Source: The Western Producer – 22 October 2020

Argentina has become the first country in the world to approve GM wheat for cultivation and consumption…Researchers say the variety, in which a sunflower gene was inserted, is 20 percent more productive during drought years…Drought-tolerant wheat caught the attention of crop developers and agencies in Saskatchewan, appropriate in a year that has seen little rain since late summer and extremely dry soil conditions in many parts of the province.

“The actual performance of the wheat, we’d be very interested in that and understanding how the mechanism for conferring more drought tolerance works,” said Harvey Brooks, of the Saskatchewan Wheat Development Commission.

Brooks emphasizes that the success of HB4 wheat hinges on market acceptance. While it has been approved in Argentina, that country exports 85 percent of its crop to neighbouring Brazil, which has yet to sign off.