High hopes for wheat tolerant to drought

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.

The researchers have identified two genetically modified lines that generate yield increases of 20 percent, said German Spangenberg, Executive Director of the Victorian AgriBiosciences Center, 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.