NIAB: The science behind superwheat

[@thakur.Amrutesh.Singh45]

disease-resistant wheat, is a product of advanced agricultural science and genetic engineering. Researchers use techniques like selective breeding and genetic modification to enhance wheat's traits. Selective breeding involves crossing different strains of wheat to combine desirable characteristics, such as increased yield, pest resistance, and drought tolerance. Genetic modification can directly alter the wheat's DNA to introduce traits from other organisms, like bacteria or other plants, which may improve resistance to diseases or enhance nutritional value. These innovations aim to produce wheat varieties that can thrive in various environmental conditions, ensuring food security and reducing the need for chemical inputs like pesticides and fertilizers. The development of super wheat also involves extensive field testing to ensure its safety and effectiveness before it reaches farmers' fields.

[@bizzylizzybizzylizzy]

There is no scientific consensus on GMO safety and many consumers don't want GMO food anyway. It isn't just about scientific peer review (where often there is no level playing field due to funding stream and geopolitical distortions). I think we need further clarification of "synthetic". We also need a climate change discussion. Land grab anyone? I support Agroecology.

[@NIABGroup]

hi Bizzy Lizzy - synthetic means resynthesised wheat. This is not a GMO, but a wheat produced through conventional crossing techniques using wild grasses and durum wheat as parents. CIMMYT, the international wheat and maize improvement centre in Mexico, were the first to generate synthetic wheats in the 1980s and they have already been used successfully around the world, particularly in drought prone, lower yielding areas in China, Australia, Africa, the Indian sub-continent and South/Central America.

[@bizzylizzybizzylizzy]

niabtag Thanks for this. I mentioned GMOs as the video mentions GMOs as a tool in the tool box. Many consumers, NGOs and scientists disagree. For example AGRA Watch. www.seattleglobaljustice.org/agra-watch/

[@bizzylizzybizzylizzy]

Bizzy Lizzy While this is still at an experimental stage what cross contamination precautions are you taking in the field trails. Thanks.

[@NIABGroup]

Bizzy Lizzy This is a conventional plant breeding programme so our field trials protocol is exactly the same as in all wheat variety crossing and testing programmes.