Argentina-based Bioceres Crop Solutions will follow U.S. wheat industry biotech commercialization principles as it develops its genetically modified drought tolerance trait, a U.S. Wheat Associates official says.

The USDA approved the company’s HB4 wheat trait for cultivation in the U.S. in August.

Those principles have for 20 years been the “governing document” for U.S. Wheat and the National Association of Wheat Growers when it comes to transgenic wheat, Dalton Henry, U.S. Wheat vice president of policy, told Washington Grain Commission members Sept. 25.

In the document, the industry recognizes the benefits and values of genetically engineered materials and supports commercialization after review, and will work diligently to meet commercially achievable customer preferences.

“To have a private company acknowledge the significance of that, especially those provisions related to market acceptance and market approvals, (is) going to be key to how they move that trait forward,” Henry said.

HB4 wheat is grown commercially in Argentina and Brazil today, with permits for trials in Australia and the U.S., Henry said.

U.S. wheat cultivars with the HB4 trait are still several years away, Henry said, and would require additional steps, including seed production, quality testing and field trials.

Bioceres is initially focusing on hard red winter and spring wheat breeding programs in the central, southern and northern Plains, Henry said.

The clearance adds nearly 9.9 million potential acres to the company’s initial global plans for the HB4 wheat trait, he said.

Customer response

Foreign buyers largely responded to USDA approval as expected, Henry said.

“We knew we had some cautious markets,” he said. “Many of those, the response was more muted than even our foreign offices expected. Essentially the response was, ‘That’s great, looks like this is different from cultivation actually occurring in the U.S.’ Another common response was, ‘We’re going to buy non-GM anyway, so let’s start the discussion about what a non-GM supply chain looks like.’”

Many of those countries are already purchasing non-genetically modified corn or soybeans, so such a scenario would not be totally unfamiliar, Henry noted.

“Obviously, we’re going to have to have serious discussions about what commercially viable tolerances are,” he said. “The tighter those tolerances are, the more expensive that supply chain’s going to be. But we’re pretty confident in the supply chain’s ability to work through those things and meet customer demands.”

There is indication that negative public opinion about GM commodities has eased, according to U.S. Wheat. The governments in all major U.S. wheat importing countries have previously approved genetically modified traits in other crops.

‘Cautious optimism’

If farmers are asked about the new trait and what it means for the industry, commission members recommended “cautious optimism.”

“Our customers are very important to us, and it’s important that what we grow is what they want and what they need,” said grain commission chairman Ben Barstow, a farmer near Palouse, Wash. “Commercial acceptance of any new trait of any kind is very important to us.”

“As farmers we all want the tool for our toolbox, but not at the expense of our markets,” said board member Gary Bailey, a St. John, Wash., grower.

The three Pacific Northwest wheat commissions previously issued a statement on the genetically modified trait.

A drought-tolerant trait can help meet global wheat demand that sets record highs almost every year, Henry said.

More public or private organizations may step out now that Bioceres has led the way on application for a GM wheat trait.

Head scab resistance has been mentioned as a trait that would be particularly valuable.

“This certainly isn’t going to be the last GM trait that we end up talking about,” Henry said.

Northwest statement on genetically modified wheat trait

Statement on genetically modified wheat trait