REUTERS/Jonathan Barrett/File PhotoThe groundwork for a major trial of gene-edited wheat has begun in Australia, where a state company is growing hundreds of varieties it says could be up to 10% more productive and make farming more sustainable. Some gene-edited crops are already available but most offer specific nutritional improvements or disease resistance rather than a range of changes aimed at higher productivity per unit of water or fertiliser. Regulators in countries including the US and Japan have decided gene-edited crops are akin to those derived from breeding, making their approval simpler. The European Union is moving in a similar direction, and China, the biggest wheat producer and consumer, this month approved a gene-edited disease-resistant wheat for planting. Genetically modified soybeans and corn have been widely adopted in recent decades but consumers and regulators have been less willing to sanction GMO wheat because unlike soybeans and corn, which are mainly fed to animals, wheat is a staple food for humans.

Source: The Express Tribune May 25, 2024 05:00 UTC