The adoption of herbicide tolerant (HT) technologies has been rapid in all countries where canola is grown. In Australia, the uptake of the technology has been steadily climbing since the first HT varieties became available in 1991 but has escalated over the past five seasons, to the extent that over 90 percent of the planted acreage of canola for the 2007 season will be to triazine tolerant (TT) or imidazolinone tolerant (Clearfield) varieties.

 

For the past decade canola growers in Canada have enjoyed the benefits of three different herbicide tolerance technologies: Clearfield*, Roundup Ready* and InVigor*. Roundup Ready and InVigor are considered products of biotechnology. All these HT technologies are available now in canola hybrids giving Canadian growers maximum choice to rotate their herbicides and grow crops with very high yield potential.

 

Although canola with the Roundup Ready and InVigor gene received Australian Federal Government approval in 2003, the state governments of New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia implemented four-year moratoria preventing the commercial release of these technologies. Small scale biotech canola trials are allowed under the conditions of the moratoria but without a clear pathway to market, research investment by the public and private sector in biotechnology has been limited in this country.

 

Last season Pioneer Hi-Bred Australia introduced the first herbicide tolerant hybrids into the Australian market with Clearfield technology. These hybrids are the result of conventional plant breeding. Growers have accepted the two new Clearfield hybrids (45Y77 and 46Y78) with enthusiasm, finding they give greater establishment vigour and very high yield potential. Introduction of herbicide tolerant hybrids in Canada led to yield increases of up to 20 percent compared to open pollinated varieties and the acres sown to hybrids has increased quickly to 59 percent in 2006. Averaged over sixteen large-scale strip trials conducted by farmers in NSW, Victoria and S.A. in 2005, the hybrid 45Y77 was 16 percent higher yielding than the benchmark Clearfield variety 45C75. Pioneer also has access to high yielding hybrids containing the Roundup Ready gene and the company is keen to also offer this choice in herbicide technology to Australian growers as soon as the moratoria expire. A similar trend in hybrid adoption is expected in Australia once more growers have access to herbicide tolerant hybrids.

 

Pioneer is working proactively with governments, industry, supply chains and the community to address and resolve the concerns that led to the establishment of the state based moratoriums. It is clear that the majority of canola growers in Australia want the option of growing Roundup Ready canola. A Pioneer survey of 250 Australian canola growers conducted in early 2006 showed 79 percent and nearly 60 percent were in favour of hybrids and the Roundup Ready technology, respectively.  In comparison to a similar survey in 2002, growers ‘positive’ about RR technology increased from 24 to 46 per cent while growers with a ‘very negative’ reaction reduced from 33 to 19 per cent. A more recent industry survey (early 2007) of over 200 South Australian farmers showed well over 80 percent support for biotechnology.

 

The economic impact of biotechnology on the canola industry in Canada over the past 10 years is one of the most extensively researched and reviewed agricultural developments. Overall, the Canadian experience is that over 80 percent of the canola grown in that country is a product of biotechnology, with 50 percent of the crop incorporating the biotech trait for tolerance to glyphosate and 32 percent InVigor. Studies commissioned by the Canola Council of Canada show that growers choose these biotech canola systems primarily because of increased profit, more efficient weed control and more flexible rotations.

 

The survival of the Australian canola industry depends on Australian farmers having the ability to increase productivity and profitability of the canola phase in rotations. The inherent low vigour, yield drag and environmental risk associated with the old triazine technology is widely recognised, to the extent TT canola is not grown in Canada or Europe. There is little to no chance that triazine herbicide tolerance can be successfully bred into canola hybrids that in turn will result in increasing the productivity gap compared to alternative, modern HT canola systems such as Roundup Ready hybrids.

 

The total value of biotechnology to the Canadian industry was estimated at CAD$464 million from 1997-2000. Growers reported, on average, a 10 percent increase in yield, less tillage, less herbicide used, fuel savings due to reduced number of passes for weed control and a 25 percent reduction in dockages from weed seeds compared to conventional canola.

 

The choice given by biotech canola will also assist Australian growers to manage herbicide resistance and improve environmental sustainability of canola farming systems. This has been the proven experience in Canada; the Canola Council of Canada survey found 60 percent of growers believed biotech canola assisted them to delay herbicide resistance, 80 percent said the technology gave them better weed control, 30 percent more biotech growers used conservation or no-till practices and herbicide costs were 40 percent lower than for conventional growers.

 

Biotech canola, including Roundup Ready technology, is not really new but will allow Australian canola growers to increase their yields, minimise cost, maximise flexibility, and protect the environment and the international competitiveness of their industry.