Print This PageGM Canola in WA
The WA Government granted an exemption to the moratorium to allow a small scale demonstration of GM canola to be grown in WA in 2009. This is an update of the activities so far.
WA GM canola growers announced
On the 15th of April, Monsanto supported the announcement by the Hon. Terry Redman MLA, Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry of the approved list of commercial trial participants, who will be planting small areas of Roundup Ready® canola for commercial production in WA this year.
Monsanto Canola Business Lead, Tony May
Tony May, Monsanto Canola Business Lead said, “We look forward to working with growers, the government and our industry partners to ensure the first commercial plantings of GM canola in WA are as successful as they were in Victoria and New South Wales.”
“Growers from the eastern states were 100% satisfied with the Roundup Ready canola technology and will grow it again. We’ve had over 500 growers and agronomists attend accreditations in Victoria and NSW and we anticipate an even greater uptake in 2009.”
“It’s great that WA growers will have the opportunity to see the technology and make the choice for themselves of what they want to grow,” he said.
“It’s an exciting time for WA growers, the grains industry and we look forward to the opportunities for WA growers,” he said.
Each grower is committed to meeting the requirements of the exemption throughout the season and to planting up to 70 hectares each. A total of 1000 hectares will be grown this season in WA.
Mark Adams, Mt Barker Roundup Ready canola grower is looking forward to trialling the technology and the opportunities it offers WA growers.
"In our industry it is important to remain competitive in the global market so that our farm remains profitable and sustainable,” he said.
"Most of our canola is exported so it is imperative that we keep up with the rest of the world. I am excited to have the opportunity to demonstrate that this is the way forward for us and for agriculture in Western Australia," he said.
All growers attended a Monsanto Roundup Ready canola Accreditation course and will be accredited under the CBH on-farm quality assurance program Better Farm IQ. Growers have completed Licencing documentation (Technology User Agreement and Licence and Stewardship Agreement) and complete the DAFWA exemption application form and sought approval from the Director General before they planted.
GM canola first planting in WA a success
GM canola growers Shauna, Todd and Kent Stone with a bag of Pacific Seeds hybrid Hyola 502 Roundup ready variety.
At the beginning of May in Quairading, Western Australia, GM canola growers Shauna and Noel Stone planted their 50 hectares of Roundup Ready® canola in dry and sunny conditions.
Shauna said, “We are pleased to have the opportunity to trial Roundup Ready canola as it will have a fit in certain parts of our cropping program and will provide us with another weed control option. We also anticipate yields above our standard Triazine Tolerant varieties”.
“We are hopeful that GM technology will be available in the future as this will encourage plant breeders to focus on genetically modifying crops for frost, drought and salinity tolerance,” she said.
Professor Stephen Powles is share farming the site with the Stones and said it was the possibility of increased yields that encouraged him to trial the technology. “I believe Roundup Ready canola will out yield Triazine Tolerant canola by 20 percent,” he said.
Selecting the Pacific Seeds variety Hyola 502 was the right choice for Shauna and Noel in the Quairading district according to Nick Joyce, Pacific Seeds WA Territory Manager.
“Today’s planting of our Roundup Ready hybrid Hyola 502 RR, gives growers in the Corrigin/Quairading area the opportunity to evaluate how Pacific Seeds hybrid Roundup Ready canola fits into their cropping system.
Growers will be able to observe the growth and performance of this hybrid canola variety as well as the weed control benefits that the Roundup Ready system provides throughout this season,” he said.
Hyola 502 RR is an early-mid maturing variety suited to medium-low through high rainfall Agzones in Western Australia. With its adaptable maturity, hybrid seedling vigour, high oil and a very high provisional blackleg resistance (rating of R), it is well adapted to most winter cropping zones in the state.
“This planting of Hyola 502 RR hybrid canola into dry soil conditions is an example of one of the key agronomic benefits that this technology provides in the farming system. By sowing dry, farmers are able to start their cropping program earlier, with the knowledge that after the first rainfall event they come back and spray out germinating weeds,” he said.
The media were treated to an onsite display of dry sowing and toured the farm site talking extensively to the growers.
