Wheat is a winter cereal from the family Poaceae Present for millennia in the traditions, food security, and economy of peoples, wheat, like other crops, has undergone spontaneous crossbreeding and genetic selection over millennia to become the plant we know today, with characteristics such as high productivity, disease resistance, local adaptation, and nutritional quality. Its edaphoclimatic adaptation has allowed planting in different climatic conditions across the planet.
In Brazil, wheat is cultivated from the Southern Region to the Cerrado region in Central Brazil. As a commodity, it is common to find both transgenic and non-transgenic varieties on the market. Therefore, this article will discuss non-transgenic wheat, also called conventional wheat, and good production practices applied to it.
According to Conab, between 2019 and 2023, the area dedicated to wheat production in Brazil grew by 70%, but for 2024 the entity projects a decrease of 4.7% (3.3 million hectares) compared to the previous harvest due to climatic uncertainties, high costs, and price fluctuations per ton. However, despite the decrease in the national production area, the wheat productivity projected by Conab could reach 26% compared to the previous year. Although estimates predict an increase in productivity, it is still necessary to import wheat to meet domestic demand for human consumption. Currently, Brazil ranks 14th among the world's largest wheat producers (2023/24 harvest).
In the industry, wheat stands out for the use of its flour as the main raw material for the manufacture of baked goods. Flour is obtained through milling, with or without the separation of the bran and germ. Wheat milling involves three stages: stage 1 – reception, pre-cleaning and ensiling; stage 2 – cleaning and packaging; stage 3 – milling. After this procedure, they are classified as whole wheat, white, common and special flour, or even separated according to the other constituents of the grain, such as bran and germ, and also according to the size of the particles, such as semolina and semolina flour.
Demonstrating its versatility, the use of non-GMO wheat extends beyond the food industry, being very present in animal feed, beverage manufacturing, the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, including medicines, cosmetics and personal care products, in the production of paper and cardboard as an alternative to traditional wood fibers, among others.
In the supply chain food, In order for wheat to reach the consumer's table, the grains must be suitable for consumption or processing, following standards and regulations defined by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (MAPA). These regulations serve to guide the classification, quality, and standardization of grains, and are extremely important as they establish the criteria for commercialization, ensuring food safety and the quality of derived products.
In Brazil, non-GMO wheat follows Normative Instruction No. 38, of November 30, 2010. This regulation refers to the official classification standard, with requirements for identity and quality, sampling, presentation method, and marking or labeling of grains from the species. Triticum aestivum e Triticum durum. The regulation provides guidelines for classifying wheat into defined groups according to use. Group I refers to wheat intended directly for human consumption, categorized by type according to its quality; Group II refers to wheat intended for milling and other purposes, allocated into classes according to use and, depending on its quality, into types. The "Other Uses" wheat class includes products that do not fit into traditional uses, such as animal feed production and industrial use.
Plant classification, in turn, is the method of determining grain quality through analyses whose results are compared with official standards. The grains are taken to laboratories and classified by qualified professionals in the field. Therefore, the regulations characterize the grains and define the quality parameters that must be evaluated, such as grain color, moisture content, percentage of damaged grains, among others, establishing acceptable tolerances for each parameter.
These standards and requirements established by Brazilian grain quality legislation are important to guarantee food safety for consumers, prevent fraud and deception in grain marketing, and encourage sustainable production and competitiveness in the agricultural sector. With the introduction of transgenic wheat cultivars to the market, it became necessary to adopt guidelines for good production practices for non-transgenic wheat. Therefore, see below the principles of good production practices adopted.
Good practices in the production of non-GMO (conventional) wheat.
The production of non-GMO wheat requires meticulous attention from planting to harvest to ensure the quality and purity of the final product and to avoid possible cross-contamination with GMO cultivars. Good practices, in general, can be divided into soil conservation practices, seed and fertilizer acquisition and use, planting, harvesting, and post-harvest handling.
Seeds and fertilizers
The starting point is the selection of non-GMO wheat seeds from reliable and certified sources, guaranteeing the quality and genetic purity of the plants. The cultivar to be chosen must be in accordance with the environmental conditions of the production unit, as different cultivars have different tolerances to diseases, may have greater yield potential at a higher fertilization cost, while others require less investment to achieve maximum results. These details are important to prevent productivity gaps and misuse of planting areas.
Therefore, management practices must follow the specific peculiarities and vulnerabilities of the cultivar regarding the environment, sowing periods according to the Agricultural Zoning of Climatic Risks, soil conditions, and fertilization. Organic and mineral fertilizers should be used based on soil analyses to avoid excesses, minimize environmental contamination, and reduce economic losses. Regarding the chemical composition of the wheat grain, this can vary according to the region, growing conditions, chosen cultivar, soil characteristics, and harvest year. The nutrient content of the grain and its fractions influences the functional and technological characteristics of the products and, together with the structural properties, defines the quality of wheat flour, which is the main product derived from wheat and represents a significant source of energy in the human diet.
Soil conservation practices
Choosing areas for wheat planting that follow crop rotations is an important strategy to reduce the incidence of diseases, improve soil fertility, and minimize the need for pesticides. In addition to the area's planting history, paying attention to the predominant soil type on the property (or region, according to the Brazilian soil classification) also helps in making decisions regarding conservation management.
An important practice is that sowing should not occur in excessively moist soil to reduce the risk of wheat mosaic disease. This practice also avoids excessive soil compaction by machinery, which would harm crop growth. Each planting system used, such as conventional or no-till, has its own peculiarities in conservation management. However, conventional management requires special care from the producer, as the intense tilling in the preparation of this system can subject the soil to degradation and nutrient loss due to the breakdown of aggregate structure and increased entropy.
In no-till farming systems, conservation practices consist of promoting permanent soil cover through crop rotation and succession, and by moving and cutting the soil in the planting row. The advantages of this system are the elimination of soil erosion caused by rain, improved soil permeability and porosity promoted by the presence of roots that aid in the structure of soil aggregates. Water permeability and moisture retention in the upper layers of the soil are also improved, providing good growing conditions for plants. No-till farming also provides benefits in fuel, time, and labor savings, greater possibility of sowing at the right time, better crop response to rainfall, and improved seed germination and plant emergence.
Another practice of great interest in conserving soil life is the integrated management of pests, diseases, and invasive plants, adopting biological, cultural, and mechanical control methods before the use of chemical products. The great advantage of no-till systems is the prioritization of minimal soil disturbance and maintenance of mulch cover throughout the crop growth phase, which brings several benefits to the soil, such as reducing the growth of invasive plants and restoring soil structure.
Harvesting, storage and traceability
Concern for wheat quality should begin with the selection of the cultivar to be planted, since the seed variety, soil conditions, crop management, harvest time, among other factors, directly affect the characteristics of the harvested grain and, consequently, its industrial use.
Therefore, wheat harvesting should be carried out at the appropriate maturity point (% moisture) and with clean equipment to avoid cross-contamination with other transgenic varieties. The same applies to storage and processing: it must be done under appropriate temperature and humidity conditions to preserve quality and in clean environments, without mixing transgenic cultivars, in order to guarantee the correct segregation of the grains.
We discussed the importance of grain traceability in previous articles, which you can check out at [link to article]. link. Traceability requires detailed records of all stages of the production process, from planting to marketing. These records also allow for the acquisition of quality certifications issued by recognized bodies, ensuring compliance with non-GMO wheat standards.
Learn more about grain traceability: OPTA Blockchain System
The best wheat for your industry.
OPTA has a specialized unit for specialty grains, which works to ensure the quality of grains reaching the industry. All wheat marketed by our specialty grains unit is composed of superior quality grains, cleaned to Food Grade standards, non-GMO with ProTerra certifications, and guaranteed by analysis reports and traceability.
We work with specific cultivars for industrial applications, focusing on the quality properties of the grains. in its natural state. Consult our experts through link For more information about available cultivars.
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