Canadian agronomists detail the benefits of GM canola in the ground.

GM successes in Canada show Australian farmers the way
Canberra Times, Letter to the Editor
26/02/2008

Dr Rene Van Acker is right to suggest Australia should learn from Canada's experiences regarding genetically modified canola (Look to Canada for GE solutions, February 5, p11).
However, he is less correct in the Canadian lessons he gives. The benefits of herbicide tolerant canola for western Canada have far out weighed the risks over the last 11 years.
A recent study on the impacts of GMHT canola in western Canada carried out by the University of Saskatchewan gives some real life lessons that can be heeded. Results show that 90 per cent of canola farmers report reduced soil erosion and increased soil moisture conservation.
Sixty per cent of growers reported a carry-over benefit to the subsequent crop year in terms of improved weed control, with half of these growers assigning a dollar value of $A13.09, or about the cost of one glyphosate application in Canada. Fifty per cent reported they used no chemicals on crops that followed GMHT canola which had dramatically reduced the volume of chemicals applied to fields.

Canola used to be reserved for the most weed-free fields but is now a crop for difficult fields with weed problems.

In addition to the direct benefits to growers of increased yield and profitability, breeding and crop development activities by private companies has increased dramatically. The result has been more (150) and higher-yielding hybrid variety choices.

We look forward to additional GM traits that may increase nitrogen efficiency or offer disease or drought tolerance. We hope that Australian farmers
considering growing transgenic canola recognise the factual evidence from Canada.
Some parts of the world are still adverse to GM crops, but six of the 22 European countries currently grow GM crops. Market opportunities for Canadian canola have shifted from Europe, to China and Mexico with exports rising by 26 per cent.
Also, the price of canola in Canada is now $A641.78 a metric tonne delivered and Canadian yields have never been higher. Ninety eight percent of Canadian canola farmers have completely adopted HT canola. Can that many growers be so wrong?
Of course, the Canadian experience does not automatically mean the same for Australia, a case-by-case basis is still the best way to assess GM crop use.

Dr Stuart Smyth, University of Saskatchewan, Canada
Dr Linda Hall, University of Alberta, Canada
Letter reproduced in full in the public interest.