Chee Chee Leung and San Diego THE AGE
June 18, 2008

VICTORIAN trials of wheat genetically modified for drought tolerance have shown promising results, scientists say, with some producing yields 20% higher than non-GM varieties.

Of 24 GM wheat lines grown on fields in Mildura and Horsham last year, seven returned higher yields under drought stress than control groups - and there appeared to be no differences when the GM varieties were irrigated.

Researchers want to extend the trials to up to 50 GM wheat lines over the next two years, saying the development of drought-tolerant crops could help farmers adapt to the threat of increased dry conditions from climate change.

"These are very encouraging results," said Professor German Spangenberg, of the Department of Primary Industries, who has been leading the research. "Drought is a major issue, not only for Australian agriculture but also globally."

Professor Spangenberg and Premier John Brumby will present the findings today at the BIO 2008 conference in San Diego. The conference is organised by the international Biotechnology Industry Organisation, whose membership includes those in the GM industry.

Mr Brumby said wheat-producing nations affected by drought, including Australia, the US, China and India, needed to embrace new technologies to meet the demands of the wheat market.

Drought reduced Victoria's wheat crops by about 70% in 2006-07. Between 35 and 50% of wheat-growing areas worldwide are at risk of drought. The Victorian trials, by the Molecular Plant Breeding Co-operative Research Centre, are the first involving GM wheat in the state and the first Australian trials of GM drought-tolerant wheat.

The GM wheat lines all contained a gene from one of four plants: maize, moss, yeast or arabidopsis. The two lines that produced yields 20% greater than non-GM lines under drought conditions contained genes transplanted from yeast and maize.

Victoria's moratorium on GM canola lapsed in February, but GM wheat can be grown only under trial conditions. The Department of Primary Industries has lodged an application with the federal Office of the Gene Technology Regulator to extend the trials to the 2009 and 2010 seasons.