Scientists hope to use sequenced wheat genome to cut pesticide use, but anti-GMO activists may slow progress

Scientists unveil wild wheat genome sequence boost food production wrbm large
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After 13 years of study, a consortium …. of …. 60 countries [sequenced] the wheat genome. [T]he scientific community now has a high-quality map of this grain that represents 20% of the average daily human being’s diet. Based on this innovation, [scientists say] that production can be expanded without increasing the amount of cultivated land thanks to a grain that demands less water and fewer pesticides.

[But] this development must overcome the “green” opposition that, paradoxically, claims to defend the planet.

“Using biotechnology, we can achieve varieties that are [pesticide] resistant, but there is an environmental lobby [standing in the way], which is a pity because we want to reduce the use of pesticides and we have the solution,” said Cristobal Uauy, researcher at the John Innes Center and one of the leaders of the International Consortium for the Sequencing of the wheat genome.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published in Spanish. This summary was prepared with Google Translate and edited for clarity.

Read full, original article: El genoma del trigo y el ambientalismo estúpido

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