tradicionalmenteinovador - Brazil Buyers & Sellers

cessing industry in the region of Pesqueira, located in Agreste
de Pernambuco. In 1981, Embrapa Vegetables was founded,
with its place of business in Brasília (DF).
Researcher Leonardo Boiteux, of Embrapa Vegetables, recalls
that the adaptation of the cultivars to tropical climate conditions
provided for regular supplies and made it possible for many seed
companies to produce their own seed using national technologies.
Genetic enhancement was credited with higher yields and
lower production costs, with a reduction in the use of inputs.
“Brazil runs a unique germ plasm database, adapted to tropical
regions, now assisting regions in Equatorial Africa and Latin
American countries”, he observes. According to Boiteux, now that
GENETIC ENHANCEMENT
STARTED IN THE 1940s
the varieties have been adapted to tropical conditions, Brazilian
research works have shifted their focus on variety refinement.
This has given rise to the production of vegetables bearing some
characteristics geared toward the population’s healthy habits,
like carrots with pro-vitamin A and tomatoes with a higher content
of lycopene. The Embrapa researcher maintains that one
advantage from enhanced vegetables lies in the fact that the
technology is imbedded in the seed, improving both the productivity
rates and the quality of the food.
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