Russian plant breeders have managed to grow a unique kind of cold-resistant wheat, which can be found in Central Russia and the Primorye region, Bagrat Sandukhadze, a Russian specialist in the field, revealed.
"We are close to the creation of an ideal grain farm without pesticides and herbicides," Sandukhadze said.
According to the scientist, the new type of Russian wheat developed by breeders at the Moscow Scientific Research Institute of Agriculture "Nemchinovka" has unique characteristics: It perfectly withstands cold, contains much more protein than other breeds worldwide and is likely to replace Russia's oil as its main export product in a few decades.
In the academic's opinion, the quality of grain decreases worldwide as yields grow.
"The bigger the yield is, the lower the quality. The grain produced in France, England, Germany contains only 8-9 percent of protein, while the standard is 14 percent," the expert said, adding that by contrast Russian wheat contains even more protein, namely 18 percent.
"We have great prospects. Large arrays. In 20-30 years the whole world will want to buy Russian grain. Oil and gas will be in the past. The cheapest and high-quality grain will be grown in Russia. We've brought the use of pesticides almost to zero. The problem with diseases has been resolved. Our price will be two times lower than in other countries of the world, and the quality is better," Sandukhadze concluded.
