World Grain - November 2022 - 22

SOSLAND PUBLISHING
years
they probably think of the computer software sector
where things get replaced very quickly. (Monsanto's)
Roundup Ready soybeans were first commercialized
in Argentina in 1994 and the patent didn't expire until
2014. It takes a long time to develop but they last for
many, many years. "
Of the many stakeholders in the wheat value chain,
nobody is more excited about the prospect of HB4
commercialization than the wheat growers who for
many years saw corn and soybean yields skyrocket due
to biotechnology while wheat yields remained stagnant
with only conventional varieties available.
Bioceres said HB4 drought-tolerance technology
has been shown to increase wheat yields by an average
of 20% in water-limited conditions, a key adaptation
that favors double-cropping systems, where water
management is increasingly critical. It also has shown
environmental benefits. Under no-till practices, HB4
soy-wheat rotations result in an estimated 1,650 kilograms
of carbon fixed into the soil per hectare per year,
compared to positive emissions from conventional soy
monoculture, Bioceres said.
" GM technology is something US wheat producers
have supported since they adopted that principal document, "
said Dalton Henry, policy director of US Wheat
Associates, referring to the USW/NAWG Principles for
Commercialization document that supports customer
choice and identifies important US wheat export markets
that must approve new traits. " They realize
the benefits of technology, especially
when you think about traits like
drought tolerance. It's impossible
not to have it at the
front of your mind considering
the year we had last
year in two pretty significant
growing regions in
the US. "
Trucco said an aspect
of HB4 that often
is overlooked is it also
performs well in nondrought
scenarios.
" In the
past, there
Trucco
were
drought-tolerant varieties, but the
plants yielded less when water was not
an issue, " he said. " In practical terms this is very important
because we want technology that makes improvement
in all scenarios. If it only works when you
have drought, you are limiting yourself to very small
environments. When we say it benefits situations
where there is adequate water, we are talking about
yield increases that can be as high as 40% to 50%. "
22
Argentina, Brazil and HB4
Not surprisingly, the first country to widely cultivate
HB4 wheat, which is based on a drought-tolerant gene
taken from a sunflower, came in Bioceres' home country
of Argentina. Bioceres developed the HB4 wheat
strain in partnership with the National Council for
Scientific and Technical Research and the National
University of Litoral. While not technically commercialized
in Argentina, it is being grown by many farmers
under Bioceres' supervision.
In October 2020, Argentina, the largest wheat producing
country and exporter in South America, granted
first approval of HB4 wheat for growth and consumption.
The commercialization of HB4 wheat in Argentina
was subject to Brazilian approval, as Brazil is the main
export market for Argentinean wheat production.
In November 2021, after a rigorous review process,
the Brazilian National Biosafety Commission unanimously
endorsed biosafety conditions for flour processed
from HB4 wheat. But Brazilian millers, concerned
that some of their customers were not receptive
to products made from HB4 wheat, threatened to stop
buying Argentine wheat, vowing to turn to other countries
for supplies.
But ABTRIGO, the Brazilian milling association,
softened its stance after a survey of Brazilian consumers,
commissioned by ABIMAPI, an association that
represents biscuit, pasta, bread and cake makers, yielded
a surprising result.
" A post-approval survey in Brazil showed that close
to 70% of consumers had no concerns on GMO wheat,
an observation that helped change the position of key
groups that historically rejected transgenics in the
crop, " Trucco said. " With this we are not saying that
the job is done; it is far from being done. But we are
obviously thrilled to see this progress and very proud
of our global leadership in this front. "
Colombia is the other South American country that
has approved HB4 wheat for consumption.
International strategy
Trucco acknowledged that for HB4 wheat to become
a truly global product, it must expand beyond South
America. So Bioceres has set its sights on Australia
and the United States, two major producers that export
wheat all over the world and are prone to drought.
" Australia is our most immediate international interest
outside of Latin America, " Trucco said. " We are actively
pursuing Australia, as it has a market twice the size of
Latin America. And it is a country that traditionally is
more severely affected by drought, so HB4 technology
can be even more valuable to Australian growers. "
Bioceres scored a major victory in May when Food
November 2022 / World Grain / World-Grain.com
http://www.World-Grain.com
World Grain - November 2022

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