GM Canola 2010 - Potential Benefits

Prior to the commercialisation of GM canola and since commercialisation occurred, a number of studies have been undertaken to assess the potential of GM canola in the Australian farming system and report on the grain industry’s ability to manage GM canola in the supply chain. The following provides an overview of the key studies: Studies conducted prior to the commercial release of GM canola in Australia: Canola and Australian Farming Systems - a report published by the University of Melbourne in 2007 which predicted that if half of the Australian canola crop was sown to GM canola, 640 tonnes less triazine herbicides would be used each year and an extra 225,000 hectares of canola would be grown by direct drilling or minimum tillage. a long-term trial undertaken by Professor Jim Pratley at Charles Sturt University in NSW, compared the yield and economic performance of a GM herbicide tolerant canola variety with conventional canola varieties over a typical five-year crop rotation system. The study showed that the GM canola consistently delivered superior weed control, higher yields and oil quality and better profits when compared to current common canola varieties grown under conventional weed management systems. A report released by ABARE in 2008 entitled Economic impact of GM crops in Australia notes that the potential benefits of GM crop adoption in Australia include yield increases; cheaper and more flexible herbicide use options; reduced costs relating to herbicides, labour, machinery use, and time; environmental and occupational health and safety benefits for on-farm workers; and, potential increases in off-farm incomes. Researchers from Western Australia’s Curtin University have released a report titled, Evaluation of the Environmental Impact of Roundup Ready canola in the Western Australian Crop Production System. The report finds that “Roundup Ready canola will be as profitable or more profitable than triazine tolerant canola with a reduced environmental impact and slightly reduced fuel use.” For example, the profitability of Roundup Ready® canola was equal or superior to triazine tolerant canola (the canola system most commonly used in Western Australia) and comparable to conventional and Clearfield® canola; and, the estimated environmental impact of Roundup Ready® canola was less than half (43 per cent) than triazine tolerant canola. This report was commissioned by Monsanto Australia Studies and reports issued following the commercialisation of GM canola in Australia: The GRDC assessed grower feedback on GM canola following the 2008 season in NSW and Victoria. The report stated that generally growers who have tried the new technology have been happy with the weed control and the additional tool it provides in fighting herbicide resistant weeds. The National Variety Trial (NVT) results were released in January 2010 by the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC). The GRDC, through the NVT program conducted 150 canola trials across Australia in 2009. Of these, 15 were GM canola trials – 12 of which were harvested and one of which was considered too variable to be published. The trials compared the performance of different varieties of herbicide tolerant canola – two non-GM herbicide tolerant canola varieties - triazine tolerant (TT) and imidazolinone (Imi) canola marketed as Clearfield, and the GM herbicide tolerant canola Roundup Ready canola. The yield ranking of varieties within and across herbicide tolerance groups varied across sites. Yield is just one factor growers consider in selecting the canola variety best suited to their farming system. One of the main reasons a farmer chooses a herbicide tolerant variety is the flexibility such varieties give them in relation to weed control and crop rotation. For a summary of the performance of GM canola through the supply chain in NSW and Victoria, please click here. The Western Australian Government also reviewed WA’s ability to manage GM canola in the supply chain as part of its 2009 review. It announced in January, that ongoing commercial cultivation of GM canola would continue.