All eyes on GM canola
From the November 2008 edition of Agriculture Today.
All eyes interested in genetically modified canola have turned to see how the first crop yields and compares with existing varieties.
Fifty five growers this year sowed approximately 4900 hectares in NSW after the State Government amended the Gene Technology (GM Crop Moratorium) Act 2003 in March this year, to allow commercial cultivation of GM canola.
Unfortunately, like conventional canola crops, the Roundup Ready (RR) crops are suffering from drought in some areas, so it is expected not all of the 4900ha will be harvested for grain.
The geographic spread of RR canola extends from Parkes south to the Victorian border.
For 2008, the two delivery sites in NSW are Grenfell and Lockhart. No non-GM canola will be received into these two sites this season. Depending on the uptake next season, more sites will be accepting GM canola in 2009.
Three seed companies were licensed by Monsanto to introduce four varieties to the market this season. These same four varieties will be the only RR varieties available in 2009. There will be no new varieties until 2010, according to the seed companies.
Nuseed have the open-pollinated early-mid maturing variety GT-61, whilst Pioneer Hi-Bred released a mid maturing hybrid 46Y20 (RR) and Pacific Seeds have two hybrids, the mid maturing Hyola 601RR and the early-mid maturing Hyola 502RR.
Growers and their advisers have undertaken accreditation training and are expected to meet the requirements under the Stewardship program, which includes the Australian Crop Management Plan and the Australian Resistance Management Plan.
Experience with the RR technology this season has been favourable, as most crops only needed one "over the top" spray of Roundup Ready herbicide.
Early vigour and strong crop growth have also been noted but this should not be any different to other hybrids already on the market, whether herbicide tolerant or not.
The industry sees the biggest advantages will be the progressive replacement of the generally lower yielding, lower oil content triazine tolerant varieties currently being grown in paddocks with hard to kill broadleaf weeds or with Group A resistant annual ryegrass.
RR technology will need to be managed very carefully in the future as annual ryegrass populations resistant to glyphosate herbicide are real, and have been observed on isolated firebreaks or fencelines on some farms.
Research into annual ryegrass resistance and its management is continuing under the guidance of Dr Chris Preston at the University of Adelaide.
RR canola is just one tool of many in the fight against weed resistance.
Performance and weed control data will be available for growers going into 2009.
There are 12 commercial research sites this season and two independent National Variety trials comparing the various herbicide technologies and varieties.
Contact Don McCaffery, Orange, (02) 6391 3648, don.mccaffery@dpi.nsw.gov.au
