Argentina’s Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries has approved HB4 drought-tolerant wheat for cultivation, representing the first country to have granted approval for HB4 wheat. HB4 varieties contain the sunflower (Helianthus annuus) homeodomain-leucine zipper 4 (HB4) gene under the control of a promoter which responds to water availability and presence of the plant hormone abscisic acid, granting crops higher yields in water stress conditions. The commercialisation of HB4 wheat in Argentina is subject to import approval by Brazil, the primary importer of Argentinian wheat.

Uruguay recently approved HB4 wheat and soybeans for field testing, with cultivation approval expected in 2021 (see AgbioNews Sep 28, 2020).