After a long history of safe use, a genetically modified canola variety has been listed on the genetically modified organisms register

A canola variety modified to tolerate glyphosate has been placed on the Office of the Gene Technology Regulator (OGTR) GMO (genetically modified organisms) Register.

Safely used in Australia since 2008, it is the first GM food crop to be listed.

Herbicide-tolerant canola varieties are widely used in Australia and support practices like no-till cropping. This canola variety is modified by the introduction of two genes sourced from common soil bacteria.

The GMO Register lists activities with approved GMOs that can be safely carried out by anyone, without needing a licence.

The addition of an organism to the GMO Register allows the organism’s use without specific oversight from the OGTR. In moving this herbicide-tolerant canola variety to the GMO Register, the Regulator is satisfied that any risk is minimal and that use of the variety is safe enough to not require a licence.

However, it is still important to follow industry best practices.

To support this, CropLife Australia has developed a stewardship document titled ‘Best-practice use of crops on the GMO Register’.

The stewardship document notes that the inclusion of GM crops on the GMO Register means it may be possible for inexperienced producers to sell GM seed.

As part of the StewardshipFirst platform, the document outlines a best-practice model for crops on the GMO Register.

It emphasises the supply chain, including trusted seed providers and grain markets, is important to ensure appropriate use.

Momentum grows for GM wheat

More than 20 years after the commercial cultivation of soybean, canola, maize and cotton, the development of genetically modified and gene-edited wheat varieties is gaining momentum.

Although one of the world’s most important food crops, there have been fewer biotechnology-driven improvements to wheat.

However, motivated by the impact of climate change, a focus on domestic food security and armed with a range of new gene-editing tools, there has been a rapid expansion of novel wheat varieties entering the commercialisation pipeline.

Leading the charge is a 2019 Argentinian drought-tolerant GM wheat variety referred to as HB4. This variety has now been approved for food and feed use in several countries, including Australia, and for commercial cultivation in Argentina and Brazil.

The Office of the Gene Technology Regulator has issued five current licences for genetically modified wheat trials in Australia. They cover modifications for enhanced yield, disease (rust) resistance, abiotic stress tolerance and altered composition (boosted iron levels). However, to date, no GM wheat varieties have been approved for commercial release in Australia.

These wheat trials, and ongoing work, represent the next steps in developing novel varieties better suited to Australian conditions.

The work has drawn on the expertise of Australian growers and scientists in partnership with local and international companies and institutions. This work continues to receive diverse funding, including from GRDC and the Australian Research Council, that helps to ensure new varieties, suitable for Australian conditions, will be available.

Many of Australia’s export competitors are rapidly embracing technology to ensure their agricultural sectors can produce more from less. For example, China, the biggest producer and consumer of wheat, approved a gene-edited wheat variety in May. The new variety is resistant to the fungal disease powdery mildew.

Canada is trialling gene-edited wheat lines that are expected to boost yield through improved sunlight use in the Canadian spring. And, in the UK, a project has been announced that brings growers, scientists and food manufacturers together to trial the production and processing of precision-bred crops.

The three cereal varieties in the project are:

• wheat with superior baking, toasting and processing properties;
• barley that makes high-lipid, high-energy forage aimed at lowering livestock methane emissions; and
• wheat with a bigger, bolder grain size, promising a step change
  in productivity.

These examples represent a small sample of biotechnology research being employed globally in pursuit of wheat varieties better suited to changing climatic conditions, consumer preferences and producer needs.

Useful resources

• Register 003, Office of the Gene Technology Regulator, Department of Health and Aged Care, Australian Government
• Visit the StewardshipFirst website
• Trends in Biotechnology, ScienceDirect
• Snapshot of genetically modified wheat trials
• Gene could unlock big wheat yields for a growing population, Newsroom, The University of Adelaide
• Australian trial of gene-edited wheat aims for 10% bigger yields, KFGO
• China hopes GM crops will increase grain self-sufficiency, The Western Producer
• Gene-edited wheat tested, The Western Producer
• Gene-edited cereals a step closer for English farms, BOFIN

The Agricultural Biotechnology Council of Australia is an industry initiative established to increase public awareness of, and encourage informed debate and decision-making about, gene technology.