Canola was once considered only useful as a break crop to clean-up weeds in paddocks, according to agronomist Greg Sefton, Cobram, Vic.
But since the GM moratorium lifted in Vic and NSW in 2008, he said his cropping clients were increasingly turning to Roundup Ready canola and being rewarded with improved yields.
Mr Sefton works for IK Caldwell – an agribusiness that also has branches in Shepparton and Rochester in northern Vic and Corowa, Deniliquin and Moama in southern NSW.
He spoke at a Future Farming Forum in Adelaide recently on his experience with GM canola adoption in that region.
Another issue Mr Sefton highlighted in growing GM canola was making sure non-GM neighbours were unaffected.
“It has been all about communication,” he said.
“We have seen plants come across, mainly due to wind and birds, but they are only minimal.
“So we make sure those neighbours have 2,4-D in their knockdown just in case there is any RR crossover.
The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion and analysis. Read full, original post: Yield increases boost GM uptake
