Genetically Modified Canola
Threads - Release of GM Canola
On 2/4/2003, Toby Fiander wrote:
The SMH reports that Bayer's GM canola (was Aventis) is to be released:
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/04/01/1048962750314.html
The article says that the risk management documentation for GM canola is
on display until 24 May, 2003. So I looked at the OGTR site.
It is a little hard to pick which doco is being referred to, but here is
the site where risk management documentation is available:
http://www.health.gov.au/ogtr/ir/rarmp.htm
There is a range of technical documents to choose from, but for anyone wanting
to discussion this further, a good place to start is the background paper:
http://www.health.gov.au/ogtr/pdf/ir/brassica.pdf
PS. Minor Reservation: Although the last mentioned is a good
discussion of the agronomy and ecology of canola. Australian canola
(rapeseed) is from the Brassica napus species used in other countries in
the late 1960s. But some countries have used plant material like B.
campestris in the past which is not mentioned in the article. There
is even some research which I know
has taken place which uses back-crossing with other Brassica species to obtain
desirable characteristics in canola and I am suspicious that B. campestris
was among the plants used. However, whether this is significant in
terms of the discussion I am uncertain - it is just a minor oversight, I
think. This is all I can find on the work that I know occurred:
http://www.regional.org.au/au/gcirc/4/486.htm
