Argentine firm to commericialise drought-tolerant GM wheat in US

Core Viewpoint - Bioceres Crop Solutions Corp is collaborating with the Colorado Wheat Research Foundation to commercialize a drought-tolerant genetically modified wheat variety, HB4, in the US, with USDA approval expected in August 2024 [1][2]. Group 1: Collaboration and Technology - The partnership aims to combine Bioceres' HB4 proprietary technology with the Colorado Wheat Research Foundation's expertise in US wheat innovation to create a next-generation wheat production system [3]. - HB4 technology includes a sunflower gene for drought tolerance and a gene from Streptomyces hygroscopicus for glufosinate herbicide tolerance [2]. Group 2: Adoption Timeline and Market Strategy - Analysts estimate that it will take at least 3-4 years for US farmers to adopt the new HB4 wheat variety [3]. - Bioceres will grant the Colorado Wheat Research Foundation exclusive sublicensable rights to the HB4 trait in the US, allowing broad access for third-party breeding programs and commercial channels [4]. Group 3: Regulatory and Market Access - Bioceres will lead all regulatory activities for the GM wheat variety, ensuring compliance with US Wheat Industry Principles for Biotechnology Commercialization and securing approvals in key export markets [6]. - The GM wheat trait will be available to any interested public or private wheat breeding program in the US through an open licensing model [6].