This is reportedly the first approval of GMO grain for use in human food. So far it has been limited to crops like cotton or soybeans and corn, usually fed to livestock.
Article notes GMO wheat has potential for better yields and drought resistance. Fits well with global warming.
“Plant genetics company Tropical Melhoramento e Genetica, a partner in Brazil of Argentina’s Bioceres, made the approval request.”
Global players like Bayer, Corteva, and Syngenta must be watching closely.
Is that a distinction that makes a difference? For example, there are GMO corn and soybeans, and corn and soybeans go into a myriad of foods. If nothing else, think of high fructose corn syrup.
DB2
In Europe, all GMO foods are known as frankenfoods and are banned. To some it makes no difference.
Eating GMO tomatoes or potatoes is far different from eating foods made with soybean oil or corn starch. Food products that do not contain genes are different from foods that do. Animal feed uses provide a layer of insulation.
But personally I see no indication that GMO foods are not safe. Those chosen are carefully selected to avoid harmful genes and tested to be sure before they come to market.
DB2,
Generally glyphosate happens naturally in the plant as a herbicide. GMO in some cases possibly all cases heightens the amount of glyphosate in the plants. This causes weeds to grow around the stronger crop. In other words stronger crop stronger weeds. More spraying of herbicides to stop the stronger weeds. GMOs are counter productive and we end up with more glyphosate, read Round Up, in our diets.
We lose by using many GMO techniques.
Leap, that is simply not correct.
Roundup ready soybeans contain a GMO inserted gene that makes the plant resistant to glyphosphate herbicide. That allows farmers to spray for weeds after the weeds appears. That requires much less herbicide.
Before farmers had to apply a preemergent herbicide as insurance against weeds on every field.
The idea that GMO plants produce glyphosphate is complete bs.
Bt corn does produce bacillus theringensis, a natural insecticide.
Paul,
Today my better look into this, glyphosate is a synthetic. You are right.
But
Do GMOs increase super weeds?
Almost any way you look at the data, it appears that GM crops are no greater contributor to the evolution of superweeds than other uses of herbicides. Superweeds are overrunning America’s farm landscape, immune to the herbicides that used to keep crop-choking weeds largely in check.
Do GMOs cause "superweeds"? - Genetic Literacy Project.
The natural insecticides or herbicides did not bring on super weeds as fast. It was a balance in nature.
There are also benefits to GMOs other than herbicide resistance. For example, ‘golden rice’ that enhances Vitamin A.
There is also drought tolerant wheat mentioned in the OP.
"Argentina’s genetically engineered, drought-tolerant wheat — named HB4 — could have large environmental benefits…HB4 wheat, genetically engineered to be drought resistant, can help protect against such variability by maintaining high yields even under drought conditions. HB4’s drought resistance gene comes from sunflowers, so it qualifies as transgenic — containing genes from a different species — and therefore as bioengineered, genetically modified, or a GMO…
“HB4 wheat developer Bioceres says the trait increases yields by up to 20% compared to other similar varieties that are not genetically engineered for drought resistance.”
DB2
Indeed it was first prepared in the lab that studied bottle washing compounds. Materials that help cleaning and deal especially with water hardness.
Monsanto had a program to screen new materials for activity in various areas including agriculture. Its herbicidal properties were discovered by their screening.
This kind of discovery makes for strong patent protection. And worked fine until the patents expired. It is a phosphorus compound but not a phosphate like those usually found in nature.