Brazilian agency to expand GMO wheat testing, Embrapa official says

By Anna Mano

SAO PAULO (Reuters) – Brazil’s government’s agricultural research agency, Embrapa, plans to expand testing of varieties of drought-resistant, genetically modified wheat as Brazil aims to become more self-sufficient in staple crops.

In an interview with Reuters, Embrapa wheat research head Jorge Lemensky said on Tuesday that in addition to testing transgenic materials in Brazil’s Cerrado region, Embrapa aims to plant them in the state of Minas Gerais as part of efforts to monitor their adaptability. Tropical conditions of GMO wheat seeds developed by Bioceres of Argentina.

Last week’s landmark approval to plant and sell GMO wheat in Brazil means Embrapa can test wheat designed to withstand water stress in more corners of the country, Lemeinski said.

This will allow Brazilian researchers to see how plants behave under different conditions, putting the country’s farmers closer to planting GMO wheat on a commercial scale, he added.

The ideal time to plant drought-resistant seeds is between March 1 and April 10, Lemensky said. However, he noted that Brazil does not yet have enough GMO wheat seeds for large-scale testing.

Four years of research will be needed to assess the adaptability of GMO wheat to Brazilian tropical conditions, Lemensky added.

The first trial of Embrapa began around this time last year.

(Reporting by Anna Mano; Editing by Paul Simao and Sandra Maller)