Argentine development: drought tolerant soybeans approved in Canada

Drought-tolerant HB4 soybean developed in Argentina by Bioceres, based on the work of scientists at the Universidad Nacional del Litoral (UNL), can be grown in Canada. According to the company, whose CEO is Federico Trucco, the technology development has received approval from Canadian health and food inspection agencies.

“With around 2.5 million hectares cultivated each year and with yields typically less than three tonnes per hectare, soybean-growing regions of Canada agree with the value that HB4 can bring,” Bioceres said in a statement.

In this way, HB4 soybeans will expand their reach in agriculture in the northern hemisphere. “Ongoing genetic improvement efforts for the Dakotas and Minnesota region in the United States, now they will extend to southern Canada, representing a total of 10 million hectares selected with HB4 soybean varietiesBioceres added.

This variety is approved for cultivation in the United States, Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina, which account for 85% of the world’s acreage. It is awaiting authorization to import into China, the world’s largest buyer of soybeans.

Bioceres, meanwhile, noted that “Canadian agriculture is a pioneer and a world leader in identity-preserved production systems.” This, he added, coincides with the HB4 generation programs in which the company uses “regenerative farming practices as well as a full traceability process.”