This debate has primarily focused on

the potential economic impact of the introduction of biotech products on other systems. The health and

safety of biotech products are not an issue because their food, feed and environmental safety must be

demonstrated before they enter the agricultural production system and supply chain.



The coexistence of conventional, organic and biotech crops has been the subject of several recent reports.

These reports conclude that coexistence among biotech and non-biotech crops is not only possible but is

occurring. These reports recommend that coexistence strategies must be developed on a case-by-case

basis considering the diversity of products currently in the market and under development, differences in the

crops themselves, and variations in regional farming practices and infra-structures. Further, coexistence

strategies are driven by market needs and should be developed using current science-based industry

standards and management practices. The strategies must be flexible, enabling options for the farmer

and the food/feed supply chain, and must be capable of being modified as changes in markets and

products warrant.



Successful coexistence of all agricultural systems is achievable and depends on cooperation, flexibility

and mutual respect for each system. Agriculture has a history of innovation and change, and farmers

have always adapted to new approaches or challenges by utilizing appropriate strategies, farm

management practices and new technologies.



The responsibility for implementing practices to satisfy specific marketing standards or certification must lie

with that farmer who is growing a crop to satisfy a particular market. This is true whether the goal is high-oil

corn, white sweet corn or organically produced yellow corn for animal feed. In each case, the grower is

seeking to produce a crop that is supported by a market price and consequently that grower assumes

responsibility for satisfying reasonable market specifications.



Identity Preserved Production

Some growers may choose to preserve the identity of their crops to meet specific markets. Examples of

Identity Preservation (I.P.) corn crops include production of seed corn, white, waxy, or sweet corn, specialty

oil or protein crops, food grade crops and any other crop that meets specialty needs, including organic and

non-genetically enhanced specifications. Growers of these crops assume the responsibility and receive the

benefit for ensuring that their crop meets mutually agreed contract specifications.



Based on historical experience with a broad range of I.P. crops, the industry has developed generally

accepted I.P. agricultural practices. These practices are intended to manage I.P production or quality

specifications, and are established for a broad range of I.P. needs. The accepted practice with I.P. crops is

that each I.P. grower has responsibility to implement any necessary processes. These processes may

include sourcing seed appropriate for I.P. specifications, field management practices such as adequate

isolation distances, buffers between crops, border rows, planned differences in maturity between adjacent

fields that might cross-pollinate, and harvest and handling practices designed to prevent mixing and to

maintain product quality. These extra steps associated with I.P. crop production are generally accompanied

by incremental increases in cost of production and consequently of the goods sold.

COEXISTENCE AND IDENTITY PRESERVED PRODUCTION (Page 6)



General Instructions for Management of Pollen Flow and Mechanical Mixing

For all crop hybrids or varieties that they wish to identity preserve or otherwise keep separated, growers

should take steps to prevent mechanical mixing. Growers should make sure all seed storage areas,

transportation vehicles and planter boxes are cleaned thoroughly both prior to and subsequent to the

storage, transportation or planting of the crop. Growers should also make sure all combines, harvesters and

transportation vehicles used at harvest are cleaned thoroughly both prior to and subsequent to their use in

connection with the harvest of the grain produced from the crop. Growers should also make sure all

harvested grain is stored in clean storage areas where the identity of the grain can be preserved.



Self pollinated crops, such as soybeans, do not present a risk of mixing by cross-pollination. If the intent is to

use or market the product of a self-pollinated crop separately from general commodity use, growers should

plant fields at a sufficient distance away from other crops to prevent mechanical mixture.



Growers planting cross pollinated crops, such as corn, who desire to preserve the identity of these crops

or to minimize the potential for these crops to outcross with adjacent fields of the same crop kind should

use the same generally accepted practices to manage mixing that are used in any of the currently grown

identity preserved crops of similar crop kind.



Growers should take into account the following factors that can affect the occurrence and extent of cross-

pollination to or from other fields. Information that is more specific to the crop and region may be available

from state extension offices.



� Cross pollination is limited. Some plants are incapable of cross-pollinating e.g., potatoes, while others

   require cross-pollination to produce seed e.g., alfalfa. Importantly, cross-pollination only occurs within the

   same crop kind e.g. corn to corn.

� The amount of pollen produced within the field. The pollen produced by the crop within a given field, known

   as pollen load, is typically high enough to pollinate all of the plants in the field. Therefore, most of the

   pollen which may enter from other fields falls on plants that have already been pollinated with pollen that

   originated from plants within the field. In crops such as alfalfa, pollen load is drastically reduced by typical

   crop management practices i.e., cutting at early flowering.

� The existence and/or degree of overlap in the pollination period of crops in adjacent fields. This will vary

   depending on the maturity of crops, planting dates and the weather. For corn, the typical pollen shed

   period lasts from 5 to 10 days for a particular field. Therefore, viable pollen from neighboring fields must be

   present when silks are receptive in the recipient field in this brief period to produce any grain with traits

   introduced by the out of field pollen

� Distance between fields of different varieties or hybrid of the same crop. The greater the distance between

   fields the less likely their pollen will remain viable and have an opportunity to mix and produce an outcross.

   Most cross-pollination occurs within the outermost few rows of the field. In fact many white and waxy corn

   production contracts ask the grower to remove the outer 12 rows (30 ft.) of the field in order to remove

   most of the impurities that could result from cross-pollination with nearby yellow dent corn. Furthermore,

   research has also shown that as fields become further separated, the incidence of cross-pollination drops

   rapidly. Essentially, the in-field pollen has an advantage over the pollen coming from other fields for

   receptive silks because of its volume and proximity to silks.

� Distance pollen moves. How far pollen can travel depends on many environmental factors including

   weather during pollination, especially wind direction and velocity, temperature and humidity. All these

   factors will vary from season to season, from day to day and from location to location.

� The orientation and width of the adjacent field in relation to the dominant wind direction. Fields oriented

   upwind during pollination will show dramatically lower cross pollination for wind pollinated crops like corn

   compared to fields located downwind.