San Diego, California
June 18, 2008
Drought-tolerant wheat developed
in Victoria, Australia is returning yields up to 20 per cent
higher than non-GM control crops, the Premier of Victoria, John
Brumby, today announced at the BIO International Convention.
Mr. Brumby said large wheat-producing countries affected by
drought, such as Australia, the USA, Argentina, China and India,
were having to embrace new technologies to continue to meet the
demands of the global wheat market.
“These initial results are very promising and suggest that these
genetically modified wheat lines may be part of the solution to
help farmers maintain and improve their crop yields in a
changing global environment,” Mr. Brumby said.
“Drought significantly reduced Victoria’s wheat crops in
2006-07. With average yields worth approximately $300 million, a
20 percent boost could provide as much as $80 million to our
wheat industry.
“Around the world, 35-50 per cent of wheat-growing areas are
under drought risk. The number of drought-affected wheat growing
areas is likely to increase with the effects of climate change.”
Mr. Brumby said Victoria’s $230 million Biosciences Research
Centre – a joint venture between the Victorian Government and
La Trobe University in
Bundoora – would boost Victoria’s capacity to make important
discoveries.
Department of Primary
Industries (DPI) Research Division Executive Director
Professor German Spangenberg, who has been leading trials near
Horsham and Mildura, said analysis of the crop, grown last year
and harvested early this year, confirmed increased crop yields
and maintenance of grain size.
“Twenty-four lines of GM wheat were tested and, of those, seven
were identified as providing higher yields under drought
stress,” Professor Spangenberg said.
“Two lines exceeded the yield of the control experimental
variety by 20 per cent.”
The four-year moratorium on genetically modified canola lapsed
this February. Genetically modified wheat is only grown under
trial conditions.
Drought-tolerant GM wheat lines will require many years of
research and assessment before they could be considered for
commercial use. Professor Spangenberg said the results required
confirmation in next season’s field trials.
DPI has lodged an application with the Federal Gene Technology
Regulator to plant additional trials of GM wheat lines over the
next two years.
The new $230 million Biosciences Research Centre, a joint
venture between the Victorian Government and La Trobe
University, will boost Victoria’s ability to make these
important scientific discoveries. The centre, at Bundoora, will
deliver internationally recognised research and development.
Other agencies are invited to work with the centre. |
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