Another biodiesel crop for Northern Australia- Cotton

At the recently concluded conference of the Australian National Committee on Irrigation and Drainage ANCID in Darwin there was talk about another crop that could be used for biodiesel production - Cotton.

ABC Rural reports that the possibilities for GM cotton in the Ord river regions was raised and discussed at the conference.

www.abc.net.au/rural/news/content/2006/s1767817.htm

(This report was updated by news 26th October, Regulator gives Green Light fot northern Australia GM cotton. G. Pundit)


The GM cotton in question that would be suitable for the Ord river region in WA is BT Cotton that has been modified to incorporate a insecticidal protein.

However, another attractive quality trait in cotton that is being field trialled on the other side of the Australian continent in northern NSW is oil quality.

CSIRO have beeen running field trials in Narrabri for improved oil quality in cotton for a number of years now.

www.csiro.au/files/mediaRelease/mr2001/PIcottonheart.htm

These cotton plants produce fibre but in addition modified oils. The possibility of modifying the cotton oil to make it better suited as a feedstock for biodiesel would be an attractive proposition for the North West . Specialised cotton processing plants that would handle only such GM cotton seed could be set up and the cotton seed crushed for its oil that would be delivered to the biodiesel plant in Darwin for export to Singapore or Malaysia that are facing shortages of feedstock for their domestic biodiesel market.

This would open up a new market for Australian biodiesel and a new crop for farmers that are escaping the drought in Southern Australia.


See also The Full Monty on Biodiesel