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Sixteen new canola varieties
released this year, and more undergoing trial in preparation for
2007, are offering growers greater choice by providing higher
yields, blackleg resistance and higher oil content.
Australian plant researchers
claim productivity growth to meet rising demand is dependent on
new high-yield canola varieties – particularly those that
flourish in low-rainfall areas.
With the support of the
Grains Research & Development
Corporation
(GRDC), South Australian
Research and Development Institute (SARDI) researchers are
selecting improved lines from New South Wales and Victoria to
trace material suitable for these regions, while the
CSIRO is working to establish
dual purpose (grain/graze) varieties specific to high rainfall
areas.
The developments are providing
renewed grower confidence in canola, which has recorded an
erratic performance in traditional cropping belts over the past
five years.
While southern Victoria has
witnessed record plantings and canola has remained an essential
element in crop rotations, in Western Australia, plantings have
declined in the eastern low-rainfall areas in the wake of
drought conditions, late autumn breaks and plummeting prices.
A situation analysis of the
Australian canola-breeding sector conducted by grain consultant
David Hudson indicated that supply chain and grower confidence
had waned due to yield inconsistency and unreliable production
in established growing areas, such as southern New South Wales.
High up-front production costs
have also had an impact, although researchers argue that
growers’ failure to minimise risk through split fertiliser
applications has aggravated the situation. They claim a good
nitrogen response at sowing occurs when soil nitrogen is low,
and advocate deep soil nitrogen testing as close as possible to
sowing time to effectively measure soil nitrogen levels.
Canola’s comeback can largely be
attributed to the fact that many growers have missed its
benefits, including weed control, disease resistance and
carry-over nitrogen. Farmers from lower rainfall areas concede
that efforts to cut back, or eliminate, canola from rotations in
recent years have produced lower wheat yields in continuous
cereal programs.
Their response is consistent with
expert opinion. After the 2005-06 Australian harvest in 2005-06
(1.44 million tonnes), researchers warned canola’s economic
value was derived from its break-crop effects, with crops
planted after canola recording substantially higher yields.
Capitalising on new opportunities
generated by research developments will improve profitability
and also go some way towards meeting forecast domestic and
international demand for Australian oilseeds, estimated to reach
5.5 and 1.8 million tonnes respectively by 2020.
Anticipated growth of the
pharmaceutical and biodiesel industries could see demand jump by
an additional 17.5 million tonnes by 2020, exceeding current
production of two to three million tonnes per annum.
The average oil content of last
year’s Australian canola crop was the highest since 1996 due to
a strong performance in the eastern states. But despite this
success, and industry initiatives to capitalise on the potential
of new canola varieties, the Hudson report advised that external
market-driven changes required further development in this area
and industry realignment under a unified strategic approach. It
further recommended that the GRDC must exert positive
professional influence over the allocation of national funds to
optimise the canola industry’s long-term interests.
The GRDC is exploring future
research opportunities and is committed to the ongoing delivery
of research and development outcomes that enable growers to
compete in the face of new challenges and market shifts. |
