A new wheat variety, resistant to drought, is set to play a vital role in smoothing out South American production in the face of increasing weather uncertainty. HB4 wheat, developed by the Argentine company Bioceres, using a gene derived from sunflowers, is being taken up by growers in Argentina and Brazil.
South America’s major grain and oilseeds producers, Brazil and Argentina are, behind the United States, the second and third largest growers of biotech crop varieties in the world.
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“Currently, 100% of soybeans, 99% of corn, and 100% of cotton planted in Argentina is genetically engineered. While in the past Argentina has primarily been a producer of GE crops destined for feed and fiber, it is now the first major wheat exporter to commercialize GE wheat for food use.”
The wheat involved is the drought-resistant HB4 variety developed by Bioceres.
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“The approval in Argentina raised concerns among several farmer organizations and exporters, as they understand this approval might put Argentine wheat exports at risk in other markets,” the attaché said. “To address these concerns, government of Argentina created an audit commission within the National Seed Institute (INASE).”
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“However, GE crops (regardless of the intended use or trait) are associated with plant protection products popularly considered harmful to the environment and health,” they said. “For years, there has been growing activism against the use of glyphosate,” which meant that “in 2021, the announcement of the HB4 drought-tolerant wheat approval that is also tolerant to glufosinate-ammonium sparked controversy among consumers.”
