Sunday, February 16, 2014

Food Crops News 201




Sandusky Register

Calif. wine-grape growers celebrate bumper crop
The California Department of Food and Agriculture's preliminary figures show that the crop of red and white varieties combined weighed in at 4.23 ...
Google Plus Facebook Twitter Flag as irrelevant



SBS

A gust of wind stirs up a landmark GM food case
The case is likely to lead to regulations outlining boundaries between farms producing GM crops and organic farms, lawyers said, potentially reducing ...
Google Plus Facebook Twitter Flag as irrelevant



Western Daily Press

Crop pests pose 'growing threat' to world food security, experts warn
"Crop pests pose a significant and growing threat to food security, but their geographical distributions are poorly understood," said Dr Dan Bebber, ...
Google Plus Facebook Twitter Flag as irrelevant



Minot Daily News

Minot hosts ND local foods conference
"We try to incorporate as many local foods as we can," explained Jamie ... variety of crops, and communities by serving as a socially bonding event.
Google Plus Facebook Twitter Flag as irrelevant


'Recent rain spell will have positive impact on major Rabi crops'
Dr Shakeel Ahmad Khan, Wheat Commissioner at Ministry of National Food ... "The recent rain will help get good production of wheat as the crop is ...
Google Plus Facebook Twitter Flag as irrelevant



The News on Sunday

Wheat forecast
It would have horrifying impacts on our food system if we do not go for ... impacts of climate change on Pakistan's food crop and the solutions to cope ...
Google Plus Facebook Twitter Flag as irrelevant


Promotion of GM crops a trap, say social groups
The groups protested “the scare-mongering by the so-called scientists around food security” at a time the Agriculture Minister has announced that ...
Google Plus Facebook Twitter Flag as irrelevant


OSU ag researchers send a valentine to Mother Nature's sustainability (video)
( Photo by David Nevala for Ohio Ecological Food and Farming Association) ... "socks" to grow vertically in the space above a tunnel's ground plants.
Google Plus Facebook Twitter Flag as irrelevant



Financial Express

Karnataka govt allocates Rs 3759 crore for agri in Budget for 2014-15
Despite this limitation, 55 per cent of the food crop production, and 75 per cent of the oilseed production are contributed by the rain-fed areas.
Google Plus Facebook Twitter Flag as irrelevant


College's multi-purpose biomixture to favour organic farming
KKKP is a mixture of animal excreta and some medicinal plants. Researchers ... By taking them in our food we encourage several diseases. Use of ...
Google Plus Facebook Twitter Flag as irrelevant


BLOGS

EPA Approves Exemption for Bt Residues in Soy Foods From GMO Crops - Conservative Read
Conservative Read chris
EPA Approves Exemption for Bt Residues in Soy Foods From GMO Crops ... in soy foods and feed for the biological pesticide Bt used in GMO crops.
Google Plus Facebook Twitter Flag as irrelevant


Livemint

* Sri Lanka expands agriculture production of food crops to reach self-sufficiency, sets guaranteed ...
Feb 14, Colombo: The Sri Lankan government as proposed in 2014 budget aims to expand the domestic agriculture production of essential food crops ...
Google Plus Facebook Twitter Flag as irrelevant


Agricultural Technologies can increase global crop yields
Increased demand for food due to population and income growth and the impacts of climate change on agriculture will ratchet up the pressure for ...
Google Plus Facebook Twitter Flag as irrelevant



Agriculture.com

How the Farm Bill Will Change What You Eat
The new law expands incentives to growers of more specialty foods like berries, nuts, and many kinds of organic crops. It also offers protection for ...
Google Plus Facebook Twitter Flag as irrelevant



CNN International

UK floods pose as threat to Britian's crop and cattle farmers
... in demand for food. Floods have destroyed cattle bedding and feed in flood-hit regions such as southwest England and submerged crops with the ...
Google Plus Facebook Twitter Flag as irrelevant


Heavy Rains Threaten Household Food Security
Heavy rains received this month have impacted negatively on the food security of households after destroying crops in most parts of the country.
Google Plus Facebook Twitter Flag as irrelevant


Vegetable mix shows pest control promise in Taiwan
In response to demand for tighter food safety practices, the Taiwan ... and its possible applicability to farmers cultivating a number of food crops.
Google Plus Facebook Twitter Flag as irrelevant


'Men grow tobacco for drinking money but women feed families' - Ugandan farmer
In certain areas, they have gone into growing sugarcane at the expense of food crops and it is bringing famine into their families. In arable farming, we ...
Google Plus Facebook Twitter Flag as irrelevant



Windsor Star

Crystal Ball Gazing: the future of food and gardens
The crystal ball through which scientists look at the future of both our food plants and our so called 'ornamental' plants becomes clearer with ...
Google Plus Facebook Twitter Flag as irrelevant



Sydney Morning Herald

From vacant to verdant
Land grab: Kate Dundas wants to see unused plots planted with food crops. Photo: Eddie Jim. Landscape architect and urban designer Kate Dundas ...
Google Plus Facebook Twitter Flag as irrelevant



GreaterKashmir.com

Food crisis looms large over JK
While J&K's annual food grain production has remained around 19 lakh metric ton, ... The major crops grown in the state are paddy, maize and wheat.
Google Plus Facebook Twitter Flag as irrelevant

Scrambled genes, GMOs, organic crops and Europe: food safety roundup (poll)
Europe has approved several GMO crops but rejected others. For the skinny on GMOs in the European Union, check the European Food Safety ...
Google Plus Facebook Twitter Flag as irrelevant



WLTX.com

Genetically engineered crops in nearly 12% of fields
Even as some U.S. consumers reject foods containing ingredients from genetically modified plants, farmers continue to embrace the technology.
Google Plus Facebook Twitter Flag as irrelevant



The Guardian (blog)

Farmers are growing more biotech crops than ever, report reveals
Typically, the adoption cycle for biotech crops moves from fibre (cotton) to feed (soybeans and corn that are fed to livestock) and only then to food.
Google Plus Facebook Twitter Flag as irrelevant


Depleting aquifer could affect crop growth, food supplies
Today's average American farmer feeds about 155 people, according to the Center for Food Integrity's education program Farmers Feed US. One of a ...
Google Plus Facebook Twitter Flag as irrelevant



Voice of America

Bringing Seeds of Life to CAR
The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization says the ongoing fighting and ... Despite the insecurity, the FAO says it wants to ensure that crops are ...
Google Plus Facebook Twitter Flag as irrelevant


Do you know what GM crop is?
Do you go to the Farmers Markets to buy your food? ... Increasingly we're becoming more interested in where our food comes from and how it's grown.
Google Plus Facebook Twitter Flag as irrelevant



Western Morning News

Research highlights hidden threat to food
Crop pests pose a significant and growing threat to food security, but their geographical distributions are poorly understood,” said Dr Dan Bebber, ...
Google Plus Facebook Twitter Flag as irrelevant


Bunge Plans Expansion as Big Crops Loom
Bunge Plans Expansion as Big Crops Loom ... and other products that Bunge can buy, process and ship to food makers and other customers. Bunge ...
Google Plus Facebook Twitter Flag as irrelevant



Ghana Broadcasting Corporation

Government partners to ensure food security by 2022
Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture in charge of Crops, Dr. Ahmed Yakubu Alhassan said this at a forum in Accra. The forum will develop ...
Google Plus Facebook Twitter Flag as irrelevant


Monsanto's GMO Seeds May No Longer Be Invincible
Ever since the introduction of genetically modified crops into the food chain, the tussle has been largely between farmers and Monsanto , which says ...
Google Plus Facebook Twitter Flag as irrelevant


Straits Times

Agricultural Technologies Could Increase Global Crop Yields as Much as 67 Percent and Cut Food ...
The study profiles 11 agricultural innovations: crop protection, drip irrigation, drought tolerance, heat tolerance, integrated soil fertility management, ...
Google Plus Facebook Twitter Flag as irrelevant


Punjab: Mechanisation, marketing must for crop diversification
Punjab: Mechanisation, marketing must for crop diversification ... the Punjab government's crop diversification agenda, agri and food industry officials ...
Google Plus Facebook Twitter Flag as irrelevant



GreenBiz.com

Do you want to know about GMOs in your family's food?
Consumer pressure is a powerful thing, and despite the fact that there is no evidence that genetically engineered crops and livestock are harmful to ...
Google Plus Facebook Twitter Flag as irrelevant


Crops: Genetically engineered or genetically modified?
Genetically engineered or genetically modified crops are a hot topic in ... Additionally, it would be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to meet food and ...
Google Plus Facebook Twitter Flag as irrelevant


Call for Review of Clause On Agricultural Technology
Tanzania: Call for Review of Clause On Agricultural Technology ... food productivity in regions across the country, where traditional food crops have ...
Google Plus Facebook Twitter Flag as irrelevant



Ukrainian News Agency

Agricultural Enterprises Prepare 444000 Tons Of Seeds For Spring Sowing (20:27, Wednesday ...
Agricultural enterprises have prepared 444,000 tons of seeds for the sowing of spring crops for the 2014 harvest, the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and ...
Google Plus Facebook Twitter Flag as irrelevant


Flooded crops warning for gardeners
... for gardeners on coping with flooding, which is set to linger into the spring when people will be starting to sow and plant flowers and food crops.
Google Plus Facebook Twitter Flag as irrelevant



kgw.com

Farm Bill cuts billions, food stamp access for college students
The bill mainly dictates funding to agencies like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and crop insurance programs, said Jonathan Edelson, ...
Google Plus Facebook Twitter Flag as irrelevant


New extension educator announced
She began working for the University of Illinois in April 1999 as a research specialist in horticulture food crops at the Dixon Springs Agriculture Center.
Google Plus Facebook Twitter Flag as irrelevant



India.com

Power to farmers: Gujarat scientists float novel concept
... augment their income by renting out their land to the government or to the solar developer who will erect the solar panels while they grow food crops ...
Google Plus Facebook Twitter Flag as irrelevant


GM crops can fight poverty, food expert Montagu says

BANGALORE: Prof Marc Van Montagu, founder of the Institute of Plant Biotechnology Outreach (IPBO), Belgium, won the 2013 World Food Prize ...
Google Plus Facebook Twitter Flag as irrelevant



Irish Times

Nineteen EU states vote against GM maize proposal
The European Union has only ever legislated a handful of genetically-modified crops to be cultivated in Europe, though it imports GMOs for food and ...
Google Plus Facebook Twitter Flag as irrelevant


Group wants food makers to indicate if their products used genetically modified ingredients
Murphree said that smacking a label on food that it was made from genetically modified crops essentially sends the message that there's something ...
Google Plus Facebook Twitter Flag as irrelevant


Basalt Prepares To Plant Urban, Edible Food Forest
This sketch shows what crops are being considered in Basalt's food forest. ... A Town park will be transformed into a food forest or, an edible, urban ...
Google Plus Facebook Twitter Flag as irrelevant


The GM crop debate: 'It's like railway lines not meeting'
So far, India has restricted GM crops to non-food plants, especially cotton. The policy on food crops is best exemplified by an indefinite moratorium on ...
Google Plus Facebook Twitter Flag as irrelevant


Supreme Court hears landmark GM crop case
ELEANOR HALL: Australia's genetically modified food industry is closely ... to prevent his genetically-modified crops contaminating Mr Marsh's land.
Google Plus Facebook Twitter Flag as irrelevant


UCR School of Public Policy hosts seminar on genetically engineered foods
Under the CFRB, genetically modified crops are considered to pose the same risks as naturally occurring crops. Like unmodified natural foods, GE ...
Google Plus Facebook Twitter Flag as irrelevant


In your hands: Growers must focus on food quality
In the second of a new series, Crops in association with BASF, shows why the ... Caroline Stocks looks at how farmers meet the quality needs of food ...
Google Plus Facebook Twitter Flag as irrelevant


NGOs Lying on GM Crops, Says Scientist
World Food Prize laureate Marc Van Montagu criticised on Monday ... in the ongoing debate on the use of genetically-modified crops in agriculture.
Google Plus Facebook Twitter Flag as irrelevant


Call for review of clause on agricultural technology
Call for review of clause on agricultural technology ... declining food productivity in regions across the country, where traditional food crops have been ...
Google Plus Facebook Twitter Flag as irrelevant

Crop Biotech Update (January 22, 2014)

Having problems reading the Crop Biotech Update? Please click here to view online version.
To ensure that Crop Biotech Update copies make it to your inbox, please add cropbiotechupdate@isaaa.org to your address book.

In This Issue

January 22, 2014

NEWS

Global
• International Team Works to Confer Virus Resistance to the Most Important Brassica Vegetable

Africa
• African Orphan Crops Consortium Announces 100 Crops for Sequencing
• Disease Resistant Bean Varieties Increase African Farmers' Income

Americas
• Texas A&M Team Develops Longer, Stronger Cotton Fiber
• Genome Sequencing Reveals What Puts the 'Heat' in Hot Peppers
• ISU Researchers Sequence Genome of Fusarium
• NH Lawmakers Explain Why They Voted Against Biotech Labeling Bill

Asia and the Pacific
• Scientists Develop Climate Resilient Wheat for South Asia
• China Renews Biotech Corn Import Certificates
• India's President Calls for Urgent Need to Dispel Fears Over GM Crops
• India to Adopt Science-led Pathway for Agricultural Development

Europe
• Temperature Changes Affect Wheat Resistance to Yellow Rust
• EFSA Releases 2013 Annual Report of its Scientific Network for Risk Assessment of GMOs

Research
• Protein from Pathogenic Bacterium Confers Insect Resistance in Tobacco
• Scientists Evaluate Effect of Phytase Transgenic Corn on Laying Hens

Beyond Crop Biotech
• Scientists Pinpoint Genes for Deafness in Dogs
• Soil Microbes Alter DNA in Response to Warming

Announcements
• Plant Breeding for Drought Tolerance
• 4th Annual International Conference on Advances in Biotechnology

Document Reminders
• ISAAA Releases Video on Biotech Crops Adoption in China, India, and the Philippines


Latest Communication Products

Cadres of Change: Transforming Biotech Farmers in China, India, and the Philippines
A 10- minute video based on the project research Adoption and Uptake Pathways of GM/Biotech Crops by Small-scale, Resource-poor Asian Farmers in China, India, and the Philippines consolidates the farmer narratives from the three countries on adoption and uptake pathways of biotech crops.
Research Reports on Adoption of Commercialized GM/Biotech Crops by Small-scale Farmers in China, India, and the Philippines
Download PDFs:
China: Highlights
India: Full Report | Highlights
Philippines: Full Report | Highlights (English) | Highlights (Filipino)International Conference: Highlights
Can Mother Earth Feed 9+ Billion in 2050?
Coinciding with the celebration of the World Food Prize (WFP) Foundation 16-19 October 2013 to honor three distinguished crop biotechnologists, ISAAA launches a new infographic on food and agricultural biotechnology to raise public understanding on challenges of feeding the world of tomorrow.
Farmers First: Feedback from the Farm
A collection of farmers' testimonies from China, India, and the Philippines, about how they started adopting biotech crops, how they benefited from the technology, and why they continue planting biotech crops.
Biotech Traits Annual Updates
A summary of traits deployed in biotech crops which includes short discussions about the trends in biotech traits adoption and benefits of biotech crops with such traits.

News

Global

[Top]
An international team of scientists from the University of Warwick, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, and Syngenta Seeds has described a mechanism that confers resistance in brassica plants to Turnip mosaic virus. This discovery is hoped to lead to introduction of durable resistance into food crops, including the most important brassica crop worldwide Brassica rapa.
Turnip mosaic virus (TuMV) can infect all kinds of plants, and cause significant damage and losses to crops. In their paper presented in The Plant Journal, the researchers have unravelled the mechanism behind a broad-spectrum, recessive and potentially durable resistance to the virus. The resistance, which arises from a gene called eIF4E, has been shown to be effective against different strains of TuMV from across the world.
John Walsh, lead investigator from the University of Warwick, said "The nature and mechanism of the resistance suggests that unlike many forms of plant resistance to disease, this particular resistance has the potential to be durable."
For more information about this research, read the news release available at: http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/newsandevents/pressreleases/the_most_important/.
[ Send to a Friend | Rate this Article ]

Africa

[Top]
The African Orphan Crops Consortium composed of University of California-Davis, Mars, Inc., and other institutions, announced the 100 African crop species whose genomes will be sequenced to get information on how to improve the nutrition of African farm families. The list includes African eggplant, okra, onion, papaya, coconut, taro, tamarind, and bittergourd. The complete list is available at http://www.mars.com/global/african-orphan-crops.aspx. The Consortium released the list of crops and invite researchers around the world to get in touch and give suggestions for research needs. The Consortium plans to sequence one reference genome and 100 lines for each of the crops using the latest scientific equipment and techniques.
Read the news release at http://news.ucdavis.edu/search/news_detail.lasso?id=10804.
[ Send to a Friend | Rate this Article ]

[Top]
The research of International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) on beans, known widely as the "meat of the poor," has led to massive uptake of high yielding, disease resistant varieties through the Pan-Africa Bean Research Alliance (PABRA). Improved beans, while strengthening food and nutrition security, are also helping smallholder farmers boost their incomes. In Ethiopia, for example, bean production more than tripled between 2004 and 2012, and the income of farmers adopting new varieties rose from US$120 per ton of beans to $650.
For more information, visit http://ciatblogs.cgiar.org/support/cgiar-marks-a-major-funding-milestone/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=cgiar-marks-a-major-funding-milestone.
[ Send to a Friend | Rate this Article ]

Americas

[Top]
An international collaboration of scientists have figured out how to make a longer cotton fiber--a milestone that could have a multi-billion-dollar impact on the global cotton industry. This will also help cotton farmers fend off increasing competition from synthetic fibers.
The scientists used a genetic cross between a long-fiber plant and a short-fiber plant, then zeroed in on a region of the genome that sat directly on top of one of the phytochrome genes. Phytochrome is a type of photoreceptor which is mainly responsive to different wavelengths of red light. The phytochromes regulate many plant traits, including the length of leaves and stems and flowering time.The scientists then used a technique called RNA interference to "knock down" or interfere with expression of that gene.
See Texas A&M University's news release at http://www.science.tamu.edu/articles/1157.
[ Send to a Friend | Rate this Article ]

[Top]
The genome of the hot pepper, the world's most widely grown spice crop, has been sequenced by a large international team of researchers, including scientists at the University of California, Davis and Seoul National University, Korea.
The researchers sequenced a domesticated variety of hot pepper from the Mexican state of Morelos known as Criolo de Morelos 334. The variety has consistently exhibited high levels of disease resistance and has been extensively used in hot-pepper research and breeding. The sequencing project revealed that blocks of genes appear in much the same chromosomal position in the hot pepper as in tomato, its closest relative. The pepper genome, however, was found to be 3.5-fold larger than the tomato genome.
Sequencing also uncovered evidence suggesting that the pungency, or "heat," of the hot pepper originated through the evolution of new genes by duplication of existing genes and changes in gene expression after the peppers evolved into species.
Highlights of this sequencing effort are in the January 19 Advanced Online publication of Nature Genetics. For more information, read the news release at: http://www.news.ucdavis.edu/search/news_detail.lasso?id=10789.
[ Send to a Friend | Rate this Article ]

[Top]
Scientists at Iowa State University have sequenced the genome of Fusarium virguliforme, a fungus that is the culprit for sudden death syndrome (SDS) in soybeans. Using the draft genome sequence, scientists have identified candidate genes responsible for SDS in soybeans. According to Madan Battacharyya, leader of the research team, the draft sequence will lead them towards discovering the mechanisms that the pathogen uses to cause SDS, and will explore on using genetic engineering to develop soybeans with resistance to SDS.
The sequencing was funded by the Iowa Soybean Association and Soybean Research Development Council. Additional funding from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA) will be used for the development of SDS resistant soybeans.
Read more at http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0081832 and http://www.seedquest.com/news.php?type=news&id_article=44572&id_region=&id_category=&id_crop.
[ Send to a Friend | Rate this Article ]

[Top]
Members of the New Hampshire (NH) Environment and Agriculture Committee namely Rep. Tara Sad and Rep. Bob Haefner explained why they voted against House Bill 660, which requires labeling of biotech foods. According to them, no credible scientific study has shown that there is any material difference between biotech and non-biotech food, particularly in nutritional value and health safety. Thus, when foods containing biotech products would be labelled, it will mislead consumers by falsely implying differences where none actually exist.
Legal experts have also said that the bill is unconstitutional because requiring food companies to label their products with no health or safety reason fails the state interest test, undermines commercial free speech and violates interstate commerce. Furthermore, Sad and Haefner stressed that product labeling is a federal responsibility, and not a state responsibility. The Food and Drug Administration identifies which information needs to be available on food labels, not to satisfy consumer curiosity, but for health and safety reasons. The FDA and other trusted scientific organizations have all come out in support of biotech foods, stating that foods made with this process are as healthy and nutritious as their conventional counterparts.
Read the original article at http://www.unionleader.com/article/20140121/OPINION02/140129929.
[ Send to a Friend | Rate this Article ]

Asia and the Pacific

[Top]
Scientists from the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) have developed high yielding, climate resilient wheat for the farmers in South Asia using innovative approaches to plant genotyping. The genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) approach offers significant benefits over traditional plant breeding. Plant selection through genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms (GS) is a variant of marker-assisted selection (MAS) that enables crop breeders to rank best parents accurately and cost-effectively.
The research project builds on the established heat tolerance and yield potential framework established by CIMMYT scientists. About 1,000 advanced wheat lines developed in Mexico by CIMMYT were planted at Borlaug Institute for South Asia (BISA) locations as well as in Faisalabad, Pakistan, and six environments in Ciudad Obregón, Mexico, to characterize them for heat tolerance.
For more information, visit http://blog.cimmyt.org/?p=11671&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter.
[ Send to a Friend | Rate this Article ]

[Top]
China, the world's second largest corn consumer, has renewed safety certificates for imports of three biotech varieties of the grain. Previously approved varieties are subject to safety review and authorization renewal every three years. China imports almost all its corn from the United States, the world's largest grower of biotech corn.
The biotech corn events approved for import in China are the following: MON810, MON863, NK603, MON88017, MON89034, MON87460, Bt176, Bt11, MIR604, GA21, Bt11xGA21, 3272, TC1507, 59122, and T25.
Read more details at https://research.tdwaterhouse.ca/research/public/Markets/CommoditiesNews?documentKey=1314-L3N0KN0TS-1.
[ Send to a Friend | Rate this Article ]

[Top]
India's President, Sh. Pranab Mukherjee called for greater awareness about genetically modified (GM) crops to address public concerns. He was speaking at a conference of vice chancellors of agricultural universities, directors of ICARs and farmers in Baramati, Maharashtra on 19 Jan 2014.
The president called for an improved awareness and biotech education to allay public concerns on GM crops. The President referred to the benefits that India has got through cultivation of Bt cotton and the wide adoption of GM crops, and he said there was a need to pursue "these new technologies for the benefits they provide." "The development of transgenic crop varieties having the novel trait of insect resistance, herbicide tolerance and hybrid production has led to significant cultivation of GM crops. These crops currently occupy 170 million hectares in 28 developed and developing countries. In India, Bt cotton has boosted production and enhanced export earnings," Sh Mukherjee said.
For a copy of the President's speech, visit http://www.icar.org.in/en/node/7237
[ Send to a Friend | Rate this Article ]

[Top]
India's Union Minister of Agriculture Sharad Pawar lauded the proactive initiatives taken by the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) scientists to help achieve a robust agriculture to ensure food, nutritional, and livelihood security for a growing population. While addressing 85th Annual General Meeting of the ICAR on 15 January 2014, he appreciated the growth and development of agriculture during the decade. "The efforts of scientists in developing high yielding, input efficient, disease tolerant varieties/hybrids along with their widespread adoption by the farmers are visible in increasing farm productivity, quality and quantity. In the last ten years, our food grain production increased from 198 million tonnes in 2004-05 to 259 million tonnes by 2011-12, at an average of about 6 million tonnes per annum," the Minister said.
Food grain production has continuously increased despite a virtual ceiling on cultivable area, Pawar added. He  identified critical areas in agriculture that need urgent attention and expected a quick action by ICAR through enhancement in synergy and partnership with farmers and industries. The Minister informed that India's export of agricultural and allied products has increased from Rs. 1,78,800 crore in 2011-12 to Rs. 2,01,000 crore in 2012-13, registering a growth of nearly 11%."
For more information visit http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=102515 and http://www.icar.org.in/node/7217. A copy of the Minister's speech is available at http://www.icar.org.in/files/AM-Speech-AGM-2014.pdf.
[ Send to a Friend | Rate this Article ]

Europe

[Top]
JIC scientists have discovered that changing temperatures can have a big effect on resistance to yellow rust, one of the most serious diseases of wheat. Most laboratory studies on disease resistance are performed at constant day temperatures under controlled conditions. Yet in the field, temperatures are constantly changing, and this is rarely investigated.
It was found out that there was no difference in resistance to yellow rust between wheat grown at 18oC or 25oC. However, if infected plants experienced an increase from 18oC to 25oC, resistance increased. Changing temperature in the other direction decreased resistance. Interestingly, another variety did not show the same effect, suggesting genetic diversity for the trait. With more extreme weather events predicted, the research could help in the development of more climate-resilient wheat varieties in the future.
See John Innes Centre's news release at http://news.jic.ac.uk/2014/01/climate-resilient-wheat/.
[ Send to a Friend | Rate this Article ]

[Top]
In accordance with European Food Safety Authority's (EFSA) strategy for cooperation and networking with Member States, the EFSA Scientific Network for Risk Assessment of GMOs (GMO Network) was launched in 2010. The overall goals of the GMO Network are to: improve dialogue among participants; build mutual understanding of risk assessment principles; enhance knowledge on and confidence in the scientific assessments carried out in the EU; and increase the transparency of the process among Member States and EFSA.
During its meeting in 2013, the GMO Network discussed the principles of statistical relevance and biological significance, the use of animal feeding trials in the risk assessment of GMOs, the development of environmental protection goals and the EFSA Guidance on the environmental risk assessment of GM animals. Following requests from EFSA, the GMO Network provided input to EFSA's scientific report "Considerations on the applicability of OECD TG 453 to whole food/feed testing" and to the project "Review of statistical methods and data requirements to support post market environmental monitoring of agroecosystems."
See EFSA's news relase at http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/supporting/pub/548e.htm. Access the Annual Report at http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/supporting/doc/548e.pdf.
[ Send to a Friend | Rate this Article ]

Research

[Top]
Xenorhabdus nematophila is a pathogenic bacterium that secretes XnGroEL protein, which is harmful to its larval prey. Oral ingestion of insecticidal XnGroEL protein is toxic to cotton bollworm (Helicoverpa armigera), leading to termination of growth and development of the larvae. Punam Kumari from Jawaharlal Nehru University in India and colleagues developed transgenic tobacco plants expressing the protein through Agrobacterium-mediated transformation and tested the insecticidal efficacy of XngroEL against cotton bollworm. Various analyses confirmed the integration and expression of the gene coding for XnGroEL.
The transgenic tobacco plants exhibited healthy growth. Bioassays showed significant reduction of 100 percent in the survival of larvae and 55–77 percent reduction in plant damage compared to the non-transgenic and vector control plants. Based on the results, XnGroEL is a novel potential candidate for imparting insect resistance against cotton bollworm in plants.
For more information, visit http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11248-013-9734-3.
[ Send to a Friend | Rate this Article ]

[Top]
Scientists at China Agricultural University studied the possible effects of feeding phytase transgenic corn to the organ weight, serum biochemical parameters, nutrient digestability of laying hens. One hundred forty four (144) 50-week-old laying hens were grouped randomly into two treatments, with 8 replicates per treatment and 9 hens per replicate. For 16 weeks, one treatment group of hens was fed with diets containing non-biotech corn, while the other group was fed with diets containing phytase transgenic corn.
Results showed that feeding phytase transgenic corn to laying hens had no adverse effect on organ weight or serum biochemical parameters. The corn-specific invertase gene (ivr) and the transgenic phyA2 gene were not detected in the breast muscle, leg muscle, and reproductive organs of the laying hens. Furthermore, it was also found that novel plant phytase can improve the phosphorous digestibility of laying hens.
Read the research article at http://www.ajas.info/Editor/manuscript/upload/AJAS_Jan2014_27_77.pdf.
[ Send to a Friend | Rate this Article ]

Beyond Crop Biotech

[Top]
Professor Ottmar Distl and Susanne Kluth from the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover (TiHo) investigated the genetic causes for congenital sensorineural deafness in 235 Dalmatians. They screened more than 170,000 genetic variants distributed across the entire genome for sensorineural deafness. "More than 90 percent of dogs with two or more gene variants for sensorineural deafness are affected by sensorineural deafness", the researchers said. They found genes which affect the development of different structures in the inner ear. This includes the tectorial membrane, which is located within the cochlea, and the organ of Corti with its hair cells which convert acoustic signals into nerve signals and transmit them to the auditory nerve. Animals without skin pigment cells in their inner ears are also found to be affected by sensorineural deafness.
The genetic findings provide the researchers with the basis to decode the causes for congenital sensorineural deafness. Using the latest methods of genome analysis, they are now comparing the genome of dogs suffering from congenital sensorineural deafness with that of dogs with normal hearing ability. They plan to investigate congenital sensorineural deafness in as many dog and cat breeds as possible.
For more details, visit http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0080642 and http://www.innovations-report.com/html/reports/agricultural_sciences/genes_deafness_dogs_223614.html.
[ Send to a Friend | Rate this Article ]

[Top]
Scientists studying grasslands in the University of Oklahoma have discovered that an increase of 2 degrees Celsius in the air temperature above the soil causes significant changes to the microbial ecosystem underground. Compared to a control group with no warming, plants in the warmer plots grew more rapidly and more robust, which put more carbon into the soil as the plants senesce. The microbial ecosystem responded by altering its DNA to enhance the ability to handle the excess carbon.
The report published at Applied and Environmental Microbiology is based on a 10-year study that aimed to understand how soil ecosystem will respond to climate change. The research was sponsored by the US Department of Energy, in collaboration with several universities.
Read the news release at http://www.gtresearchnews.gatech.edu/soil-microbes-alter-dna-in-response-to-warming/.
[ Send to a Friend | Rate this Article ]

Announcements

[Top]
What: Plant Breeding for Drought Tolerance (Field Oriented Short Course)
Where: Colorado State University
When: June 2-13, 2014
This course on the genetics, breeding, and physiology of drought stress tolerance is targeted to graduate students in the plant sciences, as well as to professionals in the public and private sectors. It provides three transferable graduate-level credits.
More information and registration details available at: http://www.droughtadaptation.org/summer_course.html.
[ Send to a Friend | Rate this Article ]

[Top]
What: 4th Annual International Conference on Advances in Biotechnology
When: March 10-11, 2014
Where: Dubai, UAE
Objective: Provide a challenging forum and vibrant opportunity for researchers and industry practitioners to share their original research results and practical development experiences on specific new challenges and emerging issues.
For more details, visit the conference website: http://www.advbiotech.org/.
[ Send to a Friend | Rate this Article ]

Document Reminders

[Top]
A 10- minute video based on the project research Adoption and Uptake Pathways of GM/Biotech Crops by Small-scale, Resource-poor Asian Farmers in China, India, and the Philippines consolidates the farmer narratives from the three countries on adoption and uptake pathways of biotech crops. The video, titled Cadres of Change: Transforming Biotech Farmers in China, India, and the Philippines provides a ‘human face' to the collaborative research as documented by actual farmers engaged in biotech crop farming. Through farmers' testimonials, it also provided concrete evidence of the changes biotech crops have brought to farmers' lives.
View the video at http://www.isaaa.org/resources/videos/cadresofchange/default.asp
Do not hesitate to tell other colleagues/contacts about this mail list. If they wish to join, they may do so at http://www.isaaa.org/subscribe
If you will be changing your e-mail address soon, please update your subscription preferences to continue receiving the Crop Biotech Update.
Please visit Crop Biotech Update web pages (http://www.isaaa.org/kc) to view previous issues of this newsletter and see other available resources for download.

Copyright © 2014 ISAAA
Editorial Policy

Video yêu thích

Cadres of Change: Transforming Biotech Farmers in China, India, and the PhilippinesA 10- minute video based on the project research Adoption and Uptake Pathways of GM/Biotech Crops by Small-scale, Resource-poor Asian Farmers in China, India, and the Philippines consolidates the farmer narratives from the three countries on adoption and uptake pathways of biotech crops. The video, titled Cadres of Change: Transforming Biotech Farmers in China, India, and the Philippines provides a 'human face' to the collaborative research as documented by actual farmers engaged in biotech crop farming. Through farmers' testimonials, it also provided concrete evidence of the changes biotech crops have brought to farmers' lives.


http://www.youtube.com/user/hoangkimvietnam

Trở về trang chính
Hoàng Kim, hoangkim, hoangkimvietnam, Ngọc Phương NamChào ngày mới Thung dung, Dạy và học, Cây Lương thực, Tin Nông nghiệp Việt Nam, Food Crops, Cassava in Vietnam, Khát khao xanh, Dayvahoc, Học mỗi ngày,  Danh nhân Việt , Food Crops News, Điểm chính, CNM365, KimTwitter, KimFaceBook  Đọc lại và suy ngẫm, Việt Nam tổ quốc tôi, Tình yêu cuộc sống Thơ cho con