Argentina's Bioceres begins selling HB4 transgenic wheat

The Argentine company, Bioceres Crop Solutions, has announced its first sales of HB4 transgenic wheat seed, the first time this genetically modified (GM) wheat technology has become commercially available to any interested country.

According to Bioceres CEO Federico Trucco, the first seeds were aimed at agricultural input retailers in Argentina.

The company offers four varieties of HB4 wheat in its Argentine portfolio, which are Bermejo, Paraná, Traful, and Iruya HB4.

According to Trucco, transgenic wheat is gaining more acceptance as it receives more approvals from governments and industry groups.

In Brazil, the HB4 transgenic wheat was approved over a year ago by the National Technical Biosafety Commission (CTNBio).

The application was submitted by the Brazilian company, Tropical Melhoramento e Genética (TMG), which has a partnership with Bioceres.

According to Bioceres, HB4 transgenic wheat is drought-resistant and produces some 20% more than conventional seeds during dry periods.

The HaHB4 gene (Helianthus annuus Homeobox 4) introduced into the wheat comes from the sunflower, Helianthus annuus, which was generated through microparticle bombardment methodology.

The technology also contains the bar gene from Streptomyces hygroscopicus, which confers resistance to glufosinate.

The HaHB4 gene, naturally present in the sunflower, is expressed at very low levels and activated when plants are subjected to conditions of water stress, salinity, darkness, or insect attacks.

Therefore, the HaHB4 protein is already a natural component of human and animal diets, as well as in environments where conventional sunflower cultivation occurs.

(Editing by Leonardo Gottems, reporter for AgroPages)