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Australasian Biotechnology (backfiles)
AusBiotech
ISSN: 1036-7128
Vol. 8, Num. 1, 1998
Australasian Biotechnology,
Volume 8 Number 1, January/February 1998, pp. 23-24

Trends in Field Testing and Commercialisation of Transgenic Organisms in Australia

K Galloway McLean (Scientific Adviser, Gene Technology Section, Department of Industry, Science and Tourism) and A Faragher (Secretary, Genetic Manipulation Advisory Committee), GPO Box 2183, Canberra ACT 2601

Code Number:AU98004
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Introduction

Australia's genetic manipulation regulatory body, the Genetic Manipulation Advisory Committee (GMAC), was established in 1988. GMAC currently produces three sets of guidelines: Guidelines for Small Scale Genetic Manipulation Work for small scale contained research, Guidelines for Large Scale Genetic Manipulation Work for contained work with volumes greater than 10 litres, usually industrial scale, and Guidelines for the Planned Release of Genetically Manipulated Organisms for releases of live genetically modified organisms into the environment (field trials).

Early Field Trials

In late 1988, the WA Department of Agriculture applied for the first planned release to be assessed by GMAC: to field trial a live attenuated Salmonella vaccine to prevent death during live sheep export. Following this initial trial, the number of proposals submitted each year has increased from two or three to around twenty. As of January 1998, a total of eighty-seven planned releases and three general (commercial) releases had been assessed by GMAC. (see Public Perceptions of Genetic Engineering)

For the first few years, all of the genetically modified organisms trialled in Australia were microorganisms, and included vaccines, pesticides and more efficient nitrogen-fixing bacteria. It was not until mid-1991 that the first proposal with a plant as host organism was received, when CSIRO Division of Plant Industry submitted a field trial for potato resistant to potato leafroll virus. However, it did not take long for plants to dominate the experimental work and, by January 1998, 75% of planned releases assessed by GMAC had involved trialling genetically modified plants. No genetically modified animals have yet been released in Australia.

Crop Types

To date, around fifteen plant species have been genetically modified for field tests in Australia (Figure 1). Initially, monocotyledons proved more difficult to transform than dicotyledons, and crops such as cotton and potato, using Agrobacterium as a vector, dominated the early trials. With the introduction of particle bombardment as a method of introducing foreign DNA into plant cells, modified monocotyledons, such as sugarcane, followed. The great majority of trials in this country have involved the crop plants cotton, canola, clover, potato, sugarcane and lupin. Other crops to be trialled include wheat, pea, tomato, tobacco and apple. Several genetically modified ornamental plants (carnation, chrysanthemum and rose) have also been trialled.

Figure 1: Frequency of introduced traits in crops tested in field trials, 1988-1997

Introduced trait Percentage of trials
Agronomic / quality properties 26.5
Herbicide tolerant 26.5
Insect resistant 23.5
Virus resistant 12.5
Disease resistant 4
Marker genes 4
Fungus resistant 3

Introduced Traits

The first crops to be tested in field trials contained genes which aimed to decrease crop losses from selected pests and diseases, and included virus-resistant potatoes and insect-resistant (Bt) cotton. Virus-resistant white clover, fungus-resistant canola and carnation, and disease-resistant sugarcane followed, making pest resistance the most commonly introduced trait, forming slightly less than half of all plant trials assessed. Genes conferring herbicide tolerance aim to contribute to improved weed control, and about a quarter of Australia's field trials have been herbicide-tolerant cotton, lupin and canola crops. Another quarter of the field trials have involved improving agronomic or quality characteristics, including improved nutrition from quality changes such as increased sulfur in field pea, improved control of pollination to allow more effective production of hybrid seed in canola, and increased vase-life and altered flower colour in ornamental flowers such as carnation and rose.

Commercialisation

The majority of applications for field trials in Australia are received from the public sector. This is an exception to the general international scene, where almost all approvals have been granted to private sector corporations which have the majority of investments in biotechnology. However, the push towards commercialisation of genetically modified crops in Australia has been led by the private sector, with all four commercially produced genetically modified organisms (Agrobacterium (NoGall) pesticide, insect-resistant cotton and carnation modified for long vase-life and altered flower colour) released by private companies (Bio-Care Technology, Monsanto and Florigene, respectively). Applications for commercial release of herbicide-resistant cotton and herbicide-resistant hybrid canola will be assessed shortly.

Outlook

The number of proposals for commercial release of genetically manipulated crops and pastures in Australia is expected to increase rather rapidly in the next few years. Several crops developed in Australia are near commercialisation (Table 1), and increasing numbers of crops are being approved for commercial use overseas.

Table 1: Genetically modified organisms and their status in Australia, 1988-1997

Commercialised
Agrobacterium (NoGall) pesticide, increased vase-life carnation, altered flower colour carnation, insect-resistant (Bt) cotton
Near commercialisation
herbicide-resistant (Roundup Ready) cotton, herbicide-resistant (Liberty Link) canola, herbicideresistant (Basta) lupin, pea weevil-resistant pea, herbicide-resistant (bromoxynil) subterranean clover, Salmonella vaccine
Experimental stages
virus-resistant potato, insect-resistant tomato, disease-resistant sugarcane and sugarcane with improved product quality, altered flower colour rose and chrysanthemum, wheat with improved product quality, fowlpox-Marek's disease vaccine

One result of the international activity in this area is that there will be an increasing likelihood that imports of bulk seed into Australia for processing may contain some fraction of genetically modified seed. Already, GMAC has assessed an application from Monsanto for importation of herbicide-resistant (Roundup Ready) soybean seed. As a result of a regulatory decision in the USA, Roundup Ready soybeans in that country can enter commerce without differentiation from non-transgenic soybeans. Soybean seeds imported into Australia from the USA, for processing into vegetable oil and protein meal, may therefore now include some transgenic seed. To ensure that the risks associated with such activities can be adequately assessed, GMAC will soon publish a new set of guidelines, Guidelines for Activities with the Potential for Unintended Release of Genetically Manipulated Organisms.

Current regulatory arrangements for gene technology will soon be strengthened through a comprehensive framework of legislation (see paper by Corcoran and McLean). This should ensure the continued protection of human health, agriculture and the natural environment, while improving efficiency, uniformity and comprehensiveness of regulatory arrangements to encourage the further development of the technology and the achievement of its promised benefits.

Copyright 1998 Australian Biotechnology Association Ltd.

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