A world first! Argentina commercially sells genetically modified wheat HB4 seed HB4 (Drought tolerance + Glufosinate ammonium tolerance)

On May 16, 2024, the Argentine company Bioceres said that it has begun to sell its genetically modified wheat HB4 seeds in the country, which is the first time in the world that genetically modified wheat seeds have been sold.

Bioceres CEO Federico Trucco said the first seeds will be targeted at agricultural input retailers in Argentina. HB4 wheat seeds are gaining increasing acceptance as genetically modified wheat receives more government and industry group approvals, and Bioceres is expected to market this innovative product globally.

HB4 wheat seed was developed by the Argentine Bioceres company, and the HaHB4 gene (Helianthus annuus Homeobox 4) introduced into wheat came from Helianthus annuus, which has remarkable drought resistance. It can yield about 20 percent more than conventional wheat seeds under drought conditions. This feature is crucial for many parts of the world facing water shortages. In addition, HB4 wheat has the ability to tolerate the herbicide Glufosinate ammonium, which helps improve agricultural productivity while reducing environmental impact.

HB4 wheat seeds have been approved for use in food and feed in countries including Argentina, the United States, Brazil, Australia, Colombia, New Zealand, Nigeria, South Africa, Indonesia and Paraguay. Of particular note, Argentina and Brazil have approved the commercial cultivation of HB4 wheat.

As the first country to approve the large-scale cultivation of GM wheat and plan to bring it to market, Argentina is at the forefront of the world in the development and commercialization of GM wheat. As early as 2013, Argentina planned to put genetically modified wheat on the market within three years. In October 2020, Argentina approved the cultivation and sale of genetically modified wheat HB4 for the first time, becoming the first country in the world to approve the cultivation and sale of genetically modified wheat. At the time, Bioceres said Argentina was planting about 55,000 hectares of HB4 wheat, seeking to expand production of the crop.

Brazil is the first country in the world to approve the import of Argentinian wheat BH4, which is genetically modified to be drought-resistant to Glufosinate ammonium. In Brazil, HB4 GM wheat was approved more than a year ago by the National Technical Committee for BioSafety (CTNBio). The application was submitted by Tropical Melhoramento e Genetica (TMG), a Brazilian company that has a partnership with Bioceres. In March 2023, the Brazilian government's agricultural research agency Embrapa plans to expand testing of various varieties of drought-resistant GM wheat, aiming to achieve wheat self-sufficiency. No, it will take about four years of research to assess the adaptability of GM wheat to Brazil's tropical conditions.

In recent years, the global GMO industry has developed rapidly, and the GMO area has increased year by year. According to data from global advisory firm AgbioInvestor, in 2023, the global planting area of genetically modified crops increased by 1.9% from the previous year to 206.3 million hectares (3.09 billion mu), a record high. Argentina is the world's third largest GMO crop area, according to AgbioInvestor data, in 2023, Argentina's GMO crop area is 23.1 million hectares (346.5 million mu), of which GMO wheat planting area of about 43,700 hectares.