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CANOLA GROWERS WANT GM CHOICE - SURVEY
31 August 2007
More than 80 per cent of Australian canola growers and advisers would consider growing genetically modified (GM) canola to improve weed control and help manage herbicide resistance in weed populations.
It is believed Australian canola production may increase if herbicide tolerant GM varieties replace the conventionally-bred triazine tolerant (TT) varieties that are popular in Australia but have lower yield potential.
These findings, from a recent survey of grower attitudes to genetically modified crops, throw the current reviews of the State government moratoria on production of GM canola into stark relief.
More than 45 per cent of the 142 growers and advisers interviewed would seriously consider growing Roundup Ready® or Liberty Link (InVigor®) canola if it was available and a further 37 per cent said they might consider growing it.
Seventeen per cent said they would not consider growing a GM herbicide-resistant canola variety.
The survey, by the Better Canola project and Insightrix on behalf of the Grains Research and Development Corporation and the Australian Oilseeds Federation, found that more than 60 per cent of canola growers currently use TT varieties that yield around 13 per cent less than conventional varieties.
Farmers grow canola mainly for its benefits in the crop rotation, to control weeds and manage herbicide resistance.
Oilseeds Industry Development Officer Felicity Pritchard said many growers had expressed interest in GM herbicide-resistant varieties because they would help control difficult weeds, provide more options to rotate herbicide groups and open the way for use of lower-risk herbicides to better manage herbicide-resistant weeds.
Better Canola coordinator Steve Marcroft expects a major increase in canola production in Australia if GM herbicide-resistant varieties replace the current TT types.
"If most of the TT varieties currently grown were replaced with GM varieties the industry should see a large increase in production," he said.
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