PLANT BREEDING NEWS
EDITION 144
An Electronic Newsletter of Applied Plant Breeding
Sponsored
by FAO and
Clair H. Hershey, Editor
CONTENTS
1. EDITOR'S NOTES
* Past issues of the Plant Breeding Newsletter are now available on the
web. The address is:
<http://www.fao.org/WAICENT/FAOINFO/AGRICULT/AGP/AGPC/doc/services/pbn.html>
2. MEETINGS, COURSES AND WORKSHOPS
* Applications of Molecular Tools in Agricultural and Forestry Sciences
* Post Harvest Fruit: The Path to Success
3. POSITION ANNOUNCEMENTS
* Breeding Coordinator for HarvestPlus (Biofortification Challenge Program)
*
Trainee Plant Breeder:
4. BOOKS, PROCEEDINGS AND OTHER MAJOR PUBLICATIONS
* IP Strategy Today
5. NEWS, ANNOUNCEMENTS AND RESEARCH NOTES
* Member States Fail to Agree on New GM Authorisation
* Green Light for Transgenic Crop
* Genetically Engineered Crops Up 15% Worldwide
* Commentary on Use of GM crops in Developing Countries
* Harmonizing the Agricultural Biotechnology Debate for the Benefit of
African Farmers
* Global Food Security: Challenges and Policies
*
Cereal-Grain-Legume-Livestock Systems in the Dry Savanna of
* Rapidly Evolving Genes Providing New Insights in Plant Evolution
* Identifying Frost Tolerant Wheat Varieties
* Drought Tolerant Sunflower Varieties on the Way for Australian Farmers
* Winter Weather Turns on Flowering Gene
* Gene Discovered to Trigger Flowering
* IITA to Work on Cassava Mosaic Disease
* ARS and ISU Develop 'Healthy Corn'
* Male Sterility in Plants Unlocked
* New Drought Tolerant Wheat Variety
* Less Waiting Time to Determine if Apple Tree's a Dwarf
*
Appropriate Biotechnologies for
* Novel Sugar Transport System in Plants
* Genetic Improvement of Ash
*
Crops for Better Nutrition in
*
Drought Tolerant Sorghum and Millet in
*
Cold-tolerant Hybrid Oil Palms Bear Fruit in
* Soybean Biotechnology - Special Issue of AgBioForum
* Cassava: from Poor Farmer's Crop to Pacesetter of African Rural Development.
6. ON THE WEB
* E-mail Conference on Marker Assisted Selection
* OECD - Biotechnology statistics
* FAO Biotechnology News Webpage
* A
Record of Negotiations of the
*
Liability and Redress in the Context of the
Report
* Ecocrop - an updated version.
(<<http://ecocrop.fao.org/>>)
*
Plant Virology in Sub-Saharan
* National Agricultural Library upgrades AGRICOLA Online Public Catalog
=======================
1. EDITOR'S NOTES
Plant Breeding News is an electronic forum for the exchange of information
and ideas about applied plant breeding and related fields. It is published
every four to six weeks throughout the year.
The newsletter is managed by the editor and an advisory group consisting of
Elcio Guimaraes (elcio.guimaraes@fao.org), Margaret Smith
(mes25@cornell.edu), and Anne Marie Thro (athro@reeusda.gov). The editor
will advise subscribers one to two weeks ahead of each edition, in order to
set deadlines for contributions.
REVIEW PAST NEWSLETTERS ON THE WEB: Past issues of the Plant Breeding
Newsletter are now available on the web. The address is:
<<http://www.fao.org/WAICENT/FAOINFO/AGRICULT/AGP/AGPC/doc/services/pbn.html>>
We will continue to improve the organization of archival issues of the
newsletter. Readers who have suggestions about features they wish to see
should contact the editor at chh23@cornell.edu.
Subscribers are encouraged to take an active part in making the newsletter
a useful communications tool. Contributions may be in such areas
as: technical communications on key plant breeding issues; announcements
of meetings, courses and electronic conferences; book announcements and
reviews; web sites of special relevance to plant breeding; announcements of
funding opportunities; requests to other readers for information and
collaboration; and feature articles or discussion issues brought by
subscribers. Suggestions on format and content are always welcome by the
editor, at pbn-l@mailserv.fao.org. We would especially like to see a broad
participation from developing country programs and from those working on
species outside the major food crops.
Messages with attached files are not distributed on PBN-L for two important
reasons. The first is that computer viruses and worms can be distributed in
this manner. The second reason is that attached files cause problems for
some e-mail systems.
PLEASE NOTE: Every month many newsletters are returned because they are
undeliverable, for any one of a number of reasons. We try to keep the
mailing list up to date, and also to avoid deleting addresses that are only
temporarily inaccessible. If you miss a newsletter, write to me at
chh23@cornell.edu and I will re-send it.
To subscribe to PBN-L: Send an e-mail message to mailserv@mailserv.fao.org.
Leave the subject line blank and write SUBSCRIBE PBN-L (Important: use ALL
CAPS). To unsubscribe: Send an e-mail message as above with the message
UNSUBSCRIBE PBN-L. Lists of potential new subscribers are welcome. The
editor will contact these persons; no one will be subscribed without their
explicit permission.
=========================
2. MEETINGS, COURSES AND WORKSHOPS
* 9-12 February 2004: ISHS International Root and Tuber Crops Symposium:
"Food
Down Under". Palmerston North (
INR, Massey University, Private Bag 11-222, Palmerston North, New Zealand.
Phone: (64)63505799 ext. 2614, Fax: (64)63505679, email:
m.nichols@massey.ac.nz web:
<<http://www.crop.cri.nz/conferences/roottuber2004/>>
* 9-20 February 2004. Molecular Markers Use in Plant Genetic Studies and
Improvement.
Advanced
Studies, in
Institute, on behalf of the International Centre for Genetic Engineering
and Biotechnology. See
<<http://www.idea.org.ve/molecular/>>
(site sometimes not available) or contact dinfante@idea.org.ve for more
information.
* 19-24 February 2004. Plant Responses to Abiotic Stress, Keystone
Symposium.
262 1230; Fax: +1 (970) 262 1525;
Email: info@keystonesymposia.org; URL:
<<http://www.keystonesymposia.org/Meetings/ViewMeetings.cfm?MeetingID=690>>
* (NEW) 1-2 March 2004. The 40th
held
aimed at keeping practicing corn breeders up to date on topics of
importance to corn breeding. Details on the program, registration, and
housing are available at htttp://imbgl.cropsci.uiuc.edu. Questions can be
referred to jdudley@uiuc.edu.
* 4-9 March 2004: Comparative Genomics of Plants (C6), Keystone Symposium.
1630, Silverthorne, CO
80498, USA; Tel: +1 (970) 262 1230; Fax: +1 (970)
262 1525;
Email: info@keystonesymposia.org; URL:
<<http://www.keystonesymposia.org/>>
* 8-14 March 2004: Sixth International Scientific Meeting of the Cassava
Biotechnology Network (CBN VI). Theme - Adding Value to Cassava: Applying
Biotechnology
to a Small-Farmer Crop. Venue: Centro Internacional de
Agricultura Tropical
(CIAT), Cali, Colombia.
<<http://www.ciat.cgiar.org/biotechnology/cbn/index.htm>>
Contact: Alfredo Alves at ciat-cbnvi@cgiar.org
* 21-24 March 2004: The 16th Biennial International Plant Resistance to
Insects
Workshop/Conference.
mstout@agctr.lsu.edu
* 11-16 May 2004. 15th International Plant Protection Congress (IPPC),
Professor,
Sciences,
6281 5913 or +86 (10) 6289 5451; Fax: +86 (10) 6289 5451; Email:
cspp@ipmchina.net; URL:
<<http://www.ipmchina.net/ipm/ipm_e.html>>
* (NEW) 17-28 May 2004. International Course: Applications of Molecular
Tools in Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, CATIE Central Headquarters,
* 17-19 May 2004: 12th Meeting on Genetics and Breeding of Capsicum and
Eggplant.
Noordwijkerhout, The
Plant
Research International,
Roeland.Voorrips@wur.nl; URL:
<<http://www.eucarpiacapsicum.nl/>>
* 24-25 May 2004: Workshop on Molecular Aspects of Germination and
Dormancy.
Wageningen, The
dbewley@uoguelph.ca); URL:
<<http://www.css.cornell.edu/ISSS/isss.htm>>
* 7-11 June 2004,
Legumes and Second International Conference on Legume Genomics and Genetics
, "Legumes for the benefit of agriculture, nutrition and the environment:
their genomics, their products, and their improvement".
<<http://www.grainlegumes.com/default.asp?id_biblio=213>>
*
20-26 June 2004: The 9th International Barley Genetics Symposium.
Kromeriz
Ltd., Havlickova 2787, CZ - 767 01
+420 (5) 7331 7166; Fax: +420 (5) 7333 9725;
Email: ibgs@vukrom.cz; URL: <<http://www.ibgs.cz/>>
*
5-8 July, 2004: Campinas-SP (
Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Breeding Research and II Latin American
Symposium on the Production of Medicinal, Aromatic and Condiments Plants.
Info: Prof. Dr. Lin Chau Ming, Dept. Plant Production, Sector Horticulture,
Agronomical
* 12-17 July 2004: Cucurbitaceae 2004, 8th Meeting on Cucurbit Genetics
and
Breeding.
University, Faculty of Sciences, Department of Botany, Slechtitelu 11,
CZ-783
71
+420 (5) 8524 1027; Email: lebeda@prfholnt.upol.cz;
URL: <<http://www.cucurbitaceae.upol.cz/>>
*
18-22 July 2004: 7th International Oat Conference .
Contact:
Mrs. Pirjo Peltonen-Sainio, MTT, Agrifood Research
Production
Research, FIN-31600
Fax: +358 (3) 4188 2437;
Email: pirjo.peltonen-sainio@mtt.fi;
URL: <<http://www.ioc2004.org/> >
*
18-23 July 2004: Plant Molecular Biology.
Gordon
Research Conferences, 3071 Route 138,
+1 (401) 783 4011; Fax: +1 (401) 783 7644; Email:
grc@grcmail.grc.uri.edu; URL: <<http://www.grc.uri.edu/grc_home.htm>>
*
6-9 September 2004): VIII International Symposium on
Genetics,
Breeding and Technology.
Plante Forsk - Norwegian Crops Research Institute, Ullensvang Research
Centre,
5781
email: lars.sekse@planteforsk.no web:
*
8-11 September 2004. Eucarpia XVII General Triennial
Congress, Vienna,
Austria. Contact: P. Ruckenbauer, IFA Tulln, Dept. Biotechnology in Plant
Production,
Konrad-Lorenz Str. 20, A-3430
66280 201; Fax: +43 (2272) 66280 203;
Email: pruck@ifa-tulln.ac.at; URL:
<<http://www.eucarpia.org/>http://www.eucarpia.org/>
* 12-17 September 2004: V International Symposium on In Vitro Culture and
Horticultural
Breeding.
A u. 4, PO Box 411, 2101 Godollo, Hungary. Phone: (36)28330600, Fax:
(36)28330482, email: silvercentrum@axelero.hu or efari@matavnet.hu, web:
* 27
September -
Brisbane, Australia.
Contact: PO Box 1280, Milton, QLD 4064, Australia;
Tel: +61 (7) 3858 5554; Fax: +61 (7) 3858 5583; Email: 4icsc04@im.com.au;
URL: <http://www.cropscience2004.com/>
* 24-28 October, 2004: IV ISHS Symposium on Brassica and XIV Crucifer
Genetics
Workshop. Daejon (
Horticulture,
email: yplim@cnu.ac.kr
* 31
October
Agronomy,
Crop Science Society of
53711, USA; Tel: +1
(608) 273 8080; Fax: +1 (608) 273 2021; URL:
<http://www.agronomy.org/%3Ewww.agronomy.org/>
* (NEW) 7-10 November 2004: International Conference: Post Harvest Fruit:
The
Path to Success, Campus Lircay, Universidad de Talca,
<http://www.utalca.cl/congreso/postharvestfruit/index.htm> (See complete
conference description at end of this section)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
INTERNATIONAL COURSE
Applications
of Molecular Tools in Agricultural and Forestry Sciences 17-28 May 2004 CATIE
Central Headquarters,
ORGANIZERS
CATIE
and the University of
COORDINATORS
Dr. Elizabeth Johnson, Molecular Geneticist, CABI/CATIE/USDA Mr. Carlos Astorga, Investigator, CATIE
This course covers from the basics of the structure and function of nucleic
acids to the theory behind techniques currently employed in molecular
genetics and genomics. In the second week participants will be presented
with practical applications of molecular tools in tree crop research of
species such as coffee, cacao and forest trees. Practical sessions
consists of hands on DNA extraction, PCR amplification, gel scoring and
data analysis and use of software for primer design, linkage mapping and
QTL analyses.
REQUISITE
A first degree in agriculture, biology, ecology, forestry sciences, plant
pathology or any of the related sciences. The course is aimed at
professionals and students interested in knowing and applying the tools of
molecular biology to their field of interest. Applications should include
a copy of your CV and a paragraph stating your expectations from the
course. An institutional letter of endorsement, signed by the
corresponding authority and source of financial support must also be supplied.
LANGUAGE: The course will be taught in English with the majority of the
practical sessions taught in Spanish. Being bilingual is a definite
advantage but not an absolute necessity.
PROFESSORS
Mr.Carlos Astorga -
M.Sc. - CATIE, Costa Rica
Dr.
Scott Jackson -
Dr. Elizabeth Johnson - North Carolina State University, USA Dr, Wilbert Phillips - University of Reading, England Dr. Jeane Romeros-Severson - University of Notre Dame, USA Dr. Jeffrey J. Stuart - Purdue University, USA
LAB INSTRUCTORS:
Mr.
Juan Luis Ortiz, M.Sc. CATIE, Costa Rica
Mr. Olman Quiros,
Ing. CATIE,
IMPORTANT DATES
17 May 2004 - Course begins
COURSE FEE
Due to space limitations the course caters for a minimum of 10 and a
maximum of 20 participants. The Course fee is US$ 2000 which includes
registration, teaching materials, a certificate of completion, medical
insurance, refreshments during course breaks, ground transport from the
airport to CATIE and back, room and board at CATIE. Airfare, costs of
visas and taxes must be covered by participants.
FINANCIAL AID
A limited number of stipends are available.
For more information and application forms contact: AREA OF CAPACITACION,
Central
Headquarters, CATIE 7170,
Tel: (506) 556-6021/5582433 Fax: (506) 556-0176
E-mail: capacitacion@catie.ac.cr FORM OF INSCRIPCION
Submitted by "Lizz Johnson" <ljohnson@catie.ac.cr>
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
Post Harvest Fruit: The Path to Success
Date:
Place:
Campus Lircay, Universidad de Talca,
Email:
Web page:
<http://www.utalca.cl/congreso/postharvestfruit/index.htm>
The meeting is to strengthen research and development ideas and expertise
in all aspects of post-harvest fruit. To ensure that we encompass all
aspects there will be sessions to highlight all facets in the development
and growth of the plant that lead finally to the fruit that is eaten or
processed. This implies consideration of a range of subjects from the
basic fruit biology, through biochemistry, molecular biology, breeding,
physiology and horticulture, to commercialisation, consumers and novel
products.
Programme:
Opening Ceremony
Introductory Session
Session 1: Improved Planting material
Session 2 : Improved Growth
Sessions 3 & 4: Harvest & Beyond
Growers Forum
Organising Committee
Dr. Peter D.S.Caligari
Dr. Ral Herrera
Dr. Mar`Alejandra
Moya-Le"r>
Dr. Jorge Retamales
Dr. Jose Diaz
Invited speakers
Dr.
James Hancock (
Dr. Randy Beaudry (Michigan State University, East Lansing, USA) Dr. Ian Ferguson (HortResearch, New Zealand) Dr. Jean Claude Pech (ENSAT/INRA, France) Dr. Miguel Vendrell (CSIC, Spain) Dr. Tom Reardon (Michigan State University) Dr. Alan Bennett (University of California, USA) Dr. Carlos Barriga (Chile)
Contributions are welcome on the following topics:
Genomics and Bioinformatics
Breeding and Biotechnology (incl Transgenics/GMO)
Post harvest
Horticulture
Crop protection (Pests diseases and weeds) or stress: biotic & abiotic Biochemistry and molecular biology Market and Economics Conservation & Biodiversity
Submitted by Peter Caligari <pcaligari@utalca.cl>
============================
3. POSITION ANNOUNCEMENTS
Breeding Coordinator for HarvestPlus (Biofortification Challenge Program)
The
Breeding Coordinator for HarvestPlus (Biofortification Challenge Program),
one of the two Challenge Programs (CPs) already approved by the
Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). This
position is a two-year, fixed term, renewable appointment. The position
will
be based at CIAT headquarters in
The term 'biofortification' refers to a strategy of breeding staple food
crops, which are relatively high in bioavailable micronutrients as a
promising means to reduce micronutrient malnutrition in developing
countries. The initial target micronutrients are iron, zinc, and vitamin
A. HarvestPlus is coordinated by CIAT and IFPRI and involves collaboration
between
eight
developing and developed countries.
Responsibilities. The Breeding Coordinator will provide overall
leadership for breeding and other related plant science research under this
inter-disciplinary project. Responsibilities include:
1. Evaluate workplans/budgets and monitor progress for research on
16 staple food crops. Facilitate the work of crop leaders and coordinate
collaboration and discussion across the crop breeding activities. Provide
written annual assessments for each crop and synthesize findings.
2. Develop guidelines for collaboration with regional NARES
programs, implement these collaborative programs and monitor progress,
provide written assessments of annual progress and synthesize findings.
3. Along with the Program Director and other Coordinators in the
Program Management Team: (i) implement the strategy of the Program and
decide on the allocation of its resources (ii) interact with the Program
Advisory Committee, (iii) help in the planning of and participate in
annual project meetings and annual crop meetings), (iv) facilitate
information flows across program components.
4. Undertake outreach/networking within agriculture and plant
research communities and participate in fund-raising.
5. Oversee development of a system of sample analysis (breeding)
that ensures comparability of data across collaborating laboratories and
oversee development a database across