Thursday, March 13, 2014

Food Crops News 207





Food Crops News 207 to follow up Crops Biotech Update March 12, 2014

In This Issue


NEWS

Global
• Governments Prepare for Implementation of Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-sharing
• International Team Crack Sesame Genome
• Researchers Discover Plant Without Chloroplasts

Africa
• Scientists Develop Biofortified Sorghum for Africa

Americas
• Entomologists Update Definitions of Terms Related to Resistance to Biotech crops and Pesticides
• Scientists Identify Gene that May Ease Genetic Modification in Plants
• Vilsack Reveals Plan for Biofuels

Asia and the Pacific
• Bt Brinjal Cultivation in Bangladesh Follows Biosafety Measures, Says Ag Minister
• Asian Biotech Crop Importing Countries Hold Seminars on Global Status of Commercialized Biotech/GM Crops for 2013
• Vietnam, Slow and Cautious on GM Crop Adoption
• Philippines Increases Biotech Adoption in 2013
• NAAS Endorses GM Crops for Nutritional Security
• Pakistan Finalizes Strategy to Make Quality Cotton Seed Available
• India's Biotechnology Strategy Highlights Importance of GM Crops

Europe
• New Study Shows OPR Protein Function Important for Photosynthesis
• EU Innovation Scoreboard Shows Need for Action to Keep Innovation and Industry in Europe

Research
• Predators Delay Pest Resistance to Bt Crops
• Biotech Rice Expressing Exo-glucanase Show Enhanced Production of Reducing Sugars

Announcements
• Livestock Biotech Summit

Document Reminders
• VIB Publishes New GM Background Report

Research and Development
• Researchers Find Economical Way to Remove Lignin from Biomass
• Researchers Extract Oil from Algae Without Wasting Them
• Researchers Produce Sugars from Biomass Sans Enzyme

Production and Trade
• French Company Shows Viability of Biomass-based Ethanol with Bacterial Process
• New Biodiesel Plant Set in Switzerland
• Missouri Firm to Implement Enzymatic Biodiesel Processing Technology
• New Initiative to Develop Biofuel Supply Chain in UAE
• Australian and Indian Firms to Build Biofuel Facility in India

Policy and Regulation
• New Study Emphasizes Ecological Benefits from Biofuel Crops

Latest Communication Products

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News

Global

Governments Prepare for Implementation of Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-sharing
Governments have set up concrete groundwork for the implementation of the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-sharing of Genetic Resources during the third meeting of the Ad Hoc Open-ended Intergovernmental Committee for the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-sharing (ICNP 3) conducted on 28 February 2014 in Pyeongchang, South Korea. The major outcomes of the meeting include the following:
  • A global multilateral benefits-sharing mechanism will be in place to address instances of benefit sharing, including the use of traditional knowledge associated with genetic resources, that occur in transboundary situations or for which it is not possible to grant or obtain prior informed consent. ICNP agreed on a road map that will allow Parties to unravel the complexities of the mechanism.
  • The pilot phase of the Access and Benefit-sharing Clearing House (ABSCH) was launched, and training sessions were held. Governments underscored the critical importance of a fully functional ABSCH when the Protocol is implemented.
  • Adoption of a strategic framework to assist developing countries to build capacity to implement the Protocol was recommended. It will be the cornerstone of implementation on the ground and play a pivotal role for making the Nagoya Protocol a reality at national level. 
As of today, 29 countries have ratified the Protocol. It will enter into force 90 days after the 50th country has ratified the protocol.
Read the press release at http://www.cbd.int/doc/press/2014/pr-2014-02-28-icnp3-en.pdf.

International Team Crack Sesame Genome
Researchers from China, Denmark, and other institutes have successfully cracked the genome of sesame, a high oil content crop, providing insights on the important stages of seed development and oil accumulation, and the potential key genes for sesamin production.
In the study, researchers produced a high-quality draft genome of the sesame genotype ‘Zhongzhi No. 13', an elite cultivar in China, planted over the last ten years. The assembled sesame genome size is about 337 Mb, with a total of 27,148 genes. Result highlighted the absence of the Toll/interleukin-1 receptor domain in resistance genes, and suggested that this may be a new paradigm in elucidating the interaction of resistance genes along with diseases.
Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) is considered as the queen of oilseeds for its high oil content and quality, and grown widely in tropical and subtropical areas as an important source of oil and protein. The joint efforts of the Oil Crops Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, BGI, University of Copenhagen, and other institutes made sesame the second Lamiales to be sequenced along with the former published minute genome of Utricularia gibba. Results of the study were published online in Genome Biology: http://genomebiology.com/2014/15/2/R39/abstract.
For more information, read the news release at: http://www.genomics.cn/en/news/show_news?nid=99933.

International Team Crack Sesame Genome
Researchers from China, Denmark, and other institutes have successfully cracked the genome of sesame, a high oil content crop, providing insights on the important stages of seed development and oil accumulation, and the potential key genes for sesamin production.
In the study, researchers produced a high-quality draft genome of the sesame genotype ‘Zhongzhi No. 13', an elite cultivar in China, planted over the last ten years. The assembled sesame genome size is about 337 Mb, with a total of 27,148 genes. Result highlighted the absence of the Toll/interleukin-1 receptor domain in resistance genes, and suggested that this may be a new paradigm in elucidating the interaction of resistance genes along with diseases.
Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) is considered as the queen of oilseeds for its high oil content and quality, and grown widely in tropical and subtropical areas as an important source of oil and protein. The joint efforts of the Oil Crops Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, BGI, University of Copenhagen, and other institutes made sesame the second Lamiales to be sequenced along with the former published minute genome of Utricularia gibba. Results of the study were published online in Genome Biology: http://genomebiology.com/2014/15/2/R39/abstract.
For more information, read the news release at: http://www.genomics.cn/en/news/show_news?nid=99933.

Researchers Discover Plant Without Chloroplasts
Researchers from New York University (NYU), NYU Abu Dhabi, Long Island University (LIU), the Philippine Genome Center, University of Canterbury, University of Arizona, and Southern Illinois University sequenced the genome of Rafflesia, a parasitic genus of plants endemic to southeast Asia, believed to have lost its chloroplast genome.
Led by NYU biology Professor Michael Purugganan and LIU professor Jeanmaire Molina, the study attempted to find the chloroplast genome. Purugganan said "In science, one of the hardest things to show is that something isn't there."
Rafflesia is dominated by a large flower and roots that parasitize a specific vine and smells like rotting flesh to attract flies that pollinate it. As a parasite, it diverges from typical plants, which are photosynthetic autotrophs. Professor Eric Brenner said the plant has evolved into a heterotroph, and has lost its chloroplast DNA since it is no longer needed for survival. Rafflesia was known to lack chloroplasts because it obtains all of its sugars, or energy, from its host vine.
For more details about this study, read the news release available at http://www.nyunews.com/2014/03/06/plants/.

Africa

Scientists Develop Biofortified Sorghum for Africa
Scientists from Dupont successfully developed biofortified sorghum which was intended to contribute to food and nutrition security most especially for people from Africa.
Dupont Pioneer scientists and other researchers from the U.S. and Africa are currently working to produce improved sorghum varieties enriched with vitamin A precursor, iron, and zinc through plant breeding or modern biotechnology techniques. These efforts are part of the African Biofortified Sorghum (ABS) initiative which aims to benefit millions of Africans. Sorghum is one of the staple crops in the continent but it is lacking key nutrients such as vitamin A. Up to 500,000 children in Africa become blind due to vitamin A deficiency (VAD) and about 600,000 women die from childbirth-related causes, many from complications that could be reduced through healthy diets containing of vitamin A.
DuPont recently won the ‘Patents for Humanity' Award from the United States Patent and Trademark Office for its willingness to share its intellectual property that has resulted in revolutionary research to strengthen the nutritional profile of sorghum and help improve public health in target African countries.
Read more at http://www.gongnews.net/dupont-scientists-make-breakthrough-in-crop-biofortification/

Americas

Entomologists Update Definitions of Terms Related to Resistance to Biotech crops and Pesticides
Entomologists from University of Arizona and Michigan State University addressed the current jumble of words relating to pest resistance by coming up with updated definitions for 50 key terms. They published these definitions in the Journal of Economic Entomology.
The authors selected definitions that promote proactive detection and management of resistance, such as resistance defined as "a genetically based decrease in susceptibility to a pesticide." They contrast this with an alternative definition used by some industry scientists that requires "repeated failure of a product to achieve the expected level of control," which generally occurs only after it's too late to respond most effectively.
Confusion in definition is usually associated in defining and managing insect resistance to Bt crops. Bt proteins are not exclusive to genetically engineered crops. Organic growers have used Bt protein in sprays for decades, even before Bt crops became commercially available in 1996.
Read more at http://esa.publisher.ingentaconnect.com/content/esa/jee/pre-prints/content-EC13458 and
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2014-03/esoa-eud022414.php http://dx.doi.org/10.1603/EC13458.

Scientists Identify Gene that May Ease Genetic Modification in Plants
A recent discovery by a research team from Purdue University could lead to easier genetic modification of plants considered recalcitrant to standard methods, including varieties of economically important crops.  The team identified a gene that influences susceptibility to infection by Agrobacterium tumefaciens, a bacterium used to insert genes into plants to produce desired traits such as resistance to pests, diseases or harsh environmental conditions, or to improve the nutrition or shelf life of a crop.
Led by Stanton Gelvin, Purdue's Edwin Umbarger Distinguished Professor of Biological Sciences, the team conducted genetic screens of Arabidopsis mutants hyper-susceptible to Agrobacterium infection to identify genes responsible for susceptibility. They discovered that a mutation in the gene MTF1 affected susceptibility to infection and genetic transformation. Plants in which MTF1 is suppressed were more susceptible to transformation. Gelvin said that the team is working on developing technology to translate their findings into a tool that can reduce the expression of MTF1 and genetically transform a plant in one step.
For more information about this research, read the news release available at http://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/releases/2014/Q1/gene-identified-by-purdue-scientists-may-ease-the-genetic-modification-of-plants.html.

Vilsack Reveals Plan for Biofuels
U.S Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said during Commodity Classic, the annual meeting of corn, soybean, wheat, and sorghum growers in San Antonio, California, that his discussions with Environmental Protection Agency were not focused on the message that biodiesel and ethanol advocates are already pursuing: abandoning the proposal that would lessen the amount of biofuels mixed into U.S. fuel supply.
Vilsack said that the right way to go is marketing ethanol and biodiesel for export. He said that their team has planned to expand trade promotion on biofuels by including biofuels experts on a trip to potential importing countries such as China. He added that they can also address infrastructure issues to make sure that it is not a barrier to getting more biofuels into the system. He sees making sure biodiesel and ethanol are successful as matters of national security importance, environmental concern, and economic interest.
"Bottom line is: we're going to continue to help this industry as best we can, advocate for it, and trust that EPA at the end of the day makes the right set of decisions."
For more information, visit http://domesticfuel.com/2014/03/01/vilsack-focused-on-ways-to-help-biofuels/.

Asia and the Pacific

Bt Brinjal Cultivation in Bangladesh Follows Biosafety Measures, Says Ag Minister
Matia Chowdhury, Minister for Agriculture unveiled the ISAAA Global Status of Commercialized Biotech/GM Crops 2013, as the Chief Guest in a seminar on 26 February 2014 in Dhaka, Bangladesh. In her keynote speech, the lady minister explained the research, development, and extension activities on biotech crops in the country, where Bt brinjal has recently been cultivated compliant with the stringent regulatory measures for biosafety and environmental risk assessment of the Cartagena Biosafety Protocol, and the enabling regulatory measures formulated and gazetted by the government. The minister emphasized that "Being an overpopulated country, we will not hesitate in using biotechnology if it is proven to be useful and safe for human, animal and for the environment." She urged the scientists to develop new crop varieties through frontier research using biotechnology to combat the environmental hazards like salinity, drought, submergence, and cold.
Dr. Clive James, founder and emeritus chair ISAAA presented  the Global Biotech Status for 2013. Dr. Randy Hautea, ISAAA global coordinator has elaborated the biotech maize experience in the Philippines whereas, Mr. Bhagirath Choudhary, ISAAA India director explained the Bt cotton progress in India. Prof. Dr. Md. Rafiqul Hoque, vice chancellor, Bangladesh Agriculural University as the Guest of Honor of the seminar also appreciated the government initiative of releasing biotech crop in Bangladesh keeping the biosafety matters in to consideration. Dr. Md. Kamal Uddin, executive chairman, BARC and the director generat of Bangladesh Jute Research Institute (BJRI) chaired the seminar and claimed the success of scientists in sequencing the genomes of jute and Macrophomina.
Bangladesh Biotechnology Information Centre (BdBIC) and the International Service for the Acquisition Of Agri-Biotech Applications (ISAAA) in collaboration with Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC) and Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) organized the seminar which was attended by around 350 policy planners, academicians, researchers, extension officers, research students, and journalists.

For details on the seminar and information on biotechnology in Bangladesh, contact Prof. D. Khondoker Nasiruddin at nasirbiotech@yahoo.com.

Asian Biotech Crop Importing Countries Hold Seminars on Global Status of Commercialized Biotech/GM Crops for 2013

Biotech crops importing countries South Korea, Japan, and Indonesia hosted the seminar of ISAAA founder and Emeritus Chair Dr. Clive James' Global Status of Commercialized Biotech/GM Crops for 2013. In Seoul, Korea,  the media conference was held on February 17 and participated by 25 journalists. Inquiries were on the status of the development and commercialization of biotech crops in Europe,  climate change, and the possible solutions to public mistrust and awareness about GM crops. Four media interviews were conducted for print and online releases.
In Tokyo Japan, a seminar held on February 18 was participated by more than 100 stakeholders interested in biotechnology. Dr. Clive James' presentation of the Global Status Report was well received as well as the presentations of Dr. Randy Hautea on biotech corn commercialization in the Philippines, Dr. Masahiro Suzuki on activities of Center for Biotechnology in Japan, and Nippon Biotechnology Information Center (BIC) director Dr. Fusao Tomita on biotech crop awareness and acceptance in Japan. The ISAAA team were received by the US MInister-Counselor for Agricultural Affairs David Miller during their visit at the US Embassy in Tokyo. 

The Jakarta, Indonesia seminar was held on February 28 with 128 people in attendance. Dr. Mahaletchumy Arujanan of Malaysia BIC joined Dr. James and Dr. Hautea by giving a presentation on Communicating agri-biotech: Scientific accuracy vs popularized myths. Two interviews for release on television were conducted featuring Dr. Clive James.

Fof further information, contact knowledge.center@isaaa.org.

Vietnam, Slow and Cautious on GM Crop Adoption

Speaking during the seminar launch of ISAAA Brief 46 on Global Status of Commercialized Biotech/GM Crops for 2013 on February 20, 2014 in Hanoi, Dr. Nguyen Van Tuat, Deputy Director of Vietnam Academy of Agricultural Sciences, said GM corn has been planted on a trial basis since 2007. From this test, seven corn lines have proven to be insect resistant and yielding double the ordinary harvest, with no pesticide use. Tuat said the use of GM plants has become an indispensable trend and has won the government's approval. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has continued to complete procedures to allow the future cultivation of biotech crops.
Professor Nguyen Lan Dung (a famous scientist in Vietnam), however, said Vietnam is slow and too cautious in using GM varieties on a large scale. "These kinds of agricultural products have appeared in the market for a long time. We've imported GM corn, soybeans and soybean meal from the US and China. Why don't we plant these on a large scale, as they should be?" he asked.  Professor Dung added that complicated procedures and a bias about GM plants are the main reasons for the delay in using biotechnology. "Scientists must show evidence which proves these plants are harmless to human and animal health. They are just like other kinds of crops," he said.
Clive James, founder and emeritus chair of  ISAAA, said that biotech crops are demonstrating their global value as a tool for poor farmers who faced decreasing water supplies and increasing weed and pest problems. Also, the effects of climate change would only continue to expand the need for this technology. Experts urged the Ministries of Natural Resources and Environment, Agriculture and Rural Development and Science and Technology should work together to reduce legal procedures and cooperate with foreign scientists to quickly apply the technology.
Hundreds of participants from scientific and academic community, government agencies, companies and the media took part in this event organized by the Institute of Agricultural Genetics, ISAAA and Agbiotech Viet.

For details of the seminar and for biotech news from Vietnam, contact Agbiotech Viet at hientttm@yahoo.com or ldlinh@gmail.com.

Philippines Increases Biotech Adoption in 2013
The Philippines reached around 800,000 hectares of biotech corn cultivation in 2013, up from 750,000 hectares in 2012, landing it in the 12th place among the top countries adopting biotech crops. This was reported in a media conference organized by ISAAA, Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), and the Biotechnology for Life Media and Advocacy Resource Center (BMARC) on March 6, 2014 at Dusit Thani Hotel, Makati City.
In the conference, ISAAA Chair Dr. Paul Teng talked about food security and how biotech crops help contribute in various aspects of food security such as improvement of nutrition and agricultural productivity. ISAAA Global Coordinator and SEAsia Center Director Dr. Randy Hautea presented the global status, trends, and significant benefits of biotech crop adoption. Meanwhile, Undersecretary for Policy, Planning, Research and Development of the Philippine Department of Agriculture (DA) Dr. Segfredo Serrano, and former University of the Philippines (UP) System President and UP Los Baños Chancellor Dr. Emil Q. Javier talked about policy developments for agriculture as well as biotech crops in the Philippines, how biotech crops and modern technologies are helping the country, and insights on current issues such as the court case of Bt eggplant. They also emphasized the safety of the technology and the rigorous safety assessments and national regulatory system for biotech products. SEARCA Director Dr. Gil C. Saguiguit, Jr. stated in his message that the Center will continue to support biotech education and promotion particularly in developing countries, in line with its 10th Five Year Plan which seeks to promote inclusive and sustainable agricultural and rural development.
The media conference was attended by mulit-media journalists, members of the academe, government agencies, private sector, non-government organizations, and local government units.

For more information about biotechnology in the Philippines, visit SEARCA BIC's website at http://www.bic.searca.org/ or send an e-mail to bic@agri.searca.org.

NAAS Endorses GM Crops for Nutritional Security

Indian National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS) unanimously passed a resolution endorsing application of biotechnology in agriculture during the roundtable meeting on "GM Crops for Nutritional Security" conveyed under the chairmanship of Prof. M.S. Swaminathan and organized by the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences on 12 February 2014. Based on the deliberation on the potential of GM crop technology in solving the entrenched low farm productivity, malnutrition, and hunger problems in a large section of Indian population, the academy reached an agreement that to achieve a zero hunger challenge of the United Nations by 2025, the farm productivity must be doubled which will be possible only through the intelligent and intensive applications of new technologies.
The academy concurred that GM crop technology is a promising, relevant and efficient technology for low-input high-output agriculture for crop improvement where conventional breeding tools have not been effective. GM technology will be a tool to improve agricultural crops for their nutritional value, nutrient and water use efficiency, productivity, tolerance/resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. The academy called on the government of India to lift de facto moratorium on the field trials of GM crops.
Other key resolutions included strengthening of existing regulatory system till BRAI becomes functional; integrating capacity building as a necessary operational requirement to keep pace with scientific advancement through international collaborations; communication by the scientists with public and policy makers about the safety and benefits of GM crop products; setting up two Committees by the Academy on Public Understanding of Science and Political Understanding of Science. The group also agreed upon several other issues including ICAR taking the lead role in the commercial release of the GM crops; functioning of GEAC as a statutory body that makes final decision on approval. It was also stressed that there is need for a PAN-political support for promoting genetic engineering research in the country to harness its full potential.
For detailed information visit; http://www.naasindia.org/ Pakistan Finalizes Strategy to Make Quality Cotton Seed Available
The Pakistan government having set cotton production target, has activated seed monitoring system in markets to ensure availability of quality cotton seed to farmer's community. A joint strategy by Federal Seed Certification and Registration Department (FSC&RD), Ministry of National Food Security and Research and Seed Association of Pakistan (SAP) is being developed for availability of quality cotton seed for Kharif 2014-15. The significant features of the strategy for availability of quality cotton seed include clearance of Provincial Seed Councils (PSC) which would be required while National Biosafety Committee (NBC) clearance for commercialization was also being sought. In addition, to put Bt cotton varieties in pedigreed seed production cycle, Breeder Nucleus Seed (BNS) and Pre-Basic crop seed can be offered for crop inspection so that authentication of source may be verified through biotechnology laboratory in all the later categories of seed from basic to certified and approved seed.
Due to financial constraints and non-provision of funds in FSC&RD, the applicant/seed company will provide Bt strips/kits for testing of Bt and non Bt traits. There have been 18 meetings of Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) and 12 meetings of National Biosafety Committee (NBC), Ministry of Climate Change held in Islamabad to discuss the submitted cases for approval of  genetic manipulation work in the laboratory, field trial and exempt status of Bt cotton varieties and other  GM crops.  To date 292 cases related to genetically modified crops research and development activities were received, 155 cases so far have been decided by NBC while TAC had recommended 37 cases for NBC decisions for GMOs and their products related activities. Moreover, 55 cases of different activities are under process for next TAC meeting.
See the article at: http://www.pabic.com.pk/news_detail.php?nid=22

Europe

New Study Shows OPR Protein Function Important for Photosynthesis
A new study conducted by Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich shows that a new class of helical repeat proteins called Octotricopeptide Repeat Proteins (OPRs) has recently been discovered. While OPR proteins form a diverse family in green algae, in most land plants only a single protein of this type is found.
Alexandra-Viola Bohne from Professor Jörg Nickelsen's research group at LMU's Biocenter and her colleagues investigated genetically modified plants that were unable to synthesize the OPR protein RAP. They found that the RAP protein has an important role in translating the genetic information in the chloroplast DNA into specific proteins. RAP turns out to be involved in the maturation of the so-called 16S rRNA, a major component of the "protein factories" in the chloroplast.
Nickelsen said "Loss of RAP leads to a reduction in the level of protein synthesis in the chloroplasts, which in turn results in a decrease in the efficiency of photosynthesis."
Read more about this research at http://www.en.uni-muenchen.de/news/newsarchiv/2014/bohne_photosynthesis.html.

EU Innovation Scoreboard Shows Need for Action to Keep Innovation and Industry in Europe
The 2014 EU Innovation Scoreboard published by the European Commission stressed that Europe risks becoming the world's research hub while innovative products and processes and the jobs and growth that go with their development, will be found in other areas. It was reported that there is an improvement in closing the innovation divide with the rest of the world, however, Europe is still behind the innovations of countries like Japan, South Korea, and the U.S.
The critical state of innovative industries such as the biotechnology industry in Europe today and the need for concrete action, go beyond the improvement of research and development funding which has taken place in Europe. Thus, André Goig, EuropaBio Chairman commented: "The Commission has made great strides in terms of reformulating its Research Framework programmes to include e.g. Public Private Partnerships and instruments targeted specifically at SMEs, which go beyond standard research funding and move toward funding innovation. However, unless Europe can guarantee such improvements are coupled with science-based, predictable and workable regulatory systems for small and large companies, as well as tailored market pull measures for innovative products and faster and more equitable access to products for end users, similar to those available in other parts of the world, we are setting ourselves up to keep losing, not only on the scoreboard but most importantly in terms of jobs, growth and benefits for society."
Read the report at http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/policies/innovation/policy/innovation-scoreboard/index_en.htm. Read EuropaBio's press release at http://www.europabio.org/press/2014-eu-innovation-scoreboard-underlines-need-action-keep-innovation-and-industry-europe.

Research

Predators Delay Pest Resistance to Bt Crops

Scientists at Cornell University reported that the combination of natural enemies, such as ladybeetles, with Bt crops delays a pest's ability to evolve resistance to Bt insecticidal proteins. According to Anthony Shelton, co-author of the study, their findings is the first reported case of predator being able to delay the evolution of resistance in an insect pest to a Bt crop. In the study, the researchers set up large cages in a greenhouse where each cage contained Bt broccoli and refuges of non-Bt broccoli. They studied populations of diamondback moth larvae, a pest of broccoli, and their natural enemies, ladybird beetles, for six generations. Cages contained different combinations of treatments with and without predators, and with and without sprayed insecticides on the non-Bt refuge plants.
Results showed that diamondback moth populations were reduced in the treatment containing ladybird beetles and unsprayed non-Bt refuge plants. It was also observed that resistance to Bt plants evolved significantly slower in this treatment. In contrast, Bt plants with no refuge were completely defoliated in treatments without ladybirds after only four to five generations, showing rapid development of resistance in the pests. In the treatment with sprayed non-Bt refuge plants and predators, diamondback moth populations were reduced, but the larvae more quickly evolved resistance to the Bt plants.
Based on the results, the effectiveness of Bt plants in controlling the pest population, the lack of effect of Bt on the predators and the role predators play in delaying resistance to Bt plants in the pest population.
The research is published in the open-access journal PLoS One.
Read the media release at http://mediarelations.cornell.edu/2014/03/04/predators-delay-pest-resistance-to-bt-crops/.

Biotech Rice Expressing Exo-glucanase Show Enhanced Production of Reducing Sugars
Tohoku University scientists and partners developed biotech rice with improved production of reducing sugars by expression of EXG exo-glucanase under the control of senescence-inducible promoter. When a GUS coding sequence was connected to a promoter region of STAY GREEN (SGR) gene of rice and introduced into rice, GUS activity was specifically observed along with senescence. When an EXG1 cDNA was connected to the SGR promoter and introduced into rice, higher cellulase activities were detected after senescence.
The biotech rice plants exhibited enhanced saccharification efficiencies after senescence or biological aging. However, there was no significant difference of saccharification efficiencies observed before senescence. The saccharification efficiencies were found to be linked with cellulase activities in the biotech rice plants. Furthermore, the biotech rice plants did not exhibit physical deformity as well as reproductive glitch after EXG1 was overexpressed. Based on the findings, the expression of cellulase and other cell wall degrading enzymes can improve the saccharification ability of cellulosic biomass without hampering growth for efficient production of biofuels.
Read the abstract at http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11248-014-9786-z.

Announcements

Livestock Biotech Summit

What: Livestock Biotech Summit
When: September 16-18, 2014
Where: Sioux Falls, South Dakota
For more information, visit http://www.bio.org/events/conferences/livestock-biotech-summit.

Document Reminders

VIB Publishes New GM Background Report


Genetically modified (GM) papaya developed by Cornell University, USA and the University of Hawaii has been cultivated since 1998 in Hawaii and saved the local papaya cultivation. The story of the GM papaya demonstrates that GM crops are not often associated with multinationals because the Hawaiian GM papaya was developed by the public sector and the intellectual property rights were transferred to the local papaya industry. To recalibrate the GM debate by supplying scientific founded information, VIB releases the www.vib.be/plantbiotechnews, which provides detailed background information, case-by-case style and up-to-date answers on current GM topics. The background report  'virus resistant papapya in Hawaii is now freely available.
For details, contact Wim Grunewald, expert scientist plantbiotechnology VIB - wim.grunewald@vib.be
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