PLANTINGS of Roundup Ready canola in Western Australia have far exceeded expectations with more than 70,000ha now being sown.
This is more than double the early estimates from technology developer Monsanto Australia only two months ago, and highlights the extent to which western Australian grain growers are embracing the new technology.
Early this year the WA Government announced an exemption to their GM crop moratoria legislation, to allow GM canola traits that have been approved by Federal regulators to be planted commercially in WA for the first time.
Monsanto's WA business manager, Tom Breen, said the phenomenal uptake in this first year confirmed how eager growers were to take up the technology.
“We now have just over 300 growers sowing GM canola for the first time this season, with over 700 farmers and agronomists completing the Roundup Ready canola accreditation”, Mr Breen said.
All planting declarations were due in yesterday and Mr Breen expected to confirm the total area sown by the end of the week. This information will then be collated by Shire and provided to the WA Government.
“It just proves that WA farmers are extremely innovative and keen to be early adopters of new technology where they see tangible benefits to their operations.
“It’s our understanding that WA growers see Roundup Ready canola as an excellent fit to make their cropping systems more sustainable, because of the reliable weed control and assistance it gives them in managing resistance to other herbicide groups.”
Advice on management of Roundup Ready canola through the growing season is available through appointed Technology Service Providers who are available to assist growers integrate the new technology into their farming systems in a sustainable way.
Mr Breen said the Technology Service Providers had been invaluable in assisting the large number of growers wishing to plant Roundup Ready canola this year.
"They are working very hard to understand the technology and provide advice to farmers on how it might best fit in their operations,” he said.
