❓ A WA parliamentary question on notice investigates the Department of Agriculture and Food's (DAFWA) involvement in oilseed genetic improvement programs, particularly concerning biodiesel mustard and specialty oil canola, and the reasons for program termination and funding allocation.
AnsweredQoN 74Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
(2) If yes to (1), -
(a) in what year did it commence; and
(b) at what location or locations did this occur?
(3) Did DAFWA terminate the DAFWA-run Oilseeds Genetic Improvement Program in 2007?
(4) If the Department of AFWA was involved in a Genetic Improvement Program, why was this terminated?
(5) Was the DAFWA’s Oilseeds Genetic Improvement Project involved in the breeding of biodiesel mustard and specialty oil canola in 2007?
(6) What funding was provided to the Oilseeds Genetic Improvement Program for the breeding of DAFWA’s publicly owned biodiesel mustard and specialty oil canola in each of the years from 1998 to 2008?
(7) Did the Oilseed Genetic Improvement Program funded by the DAFWA carry out plant breeding work on publicly owned biodiesel mustard and specialty-oil canola germplasm in 2007?
(8) Did the Oilseed Genetic Improvement Program carry out plant breeding work on publicly owned biodiesel-mustard and specialty-oil-canola germplasm prior to 2007?
(9) If yes to (8), when did this occur?
(a) in what year did it commence; and
(b) at what location or locations did this occur?
(3) Did DAFWA terminate the DAFWA-run Oilseeds Genetic Improvement Program in 2007?
(4) If the Department of AFWA was involved in a Genetic Improvement Program, why was this terminated?
(5) Was the DAFWA’s Oilseeds Genetic Improvement Project involved in the breeding of biodiesel mustard and specialty oil canola in 2007?
(6) What funding was provided to the Oilseeds Genetic Improvement Program for the breeding of DAFWA’s publicly owned biodiesel mustard and specialty oil canola in each of the years from 1998 to 2008?
(7) Did the Oilseed Genetic Improvement Program funded by the DAFWA carry out plant breeding work on publicly owned biodiesel mustard and specialty-oil canola germplasm in 2007?
(8) Did the Oilseed Genetic Improvement Program carry out plant breeding work on publicly owned biodiesel-mustard and specialty-oil-canola germplasm prior to 2007?
(9) If yes to (8), when did this occur?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
16 March 2009
Responded by
Minister for Child Protection representing the Minister for Agriculture and Food
Response time
110 days
(1) Yes
(2)
(a) Brassica improvement was initiated by the Department of Agriculture in the 1970s, and the program closed in 1988 with the retirement of the oilseed breeder, Dr Narendra Roy. The Department re-established links with the National Oilseed Program funded through the Grains Research and Development Corporation in 1996 to provide disease screening and selection of early maturity material for introduction into national breeding programs.
(b) Locations were throughout the agricultural areas of the State from Geraldton to Esperance to Mount Barker.
(3) Yes.
(4) The Oilseed Genetics and Evaluation projects were terminated as a result of the closure of the National Brassica Improvement Program, retirements of the senior Research Officer and senior Technical Officer involved in the program and the judgment that the five remaining private and University oilseed breeding companies could adequately deliver oilseed breeding in Australia.
(5) The Department had activities in agronomic evaluation of a range of oilseeds with potential for bio-diesel and specialty oil qualities in 2007.
(6) The Department and GRDC allocated nearly $3.8 million over the 10 year period to 2007 to all oilseed breeding and evaluation activities. Of over 240 trials conducted nearly 40 trials were related to bio-diesel and specialty oil evaluation. This included trials containing material that was both publicly owned, material from overseas sources and from national programs. No calculation has been made of the proportion directly related to publicly owned material but this would not exceed 10 percent of the total allocation.
(7) Yes. Trials on bio-diesel and specialty oil were undertaken for yield evaluation of material bred prior to 2007.
(8) Yes.
(9) The Department was evaluating breeding lines produced by Dr Roy, who was then working in the private sector, between 1995 and 2002. Some Departmental breeding work for triazine tolerance and early flowering in specialty oil lines occurred between 2002 and 2007.
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(2)
(a) Brassica improvement was initiated by the Department of Agriculture in the 1970s, and the program closed in 1988 with the retirement of the oilseed breeder, Dr Narendra Roy. The Department re-established links with the National Oilseed Program funded through the Grains Research and Development Corporation in 1996 to provide disease screening and selection of early maturity material for introduction into national breeding programs.
(b) Locations were throughout the agricultural areas of the State from Geraldton to Esperance to Mount Barker.
(3) Yes.
(4) The Oilseed Genetics and Evaluation projects were terminated as a result of the closure of the National Brassica Improvement Program, retirements of the senior Research Officer and senior Technical Officer involved in the program and the judgment that the five remaining private and University oilseed breeding companies could adequately deliver oilseed breeding in Australia.
(5) The Department had activities in agronomic evaluation of a range of oilseeds with potential for bio-diesel and specialty oil qualities in 2007.
(6) The Department and GRDC allocated nearly $3.8 million over the 10 year period to 2007 to all oilseed breeding and evaluation activities. Of over 240 trials conducted nearly 40 trials were related to bio-diesel and specialty oil evaluation. This included trials containing material that was both publicly owned, material from overseas sources and from national programs. No calculation has been made of the proportion directly related to publicly owned material but this would not exceed 10 percent of the total allocation.
(7) Yes. Trials on bio-diesel and specialty oil were undertaken for yield evaluation of material bred prior to 2007.
(8) Yes.
(9) The Department was evaluating breeding lines produced by Dr Roy, who was then working in the private sector, between 1995 and 2002. Some Departmental breeding work for triazine tolerance and early flowering in specialty oil lines occurred between 2002 and 2007.
Notice: This document is created or edited using unregistered or evaluation copy of rtLib valid for testing or development purposes only. To use it for productive or any other purposes please register it. You may purchase the license on
http://www.rtlib.com
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