PLANT
BREEDING NEWS
EDITION 154
28 February 2005
An Electronic Newsletter of Applied Plant Breeding
Sponsored by FAO and Cornell University
Clair H. Hershey, Editor
CONTENTS
1. NEWS, ANNOUNCEMENTS AND RESEARCH NOTES
1.01
Major plan to boost African agriculture unveiled
1.02
A century of corn selection
1.03
University of Illinois study identifies 50 genes that control oil content in
corn
1.04
Major new research alliance formed to fight poverty and strengthen food
security in the developing world
1.05
'Pyramiding' genes leads Dr. Lloyd Nelson to better wheats
and Texas A&M University' Regents Fellow
Service Award
1.06
World population to reach 9.1 billion in 2050, UN projects
1.07
China's new farm subsidies
1.08
An overview of plant variety protection in South Africa
1.09 ICRISAT plans rice biotech park
1.10
China planning large-scale introduction of genetically-engineered rice
1.11
The BIOS initiative - open source biotechnology is born
1.12
Monitoring the environmental effects of GM crops
1.13
Americans and GM food: knowledge, opinion & interest in 2004
1.14
Europe on transgenic crops: How public plant breeding and eco-transgenics can help in the transatlantic debate
1.15
Plant genetic resources for food and agriculture: Facilitated access or utility
patents on plant varieties?
1.16
Tsunami-hit farmers to grow salt-tolerant rice
1.17 ICRISAT plans to start open field trials for transgenic
groundnut
1.18
Soybean technology leaves pest nothing to live for
1.19
Spinning spider webs with potatoes
1.20
GM Swiss cheese and wine in 2005?
1.21
Sweet grapefruits and healthier pasta
1.22
Transgenic tobacco detoxifies polluted grounds
1.23
Plants, animals share molecular growth mechanisms
1.24
CAMBIA researchers publish a groundbreaking study demonstrating the viability
of non-Agrobacterium bacteria in plant
gene transfer
1.25 Heterosis in populations in nature of a domesticated
plant
1.26
Results of the FAO e-mail conference entitled "Public participation in
decision-making regarding GMOs in developing
countries: How to effectively involve rural people"
1.27
Update 3-2005 of FAO-BiotechNews (Excerpts).
2. SUBSCRIBER REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION
2.01
Nutritional studies of opaque-2 and quality protein maize (QPM)
2.02
Courses covering non-food crop/product/processing topics
3. WEB RESOURCES
3.01
Historical publications of USDAs National
Agricultural Statistics Service now available on the web
3.02 Syngenta releases important plant disease genome
data for public use
4 GRANTS AVAILABLE
4.01
Fellowship opportunity for PhD study in the U.S. - plant breeding and
genetics
4.02 Generation Challenge
Program travel grants for non-GCP member NARS
5 POSITION ANNOUNCEMENTS
(None submitted)
6
MEETINGS, COURSES AND WORKSHOPS
7
EDITOR'S NOTES
=========================
1. NEWS, ANNOUNCEMENTS AND RESEARCH NOTES
1.01 Major
plan to boost African agriculture unveiled
[DAR ES SALAAM] The New Partnership for Africas
Development (NEPAD) initiative has launched its draft
plan for agricultural development, which stresses the central role that science
can play in boosting African economies.
The Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Programme, launched at a
workshop in
NEPAD is a comprehensive programme developed by
African leaders to guide the continent's development with the assistance of
international partners.
Its new agriculture programme aims to improve
The plan covers increasing agricultural research, adopting and disseminating
technologies, training academics and professionals, and building information
systems for agriculture. The sustainable management of land and water are also
key considerations.
Implementing the five-year plan will require every African country to allocate
ten per cent of its annual national budget to agriculture. This target was
originally set in 2003, but some states are currently allotting just two per
cent.
Emmy Simmons, representing the G8 group of
industrialised nations at the
Simmons told the workshop that, working with NEPAD,
industrialised countries have chosen areas of competency in which they can best
assist
"
Things are beginning to change however, he said, with the creation of centres
of research excellence and the recent opening in
Source: SciDev.Net
3 February 2005
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1.02 A century of corn selection
William G. Hill
For millennia, plant and animal breeders have used careful selection methods to
obtain crops and livestock exhibiting enhanced desired traits of agronomic
importance. In a Perspective, Hill
explains progress toward understanding the sets of genes involved in selection
of these traits. In particular he discusses a paper published elsewhere that
details the genetics of two maize lines selected for one hundred generations to
produce high and low concentrations of oil in the kernels.
The author is in the
Science, Vol 307, Issue 5710, 683-684 , 4
February 2005
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1.03 University of Illinois study identifies 50 genes
that control oil content in corn
Corn with high oil content is in demand, particularly in corn sold for
animal feed. And, although it may seem fairly simple to just cross breed corn
selecting for high oil as a characteristic, it's not. One complication is that
there isn't just one gene that controls oil content in corn. A recent study at
the University of Illinois (U of I)
identified 50 distinct genes that control oil.
"Some only have a small effect, but they contribute," said U of I
plant geneticist John Dudley. "What we learned is that for the most part,
it will be difficult to use biotechnology to shift oil content by changing any
one gene. It's much more complicated than that."
The collection of corn lines is part of one of the longest running experiments
ever. Since 1896, scientists at the
When the study began more than a century ago, the data were meticulously
recorded by C.G. Hopkins in small black journals
using beautiful cursive handwriting. John Dudley came to the U of I in 1965 and
has kept it going ever since.
The process involved harvesting 60 ears from high oil corn. The 12 with the
highest oil content were planted in the field for a controlled crossing.
"This isn't a biotech technique," said
In this most recent leg of the experiment,
Researchers at Monsanto obtained the marker data for 500 lines of corn. A
marker is like a label on a chromosome which may be located close to a gene.
With each generation of crossing, the length of pieces of chromosome which have
the same genes as in the original parents is reduced. Thus scientists can
follow the marker and get closer and closer to the individual genes.
"A similar study had been done once in the past, but on a much smaller
scale, using only about 100 plants," said
Data was collected for two years, including starch, oil and protein content as
well as data on yield and other characteristics. The study was also replicated
in
Source: SeedQuest.com
22 February 2005
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1.04 Major new research alliance formed to fight poverty
and strengthen food security in the developing world
January 19, 2005
Two of the world's leading agricultural research centers
- the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI)
and the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center
(CIMMYT) - have announced details of a new IRRI-CIMMYT Alliance aimed at boosting international
efforts to fight poverty and strengthen food security in the developing world.
The groundbreaking new scientific
The Boards of Trustees (BOT) of the Philippines-based
IRRI and the Mexico-based CIMMYT
met in
Because all three crops are cereals, IRRI and CIMMYT believe that research into their sustainable
development and use - especially harnessing science to benefit poor farmers and
enhance food security - can be much better coordinated through a strong,
new
At the meeting in
- Intensive crop production systems in
- Cereals information units to provide information for researchers and partners
working on genetic improvement and the management of cropping systems involving
the three staples.
- Training and knowledge banks for the three crops that would take advantage of
modern technologies to provide training events, the development of learning
materials and education methods, distance learning, Web-based knowledge systems,
library services, and logistical support.
- Climate change research directed at both mitigating and adapting the three
crops to global changes that are affecting temperature, water, and other
factors having crucial effects on them.
To further maximize the operational efficiency of the two centers,
the IRRI-CIMMYT Alliance will also share a range of
support services. These include services related to management and regulatory
affairs for intellectual property rights and biosafety,
information and communication technologies, public awareness, scientific
publishing, library services, and external auditing. There is also good
potential for sharing the country offices of the two centers
in developing nations such as
Further, the IRRI-CIMMYT Alliance agreed to develop a
unified governance and management system commensurate with these shared
activities. The first steps involve appointing two common Board members by
March 2006, and establishing a joint board committee to assess how best to
achieve such a unified system. It will include two trustees from each center, the two directors general and two external
consultants.
A second joint board committee will look at shared programs and services and
working groups made up of staff members from both centers
will be formed immediately to draft implementation plans for the four priority
programs in consultation with stakeholders.
IRRI and CIMMYT, which were
the first and second centers formed in what became
the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), are the world's leading research and training
institutes for rice, wheat, and maize. The three staples provide 60 percent of
global food needs annually, and cover more than 70 percent of the planet's productive
cropping land.
Dr. Keijiro Otsuka, IRRI BOT chair, and Dr. Alexander
McCalla, CIMMYT BOT chair, said the new
They said the new
Web sites: IRRI Home (www.irri.org),
IRRI Library (http://ricelib.irri.cgiar.org),
Rice Knowledge Bank (www.knowledgebank.irri.org),
Rice facts (www.riceweb.com).
Web sites: CIMMYT Home www.cimmyt.org
Contributed by Rodomiro Ortiz (r.ortiz@cgiar.org)
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1.05 'Pyramiding' genes leads Dr. Lloyd Nelson to better wheats and Texas A&M
University' Regents Fellow Service Award
Overton, Texas
The Texas A&M University Board of Regents
has named Dr. Lloyd Nelson as the recipient of the Regents Fellow Service
Award. Nelson is an Overton-based researcher and plant breeder with the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station.
Nelson is known for his work in developing 27 wheat, oat, barley and rye and
ryegrass cultivars. One of the ryegrasses, TAM 90, is one of the most widely
grown in the
The success of TAM 90 and other releases were due in part to their improved
resistance to plant diseases. Nelson's research was been cited by the awards
committee as an example on how to "pyramid" genes for disease
resistance.
"Pyramiding genes" is just what it sounds like. For any trait,
multiple genes are usually at play. For example, when developing septoria-resistant wheats, Nelson
identified plants that showed tolerance during seedling stage. Wheat seedlings
were inoculated with septoria in the greenhouse.
Plants showing resistance during the latent period the length of time from inoculation
to the first symptoms were selected.
Among other achievements by Nelson cited in the Regents Fellow award was
his becoming recognized worldwide for his work in breeding for wheat disease
resistance. Nelson organized the first International Septoria
Conference in 1976 and has served as a consultant for wheat breeding programs
in
He has also been chosen as a Fellow in the American Society of Agronomy and the
Crop Science Society of America.
For more information on the Texas A&M center at Overton, visit the Web site at http://overton.tamu.edu
Source: SeedQuest.com
February 11, 2005
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1.06 World population to reach 9.1 billion in 2050,
UN projects
24 February 2005 The world's population will reach 6.5 billion by July
and, despite lower expected fertility rates, is likely to reach 9.1 billion by
2050, with most of the increase taking place in developing countries, the
United Nations Population Division says in its revised report for 2004.
In 2002 the Division had estimated a population in 2050 of 8.9 billion and last
week, in a report sent to the 47-member UN Commission on Population and
Development, had calculated the figure at 9 billion, reaching the 7 billion
mark by 2012.
"World Population Change 1950-2050, the 2004 Revision" is the first
of three volumes by the Division on global population trends.
"The world has added nearly 500 million people since 1999 just six
years," Hania Zlotnik,
the new head of the Division, told a press briefing. "The good news is
that new estimates show that it will take a little longer to add the next half
billion, reaching the 7 billion mark probably by 2013."
A summary of the report says, "Future population growth is highly
dependent on the path that future fertility takes."
Median fertility is expected decline from 2.6 children per woman today to
slightly over 2 children per woman in 2050. If fertility were to remain about
half a child above that level, world population would reach 10.6 billion by 2050,
while fertility half a child below the median would lead to a population of 7.7
billion by mid-century.
"At the world level, continued population growth until 2050 is inevitable,
even if the decline of fertility accelerates," according to the report.
Almost all of the increase will take place in the less developed countries,
whose populations is expected to reach 7.8 billion in 2050 from 5.3 billion
now, while the population of the more developed countries will remain around
1.2 billion, it says.
Between 2005 and 2050, eight countries India, Pakistan, Nigeria, the Democratic
Republic of the Congo (DRC), Bangladesh, Uganda, the
United States, Ethiopia and China are likely to contribute half of the world's
population increase, while the population would at least triple in Afghanistan,
Burkina Faso, Burundi, Chad, Congo, the DRC, Timor-Leste, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger and Uganda.
Fertility in the 44 developed countries remains generally low, with any
increases being small, the report says.
In the 60 countries worst affected by HIV/AIDS, the impact of the disease is
seen in increased morbidity and mortality and slower population growth, the
report says.
"We must take more urgent action to promote access to reproductive health,
including family planning, and fight HIV/AIDS to save millions from AIDS and
maternal death, as well as to reduce poverty in developing countries," UN
Population Fund (UNFPA) Executive Director Thoraya Ahmed Obaid said after reading
the figures.
"As the world reviews the
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=13451&Cr=population&Cr1=
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1.07 China's new farm subsidies
In 2004, China entered a new era in its approach to agricultural policy, as it
began to subsidize rather than tax agriculture.
Report in PDF format: http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/WRS0501/WRS0501.pdf
Source: SeedQuest.com
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1.08 An
overview of plant variety protection in
Wynand Van der
Walt and Bastiaan Koster. 2005. IP Strategy Today No.
13-2005. Pp. 18-28.
This essay provides one of the most comprehensive overviews of plant variety
plant protection in
Smolders-Van der Walt & Koster-PVP1.pdf
Contibuted by Anatole F Krattiger
Cornell Business and Technology Park
anatole@bioDevelopments.org
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1.09 ICRISAT plans rice biotech park
Source: Financial Express via
SEAMEO SEARCA Biotechnology Information
Center
For the first time, rice research is finally getting a boost through
biotechnology. A 'rice biotech park' is being proposed by the International Crops Research Institute for the
Semi-Arid Tropics (Icrisat) in association with Directorate of Rice Research (DRR) and Acharya NG Ranga
Agricultural University (ANGRAU). To be located
on the Icrisat premises, the park is expected to take
shape by the end of this year.
Icrisat director general William Dar told FE
collaborative efforts among DRR, Icrisat
and ANGRAU would increase the research activities
using biotech tools. "We are planning to work on transgenics
and new varieties of rice which can be cultivated in different climatic
conditions," Dr Dar said. The detailed project report has been prepared
and we are awaiting budget support from the state government, he added without
disclosing the amount sought.
Icrisat is working on public-private sector
partnerships through the agri-science park which has
become the social marketing initiative of Icrisat.
With four components like the agri-biotech park, agri-business incubator, public-private sector
research consortia and SAT eco-venture, projects are on the anvil for more
collaborations for its agri-biotech park.
Three ventures have commenced in the agri-biotech
park. Facility for testing aflatoxin contamination in
food crops is one among them. The two other collaborations are with Avesthagen and Suri Sehgal foundation. About 10 companies have joined a new
private sector, biopesticide research consortium. The
consortium will work for the development and commercialisation of biopesticides developed and tested by Icrisat,
Dr Dar said.
Four companies have joined agri-business incubator to incubate technologies.
They include: Rusni Distilleries for the production
of ethanol from sweet sorghum; Bioseed Research Ltd
for developing transgenic cotton; Seed Works Ltd for transgenic cotton and
vegetables and Sessler Tom and Hyglas
for developing fermentor and agricultural implements.
Financial Express via SEAMEO SEARCA Biotechnology Information
Center
Source: SeedQuest.com
February 18, 2005
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1.10 China planning large-scale introduction of
genetically-engineered rice
China is on the verge of introducing genetically-engineered rice on a large
scale as it seeks ways to adequately supply the basic staple to its
people. "It would boost
Yuan said the new rice strains still have to pass state appraisal, expected to
be conducted later this year, before they receive vigorous promotion.
Shrinking acreage, falling water tables and a population that is expected to
grow significantly beyond 1.3 billion are factors that have led
According to supporters of the rice, it will enable farmers to do away with
widespread use of dangerous pesticides that effect
their health and harm the environment. They also make much of the fact
that it will result in better yields and higher quality grain that will spur
farmers' incomes.
Source: Agence France Presse,
Feb 17, 2005 http://story.news.yahoo.com
via AgBioView from www.agbioworld.org
21 February 2005
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1.11 The BIOS initiative - open source biotechnology
is born
In a publication today in the prestigious scientific journal, Nature, a team at CAMBIA in Australia unveils the kernelof the worlds first explicit open sourcebiotechnology
toolkit. These tools, and the precedent they establish, will allow the
public-sector, small to medium enterprises and even large firms worldwide to
explore new business models and begin a new era of transparent and
cost-effective innovation in life sciences.
The technologies include TransBacter, a new method
for transferring genes to plants, and GUSPlus, a new
way of visualizing where these genes are and how they function. These tools are
seeding a growing movement the BIOS Initiative that will enable researchers,
even in the poorest countries in the world, to be partners in the choice and
development of the crop improvement technologies best suited to their own
priorities, says Richard Jefferson, founder and CEO
of CAMBIA. Most importantly, these new tools are provided under a new licensing
paradigm that ensures that they are improved, shared and retained as a public
resource.
Today also sees the launch of BioForge,
an online collaborative research platform for biological innovation, developed
in partnership with CollabNet Inc. In the
tradition of open source software, BioForge makes it
possible for scientists to work together to craft new, deliverable technologies
within a 'protected
commons'.
BioForge is a hands-on, evolving tool kit to make
things happen. BioForge is about sharing capabilities
and building communities of innovation to tackle the challenges of global
health, poverty and hunger. These problems are best solved by empowering
untapped resources - the countless creative people who
are currently marginalized, says Jefferson, an influential scientist who in
2003 was named as one of Scientific Americans 50 Top Technology Innovators and
is a Fellow of the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship.
Members of the BioForge community will be able to use
certified BIOS licenses to distribute their
work. The BIOS Initiative provides a new licensing mechanism that encourages
sharing of the core tools of innovation with all, while still allowing
patenting of products, where necessary.
Not content with inventing new technology and new software communities, CAMBIA
is also releasing new functionalities in its highly successful Patent Lens,
which includes the world's fastest free, full-text searchable patent database,
with over 1.6 million patents in the life sciences. CAMBIA has flagged its
intent to expand its scope beyond the life sciences to include all patents in many
countries, to create comprehensive search capabilities and to assist with
opportunities for patent system reform. CAMBIA has also just added the INPADOC patent status database to its free online service,
now allowing any searchers to know the dynamic status of patent applications
and patents in over 40 countries. This expansion is part of our ongoing effort
to restore transparency and trust in patent systems that are often perceived as
misaligned with public interest, says Greg Quinn, Senior Informatics Specialist
at CAMBIA.
BIOS is a model for a new innovation system for old
challenges. It combines astute use of intellectual property, informatics, new
biological sciences, and the unique human element that Internet communication
now providessays
CAMBIA is a private, independent, non-profit institute
partially self-financed, with assistance from the Rockefeller Foundation,
R&D grants, and other philanthropic agencies. TransBacter, GUSPlus, Patent
Lens, BIOS and BioForge are all trademarks of CAMBIA".
Link: CAMBIA
researchers publish a groundbreaking study demonstrating the viability of
non-Agrobacterium bacteria in plant gene transfer
Source: SeedQuest.com
February 10, 2005
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1.12 Monitoring the environmental effects of GM crops
FAO expert consultation recommends guidelines and methodologies
27 January 2005, Rome - A consultation of experts convened at the UN Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO), recommended that any responsible deployment of
Genetically Modified (GM) crops needs to comprise the whole technology
development process, from the pre-release risk assessment, to biosafety considerations and post release monitoring.
Environmental goals must also encompass the maintenance and protection of basic
natural resources such as soil, water and biodiversity. In this way monitoring
could become the key element in generating the necessary knowledge to protect
agro-systems, rural livelihoods and broader ecological integrity.
Potential hazards associated with GM cropping - according to the scientists -
have all to be placed within the broader context of both positive and negative
impacts that are associated with all agricultural practices.
Involving farmer groups
Environmental organizations, farmer groups and community organizations should
be actively and continuously engaged in this process. These stakeholders - the
workshop agreed - are absolutely intrinsic to the system.
FAO is ready to facilitate this process along with other agencies and national
and international research centres, encouraging the adoption of rigorously
designed monitoring programmes. Besides FAO and UNEP,
the CGIAR Centres are expected to play an important
role in partnership with national research centres.
The consultation was organized in the light of the controversy and public
concern over Genetic Modifications (GM). FAO asked a group of agricultural
scientists from many parts of the world to provide clear preliminary guidelines
on the most accurate and scientifically sound approach to monitoring the
environmental effects of existing GM crops.
Protecting agrosystems and livelihoods
"FAO's aim is to provide a tool to assist
countries in making their own informed choices on the matter, as well as
protect the productivity and ecological integrity of farming systems" said
Ms Louise O. Fresco, FAO Assistant Director-General of the Agriculture Department.
She added "the need to monitor both the benefits and potential hazards of
released GM crops to the environment is becoming ever more important with the
dramatic increase in the range and scale of their commercial cultivation,
especially in developing countries."
The experts acknowledged that a great deal of data is already available. What
needs to be done is to bring together and coordinate this volume of often
scattered information. They also emphasized that monitoring the effects of GM
crops on the environment is not only necessary but feasible even with limited
resources when it is integrated with the deployment of these crops.
The experts agreed that it is important to identify the most accurate existing
data. They noted that field and traditional expertise should become a strong
resource in addition to scientific expertise. These data could be used in
indicators to measure the effects of GM crops on the environment. Significant
changes that might cause concern should be promptly notified. In this regard, a
full stakeholder engagement - farmers, scientists, consumers, public and the
private sector and the civil society - will be necessary and integral to the
process.
One of the difficulties in monitoring agriculture is the heterogeneity of farming
systems in the different regions. The group of scientists recommended that the
objective of environmental monitoring of GM crops should be nested within
processes that address broader goals. There would be a need to adapt any
methodology to the specific farming system through a well-designed process.
Monitoring GM crops will provide information for policies and regulations, but
mainly will give producers informed options in order to allow technologies to
be adopted in a sustainable way.
http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2005/89259/index.html
Contributed by Rodomiro Ortiz (r.ortiz@cgiar.org)
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1.13 Americans and GM food: knowledge, opinion &
interest in 2004
A report from the Food Policy
Institute
by W. Hallman, W. Hebden, C. Cuite,
H. Aquino, and J. Lang.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This report presents the results from the third in a series of studies
examining public perception of genetically modified (GM) food in the United
States. All three studies were based on survey results of separate, nationally
representative samples of approximately 1,200 Americans taken in 2001, 2003,
and 2004. While the survey instrument on which the current report is based
maintained many of the same measures of awareness and attitude as its two
predecessors, it also included several new queries that assess the ability of
respondents to recall specific news stories related to GM food, their interest
in the topic, and where they would go to look for new information.
Many questions that were repeated from previous years have changed considerably
in the current survey. Some of the classic measures of awareness and opinion
now incorporate an "unsure" response as choice supplied by the
interviewer. While respondents were allowed to volunteer this response in the
past, explicitly providing this option to respondents reduced guessing on
knowledge-based questions and encouraged a more accurate representation of
opinion than in the past.
The report begins with an investigation of Americans' awareness and knowledge
about the topic in general, their ability to recall related news stories,
familiarity with laws and regulations as well as other questions designed to
get at highly specific knowledge about agricultural biotechnology. Next, it
details the effect of the new survey methodology on reported opinions about
plant-based and animal-based GM food. Finally, it delves into a number of novel
findings about interest in hypothetical television shows about GM food, desire
for information on food labels, and reported behavior
with regards to information seeking.
Consistent with results from our previous studies and others, these findings
suggest that the American public is generally unaware of GM food. Most
Americans have heard or read little about it, are not aware of its prevalence
in their lives, and are confused as to which type of GM products are available.
Respondents struggled with factual questions related to GM food and the science
behind it, could not recall news stories related to the topic, and were not
very knowledgeable about laws regarding the labelling and testing of GM food.
Americans are also unsure of their opinions about GM food and split in their
assessments of the technology when forced to take a position.
Americans say they are interested in the topic of GM food, specifically those
topics related to human health. Respondents say they desire more information on
food labels and report that they would like to see GM foods labeled
as such. The majority of Americans admit they have never looked for information
about GM food and most say they will search the Internet should the need arise.
Complete report in PDF format: http://www.foodpolicyinstitute.org/docs/reports/NationalStudy2004.pdf
Source: Food Policy Institute,
via SeedQuest.com
23 February 2005
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1.14 Europe on transgenic crops: How public plant
breeding and eco-transgenics can help in the transatlantic debate
Thro, A.M. (2004).AgBioForum, 7(3),
142-148.
In the debate on transgenic crops, philosophic views are as important as
scientific data. Certain views regarding transgenic crops are more
characteristically European, less frequently articulated in the
The present paper grew out of one-on-one discussions with founders of
biotechnology start-up companies and science-entrepreneur incubators in
The paper is offered as a commentary and brief introduction to some
more-commonly held European views on transgenic crops, as well as some
implications of those views that are often overlooked. The author's immediate
objectives are to encourage all participants in the GMO
debate to address philosophical and scientific issues separately, explicitly,
and thereby more clearly, and to point out action areas (particularly for
research) that resonate positively across many groups regardless of their
position on transgenic crops. The ultimate objectives are to contribute to a broader
appreciation of positive biological and social-economic possibilities presented
by transgenic crops and to encourage research on the full spectrum of choices
for farmers and consumers.
Available at: http://www.agbioforum.org.
(The actual article is at: http://www.agbioforum.org/v7n3/v7n3a06-thro.htm)
Contributed by Ann Marie Thro
CSREES, USDA
athro@csrees.usda.gov
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1.15 Plant
genetic resources for food and agriculture: Facilitated access or utility
patents on plant varieties?
Walter Smolders. 2005. IP Strategy Today No.
13-2005. Pp. 1-17.
This paper, written by a former attorney of a major biotech/seed company and
industry insider, is perhaps the best argued essay ever written on this subject
that analyzes, and criticizes, in detail the practice of utility patents on
plant varieties. The paper shows that several claim categories of utility
patents for plant varieties are questionable. It also concludes that the
examination of such patent applications and the enforceability of several claim
categories are problematic. At the very least, serious consideration should be
given to the issuance of guidelines for disclosure requirements and more
stringent evaluation standards for determining whether a patent claim on a
plant variety is obvious.
Interestingly, and highly relevant to developing countries who are in the
process of implementing TRIPS, the author postulates that industry invests
primarily in markets that will offer a return on investments, in the initial
stage of technology development the strength and enforceability of IPRs are welcome but not essential. Much more important are
potential market size, local infrastructure, the availability of skilled people
to adapt new technologies invented in developed countries to local needs, and
the existence of an appropriate biosafety legislation
and administration.
Finally, the author describes in detail the pros and cons of the International
Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture
Treaty and why it is much more attractive than the Convention on Biological
Diversity. This article explicitly recognizes that access to genetic resources
in itself is a benefit and that without access to genetic resources, there is
no benefit sharing; a truism that seems to have been forgotten at times in the
drafting of access to biodiversity legislation. The author concludes that we
need to rebalance the rights to plant varieties granted by utility patents with
a contribution to society.
Smolders-Van der Walt & Koster-PVP1.pdf
Contibuted by Anatole F Krattiger
Cornell Business and Technology Park
anatole@bioDevelopments.org
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1.16 Tsunami-hit farmers to grow salt-tolerant rice
Rice varieties that can grow in salty conditions are being sent to help
farmers whose fields were flooded with seawater by the Indian Ocean tsunami.
This International Rice Research Institute (IRRI)
initiative is targeted at
IRRI is also investigating the situation in
Ren Wang, deputy director-general for research at IRRI, believes the project will be important for the
long-term agricultural and economic regeneration of the region.
"Many of those affected by the tsunami depended on local agriculture not
just for food but also for their livelihoods," he said.
Rajalakshmi Swaminathan
from the M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation in
India, has given the initiative cautious approval, describing it as
"laudable" but stressing that questions such as whether the rice
varieties would grow equally across varied salt concentrations in the soil, and
whether the quality of grain would be any different should be answered before
the rice is sent to the farmers.
Provided these concerns are addressed, said Swaminathan,
the salt-tolerant varieties "would be of great help to the farmers
affected by the tsunami".
IRRI's genebank stocks
about 100,000 strains of rice about 40 of which can tolerate salty growing
conditions.
As well as shipping rice to the farmers, IRRI is
providing advice online about how to grow rice in tsunami-affected fields
through its Rice Knowledge Bank.
The website includes guidance (also available on compact discs) on safely
storing grain. To help address the shortage of labour that the tsunami death
toll caused, it also suggests ways of growing rice that rely on as few people
as possible.
IRRI will evaluate the extent of salt damage to
coastal rice fields and estimate how much of the land can be reclaimed by
growing salt-tolerant rice.
Duncan Macintosh, a spokesperson for IRRI, told
SciDev.Net, "It is not possible for IRRI to
accurately estimate how long fields will be salt damaged because the situation
varies so much from district to district and country to country. Some fields
may recover in one year (and after some repair work) but others could take
several years."
IRRI is a rice training and research centre, and is
one of 15 centres funded by the Consultative Group on International
Agriculture, an association of public and private donors.
Source: SciDev.Net
2 February 2005
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1.17 ICRISAT plans to start open field trials for transgenic
groundnut
By Phalguna Jandhyala,
Business Standard via Checkbiotech
The International Crops Research Institute for
Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) plans to start open
field trials for transgenic groundnut during the coming kharif season in August. ICRISAT
has, for the first time, also conducted contained field trial for transgenic chickpea
crop.
Kiran K Sharma, principal scientist (genetic
transformation lab), ICRISAT, told Business Standard
that the institute has successfully completed three contained field trials
within the institute and plans to start open field trials from August.
We have approached the Centre and also the Department of Biotechnology to
sponsor the research which is required to take the product through the
validation process,Sharma
said. The crop would initially be tested in Rajasthan where the Peanut Clump
Virus disease is most prevalent, he added.
According to him, the transgenic groundnuts also get infected at a very early
stage during seed germination. However, unlike the untransformed groundnuts,
the transgenic groundnuts do not support virus multiplication and carry very
little or no virus by the time of harvesting, and no effect of the disease on
growth and development of plants.
Speaking about the transgenic chickpea, he said, The Legume Pod Borer is the
major virus which affects the chickpea crop, and since
The virus damages around $500-million worth of crop across the world and in
We would be carrying out two more field trials in the next 24 months and then
would validate it in the open field trial before launching it in the commercial
market. So, the whole process will take another five years, he said.
On the investments required in the sector, Sharma said, Once
the contained field trials are completed, we would require around Rs 3 crore to take the product
for validation and develop packages, he said.
Source: SeedQuest.com
February 16, 2005
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1.18 Soybean technology leaves pest nothing to live for
Source: AgAnswers,
an Ohio State University and Purdue Extension Partnership
A soybean pest responsible for an estimated $1.4 billion dollars in U.S.
crop losses each year will soon go hungry, thanks to Purdue University research.
A technology offering complete resistance to soybean cyst nematode, developed
by a team of Purdue scientists and their colleagues at the Indiana Crop Improvement Association,
consistently produced higher soybean yields than conventional
nematode-resistant varieties in a series of field trials completed last fall.
The technology, which employs a unique combination of genes known commercially
as CystX®, will be widely available for planting
during the 2005 season. CystX® is not a seed variety,
but is instead a suite of genes that can be bred into already existing soybean
varieties.
"This year's field trials clearly demonstrate that this technology does work,"
said Virginia Ferris, Purdue entomologist and one of the scientists who
developed the CystX® technology. "CystX® is a major improvement over the existing methods for
soybean management. It offers higher yields and resistance to all varieties of
soybean cyst nematode, even when the nematodes are present in high
densities."
In field trials, CystX® soybeans produced an average
of 5.4 bushels per acre more than conventional varieties resistant to soybean
cyst nematode. At a soybean price of $5 per bushel, this could put $27 more in
farmers' pockets for every acre of soybeans they plant if the cost of CystX® varieties is the same as conventional seed.
Fields planted with CystX® varieties also had up to a
75 percent reduction in soybean cyst nematode population densities, said Jamal Faghihi, research entomologist and one of Ferris'
collaborators.
Soybean cyst nematode is a tiny parasitic worm found in up to 60 million acres
of cropland in all
Sixteen different so-called "races" of soybean cyst nematode might
exist, but most of the current resistant soybean varieties can fend off only
one or two races of the parasite, Faghihi said.
Multiple races are present in most infested fields, making this pest especially
difficult to fight, he said.
Ferris and her colleagues developed the CystX®
technology through conventional breeding methods with molecular markers that
brought together a combination of genes providing resistance to all soybean
cyst nematode field populations. The resistance genes originated in the Hartwig soybean, but resistant Hartwig
has yield problems and cannot be easily crossed with high-yielding varieties,
Ferris said.
The CystX® technology overcomes this yield loss
thanks to a unique group of genes called pairing control genes, which permit
the resistance genes to be crossed with high-yielding lines. Breeders rely on
these pairing control genes to ensure that soybean varieties carrying the CystX® technology include the full suite of soybean cyst
nematode resistance genes as well as genes that lead to higher yields, said
Rick Vierling, adjunct professor of agronomy and
director of the genetics program at the Indiana Crop Improvement Association. Vierling also is a co-inventor of the CystX®
technology.
CystX® is patented through the Purdue Research
Foundation and licensed to Access Plant Technology, a company that specializes
in the marketing and commercialization of plant-based technology. Ferris and
her colleagues received funding from checkoff funds
through the Indiana Soybean Board to develop the resistant soybeans.
For more information about CystX®, log onto http://www.cystx.com/index.htm. To
learn more about the Indiana Crop Improvement Association, log onto http://www.indianacrop.org/.
Source: SeedQuest.com
February 15, 2005
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1.19 Spinning spider webs with potatoes
The light-weight fibers of spider webs have the
ability to support objects that weigh a thousand times more than the fibers weight. The spider silk proteins that spiders use to
make their webs of wonder are referred to as spidroins.
The protein consists largely of glycine and alanine amino acids, and its physical strength rivals that
of Kevlar. Yet, unlike Kevlar, spider silk is not only strong, it has an high level of elasticity and heat stabilitymaking
it a Holy Grail for scientist to try and mimic and reproduce.
Dr. Udo Conrad
and his research team at the
http://www.checkbiotech.org/root/index.cfm?fuseaction=search&search=spider&doc_id=9605&start=1&fullsearch=0
Contributed by Robert.Derham@unibas.ch
Checkbiotech Director
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1.20 GM Swiss cheese and wine in 2005?
Labelling regulations are a highly complex and sometimes contradictory affair,
because they are an area where science, politics and prejudice meet. No one can
seriously doubt that it is legitimate to craft a law defining what does and
does not constitute genetically modified food. At the same time, there cant be any doubt that labelling has become a tool in the
hands of those who oppose genetic modification on grounds of principle. On the
other side, the onus to inform clearly lies with the food industry.
Unfortunately, people often do not understand enough about science, and thus
governments will always have to take into account wide spread misconceptions.
http://www.checkbiotech.org/root/index.cfm?fuseaction=search&search=swiss&doc_id=9436&start=1&fullsearch=0
Contributed by Robert.Derham@unibas.ch
Checkbiotech Director
(Return to Contents)
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1.21 Sweet grapefruits and healthier pasta
Citrus species contain large quantities of special ingredients called flavanones, which affect fruit flavour and benefit human
health. Flavanones are important dietary components
with a role in maintaining healthy blood vessels and bones. Furthermore, they
suppress cancer and mutagenesis and are known to prevent allergies, reduce
inflammation and act as anti-microbial compounds
A research team headed by Yoram
Eyal, from the
View the article
Contributed by Robert Derham
Checkbiotech Director
(Return to Contents)
+++++++++++++++++++++++
1.22 Transgenic tobacco detoxifies polluted
grounds
Many industrial, municipal and military areas have become contaminated with
hazardous pollutants. This constitutes a long lasting potential danger, because
emission is possible through air, ground, water or food chain. Therefore, the
grounds should be remediated, that is, cleansed from
the toxic substances. There are several methods to do this, and they are used
differently depending on the pollutant that needs to be removed.
One method is the microbiological remediation system (MRS), where microorganisms are in charge of breaking down the
pollutants. This approach has proven to be quite successful. It can also be
used in-situ, which means, the contaminated ground can be cleansed
without being removed. That is an important factor in cases of broad
contamination, because removing the contaminated soil would be too expensive.
The MRS can only remove harmful substances that are organic, but it removes
them very effectively. This is in contrast to most of the physical and chemical
remediation methods, which usually leave by-products.
Besides the MRS method, another option is to use plants. There are, for
example, many plants that are known to naturally remove heavy metals. This
process is called phytoremediation, and it promises
to be an inexpensive and resourceful method. It is also very suitable for
continuous remediation and large areas, since plants grow over a long time
without needing much more than water.
Dr. Y. Iimuras laboratory, at the National Institute
of Advanced Industrial Science and technology (AIST)
in
View the article
Contributed by Robert.Derham@unibas.ch
Checkbiotech Director
(Return to Contents)
++++++++++++++++++++
1.23 Plants, animals share molecular growth
mechanisms
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - A newly discovered plant
protein complex that apparently switches on plants' growth machinery, has
opened a scientific toolbox to learn about both plant and animal development,
according Purdue University scientists.
The protein complex triggers communication between molecules along a pathway
that leads to the creation of long protein strings, called actin
filaments, that are necessary for cellular growth, said Dan Szymanski, agronomy
associate professor and lead author of the study. Knowledge of the biochemical
reactions involved in this process eventually may allow researchers to design
plants better able to protect themselves from insects and disease.
"These genes and their proteins are required for normal development and
for normal cell-to-cell adhesion," Szymanski said. "They affect the
growth of the whole plant and also the shape and size of types of cells in the
plant."
Results of the study are published in the February issue of the journal The Plant Cell.
"Perhaps by learning about this pathway for actin
filament formation, we can engineer plant cells to grow in different ways or
alter how cells respond to external stimuli so they can defend themselves
against insect or fungal attacks," Szymanski said.
A protein complex known as Actin Related Protein 2/3
(ARP2/3) is a cellular machine that controls formation of actin
filaments, which are important for cell growth and movement. Actin filaments organize the inside of the cell and allow
it to grow, and they determine where certain structures in a cell are
positioned and how plants respond to gravity and light.
Szymanski's team used a deformed version of a common research plant,
Arabidopsis thaliana, and specifically looked at small, hairlike
structures that exist on most cells. They found that the shape and size of
these hairs, or trichomes, readily show when genes
affecting actin filaments are askew and causing
altered growth.
The researchers previously had learned that a large protein complex, known as
WAVE, activated ARP2/3, but they didn't know specifically which WAVE protein
was the actual switch. Their latest research showed that a WAVE protein they've
dubbed DISTORTED3 (DIS3) turns on APR 2/3, which in turn triggers formation of
new, growing actin filaments.
Because some genes have survived through time as multicellular
life evolved, they have been conserved in both plants and animals, Szymanski
said. So, some of the plant proteins that comprise the ARP2/3 and the WAVE
complexes are interchangeable with proteins in animals. Others proteins are not
interchangeable, and Szymanski's research team is delving into how this affects
the growth process.
"DIS3 has two ends that are common in both plant and animal proteins,"
he said. "But DIS3 has a very large segment in the middle that is specific
to plants. We'd like to know if this section is important and whether it
regulates DIS3 or the whole WAVE complex."
For growth and development biochemical processes to proceed
normally, activators such as ARP 2/3 are needed to trigger actin
filaments' formation and growth, Szymanski said. However, scientists don't know
the specific function of certain actin filaments. The
molecular tools Szymanski's research team developed will help scientists learn
more about these functions in both plants and animals.
The other researchers on this study were Dipanwita Basu and Salah El-Din El-Essal, research assistants; postdoctoral students Jie Le, Chunhua Zhang and Gregore Koliantz; Eileen Malley, laboratory manager, all of the Department of Agronomy; and Shanjin Huang, postdoctoral student, and Christopher Staiger, professor, both of the Department of Biological
Sciences. Staiger and Szymanski also are members of
the Purdue
Motility Group.
The Energy Biosciences Division of the Department of Energy, the USDA National Research Initiative and the Purdue
Agricultural Research Program provided funding for this research.
Beth Forbes, forbes@purdue.edu
Agriculture
News Page
Source: EurekAlert.org
23 February 2005
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1.24 CAMBIA researchers publish a groundbreaking study
demonstrating the viability of non-Agrobacterium bacteria in plant gene transfer
Nature 433, 629 - 633 (10
February 2005); doi:10.1038/nature03309
Gene transfer to plants by diverse species of bacteria
Wim Broothaerts,
Heidi Mitchell, Brian Weir, Sarah Kaines, Leon M.A.
Smith, Wei Yang, Jorge E. Mayer, Carolina Roa-Rodriguez & Richard A. Jefferson
CAMBIA (An Affiliated Research Centre of
Charles Sturt University), G.P.O.
Box 3200, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
SUMMARY
By Mona Akbari
Breakthrough removes obstacles in biotechnology
Researchers at CAMBIA have made a
breakthrough in biotechnology by successfully transferring genes to plants
using several bacteria other than Agrobacterium tumefaciens or At, that so far has been considered the only
microbe capable of such gene transfer. The discovery has earned the scientists
a publication in Nature, one of sciences most prestigious journals.
The finding is particularly significant since using At
for gene transfer to plants is covered by complex patenting laws that has
prevented its use by many organizations worldwide. The new technology is an
exciting alternative, since it will be available through an open-sourcelicense that has no commercial restrictions, but
requires a commitment to sharing improvements.
Agrobacterium is commonly found in soil and naturally
parasitizes plants by inserting its bacterial genes into the plants genome. The
inserted segment, referred to as T-DNA, is present in At
as part of a larger circular DNA fragment known as the Ti plasmid. Until now it
has not been conclusively shown that the Ti plasmid can be used in other
bacteria for gene transfer to plants.
The team at CAMBIA introduced a specially modified Ti plasmid into three
different types of bacteria, Rhizobium, Sinorhizobium and Mesorhizobium,
that are closely related to At, to test whether these
bacteria would allow gene transfer to plants. Another fragment of DNA or vector
was also introduced into the bacteria. It contained several components
including the transferring T-DNA, as well as a gene for GUSPlus"
that allows a colour test in plant material to ensure that gene transfer has
occurred.
The altered bacteria were grown on leaf pieces of tobacco and tested for gene
transfer by the use of the GUSPlus activity colour
test, which clearly showed the characteristics associated with successful gene
transfer. As expected, GUSPlus activity was not
observed in control experiments where the bacteria contained the vector but not
the Ti plasmid. Once the tobacco plants were regenerated from the leaf discs,
further tests also confirmed that the T-DNA had integrated into sites within
the plant genome.
Sinorhizobium was also able to mediate gene transfer
in other plants such as rice and the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, while Rhizobium allowed gene transfer to Arabidopsis. All
regenerated plants from these experiments were conclusively shown to have T-DNA
integrated into their genomes.
It is extremely useful that Sinorhizobium is able
transfer genes to a range of plant tissues in both broad-leafed dicotyledonous
and narrow-leafed monocotyledonous plants. Many important crops have been
resistant to gene transfer by At and this new
technology may provide the answer.
CAMBIA has applied for a patent on this technology and offers TransBacter", the collective name it has given these
bacteria, as an open-sourcealternative to the
international community. This will be achieved through an innovative license
concept, called BIOS Biological Innovation for Open Society which is based on
precedents in computer software, but has been adapted for patented technology
to ensure sharing of improvements.
NATURE summary
Open-source gene transfer
Control of the biotechnology involved in producing genetically modified
crops is concentrated in the hands of a few multinational companies, in part
because of the complex web of patents involved. A group at CAMBIA, the Center for the Application of Molecular Biology for
International Agriculture in
Read the Nature
paper
Read the accompanying News and
View paper by Stanton B. Gelvin
Source: SeedQuest.com
February 10, 2005
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++++++++++++++++++++
1.25 Heterosis in populations in nature of a domesticated
plant
Few studies quantify evolutionary processes in populations of domesticated
plants in traditional farming systems. In February's Ecology
Letters, Pujol, David and McKey
show that these systems offer unusual opportunities for studying
microevolution. Cassava (Manihot esculenta)
is clonally propagated, but Amerindian cassava farmers also regularly incorporate
volunteer plants from sexually produced seeds into their clonal
stocks (cuttings) at harvest time.
These new genotypes renew diversity lost under clonal
propagation. However, whereas multiplied clones are highly heterozygous, many
of the volunteer plants are inbred. How does high heterozygosity
persist despite their incorporation? The authors demonstrate a novel case of
selection for heterozygosity that explains this
paradox, showing that humans inadvertently favour heterozygous volunteers.
When farmers weeded fields, they killed small volunteers, but retained large
ones, which were also the most heterozygous. Demonstrating heterosis
in nature usually requires large samples, but novel features of this system
allowed escape of this constraint.
Source:Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
This
school is designed for commercial corn breeders. Details can be found at:
http://imbgl.cropsci.uiuc.edu
Contributed by John Dudley,
Department of Crop Sciences,
(New) 14-18 March 2005. Identification and pyramiding of mutated genes:
novel approaches for improving crop tolerance to salinity and drought. The
first Research Coordination Meeting (RCM) on our new Coordinated Research
Project (CRP).
Contributed by
Shri Mohan Jain,
S.M.Jain@iaea.org
17-19 March 2005. GMOs worldwide:
science and its public perception,
to be held at BOKU - University of
Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Austria
AIMS
The workshop aims to assess the current basis for the society's perceptions of
the value of GMOs to the public, taking account of
the opportunities and threats posed by their introduction. Thus the workshop
will highlight the challenge in taking the issue of the introduction of GMOs to society at large on a global basis, with special
consideration of the position in
http://www.boku.ac.at/ica/GMO.htm
Contributed by Margit Laimer)
(Chair of the Organising Committee)
Institut fr Angewandte Mikrobiologie
Tel: +43 1 36006 6560
Fax: +43 1 36 97 615
* 29 March -
Info: S. Bullitta
CNR-ISPAAM
Via Enrico de Nicola
07100 Sassari, Italy
Tel.: ++39 079 229332 Fax: ++39 079 229354
E-mail: bullitta@cspm.ss.cnr.it
Download: First
Announcement (MS Word)
2-5 May 2005. 2nd ISTA Moisture Workshop
Location: Seed Center No. 7, Chiang Mai, Hang Dong
District,
https://www.seedtest.org/en/workshopdetail---1--1113--210--14.html
Contributed by Michelle Jenni Nietlispach
Head of Marketing and Communications
michelle.jenni@ista.ch
* 4 - 9 May 2005. 11th International Lupin
Conference,
Submitted by George D. Hill, Secretary/Treasurer International Lupin Association (hill@inia.es)
At our meetings we have usually had a substantial
number of submissions from Plant Breeders. I would expect that it will be
the same at this meeting.
9-13 May 2005. 6th ISTA/FAO workshop on electrophoretic methods and PCR-techniques
for variety verification and GMO detection
Location: University of
https://www.seedtest.org/en/workshopdetail---1--1113--210--16.html
Contributed by Michelle Jenni Nietlispach
Head of Marketing and Communications
michelle.jenni@ista.ch
* 6-10 June 2005. 5th International Triticeae
Symposium held in
*(NEW) 09-11 June 2005. The Second European Workshop on National Plant
Genetic Resources Programmes, Belgrade, Serbia,
Following one of the most important gatherings of European experts in plant
genetic resources at the Alnarp Workshop in Sweden,
in April 2003, a survey of participants revealed a widespread desire across the
region to organize a follow-up Workshop in 2005.
The Belgrade Workshop is set to follow in the footsteps of Alnarp,
where around 100 participants from 39 countries gathered with the objective of
exchanging experiences in designing and implementing National Programmes (NP).
A host of ideas and proposals for further action were developed during the Alnarp Workshop synthesizing the views and concerns of the
different national stakeholders from all across
The basic idea of the Second Workshop in
The general objectives of the Belgrade Workshop include:
1. Exchange information and experiences
2. Discuss opportunities and benefits of networking at different levels
(national, sub-regional, regional and interregional)
3. Discuss opportunities for sharing conservation responsibilities in
4. Discuss progress made in the region after the Alnarp
Workshop
5. Learn from case studies
If you are interested in participating, please fill in
the preliminary registration on the following website NO LATER THAN 15 MARCH
2005. We strongly encourage you to help distribute this announcement to
all potential participants from different stakeholder groups. It is
essential that we receive your response by this date as it will help the
organizers to proceed with arrangements for the Workshop.
http://www.minpolj.sr.gov.yu/workshop.php
Please also look for more information on the
http://www.minpolj.sr.gov.yu/workshop.info.htm
Contributed by Vladimir Pekic
vpekic@mindless.com
* 13-17 June 2005,
*
* 16-19 June 2005: XI International Asparagus Symposium. Horst/Venlo (
* 12-14 September 2005 Seeds and Breeds for the 21st Century,
at Iowa State University -- A conference engaging diverse stakeholders
interested in strengthening our public plant and animal breeding capacity.
The conference is announced by RAFI. It is a
follow up to a meeting held in 2003 in
Please share this information with other plant
breeders
* 12-16 September 2005: III International Symposium on Cucurbits.
Townsville,
*(NEW) September and October 2005. Workshops on cryopreservation
in support of conservation of European plant genetic resources. Organized by IPGRI (
The First Workshop will be hosted by the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (
The Second Workshop will be hosted by the Institut de
recherché pour le developpement (
Application forms may be obtained from: Dr Ehsan Dulloo at e.dulloo@cgiar.org, or at http://www.ipgri.cgiar.org/events/cryopreservation.htm.
Applications must be received by
Contributed by Kakoli Ghosh
FAO-AGPS
Kakoli.Ghosh@fao.org
* 18-21 April 2006: The 13th Australian Plant Breeding Conference
-- Breeding for Success: Diversity in Action,
For more details, visit http://www.apbc.org.nz
*23-28 July 2006. The 9th International Pollination Symposium will be
hosted at
Sub-Themes:
1-Pollinator Attraction & Rewards - Biology to Biotechnology
2-Pollinators in Plant Genetic Resource Conservation
3-Pollinator Protection Challenges
4- Impacts of insect or animal-mediated pollination on gene flow.
5- Use of pollinators in landscape management and sustainable
agricultural practices.
For more information please visit www.ucs.iastate.edu/PlantBee
Submitted by Jody Larson, symposium committee
jilarson@iastate.edu
* August 2006: IX International Conference on Grape Genetics and Breeding,
* 13-19 August 2006: XXVII International Horticultural Congress,
* 1-5 December 2006: Brazilian Cassava Conference,
For more information, contact Prof. Nagib Nassar at nagnassa@rudah.com.br.
or Dr. Rodomiro Ortiz at r.ortiz@cgiar.org.
(Return to Contents)
=======================
7. 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.
(Return to Contents)