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 NEWSLETTER
MOINHOS VERA CRUZ - 04/2000
Developments
in Wheat Enhancement Techniques
It
is estimated that wheat cultivation started as far back as 10.000
years ago in the planes of the Tiger and Euphrates river
valleys, Syrian and Palestinian deserts and the mountains east of
Anatolia. This was one of the most important moments in the history of mankind, for the
first time, man learned how to modify the environment to his own
benefit, starting the practice of agriculture with drastic
implications for his evolution.
The
beginning of genetic enhancement through which all species
cultivated by man have passed was called 'Green
Revolution'.
The
enhancement method of primitive man was based only on
the selection of species most adequate to his needs and natural
breeding among them, which is a slow and gradual process.
Advances in enhancement techniques were only possible after
scientific knowledge of hereditary characteristic bases, DNA
structure elucidation, mapping of genes and their manipulation were
discovered.
Currently,
biotechnology -
manipulation of organisms - allows enhancement of plants in a
short span of time and is highly directed to specific
characteristics of interest.
It
is known that the current species of wheat, Triticum
aestivum and T. durum, have
increased the number of chromosomes in relation to their ancestral
kind, T. monoccocum and T. turgidum. Such
increase of genetic material seems to be related to the changes in
the typical set of characteristics of wheat.
It
is believed that the additional genes detected in this material
grant the differences currently noticed in different types of wheat
(hard and soft) that are aimed at production of bakery, biscuits,
dough etc. It is exactly these differences in the wheat's genome
that offer plenty study
material from its genetic base.
The
potential of new varieties
that can be set up through biotechnology is vast. We have news of
studies on transgenetic wheat in certain institutions. Canada has officially announced that it has transgenetic
varieties, whose modification of the enzyme gene, acetohidroxiacid
synthesis, makes it resistant to pesticides of the imidazolinone
class. Recently, the
Center for Photosynthetic and Biochemical Studies - CEFOBI, in Rosário,
Argentina, announced that it obtained varieties of transgenetic
wheat, that are undergoing field studies and whose modified aspects
refer to enhancements of agronomic characteristics.
The mentioned strategies are part of an ongoing process
through which man seeks to obtain, in the most efficient manner, the
set up of new wheat varieties.
Note:
Moinhos Vera Cruz is alert to
these studies in order to meet client's interests, within
legislation in effect.Until
March 2000, the National Technical Commission for Bio Security -
CTNBIO, was not involved in the planning of any process for the
issuance of genetically modified wheat, whether approved or in
transit, as well as the Ministry of Agriculture for the transit and
commercialization of transgenetic wheat seeds in Brazil.
Additional
Reading Material:
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