AS Victorian and New South Wales producers prepare to harvest their first genetically modified canola crops, whether South Australia is missing out on a golden opportunity is again up the subject of passionate debate.
While the eastern states have access to Round Up Ready crops, GM crops are still banned in SA and Western Australia.
Victorian Farmers' Federation vice president Andrew Broad, Bridgewater, farms 1800 hectares, with 1200ha dedicated to crops. He planted one 32ha paddock with NuSeed's GT61 variety canola this season.
"We reduced our canola acreage because of the run of dry years we've had," he said.
"We planted four paddocks of canola, with one to GM crops, to see how it compares to the triazine tolerant varieties.
"Certainly, weed control was substantially easier and the early vigour in the GM crops was better. We're about a week away from windrowing, but at this stage it looks to be substantially better."
Mr Broad said the NuSeed GT61 was a hardier variety than the TT lines he planted this season.
"It flowered a bit earlier and is podding up better than the other varieties," he said.
These results have come about despite receiving less than half his average rainfall this season.
"We've had less than 200mm, and this is usually a 400 to 450mm area," he said.
Mr Broad undertook a Nuffield scholarship in 2006 and researched best practice canola production. He said the technology he saw overseas, such as new varieities bred for water use efficiency, offered great hope for the future.
"On the balance of things, I found it was in the best interest to the grain industry to have access to this technology," he said.
Mr Broad said GM canola fits in with his cropping program, because it let him tackle resistnce issues.
"We've had a run of dry years and haven't had any opportunity to put down a Knock Down herbicide prior to sowing," he said.
"The key for us is rotation of different chemicals. If we can, we'll probably put 10 per cent of our cropping area to GM canola and use it to keep resistance at bay."
And Mr Broad said he was particularly concerned about a potential 'brain drain' of research from Australia.
"I found when I was travelling that I kept coming across researchers that had left Australia because there was no pathway to commercialisation for GM crops at that stage," he said.
"We can either adopt GM technology with caution or ignore if, and I'd say we can't afford to ignore it, especially given the current climatic conditions.
"Farmers should have choice and be able to access the best technology available to them and they can work out whether or not it can fit in to their farming systems."
Biological Farmers of Australia spokesperson Scott Kinnear urged SA farmers not to base their opinion on the limited plantings interstate this year.
"Since the plantings were authorised, the GM companies have run a sterling public relations campaign," he said.
"They are being very careful to avoid any contamination or bad press.
"But this is not a commercially realistic situation at the moment and as more and more farmers palnt GM canola, contamination will become more of an issue."