Source: Ground Cover - A publication of the Grains Research & Development Corporation (GRDC)

Despite recent political resistance, the GRDC will not shy away from funding research into genetic modification (GM) technologies, chairman Terry Enright told Grains Week.

Mr Enright said the GRDC regarded research into biotechnology, including GM crops, as important in providing substantial gains from varieties with quality traits that can overcome production constraints.

He said that while the GRDC had to live with current political reality, it was not research that could be turned on and off quickly. He said the research would continue, as would the GRDC's involvement in improving the level of community understanding.

Mr Enright said research in biotechnology was crucial for the industry's ongoing growth and ability to match production with demand.

He used survey results showing 34 percent of growers had changed cropping practices in the past two years as a result of R&D, to illustrate not only the importance of innovation, but how it was intrinsic to the Australian industry and a crucial element of the new industry strategy.

He cited a number of research innovations that are based on biotechnology - not necessarily GM - that hold considerable promise.

"For example, the development of new synthetic wheats bred from crosses with wild grasses will provide the basis for new varieties that are much more tolerant to severe disease and environmental stresses.

"The aim is to develop a suite of super stress-tolerant wheats that are tolerant to drought, heat and frost. Work is also progressing on multiple root disease resistant varieties."

Mr Enright also noted changes taking place through the emergence of new market-driven breeding entities which are replacing agriculture departments in breeding and road-testing new varieties.

One consequence has been grower concerns over a perceived lack of industry standards for comparing new varieties and performance data.

He said the GRDC was in the process of establishing a nationally coordinated and independent crop variety testing system - the National Variety Testing (NVT) initiative, which he expected to be operating by March 2005.