Genetically modified wheat facts for kids

Genetically modified wheat (often called GM wheat) is wheat that has been changed using genetic engineering. This means scientists directly change its genome (its complete set of DNA) using special tools called biotechnology. As of 2020, no GM wheat is grown widely for sale. However, many field tests have happened. One type, Bioceres HB4 Wheat, was approved by the government in Argentina.

How Wheat Was Changed Over Time

Wheat is a natural hybrid. This means it formed from different types of grasses mixing together over a very long time. Scientists believe wheat's ancestors, like Triticum monococcum, Aegilops speltoides, and Aegilops tauschii, mixed naturally thousands of years ago in West Asia. This created new types of wheat, like common wheat and durum wheat.

Wheat is a very important grass grown worldwide for food. Humans have influenced how wheat has changed since farming began.

People started farming wheat during the Neolithic Revolution, also known as the first green revolution. As humans changed from hunting and gathering to farming, they grew wheat and changed it to fit their needs. So, the story of humans and wheat has been connected for a very long time.

This process led to many different kinds of wheat. Each type is grown for specific uses and climates. In 1873, a scientist named Wilson mixed rye and wheat to create triticale. Later, Norman Borlaug, known as the father of the second Green Revolution, developed new wheat types. These "semidwarf" varieties could grow well even in tough environments.

In the 1980s, new methods called recombinant DNA techniques were created. This allowed scientists to start making the first transgenic wheat in 1992. Transgenic means genes from one organism are put into another. Wheat was the last of the three main cereals (corn, rice, and wheat) to be changed this way. Unlike corn and rice, people have been less open to using GM wheat in their food.

Testing and Approving GM Wheat

Scientists have done many field tests for GM wheat. By 2013, 34 tests happened in Europe and 419 in the US. These tests looked at different changes made to wheat.

Some changes aimed to make wheat resistant to herbicides (weed killers) or to insects and fungi. Other tests focused on making wheat better able to handle tough conditions like drought, salty soil, or heat. Scientists also tried to improve its nutrition, like adding more protein or fiber. Some even explored using wheat to make medicines.

The company Bioceres from Argentina developed a wheat plant with a special gene called HaHB4. This plant showed it could grow better in places with drought. Drought is a big problem for crop yields around the world.

Bioceres's HB4 Wheat

The company Bioceres created a type of GM wheat called HB4. This wheat can grow better and produce more grain even when there is not enough water. It gets its name from a gene called HaHB4, which comes from sunflowers. This special wheat was approved by the Argentine government in October 2020. It can be sold commercially once Brazil, a main buyer of Argentina's wheat, also approves it.

On May 6, 2022, HB4 wheat was also approved by Food Standards Australia New Zealand.

Monsanto's MON 71800 Wheat

One of the most developed GM wheat types was MON 71800 by Monsanto. This wheat was made to resist glyphosate, a common weed killer. Monsanto got approval from the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) for it to be used in food. However, Monsanto decided not to sell it in 2004. This was because farmers were worried they might lose buyers in Europe and Asia. These regions were not keen on buying GM wheat.

Studies by Monsanto showed that MON 71800 had the same nutrition as regular wheat. Tests on animals that ate this GM wheat also confirmed this. Government agencies had approved it for food use. But because of market concerns, Monsanto stopped trying to sell it.

GM Wheat Found Where It Shouldn't Be

In 1999, scientists in Thailand said they found GM wheat in a grain shipment from the US. This was strange because GM wheat had never been approved for sale. It was only grown in small test plots. No one could explain how the GM wheat ended up in the food supply.

In May 2013, a type of GM wheat that resisted glyphosate was found on a farm in Oregon. Tests confirmed it was Monsanto's MON71800. Monsanto had tested this wheat between 1998 and 2005 but never sold it. Finding this unapproved GM wheat was a problem for wheat farmers. Buyers often want GMO-free wheat. After this discovery, Japan stopped buying soft white wheat from the United States for a short time.

A farmer in Kansas sued Monsanto. He said the discovery made the price of US wheat go down. Monsanto thought someone might have purposely put the wheat there. By August 2013, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) said it seemed to be a single, isolated incident. Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan soon started buying US wheat again. The problem for exports was small.

The investigation ended in 2014. Officials could not find how the wheat got there. They also found no proof that it had entered the regular food supply.

In 2019, the USDA announced that GM wheat plants were found in an unplanted field in Washington state. These plants were also made to resist Roundup.

Rules for GM Crops

The rules for genetic engineering are about how governments check and manage the possible risks of GM crops. Different countries have different rules for GM crops. For example, the rules in the USA are quite different from those in Europe. The rules can also change within a country. This depends on how the GM product will be used. For instance, if a GM crop is not meant for food, the food safety authorities might not review it.

See also

In Spanish: Trigo genéticamente modificado para niños