Agbiotech forum looks back to the future

Agricultural scientists and biotech researchers should not concentrate on new biotechnology solutions at the expense of traditional methods -- the latter still have plenty of promise, a recent Sydney forum has been told.

The forum, staged by the Australian Institute for Agricultural Science & Technology (AIAST), was attended by such luminaries as Lindsay Cook, chief of NSW Agriculture's Division of Plant Industries, TJ Higgins, assistant chief of CSIRO Plant Industry, Don Marshall, former head of Sydney University's plant breeding program and Wayne Cornish, vice-president of the National Farmers Federation.

"One of the important things that came up was the issue of not forgetting some of the older, more established methods of plant development," said Turlough Guerin, president of the NSW branch of AIAST.

Guerin echoed the sentiments of some of the presenters by warning that there is still plenty of mileage in more traditional methods, and that simply jumping to high-tech and GM methods was not always the answer.

The forum, titled 'The release of genetically engineered crops in NSW -- what are the human health, environmental, commercial and trade issues?', discussed issues such as the timing and location of GM crop trials.

"Selective breeding by humans over thousands of years has led to improved forages and crops and has given us most of the commercial crop varieties we use today," said Higgins. "Traditional breeding, however, runs into some insurmountable hurdles and certain advances in plant improvement can only be made through gene technology. Already, genetically modified plants have significantly reduced pesticide use in Australia."

But Higgins warned against possible risks. "As with all new technologies, there may be risks associated with gene technology. But testing, identifying and addressing the potential risks is helping to build confidence that the benefits... outweigh any risk," he said.

Marshall noted that the conventional crop grower needed to be considered in the light of GM crop trials, especially the potential for contamination of existing strains by GM varieties.

"Some of the major factors affecting the risk of contamination include the size, distribution and proximity of non-GM crops, volunteer populations or related weeds and wild relatives. The potential for hybrid formation between the GM crop and the recipient population -- and the likelihood of survival in the cropping system -- must also be assessed," he said.

Guerin went on to say that to keep risks down, all researchers might need to stop and look at traditional methods of crop improvement, and to use biotech research as a parallel avenue, not a replacement.

"We mustn't forget the old and basic methods. Sometimes when we mention these techniques, people say: 'Oh, I'd forgotten about that', and have to have them pointed out again," he added. "These techniques are still viable."

The NFU's Cornish acknowledged there were potential benefits through the adoption of GM crops, and said he believed GM crops have the potential to reduce pesticide and herbicide use, increase water use efficiency, tolerate adverse growing conditions and improve yields.

"While the adoption of GM crops may result in more efficient production, it is important that producers understand and assess potential risks and implement strategies to manage these," he said.