The reason for the collaboration is to combine Dow AgroScience’s experience in commercializing seed traits and W3’s expertise in plant breeding research to bring the “next generation” of wheat to markets in North America, South America, Europe and Australia, the companies said.
Spokesperson for Dow Agrosciences Robyn Heine told FoodNavigator-USA.com that the company could not be more specific at present about what traits the collaboration is looking to develop.
She added that although this first generation of traits will be GM-free, the company would not rule out the possibility of marketing GM traits in the future.
GM wheat debate
Controversy surrounding the development of GM wheat traits has been stirred up recently after a group of wheat industry representative organizations from the US, Canada and Australia signed a joint statement vowing to synchronize their efforts to commercialize GM wheat last month.
This led to a corresponding tri-national statement from organizations opposed to the commercialization of GM wheat, with arguments centering on a lack of consumer acceptance as well as a lack of agronomic benefits from currently available GM crops, such as greater nutritional value or increased yield.
There are currently no GM wheat varieties commercially available.
Chairman and CEO of W3 Sheldon Richardson said: "With Dow AgroSciences as our partner, we can leverage customer relationships within the food chain and their marketing and commercialization expertise. Our four decades of plant breeding experience brings a wide diversity of germplasm offering of high yielding varieties developed for markets around the world."
W3 works to develop new traits for wheat, barley and oats and does not use any GM technology.