Australian researchers developing a drought-tolerant wheat have had early
success in field trials and hope to have the world's first transgenic wheat
in farmers' hands in five to 10 years, a biosciences leader said on Tuesday.
Researchers analyzed 24 different genetically modified lines containing six
different gene modifications and found that two of them outperformed control
plots, generating yield increases of 20 percent, said German Spangenberg,
Executive Director of the Victorian AgriBiosciences Centre, part of a state
government research division.

"They are exciting results. There were very significant grain yield gains,"
Spangenberg said in an interview on the sidelines of an international
biotechnology convention in San Diego.

The test plots were planted in northern Victoria, an area of Australia that
suffered significant drought losses in its 2006/07 wheat crop, according to
Spangenberg.

Researchers have asked for regulatory approval to conduct more field trials
over the next two years.

"Those trial will allow us to validate these results," he said. "The
availability of water for agriculture is an important constraint. To see
genetic innovation in a major crop like wheat for drought is very exciting."

No commercial transgenic wheat currently exists in world markets due to
strong opposition by consumer and environmental groups in many countries.

Several biotech crop developers, notably Monsanto Co and Syngenta have done
extensive work in developing different types of biotech wheat, but Monsanto
shelved its herbicide-resistant wheat project and Syngenta has slowed the
pace of its work on a disease-resistant wheat because of the widespread
opposition.

That obstacle could be shrinking, however, as food shortages and
accompanying skyrocketing prices for grain have applied a recent shock to
the world food system.

Syngenta has its genetically modified spring wheat nearly ready to submit
for regulatory approval, but plans to wait for further market acceptance,
said Syngenta's head of industry relations Jack Bernens, who was also
attending the BIO International Convention.

Source: Thomson Reuters, www.reuters.com