2009 NVT GM Canola Variety Trial Report
National Variety Trials Online, Australia
29 January 2010
Summary
• GRDC, through the NVT program, conducted 150 canola trials across the canola cropping areas of Australia in 2009. Of these, 15 trials were GM canola trials. 12 GM canola trials were harvested with one trial considered too variable to be published.
• The yield ranking of varieties within and across herbicide tolerance groups varied across sites, reinforcing the need for significant numbers of trials across regions and years to provide the data required to make robust variety performance predictions.
• As a group, the Triazine tolerant (TT) varieties tended to yield lower than the Imidazolinone (Imi) and Roundup Ready (RR) herbicide groups. The difference between RR and Imi groups was less pronounced.
• In three trials (Greenethorpe NSW, Mt Barker WA and Gibson WA) the best overall variety was an Imi variety. In these trials the yield of the best Imi variety was significantly higher than the best performing Roundup Ready (GM) and TT varieties.
• In two trials (Culcairn NSW and Hamilton Vic) the best overall variety was a Roundup Ready (GM) variety. In these trials the yield of the best performing Roundup Ready (GM) variety was significantly higher than the best performing Imi and TT varieties.
• In five trials (Cullinga NSW, Milbrulong NSW, Horsham Vic, Shepparton Vic and Dudinin WA) there was no significant difference between the yields of the best performing varieties in each herbicide tolerance group.
• In one trial (Teesdale Vic) there was no significant difference in yield between the best performing Imi and Roundup Ready (GM) varieties. However, these varieties were significantly better than the best TT variety.
Pundit’s thoughts:
Looks like a few TT varieties are going to be displaced by RR and Imi. No surprises there and that’s probably better for the environment. Good judgment will need careful reading of the full report (available at the link), probing chats with several good Agronomist consultants, and learning by experience over a few more seasons. But at least Ozzie growers now have a chance to do that, instead of continuing to fall behind the Canadians.
