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Biotechnology may improve Australian sugarcane |
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| AUSTRALIA: November 28, 2001 | ||
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SYDNEY - Biotechnology could become an integral part of Australian sugarcane production, the Bureau of Sugar Experiment Stations (BSES) said yesterday.
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At a meeting with Australia's main cane grower body CANEGROWERS, it was revealed that biotechnology could enhance both the productivity and the production options of the sugarcane industry, BSES said. CANEGROWERS chairman Jim Pedersen said that biotechnology research could prove extremely worthwhile for the industry. "BSES has made considerable progress in developing varieties that have been genetically enhanced to promote herbicide and pest resistance," Pedersen said. Biotechnology could also result in sugarcane 'biofactories' grown specifically for energy co-generation, ethanol production and the creation of biodegradable plastics, he said. BSES chief executive officer Eion Wallis said biotechnology would also be an important tool in maintaining an edge over international competitors. "Open discussion with peak industry bodies like CANEGROWERS about how our advances in the understanding of the genetic makeup of sugarcane, and how that understanding can translate into both new and better sugar cane products, is vital if we are to remain competitive," Wallis said. While BSES does not currently have any genetically modified varieties planted in field trials, Wallis said that it could could start trials of modified sugarcane relatively quickly with the consent of sugarcane industry.
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REUTERS NEWS SERVICE
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