CURRENT STATUS OF TRANSGENIC RAPESEED IN AUSTRALIA

Současný stav transgenní řepky v Austrálii

Petr Baranyk, Jan Vašák, Helena Zukalová, Miroslav Bechyně

Czech University of Agriculture, 170 00 Prague 6 - Suchdol, Czech Republic

Summary

There are currently no commercial transgenic rapeseed grown in Australia, but potential for this crop is huge. The first GMO rapeseed varieties available in Australia will be the herbicide resistant types Roundup Ready and Liberty Link. They are expected to be available to growers by 2002. In the next ten years, Australian production is expected to come predominantly from GMO varieties. The Genetic Manipulation Advisory Committee (GMAC) oversees gene technology research in Australia. The 1998 requirements for field trials in Australia were that the trial must be 400 meters from any other Brassica crop, the trial area including the buffer and a 50 meter area surrounding the trial must be kept free of Brassica and related weeds, a 15 meter rapeseed buffer is to be planted around the trial as a pollen trap, and rapeseed cannot be sown on the trial area for three seasons after the trial.

rapeseed, GMO, testing, regulation, Australia

Souhrn

V současné době není v Austrálii transgenní řepka běžně pěstována, ale její potenciální využití je značné. Prvními GMO odrůdami řepky budou rezistentní typy Roundup Ready a Liberty Link, a to v roce 2002. Očekává se, že během příštích deseti let bude australská produkce řepky pocházet převážně z odrůd geneticky modifikovaných. Na výzkum genových technologií v Austrálii dohlíží The Genetic Manipulation Advisory Committee (GMAC). V roce 1998 bylo v polních pokusech s GMO vyžadováno: 400 m izolace od jiné brukvovité plodiny, pokusná plocha včetně ochranného pásu a 50 m okolních pozemků bez brukvovitých a příbuzných plevelů, 15 m ochranný pás řepky okolo pokusu jako lapač pylu, řepka nesmí být pěstována na místě pokusu během následujících tří let.

řepka, GMO, zkoušení, regulace, Austrálie

PRINCIPLE OF GENE TECHNOLOGY

Gene technology is the deliberate addition, alteration or removal of small amounts of genetic material in order to alter the characteristics of an organism. Organisms contain many thousands of genes (50 000 to 100 000 in plants), but gene technology generally involves manipulation of only single genes.

Because all organisms share the same genetic code, a gene from any donor organism has the potential to be active in any recipient organism. Thus, genes derived from such diverse sources as bacteria, viruses, insects and animals can potentially be introduced into plants in order to modify their characteristics. The discovery in the 1970s of restriction enzymes that cut DNA at specific target locations enabled the development of techniques for excising and manipulating individual genes in this way (Green and Salisbury, 1988).

Once a transferred gene (transgene) has been stable integrated into the chromosome, the recipient organism is said to be transformed. The integrated transgene is inherited in the subsequent progeny. Transformed organisms are commonly referred to as transgenic, genetically engineered or genetically modified organisms (GMO).

One of the most frequently transformed plants world-wide are oilseed crops. Reasons for this include:

· all oilseed species can be transformed using Agrobacterium techniques and regenerated from tissue culture,

· developments in gene technology pioneered in the experimental plant Arabidopsis are readily transferred to the closely related Brassica oilseed species,

· economically important oil quality characteristics are well understood biochemically and genetically, with most of the key genes already cloned.

Oilseeds are at the forefront of GMO evaluation in Australia, with cotton being amongst the first transgenic plants to be field-tested. Cotton lines with single trait additions conferring resistance to insects (Bt) or herbicides (glyphosate, bromoxinil, glufosinate and 2,4-D) have been trialed. Additionally, cotton combining Bt insect resistance traits are also being field-tested. Currently, Bt cotton is the only GMO plant approved for commercial release in Australia (Green and Salisbury, 1988).

Rapeseed lines with either the SeedLink hybridisation system, high laurate oil quality, fungal resistance, or herbicide resistance (glyphosate, glufosinate) have also been evaluated.

Australian rapeseed breeding and research programs are forming research and commercial linkages with owners of key technologies. In the next ten years, Australian production is expected to come predominantly from GMO varieties. There is a huge potential for transgenic rapeseed in Australia and in the long term, general release will make the testing and selection of new transgenic varieties much easier. The first GMO rapeseed varieties available in Australia will be the Roundup Ready and Liberty Link herbicide resistant types. They are expected to be available to growers by 2001-2.

GUIDELINES FOR TRIALING TRANSGENIC RAPESEED IN AUSTRALIA

The guidelines for trialing rapeseed in Australia in 1998 were:

· 400 meter isolation from any other rapeseed

· Trial site and a 50 meter radius surrounding the trial is to be kept free of Brassica weeds

· No rapeseed to be sown on site 2 years prior, 3 years after transgenic rapeseed has been sown

· Removal of volunteer rapeseed plants for 3 years after initial testing

· A 15m buffer is to be sown around trial to act as a pollen trap, destroyed prior to seed set

REGULATORY SYSTEM

The Genetic Manipulation Advisory Committee (GMAC) currently overseas gene technology research and development in Australia. GMAC is a non-statutory body established by the Commonwealth Government in 1987 and its membership includes academics, researchers with expertise in gene technology and representatives of the wider non-scientific community. GMAC is to be replaced by an Office of Gene Technology Regulation (OGTR), which is expected to have new statutory powers to give approval for commercial release.

The Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) regulates the importation of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) into Australia. The National Registration Authority for Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals (NRA) regulates chemical products for agricultural use. Novel pesticides such as Bt genes fall under their regulatory control, along with the extension of herbicide labels to allow the use on new herbicide resistant crops. The Australian and New Zealand Food Authority (ANZFA) is involved in the safety and identification of food produced through gene technology, plus issues of labelling of GMOs.

Each institution working with new gene technology products must establish an Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) that overseas all such work within the institution and ensures that researchers comply with GMAC advice and guidelines. All proposals to work with genetically modified organisms (GMO) are first considered by the IBC which then forwards the proposals and recommendations to GMAC (Pearl et al, 1999).

Field-released genetically modified oilseeds in Australia (Salisbury et al, 1999)

CONCLUSIONS

Transgenic (genetically modified) rapeseed being developed in Australia includes those with modified crop production traits (herbicide tolerance, insect resistance) and those with modified product quality traits (e.g. high oleic acid). In the next ten years, Australian production will come predominantly from GMO varieties. To remain internationally competitive, Australia will need to maintain excellent breeding programs and form appropriate research and commercial linkages with owners of key technologies. There is a huge potential for transgenic rapeseed in Australia and in the long term, general release will make the testing and selection of new transgenic cultivars much easier. The first GMO rapeseed varieties available in Australia will be the herbicide resistant types Roundup Ready and Liberty Link. They are expected to be available to growers by 2002.

REFERENCE

Green, A. and Salisbury, P. A.: Genetically Modified Oilseeds - The impact of gene technology on the Australian oilseeds industry. Australian Oilseeds Federation Innovations and Technology Committee. 1998, 57 pp.

Pearl, D. J., Fischer, S. C., Barnes, S. J., Robson, D. J., Burton, W. A., Salisbury, P.A.: Transgenic Rapeseed Field Trials in Australia. Proceedings of the 10th International Rapeseed Congress, Canberra, Australia. 1999.

Salisbury, P. A., Potter, T. D., McDonald, G., Green, A. G.: Rapeseed in Australia - the First Thirty Years. 1999, 89 pp.

Kontaktní adresa: Ing. Petr Baranyk, CSc.; ČZU Praha, katedra rostlinné výroby; 165 21 Praha 6 - Suchdol; E-mail: BARANYK@AF.CZU.CZ