PLANT BREEDING
NEWS
EDITION 171
1 October 2006
An Electronic
Newsletter of Applied Plant Breeding
Sponsored by FAO and Cornell
University
Clair H. Hershey, Editor
chh23@cornell.edu
Archived issues available at: FAO Plant Breeding
Newsletter.
CONTENTS
1. NEWS, ANNOUNCEMENTS AND RESEARCH NOTES
1.01 FAO Director-General appeals for
second Green Revolution: Vast effort needed to feed billions and safeguard the
environment
1.02 Partnership forged to spur Africa's green revolution
1.03 Transforming sub-Saharan Africa's
rice production through rice research
1.04 Marker-assisted breeding comes of
age
1.05 Are genomic technologies the answer to world hunger?
1.06 The maize with the beans inside: QPM gathers a following in Kenya
1.07 Biodiversity: galvanizing
decision-makers into action
1.08 Reflections on the first meeting of the International
Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture
1.09 Washington
University researchers determine that rice was domesticated independently at
least twice
1.10 Legume genome
evolution viewed through the Medicago truncatula and Lotus
japonicus genomes
1.11 Researchers characterise germplasm of the Australian Lupin Collection to give
lupin breeding programs better access to novel traits
1.12 Cost-benefit
ratios and the purpose of seed collections
1.13 Mungbean varieties give new meaning
to “fast food”
1.14 Battle continues against leaf rust in oats
1.15 UGA scientists
engineer root-knot nematode resistance
1.16 The first tree genome is published: Poplar holds
promise as renewable bioenergy resource
1.17 Characterization of capsaicin synthase and
identification of its gene (csy1) for pungency factor capsaicin in pepper
1.18 New field data supports development of more nitrogen
efficient crops that promise to benefit farmers and the environment
1.19 Pollen-mediated
gene flow in maize in real situations of coexistence
2. PUBLICATIONS
2.01 CABI to publish ground-breaking
reference book: The Encyclopedia of Seeds
2.02 New book published: Plant Conservation Genetics
2.03 FAO’s AGORA initiative widens access to agricultural research
by more countries
3. WEB
RESOURCES
3.01 Smithsonian
offers new tropical biodiversity data and tools on the
Web
3.02 CGIAR
Virtual Library Opened
3.03 The Seed Biology Place
4 GRANTS
AVAILABLE
4.01 Announcement of
International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI) Vavilov-Frankel Fellowships for 2007
4.02 Rockefeller Travel Grants Available for
International Plant and Genome Conference XV
4.03 Scholarship in Plant Breeding Available to MSc Graduates
5 POSITION
ANNOUNCEMENTS
5.01 Assistant
Professor, Plant Evolutionary Genomics, University of
California, Riverside
5.02 Assistant Professor ,Wheat Breeding and Genetics,
Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, Michigan State University
6 MEETINGS, COURSES AND
WORKSHOPS
7 EDITOR'S
NOTES
=========================
1. NEWS,
ANNOUNCEMENTS AND RESEARCH NOTES
1.01 FAO Director-General appeals for second Green Revolution: Vast
effort needed to feed billions and safeguard the environment
Rome,
Italy and San Francisco, California
FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf today called for a second Green Revolution to
feed the world’s growing population while preserving natural resources and the
environment.
Addressing a meeting of the World Affairs Council of
Northern California in San Francisco, Dr Diouf said: “In the next few decades, a
major international effort is needed to feed the world when the population soars
from six to nine billion. We might call it a second Green
Revolution.”
The San Francisco-based World Affairs Council of Northern
California, which has 10 000 members, is one of the United States’ leading
non-governmental fora for discussion and debate of international affairs.
The original Green Revolution of the Fifties and Sixties doubled world
food production by bringing the power of science to agriculture, but “relied on
the lavish use of inputs such as water, fertilizer and pesticides,” Dr Diouf
said.
“The task ahead may well prove harder,” he continued. “We not only
need to grow an extra one billion tonnes of cereals a year by 2050 - within the
lifetimes of our children and grandchildren – but do so from a diminishing
resource base of land and water in many of the world’s regions, and in an
environment increasingly threatened by global warming and climate
change.”
FAO, as the United Nations specialized agency for food and
agriculture, looked set to have a fundamental role in helping bring about such a
revolution, Dr Diouf said. The place to start was at village level and in
developing countries themselves, he added.
“Investing in agriculture is
usually low in the order of priorities of politicians, typically more interested
in short-term returns,” Dr Diouf said. “But we can no longer afford such neglect
– our future depends on it.”
Concrete signs
“However…
there are concrete signs towards this direction at both national and
international levels. For example, African leaders have decided to raise the
share of their national budgets allocated to food and agriculture to 10%. The
World Bank’s declining trend in lending for agriculture and rural development is
now reversing,” Dr Diouf observed.
Dr Diouf noted that 100 million people
faced forced migration as a consequence of advancing desertification and soil
degradation while water reserves had started to run low in key grain production
areas such as India and China.
“The new Green Revolution will be less
about introducing new, high-performance varieties of wheat or rice, important as
they are, and much more about making wiser and more efficient use of the natural
resources available to us,” Dr Diouf said.
For example, tests organized
by FAO in a number of developing countries since 2000 had shown that yield
increases of up to 30 percent could be achieved through Integrated Crop
Management (ICM), or improved crop management techniques.
“It may sound
incredible but we actually can save water and grow more food at the same time,” the Director-General added.
The key to increasing production while
safeguarding natural resources lay in environmentally sustainable agricultural
development, he said, adding:
“We must face the fact that the destinies
of developing and developed countries are intertwined in a globalized world.
Crucial challenges clearly lie ahead, and FAO will continue to spare no effort
in helping to meet them.”
Source: SeedQuest.com
13 September 2006
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1.02 Partnership forged to spur Africa's green
revolution
The partnership will target farm productivity in Africa
Kimani Chege and Wagdy Sawahel
A partnership between two key donor
agencies aims to spark an African 'green revolution' by addressing farm
productivity and training the next generation of agricultural
scientists.
The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa will address
the key issues of soil fertility, irrigation, farm management practices and
financing as well as access to markets and new seeds.
The Bill and
Melinda Gates Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation will initially invest
US$150 million in a programme to improve seed varieties in areas with harsh
environmental conditions, especially in sub-Saharan Africa.
The Program
for Africa's Seed Systems (PASS), based in Nairobi, Kenya, will invest in
national programmes that use local crop breeding techniques to develop seeds
that are more resistant to pests, diseases, local rainfall patterns and soil
properties.
PASS will also invest in graduate-level education in Africa
to train the next generation of crop breeders and agricultural scientists, and
in improving rural transport infrastructure to help farmers get hold of better
seeds.
Masa Iwanaga, director general of the International Maize and
Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), stressed the importance of infrastructure,
saying it will take more than investing in agriculture to spark an African
'green revolution'.
"Sub-Saharan Africa does not have the physical
infrastructure or institutional capacity that made the green revolution possible
elsewhere," he told SciDev.Net.
"Yes, agriculture can lead economic
growth in those countries, but attention must be paid to natural resource
management, improved infrastructure, favourable policies, and access to markets
and off-farm income," says Iwanaga.
In a press release, Bill Gates
co-chair of the Gates Foundation envisioned African entrepreneurs starting
seed companies to supply small farmers. The foundation also wants agro-dealers
to reach more small farmers with improved farm inputs and farm management
practices.
Source: SciDev.net
15 September 2006
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1.03 Transforming sub-Saharan Africa's rice production
through rice research
Following the Africa Rice Congress hosted by
the Africa Rice Center (WARDA) on
July 31- August 4, 2006 in Dar es Salaam Tanzania, we invited WARDA to
contribute a story highlighting the importance of rice research to improve the
livelihoods of poor people in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Although most of
the world’s rice is produced and consumed in Asia, demand for it is soaring in
Africa. Rice has become a major source of calories not only for the affluent,
but also for the urban and rural poor in many parts of the continent. Its
availability and price have become major determinants of the welfare of the
poorest African consumers.
Rice production in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA),
though rising from 8.6 million tonnes of paddy (unhulled) rice in 1980 to 12.6
million tonnes in 2005, has not kept pace with demand. As a result, the quantity
imported yearly by the region increased from 2.5 million tonnes in 1980 to 7.2
million tonnes in 2005. SSA spends more than US$1.5 billion in foreign exchange
every year for its rice imports.
In the short term, rice imports may
serve to bridge the gap in rice supply. But their increasing market share (40–45
percent of the total rice supply) reveals the region’s high dependency on
external supplies for one of its staple foods. More than 30 percent of the
internationally traded rice goes to Africa.
There is growing concern
about the foreign currency drain resulting from massive rice imports, the
marginalization of the local rice sector, and the food security implications of
dependency on fluctuating world market prices and supply chains for this staple
food. The situation is particularly worrying because the international rice
market is relatively small, accounting for only 4-6 percent of the total rice
produced globally.
Can sub-Saharan Africa substantially reduce its
rice imports?
Rice production in SSA is dominated by subsistence,
smallholder farmers who have limited access to markets, no equipment other than
hand-held tools and limited use of inputs. The average rice yield in the
sub-continent is the lowest in the world – 1.4 tonnes per hectare compared to
Asia's average of 4 tonnes (more than 6 tonnes in China).
However, rice
is successfully and economically produced in a wide range of agroecologies in
SSA. In Mali, f or example, rice yields have increased steadily in the Office du
Niger Project. In Madagascar, where per capita rice consumption is among the
highest in the world, most of the rice consumed is homegrown. Nigeria, which has
all the agro-ecological zones suitable for rice cultivation, has the potential
to become a major rice granary.
In SSA , the lowland rice ecology
consists of 20–50 million hectares. If only 2 million hectares of this area were
used to grow rice, producing an average yield of 3 tonnes per hectare, W est
Africa could easily stop its costly rice imports. Technologies to achieve this
potential are now reaching African farmers.
Impact of rice research
in sub-Saharan Africa
According to recent impact assessment studies, rice
research by national and international organizations is making a big difference
in Africa, where rice is mostly grown by women.
A study conducted in
2003 by T.J. Dalton and R.G. Guei in seven West African rice-producing countries
showed that a bout 100 improved rice varieties were released from 1980 to 2000,
generating sizable gains in rice productivity. A bout 40 percent of the total
rice area in SSA is planted with improved varieties, which are concentrated
particularly in the irrigated and mangrove rice areas.
Rice variety
improvement contributed, on average, US$375 million per year to the region’s
economy and possibly as much as $850 million. O verall, improved varieties have
increased net revenues by $93 per hectare, with the highest gains in irrigated
and rainfed lowland ecologies. T he returns to investment in rice research now
exceed 20 percent annually.
The study also revealed that, without variety
improvement, the regional balance-of-payment deficit for rice imports would have
been 40 percent higher. And it would have been necessary to bring an additional
658,000 hectares of land under rice cultivation to maintain current levels of
consumption.
The International Network for the Genetic Evaluation of Rice
(INGER)- Africa, based at the Africa Rice Center (WARDA), has contributed
importantly to this success. INGER- Africa promotes genetic diversity for
different ecosystems through the exchange, evaluation and utilization of
improved breeding materials originating from worldwide sources.
The New
Rice for Africa (NERICA), developed by WARDA and its partners, is a well-known
breakthrough. It is considered one of the major recent advances in rice variety
improvement.
There are many reports of NERICA’s positive impact on
farmers’ livelihood across SSA, from Guinea to Uganda. According to s
ocio-economic impact studies carried out in Benin by WARDA and its national
partner, NERICA adoption contributed to the following impacts:
-Child
school enrollment rose by 3 percent in farm families adopting NERICAs
-School retention rate increased by 3 percent
-School expenditure per
child increased by about 5,000 CFA ($8)
-Frequency of child sickness
declined by 2 percent
-Frequency of hospital attendance when sick rose by 5
percent
-Health expenditures per sick child increased by about 7,000 CFA
($12)
-When these modest impacts are extrapolated across the region’s entire
rice sector, then the value of the agricultural research that led to the
development of NERICAs becomes very significant.
-Impact studies also reveal
that rice research contributes effectively to the realization of almost all the
Millennium Development Goals, including halving poverty and hunger, promoting
education, improving health, reducing child mortality, empowering women and
ensuring environmental sustainability.
Pre-requisites for a rice
revolution in sub-Saharan Africa
Improved agricultural technologies,
however effective, will not by themselves bring about a rice revolution in SSA.
The Africa Rice Congress held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, from July 31 to August
4, 2006, underlined that to transform the region’s rice sector, governments must
institute policies that guarantee prices; create access to credit, inputs and
markets; and put in place safety nets and subsidies to support vulnerable
groups, particularly women farmers. Such policies will give farmers incentives
to adopt improved technologies that can raise their incomes and lift them out of
poverty.
Rice in Africa – Fast facts
-Rice is a staple food for
SSA’s rapidly growing population, whose rice consumption increased annually by
4.4 percent from 1961 to 2003.
-Rice is the region’s fourth most
important cereal in terms of production (after sorghum, maize and millet).
-Rice occupies 10 percent of the total land under cereals and contributes 15
percent of total cereal production in SSA.
-About 20 million farmers
in SSA grow rice, and about 100 million people depend on it for their
livelihoods.
-From 1985 to 2003, the region’s rice production
increased at an annual rate of 4 percent, compared to only 2.4 and 2.5 percent
for maize and sorghum, respectively.
-Rice is grown on 8.5 million hectares
in SSA, equal to 5.5 percent of the global rice area. Almost all of the region’s
38 countries grow rice, but two, Nigeria and Madagascar, account for 60 percent
of the rice land. Nine other countries grow rice on more than 100,000 hectares,
including Guinea and Cote d’Ivoire.
-Africa is the only continent where the
two species of cultivated rice – Oryza glaberrima (African rice) and Oryza sativa (Asian rice) – are grown.
-The most widely grown rice
species, Oryza sativa, is originally from Asia and was introduced in
Africa only about 450 years ago. It is high-yielding and responds well to inputs
but is not well adapted to African conditions.
-The less well-known rice
species, Oryza glaberrima, was domesticated in the Niger River Delta over
3,500 years ago. It is well adapted to African farming conditions but generally
has lower yield potential.
Source: Consultative Group on International Agricultural
Research (CGIAR), via SeedQuest.com
September, 2006
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1.04 Marker-assisted breeding comes of
age
Editorial by Charles Pick, Business Development Manager, DNA LandMarks Inc.
An article*
posted here on SeedQuest last year declared the 10th anniversary for
marker-assisted selection. In the article, scientists from Pioneer Hi-Bred described how, in the early
days, they were quite happy to screen 10,000 plants a year with DNA
markers. Today they routinely screen over 1 million plants annually.
Furthermore, they felt they had only seen the tip of the iceberg in terms of
this technology’s potential.
In fact genetic markers go back further than
10 years. In plants the technology started to develop in the 1980’s.
Even in those seminal days, scientists understood the tremendous potential that
existed in mapping the genomes of living organisms. Primarily they were
excited about the possibility to find genes of interest and then track them
reliably through generations of crosses.
Over the past two decades, there
have been many advances and applications of markers in plant breeding.
There are countless markers that have been found closely linked to traits of
interest and these are now used to screen plants for disease resistance, quality
characteristics, etc. Markers are also routinely used for fingerprinting
lines both as part of breeding work and for variety protection once material is
commercially released.
Yet for all of the work that has been done, marker
technology has remained relatively obscure to the general public. Ask
someone on the street what they think of GMOs and not only will they know what
you are talking about but they will probably have a strong opinion either pro or
con on the technology. Ask the same person what they think of
marker-assisted breeding and they will just look at you
quizzically.
However, a revolution seems to be in progress. These
days genetic markers are receiving considerably more attention. Recent
presentations by both Monsanto and Dupont /Pioneer have trumpeted marker-assisted
breeding as a key plank in their R&D strategy. Some of these
presentations even refer to it as a “new technology”. In a July article**
in the Washington Post, long time
GMO foe Jeremy Rifkin wrote with cautious optimism about the “new frontier” of
genomics and how it will render genetic engineering “obsolete”.
So why
are people only now discovering the importance of a technology that has been
with us for about 20 years? The two main reasons are the cost of the
technology and the complexity of the traits being sought.
In some ways
genetic marker technology has mirrored computer technology in its development
arc. Each development cycle reduces costs dramatically while at the same
time increasing the power of the technology. Isolating DNA from plant
tissue was once a cumbersome affair and seemed as much alchemy as true
science. Likewise, early DNA markers were mostly based on RFLP
(restriction fragment length polymorphism) technology which was slow and
expensive to run.
Today tiny leaf disks can be clipped from breeding
nurseries scattered around the globe, dried and shipped to a high-throughput lab
for DNA robotic extraction and analysis. Detection methods have evolved to
the point where only very small amounts of template DNA are required and changes
as small as a single nucleotide can be detected. Furthermore, thousands of
these reactions can be run in parallel. All of these changes have resulted
in the reaction costs dropping from several dollars to several cents each. Such dramatic cost reductions have not only made marker-assisted breeding
economically feasible, it has become strategically imperative to keep companies
competitive.
The second factor in marker technology’s rise in prominence
has to do with trait complexity. To understand why this is important, we
first need to look at genetic engineering. This technology is very
effective at moving single gene traits from one organism to another. Today
it is also routine to “stack” a number of these traits into a single
variety. Despite Jeremy Rifkin’s predictions, genetic engineering is still
an important tool in agricultural biotechnology and will likely remain so for
the foreseeable future.
However, most important agronomic traits (e.g.
yield, drought tolerance, nitrogen use efficiency) are not controlled by a
single gene. Instead they are run by complex interactions amongst numerous
genes. Not only are these traits dependent on the presence of the right
alleles of these genes, but in most cases the levels of expression of the genes
are also key to obtaining the best possible performance.
Genetic
engineering technology has not evolved to the point where these complex,
multigenic traits can be reliably spliced from one organism to another.
However by using genetic markers it is possible to analyze the various genetic
components that contribute to a complex trait. These components are unique
loci in the genome and analyzing their individual contribution to a trait is
known as quantitative trait loci or QTL analysis.
QTL analysis is where
the greatest potential of marker technology lies. This is why leading
agricultural biotech companies are starting to talk up their marker programs to
customers and the investment community. We have reached a confluence point
of cost and technology that will allow us to manage very complex and highly
valuable traits. By using genetic markers, researchers and breeders will
be able to find rare combinations of alleles at multiple loci that deliver
maximum genetic performance. Plant breeding has always been a numbers
game. Genetic markers will serve to better the breeders’ odds
tremendously.
* Key
agricultural productivity technology arrives at 10-year milestone:
marker-assisted selection has revolutionized how scientists increase crop
performance with native crop genes
** Beyond
genetically modified crops
Charles Pick can be reached at pickc@dnalandmarks.ca
Source:
SeedQuest.com (editorial, Sept. 2006)
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1.05 Are genomic technologies the answer to world
hunger?
Genomic technologies may have the potential to alleviate food
insecurity and food shortages around the world. Researchers believe that
biotechnology has the potential to improve the nutritional content of food crops
and, crucially, resistance to insects and disease. This could lead to improved
yields of food crops for both human and animal consumption. Researchers are also
working on 'molecular farming' – production of pharmaceutical products in
plants, with the potential to revolutionise vaccination procedures. However,
these technologies are only likely to impact on world hunger if there is
effective and efficient exchange of knowledge and experience through
partnerships.
A keynote speaker at the ESRC Innogen Centre's Annual
Conference to be held on 5th-6th September at Regent's College, London warns of
a caveat to this enthusiasm for the introduction of genomic technologies. Dr
Simon Best, Chairman of the Board of the International Crops Research Institute
for the Semi-Arid tropics (ICRISAT) highlights the need for greater and more
efficient collaboration between the public and private sectors involved in this
research. The Director of Development Partnerships for the International Potato
Centre (CIP), Dr. Roger Cortbaoui, echoes these arguments saying there is a need
to construct, "useful partnerships and networks including with the private
sector" in an industry where basic research is dominated by public funded
research centres.
Others argue that even greater private-public
interactions are not sufficient. Dr Andy Hall, from the Maastricht Economic and
Social Research and Training Centre on Innovation and Technology, believes
members of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR)
such as ICRISAT and CIP, are "struggling to deal with its limitations". Dr Hall
argues for a strengthening of interactions with communities and society in
general. Prof. Paul Richards of Wageningen University, says that not enough
attention is being placed on involving the poor in decisions and research on the
role of genomic technologies in dealing with food insecurity. The importance of
these voices is explained by other speakers at the conference who highlight the
complex negotiation of priorities by the different groups involved in these
research decisions that usually exclude the poor who ought to benefit most as
end users of these products.
These issues and more will be discussed at
the ESRC Innogen Centre's annual conference entitled 'Genomics for Development:
The Life Sciences and Poverty Reduction' to be held at Regent's College, London
on 5th-6th September 2006.
Contact Alexandra Saxon/Annika Howard at ESRC
alexandra.saxon@esrc.ac.uk / annika.howard@esrc.ac.uk
Contact: Rebecca Hanlin
r.e.hanlin@sms.ed.ac.uk
Economic & Social Research Council
Source: EurkeAlert.org
1 September 2006
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1.06 The maize with the beans inside: QPM gathers a following in Kenya
Kenya
Farmers of
the village of Kathaka Kaome in Embu district near Mount Kenya are saying that
quality protein maize (QPM) is as nutritious as Githeria local dish made
from maize and beans.
At a farmer field day on 24 July 2006, Samuel
Kinyua Mwitari, the chairperson of Nthambo Murimi Mwaro (Nthambo’s Best
Farmer) Self-help Group, has turned out in his best pinstripe suit. He stands
next to his plot of maize plantswith husks pulled back revealing mature,
full, healthy cobsto tell the 180 farmers present all they need to know
about quality protein maize (QPM).
Five other farmers, including the
Group’s Secretary, Susan Njeru, are also on hand to inform farmers from Kathaka
Kaome and neighboring villages about the new maize and its nutritional benefits.
“Personally, I won’t be planting any other maize!” she declares. “And I want to
advise everybody to plant QPM for the betterment of their families.”
Embu
is among the first four districts in Kenya’s Central Province to host QPM
promotion trials. The districts lie on the moist upper and dry lower slopes of
Mt. Kenya, where maize is a major dietary staple. Inhabitants boil whole dry
kernels with beans to make githeri, a popular local dish. But the price
of beans and other pulses has climbed steadily in recent years, and diets in
poorer households are increasingly maize-based. Serious protein malnutrition is
now common in weaning babies, whose staple is maize porridge.
Quality
protein maize grain contains enhanced levels of the essential amino acids lysine
and tryptophan, along with other characteristics that make more of its protein
useful to humans or farm animals. It has 90% of the nutritive value of milk, and
can stem or reverse protein malnutrition. Resource-poor farmers who cannot
afford supplements can use QPM in swine or poultry feeds to increase the
animals’ growth and productivity.
The QPM varieties being
promotedproducts of 30 years of research involving CIMMYT maize breeders and othersare
indistinguishable from normal maize in appearance, and mill and store just as
well. Does QPM taste better than normal maize? At the recent field day in Embu
the farmers said they preferred the taste, texture, and appearance of githeri made with the QPM.
The Canadian International Development
Agency (CIDA) is supporting the development and deployment of locally adapted
QPM, in a project led by CIMMYT agronomist Dennis Friesen. “The Kenya Agricultural
Research Institute has been our main partner in adapting QPM to local
environments and identifying farmer-preferred cultivars,” says Friesen. “We are
also working with the Catholic Relief Services, which has strong grassroots
linkages, the Catholic Diocese of Embu, and the Kenya Ministry of Agriculture,
to promote QPM on the ground.”
The QPM dissemination work fits the aims
of the Catholic Diocese of Embu, according to CDE chief extension officer, John
Namu Munene: “We at the diocese realize we have a responsibility to participate
in efforts that improve the lives of our people.” Addressing farmers at the
field day, he praised QPM: “Even without beans, with this maize your githeri is full of protein.”
Johnson Irungu, the Catholic Relief
Services (CRS) officer overseeing the dissemination project, says he is happy
with the acceptance of QPM among farmers, but is quick to add that seed
availability will be critical to sustaining the momentum. The QPM trait is
recessivemeaning that if the maize is planted close to non-QPM varieties
and is fertilized by their pollen, the quality trait will be lost. Farmers must
therefore buy certified QPM seed each season or avoid sowing nearby or at the
same time as neighboring, non-QPM maize fields. Embu Self-Help Group members are
well-versed in this special requirement and advise fellow farmers on how to
preserve the trait. As Susan Njeru explained to a group of farmers: “If you want
to recycle QPM you have to harvest the cobs that you will use for seed from the
center of your field, and keep them separate.”
CIMMYT has supported two local seed companies, Western
Seed Company and Freshco
Ltd, with training in QPM seed production and quality assurance, essential
for sustainability. They are producing seed of an extra-early, drought-tolerant,
open-pollinated QPM variety and two QPM hybrids for sale starting in 2007. Both
companies sent their representatives several hundred kilometers to Embu to
attend the field day.
Source: CIMMYT E-news vol 3
no 8
31 August 2006
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1.07 Biodiversity: galvanizing decision-makers into
action
Montpellier, France
The diversity of life on Earth is
shrinking at an unprecedented rate on every level, from gene to landscape. The
scientific community now sees this as self-evident, but to date, it has largely
failed to attract sufficient political attention to generate enough funding or
trigger operations to tackle the crisis. This is what prompted the idea of
setting up an international structure of scientific experts on biodiversity. The
final declaration made at the conference on "Biodiversity: Science and
Governance", held in Paris in January 2005, called for the launch of
international talks on setting up such a structure.
Why has society
failed to act in response to this biodiversity crisis? Biodiversity is one of
the cornerstones of sustainable development, notably by virtue of the ecological
services it renders. Moreover, it is a public asset under the sovereignty of
individual countries, which complicates matters somewhat. Lastly, given the
complexity of the subject itself and the overlaps between biodiversity and human
society, the scientific community working on the issue is itself diverse and
still highly fragmented. This is why it is now vital to compile the available
information, knowledge and know-how, and set up a group of experts capable of
achieving a usable overview of the situation. The aim is to support decisions to
be made in favour of the preservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. This
was the view expressed by nineteen authors in an article in the latest issue of
the journal Nature, dated 20 July 2006*. This type of structure already exists
for climate change issues, with the Intergovernmental Group of Experts on
Climate Change.
Towards an international panel of experts in
biodiversity
Talks with a view to setting up an ad hoc structure on
biodiversity began early in 2006. They are being led by an International
Steering Committee of scientists, government representatives and representatives
of international, intergovernmental or nongovernmental organizations and UN
specialist bodies. At the request of the French ministries concerned, the
Institut français de la biodiversité was chosen to manage and coordinate the
Executive Secretariat, and Didier Babin, a researcher with the CIRAD Forestry
Department, was appointed Executive Secretary.
Is such a structure really
essential? What form will it take? What are the organizational options that
would satisfy requirements? The talks should provide answers to all these
questions. To this end, it is necessary to identify, define and assess the gaps
and requirements that exist at the interface between biodiversity science and
decision-making processes. The first step in the talks will be to establish a
picture of how decisions are made concerning biodiversity: categories of
decision-makers, decision-making methods, traditional knowledge, local
practices, exchanges of knowledge, technology transfers, etc.
Pinpointing and solving the problems of transferring knowledge to
support decisions
The existing scientific expertise mechanisms (Millennium
Ecosystem Assessment, Intergovernmental Group of Experts on Climate Change, etc)
and their usefulness in terms of decision-making are also due to be analysed. To
study the sucesses and failures as regards preserving biodiversity, the
Executive Secretariat will be consulting the key stakeholders (people,
organizations, governments, private sector, international decision-making
bodies). The aim is to pinpoint and solve the problems concerning the transfer
of knowledge to support decisions. Various case studies will fuel the
assessment: how expertise is mobilized in response to crises such as bird flu,
invasive species, fishery management, etc.
This first stage is due to be
completed in October 2006. Subsequently, at the start of 2007, a second round of
talks will be organized on a global level, based on the results of the first
round. Following this second round, the International Steering Committee will be
making a series of recommendations and proposals on setting up the structure, to
be examined in June 2007.
Source: CIRAD via SeedQuest.com
1 September 2006
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1.08 Reflections on the first meeting of the International Treaty
on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture
The first meeting
of the Governing Body of the International Treaty on Plant
Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture does not sound like a source of
cliff-hanger thrills, but it was. Not until 5 in the morning on the last day,
after an all-night negotiating session, did delegates finally agree the text of
a contract that will govern the movement of samples of plant genetic resources.
With that in place, the way is clear for farmers and plant breeders to get
access to the biodiversity they need to adapt agriculture to meet unforeseen
future challenges.
Historically, the world has depended, and continues to
depend, on genetic resources from elsewhere. In the 1920s a Russian relative of
wheat donated resistance to a fungal disease that threatened the entire US
harvest. A new virulent race of that disease recently emerged and the solution
will also almost certainly be found in varieties from somewhere else. In recent
years the flow of material among breeders and farmers has dwindled considerably.
The Treaty loosens the regulatory log-jam by establishing a multi-lateral system
for access and benefit-sharing. A single variety may have hundreds of ancestors
from scores of countries in its pedigree. Rather than having to sign scores of
bilateral agreements, contracting parties sign up to the Treaty. That gives them
facilitated access to the plant genetic resources held by all the other
contracting parties.
Possibly the most important of these plant genetic
resources are held in the genebanks of the Centres of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural
Research (CGIAR). There are more than 650,000 accessions, with a
preponderance of the farmers' varieties and wild relatives that are such a rich
source of sought-after traits. The Standard Material Transfer Agreement (SMTA),
agreed early that Friday morning, sets the terms and conditions for the use of
these and other materials under the Treaty. Most notably, the SMTA establishes
that any variety that uses any material derived from the multilateral system is,
by definition, a "product". If that product is commercialized, a payment of 1.1%
of net sales goes into the Treaty's fund, to support conservation and research
in developing countries. The payment is compulsory if the new variety is not
available for further use in research and breeding and voluntary if it is
available.
An important and innovative aspect of the Treaty is the
recognition of a third-party beneficiary with a legal interest in its
enforcement. The SMTA is an agreement between provider and recipient of the
material, not among the contracting parties of the Treaty, but the monetary
benefits flow to an international fund. FAO (the Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations), acting as the third-party beneficiary, has
the right to bring legal action on behalf of the Treaty parties in cases of
suspected infringement.
Infringement will itself be easier to police,
thanks to the simple definition of a product and to the plans for an integrated
information system that will not only accumulate and share information about the
resources -- one of the non-monetary benefits envisaged by the Treaty -- but
will also make it easier to track which samples were distributed to
whom.
The meeting was a huge success. Negotiators were willing to
compromise on the level of payments, for example, and each side moved to meet
the other. The seed industry, which some sceptics were saying before the meeting
would scupper any chance of agreement, proved very constructive. So there is
cause to be hopeful, and we need it.
Swollen shoot disease of cacao, palm
leafhopper, banana bacterial wilt, Asian soybean rust, clover-root weevil, UG99
race of wheat rust; newly virulent pests and diseases are battering at
humanity’s food supply. Developed nations can choose to afford plant protection
chemicals, if they are available and effective. For poor farmers in developing
countries, genetic resources are one of the few assets they can use to secure
their food supply. With the International Treaty now in place, plant genetic
resources will once again be able to play a central role in improving
agriculture and securing our food supply for the future.
Editorial by Dr.
Emile Frison, Director General, International Plant Genetic Resources
Institute (IPGRI)
http://www.seedquest.com/forum/f/FrisonEmile/06sept.htm)
Dr.
Emile Frison can be reached at e.frison@cgiar.org
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1.09 Washington University researchers determine that
rice was domesticated independently at least twice
St. Louis,
Missouri
Biologists from Washington
University in St. Louis and their collaborators from Taiwan have examined
the DNA sequence family tree of rice varieties and have determined that the crop
was domesticated independently at least twice in various Asian locales.
Jason Londo, Washington University in Arts & Sciences biology
doctoral candidate, and his adviser, Barbara A. Schaal, Ph.D., Washington
University Spencer T. Olin Professor of Biology in Arts & Sciences, ran
genetic tests of more than 300 types of rice, including both wild and
domesticated, and found genetic markers that reveal the two major rice types
grown today were first grown by humans in India and Myanmar and Thailand (Oryza
sativa indica) and in areas in southern China (Oryza sativa japonica).
A
paper describing the research was published in the June 20, 2006 issue of the Proceedings of the U.S. National Academy of
Sciences.
"We chose samples across the entire range of rice and
looked for DNA sequences that were shared by both wild and domesticated types,"
said Londo. "These two major groups clustered out by geography."
DNA is
comprised of vast, varied combinations of chemical subunits known as base pairs.
Londo, Schaal and their collaborators concentrated on finding genetic markers
shared by both cultivated and wild rice types that ranged from 800 to 1,300 base
pairs.
Cultivated rice has a genetic signature that defines it as
cultivated, Schaal explained.
"What you do is go out and sample all the
wild rice across regions and you look for that signature in the wild," said
Schaal, who has done similar work with cassava and Jocote (a tropical fruit).
"You find that the unique signature of cultivated rice is only found in certain
geographic regions. And that's how you make the determination of where it came
from."
Schaal said that she was surprised and "delighted" by their
results. "People have moved rice around so much and the crop crosses with its
wild ancestors pretty readily, so I was fully prepared to see no domestication
signal whatsoever,," Schaal said.
"I would have expected to see
clustering of the cultivated rice, but I was delighted to see geographical
clustering of the wild rice. I was thrilled that there was even genetic
structure in the wild rice."
In contrast to rice, other staple crops
such as wheat, barley and corn appears to have been domesticated just once in
history.
Rice is the largest staple crop for human consumption,
supplying 20 percent of caloric content for the world.
By finding the
geographic origins of rice, researchers can consider ways to improve the crop's
nutritional value and disease resistance, which in turn can help impoverished
populations in Asia and elsewhere that rely heavily on the crop.
A third
type of rice might have originated independently in India, but the researchers
can't be certain, said Londo, because "with two of the gene networks we see
sharp similarities, but with a third one that emerges from the data we don't
have enough resolution."
Londo expects to find even more evidence for
differing geographic domestication. He said that by using the database that
they've gathered, they could design a sampling to target specialty rices such as
the aromatic rices basmati and jasmine.
For instance, one direction that
the researchers are going is Thailand, where the Karen tribe has been using
multiple landraces of rice for many hundreds of years, Landraces are localized
varieties of rice that have been cultivated by traditional methods and have been
passed down many generations, Schaal said. "We're going to try to find out how
landrace varieties change after domestication. These landraces are ancient
varieties, which are high in genetic diversity, thus valuable to breeders
looking for new traits."
Source: SeedQuest.com
7 September 2006
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1.10 Legume
genome evolution viewed through the Medicago truncatula and Lotus
japonicus genomes
ABSTRACT
Genome sequencing of
the model legumes, Medicago truncatula and Lotusjaponicus, provides an opportunity for large-scale sequence-basedcomparison of two genomes in the same plant family. Here wereport synteny comparisons between these species, includingdetails about chromosome relationships, large-scale syntenyblocks, microsynteny within blocks, and genome regions lackingclear correspondence. The Lotus and Medicago genomes share
a minimum of 10 large-scale synteny blocks, each with
substantial collinearity and frequently extending the length of whole
chromosome arms. The proportion of genes syntenic and collinear
within each synteny block is relatively homogeneous. Medicago-Lotus comparisons also indicate similar and largely
homogeneous gene densities, although gene-containing regions in Mt occupy 20-30% more space than Lj counterparts,
primarily because of larger numbers of Mt retrotransposons.
Because the interpretation of genome comparisons is complicated by
large-scale genome duplications, we describe synteny, synonymous
substitutions and phylogenetic analyses to identify and date a
probable whole-genome duplication event. There is no direct evidence
for any recent large-scale genome duplication in either Medicago or Lotus but instead a duplication predating
speciation. Phylogenetic comparisons place this duplication within
the Rosid I clade, clearly after the split between legumes and
Salicaceae (poplar).
Steven B. Cannon, Lieven Sterck, Stephane
Rombauts, Shusei Sato, Foo Cheung, Jérôme Gouzy, Xiaohong Wang, Joann Mudge,
Jayprakash Vasdewani, Thomas Scheix, Manuel Spannagl, Erin Monaghan, Christine
Nicholson, Sean J. Humphray, Heiko Schoof, Klaus F. X. Mayer, Jane Rogers,
Francis Quétier, Giles E. Oldroyd, Frédéric Debellé, Douglas R. Cook, Ernest F.
Retzel, Bruce A. Roe, Christopher D. Town, Satoshi Tabata, Yves Van de Peer, and
Nevin D. Young
Link: http://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/abstract/0603228103v1?etoc
Source: Proceedings ot the National Academy of Sciences of
the United States of America via SeedQuest.com
26 September 2006
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1.11 Researchers characterise germplasm of the Australian Lupin Collection to give
lupin breeding programs better access to novel traits
Western
Australia
Wild lupins flowering herald more than just the arrival of
spring.
They indicate the start of the most robust evaluation yet of the
genetic secrets held within the Australian Lupin Collection (ALC) at the Department of Agriculture and Food, Western
Australia (DAFWA).
As part of the evaluation, highly skilled Western
Australian researchers, working through the Centre for Legumes in Mediterranean
Agriculture (CLIMA) partnership, have begun to group representative samples
of the 2000 lupin lines held in the ALC.
While the ALC has already been
tapped for sources of resistance to anthracnose, phomopsis and pleiochaeta root
rot (PRR), creation of a core collection will cut down the time it takes lupin
breeders to identify important traits for crop improvement.
Supported by
the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC), the project began last
year on the ALC’s 1300 different narrow leafed lupins and through DNA
fingerprinting, created a core sample of 120 wild narrow leafed lupin
accessions.
This core sample, representing the range of genetic diversity
across the collection, is flowering at the University of Western Australia (UWA) Shenton
Park field station.
CLIMA researcher Dr Fucheng Shan said the core would
firstly be evaluated for yield and then quality and resistance to diseases such
as Brown Spot, PRR and seed transmission of Cucumber Mosaic Virus.
“We
will evaluate the core for 18 biotic and 21 quality characteristics which have
been prioritised by lupin breeders,” Dr Shan said.
“The characterised
germplasm will give lupin breeding programs better access to novel traits that
will allow development of superior new cultivars to benefit the Australian lupin
industry.”
Dr Shan said representative core collections would also be
developed from the Yellow, Albus and Pearl lupin collections within the ALC.
The ALC, built up since 1958 from local collecting missions abroad and
germplasm imports from overseas breeding programs, is the most comprehensive
lupin collection in the world and includes a substantial representation of
nearly all other lupin species from the Mediterranean area and North
Africa.
Other researchers working on the collection include Dr Jon
Clements (UWA and DAFWA) and James Ponds, a PhD student from UWA.
Dr
Clements said while there had been previous morphological and geographical
evaluation of subsets of the ALC in the early 1990s, this was the first time it
had been attempted using combined morphology and DNA techniques.
Source:
SeedQuest.com
20 September 2006
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1.12 Cost-benefit ratios and the purpose of seed
collections
Rome, Italy
The best stamp collections and the worst
genebanks have a lot in common. Neither get used for the purpose for which they
were intended.
Last year, America's biggest investment fund manager,
Bill Gross, shelled out $3 million to acquire the one stamp he needed to
complete his personal collection of 19th century U.S. postage stamps. He won't
be pasting it on a postcard. Valuable stamps don't circulate.
Frozen in
a genebank, seed collections are about as useful but considerably less valuable
than Mr. Gross's stamps. Used in plant breeding programs, they have considerably
more value. But this doesn't mean that it is easy to place a precise economic
value on this genetic resource. The value it has is realized in the crop
varieties planted in farmers' fields. It is not expressed inside a freezer.
Either farmers have crop varieties that withstand pests, diseases, floods,
droughts and heat waves, or they don't. Either they grow varieties that produce
adequate yields, or they don't and perhaps people go hungry as a consequence.
All these things depend on whether the requisite genetic traits exist and
whether plant breeders have access to them, or not.
While not all the
benefits of crop diversity can be reduced to monetary measurements, some can,
and thus, with a bit of difficulty, it is possible to talk about the
cost-benefit ratio of conserving crop diversity and making it available for use.
Like clay to a sculptor or water to a fireman, the value of genetic
resources is best understood in relation to the result of its
use.
A Miserable Looking Wheat
In 1948, Jack Harlan - plant
explorer, archaeobotanist, geneticist, breeder, and all of 30 years old - strode
into one of the more remote corners of the world, a Kurdish area of Turkey in
Southeast Anatolia. There, understanding that looks can be deceiving, he
collected a number of samples of different crops, including what he described as
a "hopelessly useless" wheat. This particular one entered the U.S. genetic
resources system as Plant Introduction No. 178383, its seeds dutifully stored in
the genebank. Fifteen years later this miserable wheat rescued farmers in the
Pacific Northwest of the U.S. from disaster, when an outbreak of the disease
'stripe rust' threatened to decimate their wheat fields. It quickly entered the
pedigrees of virtually all varieties grown there. The gain to productivity has
been calculated at millions of dollars annually. One crop. One disease. One
sample. A few seeds collected at small expense - Harlan traveled simply, often
on donkey - and conserved in the genebank at an annual cost of less than a
dollar. The cost benefit ratio: many thousands to one. The absolute monetary
benefit: probably greater than the sum needed to conserve all wheat diversity in
perpetuity.
Every crop has a similar story. Most crops have many.
Consider a few examples of the returns on investment:
-Every dollar spent on all wheat research at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement
Center (CIMMYT) in Mexico, has generated $27 in benefits when measured only from the resistance it has produced for one disease (leaf
rust) in one type of wheat (spring bread wheat). This is a benefit of
$5.36 billion (in 1990 dollars).
-Armineh Zohrabian and colleagues writing
in the American Journal of Agricultural Economics calculated that the value of
adding a single sample to the U.S. soybean collection simply to search for
resistance to a single pest would likely exceed costs (collection, conservation
and screening) 36-61 times over. The estimate is conservative, of course,
because samples can be screened and used for multiple traits.
-Similarly,
Robert Evenson of Yale University and Douglas Gollin of Williams College traced
the flow of genetic resources at the International Rice Research Institute
(IRRI) into new varieties released and grown in developing countries. They
estimated that adding an additional 1000 samples to IRRI's genebank would
generate an annual stream of benefits to poor farmers of $325 million. Contrast
this with the amount that would be needed in an endowment to conserve 1000
samples in perpetuity: $10,580. But, the Global Crop Diversity Trust is not in
the stamp collection business. We also intend to endow the costs of periodic
multiplication of the seed and distribution to researchers and breeders,
forever. The total cost then comes to $61,770. In other words, a one-time
expenditure of less than $100,000 ends up producing annual benefits of $325
million.
Counting the Uncountable
As stunning as these figures
appear, they fail to capture the full benefit or value of crop diversity. One
can calculate the impact on food production of growing a disease resistant crop
variety as opposed to growing one that is susceptible. And one can place an
economic value on the differential. But, not everything that counts can be
counted, as Einstein once pointed out. The genetic resources in genebanks do not
simply provide disease resistance, they underpin the ability of the crop to be a
crop. What is the real value of wheat? Not some extra bushels of wheat, but
wheat itself. How can one put a dollar figure on crop diversity's irreplaceable
role in underpinning agriculture and human civilization? Perhaps it's best not
to try. Instead, think of crop diversity as a "public good," as simply part of
the infrastructure of human society. It's worth more than money.
From
Civilization to the Environment. Lloyd Evans, plant physiologist, past president
of the Australian Academy of Science, and author of Feeding the Ten Billion,
notes that historically - since the dawn of agriculture - the easiest and most
common way of producing more food was to cut down more trees and expand the
amount of land under cultivation. Today, we understand this to be a particularly
costly strategy, particularly when genetics can substitute for the chainsaw.
If, therefore, we seek to understand the true value of crop diversity,
one thing we must do is consider agriculture's role in the larger ecosystem.
Productive agricultural systems provide benefits to the environment: fewer trees
cut down, less pesticide residue in soils, rivers and people.
These are
only two, albeit huge, non-quantifiable benefits society reaps from having - and
using - collections of crop genetic resources. There are still
more.
Scientific knowledge itself is one. Genebank collections are the
basis for a great deal of basic biological research - a survey of the journals
Crop Science, Euphytica, Plant Breeding and Theoretical and Applied Genetics
found that 23% of the articles were based on research conducted with materials
from crop genebanks.
Finally, there is what economists would term the "insurance" value. Crop diversity collected, conserved and made available to
plant breeders and researchers, functions as an insurance policy against future
pests and diseases, the impact of climate change, and constraints to supplies of
energy and water. It is easy enough to calculate the cost of this insurance
premium - it's the bill for maintaining genebank collections of crop diversity.
But, calculating the value of this service is simply impossible. The bargain is
obvious.
Are genebanks biological stamp collections? Unfortunately, some
are. But genetic resources are not stamps. Some people may get pleasure from
knowing that thousands of distinct types of wheat are tucked away in a genebank,
much as Bill Gross is doubtless happy simply knowing that his stamps are safe
and sound in his collection.
However, the Trust is working to take
collections far beyond "safe and sound." The greatest and most enduring value of
crop diversity is derived when genebank collections are linked with research and
plant breeding efforts. This mixture creates cost-benefit ratios that Mr. Gross,
in his day job as America's biggest investment fund manager, would find
absolutely breathtaking.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE SUBJECT
Dudnick, N.S.,
I. Thormann and T. Hodgkin (2001) "The Extent and Use of Plant Genetic Resources
in Research: A literature survey." Crop Science. Vol. 41, No. 1.
Koo,
B., P. Pardey, B. Wright, et al. (2004) Saving Seeds: The Economics of
Conserving Crop Genetic Resources Ex Situ in the Future Harvest Centres of the
CGIAR. CABI Publishing.
Smale, M. and B. Koo (eds.) (December 2003) What
is a Genebank Worth? Biotechnology and Genetic Resource Policies, Briefs 7-12.
International Food Policy Research Institute, International Plant Genetic
Resources Institute, and the System-Wide Genetic Resources Programme (of the
CGIAR).
http://www.ifpri.org/pubs/rag/br1002.pdf
Source: The Global Crop Diversity Trust via
SeedQuest.com
22 September 2006
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1.13 Mungbean varieties give new meaning to “fast food”
Tainan,
Taiwan
New varieties of mungbean are providing a fast food for south Asia
that is not only highly nutritious, but can be squeezed into a vacant niche in
between other major food crops.
With the price of meat well over what
most people in the world can afford, looking for practical alternative sources
of protein becomes a matter of survival.
Legumes with their high protein
content are a great option. Mungbean in particular has 24% easily digestible
protein, high iron content, and significant amounts of calcium, phosphorus, and
some essential vitamins. It is also highly versatile - eaten as appetizing bean
sprouts for salads and side dishes, sautéed, turned into noodles or delicious
dhal, providing the base for exotic soups or even used as a mouth-watering bread
filling.
Scientists in South Asia, in a project supported by the World Vegetable Center (AVRDC), looked at how
mungbean production could be improved in the region not only to provide cheap
protein but also to raise the income of farmers.
Through the project’s
three-year multi-locational and multi-seasonal trials conducted in the region,
Bangladesh and India were able to develop and release improved cultivars with
high yields of 1.5 tonnes per hectare, maturing evenly in only 60-65 days. Such
fast evenly maturing varieties are preferred because they can be grown in
between other major crops and harvested before the onset of rains. Other
varietal features developed were large shiny seeds and resistance to thrips and
mungbean yellow mosaic virus.
Several improved mungbean varieties were
developed and evaluated during the project including the World Vegetable
Center's UPM 98 or Pant Mung-5 (photo); India’s SML 668, NM-92, Pusa Bold (Pusa
Vishal); Bangladesh’s IPK-1040-94, BARImug 2 and BUmug 2; and Nepal’s VC 6372
(45-8-1). Most of these are now being distributed through seed dispersal and
technology dissemination programs in the Indo-Gangetic Plains of South Asia.
For some of these varieties the benefits were very obvious. For
instance, the extraordinary Pusha Vishal is an extra-short duration variety
which matures in only 55 days and yields up to 43.3% over the traditional
varieties. Pant Mung-5, on the other hand, is resistant to MYMV, Cercospora leaf spot, and Anthracnose diseases.
“The
benefits of this project are currently being extended to some of the poorest
areas of South Asia,” World Vegetable Center Director General Thomas Lumpkin
said. Even so, he asks governments in South Asia to “support mungbean research
and development activities, and help develop policies ensuring appropriate
market price for mungbean and other legumes.”
The next task of the
breeding programme will be to work with farmers to produce varieties with better
drought tolerance for use in marginal and semi-arid situations. Farmers also
need more research on management of insects such as pod borer, white fly and
weevils and the control of diseases such as Cercospora leaf spot and powdery
mildew.
Armed with new varieties from the World Vegetable Center,
farmers are now much better able to take advantage of mungbeans in their
cropping systems to grow healthy fast food.
Source:
SeedQuest.com
September 2006
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1.14 Battle continues against leaf rust in
oats
Queensland, Australia
New rust-resistant oat lines from North
America will be introduced to Australia during the next few years to strengthen
the Queensland forage oats breeding program.
Queensland Department of Primary Industries and
Fisheries oat breeder, Bruce Winter, said he would soon start introducing a
range of new breeding lines he had selected during a recent trip to the United
States and Canada.
Mr Winter said Queensland and New South Wales
graziers would benefit from the introduction of this germplasm through the
release of new, leaf rust resistant varieties.
Mr Winter visited the key
oat breeding programs in the US and Canada, looking for new sources of
resistance to leaf rust, the major disease of forage oats in sub-tropical
Australia.
“Leaf rust is a very aggressive disease and can cause
significant yield loss in wetter seasons,” he said.
“The disease
has readily overcome the single resistance genes present in many older
varieties.
“Leaf rust is very topical among North American researchers
since several new races recently emerged and overcame the resistance in some
popular varieties,” Mr Winter said.
He said the Queensland breeding
program was constantly looking for new sources of resistance to this disease,
and he identified a range of promising lines during this trip.
“These
lines will be imported into Australia, evaluated under local conditions, and
used for breeding of new varieties,” he said.
Mr Winter said although
grain and forage oats were minor crops in Australia, the oat industry in North
America was much larger, and much greater resources were invested in developing
of new varieties.
He said a highlight of the trip was a visit with Dr
James Chong in Winnipeg, Canada.
Dr Chong had spent over 30 years
looking for new sources of leaf rust resistance in the wild relatives of oat.
New genes released from his program had been used in oat varieties all over the
world.
“Forage oats are critically important to the grazing industries
in Queensland and NSW,” Mr Winter said.
“They are the main feed
source for many farming operations during winter. Farmers often rely on forage
oats for finishing livestock during this period.”
Mr Winter and research
technician Richard Uebergang manage the forage oat breeding program at the
Leslie Research Centre, Toowoomba.
“The project aims is to release
commercial varieties with durable resistance to leaf rust and high forage yield,
combined with good early vigour and late maturity.
“The breeding program
receives funding support from Meat and Livestock Australia and Heritage Seeds,
and all varieties released by the program are marketed by Heritage Seeds,” Mr
Winter said.
Source: SeedQuest.com
4 September 2006
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1.15 UGA scientists engineer root-knot
nematode resistance
Athens, Ga. – University of Georgia professor
Richard Hussey has spent 20 years studying a worm-shaped parasite too small to
see without a microscope. His discovery is vastly bigger. Hussey and his
research team have found a way to halt the damage caused by one of the world's
most destructive groups of plant pathogens.
Root-knot nematodes are the
most economically important group of plant-parasitic nematodes worldwide, said
Hussey, a distinguished research professor in plant pathology at the UGA College
of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.
They attack nearly every food
and fiber crop grown, about 2,000 plant species in all.
The nematode
invades plant roots, and by feeding on the roots' cells, they cause the roots to
grow large galls, or knots, damaging the crop and reducing its
yields.
Working with assistant research scientist Guozhong Huang and
research technician Rex Allen, Hussey discovered how to make plants resistant to
root-knot nematode infection.
Eric Davis at North Carolina State
University and Thomas Baum at Iowa State University also collaborated on the
research.
The discovery "has the potential to revolutionize root-knot
resistance in all crops," Hussey said.
The most cost-effective and
sustainable management tactic for preventing root-knot nematode damage and
reducing growers' losses, he said, is to develop resistant plants that prevent
the nematode from feeding on the roots. Because root-knot nematode resistance
doesn't come naturally in most crops, Hussey's group bioengineered their
own.
The results of the study were published Sept. 26 in the journal,
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Four common root-knot
nematode species account for 95 percent of all infestations in agricultural
land. By discovering a root-knot nematode parasitism gene that's essential for
the nematode to infect crops, the scientists have developed a resistance gene
effective against all four species.
Using a technique called RNA
interference, the researchers have effectively turned the nematode's biology
against itself. They genetically modified Arabidopsis, a model plant, to produce
double-stranded RNA to knock out the specific parasitism gene in the nematode
when it feeds on the plant roots.
This knocked out the parasitism gene in
the nematode and disrupted its ability to infect plants.
"No natural
root-knot resistance gene has this effective range of root-knot nematode
resistance," Hussey said.
The researchers' efforts have been directed
primarily at understanding the molecular tools the nematode uses to infect
plants. This is a prerequisite for bioengineering durable resistance to these
nematodes in crop plants.
Through this research, they've discovered the
parasitism genes that make a nematode a plant parasite so it can attack and feed
on crops, Huang said.
"Our results of in-plant RNA interference silencing
of a parasitism gene in root-knot nematodes provides a way to develop crops with
broad resistance to this destructive pathogen," Hussey said. "Equally important,
our approach makes available a strategy for developing
root-knot-nematode-resistant crops for which natural resistance genes do not
exist."
Contact: Stephanie Schupska
schupska@uga.edu
Source:
EurekAlert.org
27 September 2006
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1.16 The first tree genome is published: Poplar holds promise as renewable
bioenergy resource
WALNUT CREEK, CA--Wood from a
common tree may one day factor prominently in meeting transportation fuel needs,
according to scientists whose research on the fast-growing poplar tree is
featured on the cover of tomorrow's edition of the journal Science.
The
article, highlighting the analysis of the first complete DNA sequence of a tree,
the black cottonwood or Populus trichocarpa, lays the groundwork that may lead
to the development of trees as an ideal "feedstock" for a new generation of
biofuels such as cellulosic ethanol. The research is the result of a four-year
scientific and technical effort, led by the U.S. Department of Energy's Joint
Genome Institute (DOE JGI) and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), uniting the
efforts of 34 institutions from around the world, including the University of
British Columbia, and Genome Canada; Umeå University, Sweden; and Ghent
University, Belgium.
"Biofuels could provide a major answer to our energy
needs by giving the United States a homegrown, environmentally friendlier
alternative to imported oil," said DOE's Under Secretary for Science Dr. Raymond
L. Orbach. "Fine-tuning plants for biofuels production is one of the keys to
making biofuels economically viable and cost-effective. This research, employing
the latest genomic technologies, is an important step on the road to developing
practical, biologically-based substitutes for gasoline and other fossil fuels."
"Biofuels are not only attractive for their potential to cut reliance on
oil imports but also their reduced environmental impact," said Dr. Gerald A.
Tuskan, ORNL and DOE JGI researcher and lead author of the SCIENCE study.
"Biofuels emit fewer pollutants than fossil fuels such as gasoline. In
addition, poplar and related plants are vital managers of atmospheric carbon.
Trees store captured carbon dioxide in their leaves, branches, stems, and roots.
This natural process provides opportunities to improve carbon removal from the
air by producing trees that effectively shuttle and store more carbon below
ground in their roots and the soil. Moreover, bioenergy crops re-absorb carbon
dioxide emitted when biofuels are consumed, creating a cycle that is essentially
carbon neutral."
Poplar's extraordinarily rapid growth, and its
relatively compact genome size of 480 million nucleotide units, 40 times smaller
than the genome of pine, are among the many features that led researchers to
target poplar as a model crop for biofuels production.
"Under optimal
conditions, poplars can add a dozen feet of growth each year and reach maturity
in as few as four years, permitting selective breeding for large-scale
sustainable plantation forestry," said Dr. Sam Foster of the U.S. Forest
Service. "This rapid growth coupled with conversion of the lignocellulosic
portion of the plant to ethanol has the potential to provide a renewable energy
resource along with a reduction of greenhouse gases."
"The challenge of
global warming requires global solutions," said Martin Godbout, President,
Genome Canada. "The international consortium that successfully sequenced the
poplar genome provides a model for great minds working together and serves as an
example of how discovery science can be applied to current environmental
problems facing humanity."
Among the major discoveries yielded from the
poplar project is the identification of over 45,000 protein-coding genes, more
than any other organism sequenced to date, approximately twice as many as
present in the human genome (which has a genome six times larger than the
poplar's). The research team identified 93 genes associated with the production
of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin, the building blocks of plant cell walls.
The biopolymers cellulose and hemicellulose constitute the most abundant organic
materials on earth, which by enzymatic action, can be broken down into sugars
that in turn can be fermented into alcohol and distilled to yield fuel-quality
ethanol and other liquid fuels.
Poplar is the most complex genome to be
sequenced and assembled by a single public sequencing facility and only the
third plant to date to have its genome completely sequenced and published. The
first, back in 2000, was the tiny weed, Arabidopsis thaliana, an important model
for plant genetics. Rice was the second, two years ago. Populus trichocarpa is
one of the tallest broadleaf hardwood trees in the western U.S., native to the
Pacific coast from San Diego to Alaska. The sequenced DNA was isolated from a
specimen collected along the banks of the Nisqually river in Washington
State.
The poplar project supports a broader DOE drive to accelerate
research into biofuels production, under the Bush Administration's Advanced
Energy Initiative. In August, the department announced it would spend $250
million over five years to establish and operate two new Bioenergy Research
Centers. The DOE-supported research into biofuels is focusing on both plants and
microbes, in an effort to discover new biotechnology-based methods of producing
fuels from plant matter (biomass) cost-effectively.
Earlier this year
DOE published a study summarizing the views of over fifty leading scientists in
the field of biofuels research that expressed optimism about the prospects for
finding cost-effective methods to produce fuels such as ethanol from cellulose
in the not-too-distant future (Breaking the Biological Barriers to Cellulosic
Ethanol, available at http://genomicsgtl.energy.gov/biofuels/b2bworkshop.shtml).
Secretary of Energy Samuel W. Bodman has set a departmental goal of replacing 30
percent of current transportation fuel demand with biofuels by 2030.
DOE
scientists envision a future where vast poplar farms in regions such as the
Pacific Northwest, the upper Midwest, and portions of the southeastern U.S.
could provide a steady supply of tree biomass rich in cellulose that can be
transformed by specialized biorefineries into fuels like ethanol. Other regions
of the country might specialize in different "energy crops" suited to their
particular climate and soil conditions, including such plants as switchgrass and
willow. In addition, a large quantity of biofuels might be produced from
agricultural and forestry waste.
A 2005 joint study by DOE and the U.S.
Department of Agriculture found that the United States has enough agricultural
and forestry land to support production of over one billion tons of biomass,
which could provide enough liquid biofuels to replace over a third of current
transportation fuel consumption, and still continue to meet food, feed, and
export demands (Biomass as Feedstock for a Bioenergy and Bioproducts Industry:
The Technical Feasibility of a Billion-Ton Annual Supply, available at http://feedstockreview.ornl.gov/pdf/billion_ton_vision.pdf).
The DOE Joint Genome Institute, supported by the DOE Office of Science,
unites the expertise of five DOE national laboratories, Lawrence Berkeley,
Lawrence Livermore, Los Alamos, Oak Ridge, and Pacific Northwest, along with the
Stanford Human Genome Center to advance genomics in support of the DOE missions
related to clean energy generation and environmental characterization and
clean-up. DOE JGI's Walnut Creek, Calif. Production Genomics Facility provides
integrated high-throughput sequencing and computational analysis that enable
systems-based scientific approaches to these challenges. Additional information
about DOE JGI can be found at: http://www.jgi.doe.gov/.
Contact:
David Gilbert
gilbert21@llnl.gov
DOE/Joint Genome Institute
Source:
EurekAlert.com
14 September 2006
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1.17 Characterization of capsaicin synthase and identification of its gene
(csy1) for pungency factor capsaicin in
pepper
ABSTRACT
Capsaicin is a unique alkaloid of the plant
kingdom restricted to the genus Capsicum. Capsaicin is the
pungency factor, a bioactive molecule of food and of medicinal
importance. Capsaicin is useful as a counterirritant, antiarthritic,
analgesic, antioxidant, and anticancer agent. Capsaicin biosynthesis
involves condensation of vanillylamine and 8-methyl nonenoic acid,
brought about by capsaicin synthase (CS). We found that CS activity
correlated with genotype-specific capsaicin levels. We purified and
characterized CS (~35 kDa). Immunolocalization studies confirmed that
CS is specifically localized to the placental tissues of Capsicum fruits. Western blot analysis revealed concomitant
enhancement of CS levels and capsaicin accumulation during fruit
development. We determined the N-terminal amino acid sequence of
purified CS, cloned the CS gene (csy1) and sequenced
full-length cDNA (981 bp). The deduced amino acid sequence of CS from
full-length cDNA was 38 kDa. Functionality of csy1 through
heterologous expression in recombinant Escherichia coli was
also demonstrated. Here we report the gene responsible for capsaicin
biosynthesis, which is unique to Capsicum spp. With this
information on the CS gene, speculation on the gene for pungency is
unequivocally resolved. Our findings have implications in the
regulation of capsaicin levels in Capsicum genotypes.
Source:
B. C. Narasimha Prasad, Vinod Kumar, H. B. Gururaj, R.
Parimalan, P. Giridhar, and G. A. Ravishankar
Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences (PNAS)
September 5, 2006 | vol. 103 | no. 36 | 13315-13320
http://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/abstract/103/36/13315?etoc
Via
SeedQuest.com
5 September 2006
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1.18 New field data supports development of more nitrogen efficient crops that
promise to benefit farmers and the environment
Davis,
California
The end of summer marks the peak of "dead zone" season when vast
swathes of coastal ocean waters become oxygen-starved and uninhabitable by
marine life. Much of this problem is due to the presence of excess nutrients,
primarily nitrogen, from agricultural fertilizer and industrial runoff. Bringing
a sustainable solution to the dead zone problem, Arcadia Biosciences today announced that it
has completed multiple field trials demonstrating Nitrogen Use Efficient (NUE)
crops that achieve high yields and require 50% less nitrogen fertilizer than
conventional crops.
According to the United Nations Environment Program,
dead zones are one of the world's top environmental threats. The growth of dead
zones in late spring is often accelerated by nitrogen fertilizer runoff, which
promotes runaway algae growth in rivers and coastal waters. At the end of the
growth cycle, decomposition of the dead algae depletes oxygen from the water,
making it virtually uninhabitable by marine life. There are 146 dead zones
worldwide, and more than 20 in the U.S. Each year a dead zone estimated at 8,000
square miles forms where the Mississippi River enters The Gulf of Mexico. In the
Chesapeake Bay, the largest U.S. estuary, 40 percent of the principal waterway
was recently classified as a dead zone. In an effort to reduce the nitrogen
pollution that causes dead zones, state legislatures bordering the Chesapeake
Bay have requested millions of dollars from State and Federal governments to
fund conservation programs aimed at reduced use of nitrogen fertilizer.
Nitrogen fertilizer use has historically increased, and is expected to
continue to do so, as agricultural production responds to rising world demand
for food and energy.
Arcadia Biosciences' NUE technology allows crops to
use nitrogen fertilizer much more efficiently. Arcadia announced the
demonstration of NUE technology in canola plants through a series of eight field
trials performed over five growing seasons in three different areas.
In
all field trials the NUE canola plants produced high yields with more than a 50%
reduction in nitrogen fertilizer application.
Considering the increasing
cost of nitrogen fertilizer, which is tied to the rising cost of natural gas,
NUE technology gives farmers an economic incentive to reduce nitrogen fertilizer
use. Reduction in fertilizer use can have a major positive impact on water
quality, greenhouse gas emissions, and the amount of total energy used in
agricultural production. The company is working on demonstrating NUE technology
in other key crops such as corn, rice, and wheat, and has additional field
trials underway.
"In contrast to subsidized conservation programs, NUE
technology offers a sustainable way for farmers to reduce nitrogen inputs
because it provides an economic incentive to use less fertilizer," said Eric
Rey, president and CEO of Arcadia. "We've demonstrated the technology in
multiple key agricultural crops and think that it offers a 'win-win' opportunity
for farmers and the environment."
Based in Davis, California, with
additional facilities in Seattle, Washington and Phoenix, Arizona, Arcadia
Biosciences is an agricultural technology company focused on the development of
agricultural products that improve the environment and enhance human
health.
Source: SeedQuest.com
21 September 2006
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1.19 Pollen-mediated gene flow in maize
in real situations of coexistence
Co-existence mapped for Bt,
conventional maize
Most markets allow a 0.9% threshold of adventitious
presence for genetically modified (GM) organisms. At what distance should GM
crops be planted from conventional ones to keep within the threshold? In “Pollen-mediated gene flow in maize in real situations of coexistence”,
Joaquima Messeguer and colleagues from various research institutions in
Barcelona and Girona, Spain conduct the first study on cross-fertilization
between Bt and conventional maize in real situations of coexistence in two
regions in which Bt and conventional maize were cultivated. Their findings
appear in the latest issue of Plant Biotechnology.
Scientists sampled
maize from transgenic fields and analyzed them for the presence of GM DNA using
the real-time quantification system-polymerase chain reaction (RTQ-PCR)
technique. Researchers found that:
1) in general, the rate of
cross-fertilization between GM and conventional plants was higher in the
borders, with decreasing rates toward the center of the field;
2) In real
conditions of coexistence and in cropping areas with smaller fields, the main
factors that determined cross-pollination were the synchronicity of flowering
and the distances between the donor and receptor fields;
3) By establishing
an index on the two variables, a distance of about 20 m would be sufficient to
maintain the 0.9% threshold.
Read the abstract of the article at
http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1467-7652.2006.00207.x
Subscribers to Plant Biotechnology can access the complete article through
the same link.
Source: CropBiotech
Update via SeedQuest.com
22 September 2006
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2 PUBLICATIONS
2.01 CABI
to publish ground-breaking reference book: The Encyclopedia of
Seeds
United Kingdom
The Encyclopedia of Seeds is the first
authoritative reference work to give an extensive insight into all aspects of
seed biology, seed technology and the uses of seeds, and will be published by CABI, on October 6 th 2006.
Edited by Michael Black, J Derek Bewley and Peter Halmer, The
Encyclopedia of Seeds was launched at the International Horticulture Conference
and Exhibition 2006 in Seoul , South Korea in August 2006, where it generated
substantial attention. To date the book has received hundreds of pre-publication
orders – an indication of the exceptional interest it has already stirred.
Major seed-science themes of the book include in-depth articles on:
anatomy, structure, composition, pathology and the molecular biology,
biochemistry, physiology, and ecology of development, dormancy and germination.
Alongside these are articles on seed technology: production and
processing for crop cultivation – multiplication, conditioning, handling and
storage; the testing of germination, purity, vigour and health; and treatments
and enhancements such as priming, coating, disinfection, inoculation and
chemical and biological protection.
A third main strand of articles
describe the varied uses of seed as sources of food, feed, food additives and
beverages, poisons, pharmacological and psychoactive substances, and fibres and
other manufactured products.
As editor Michael Black describes it: “The
grand aim of The Encyclopedia of Seeds is to weave together the latest
fundamental biological knowledge about seeds with the principles of agricultural
seed production, processing, storage and sowing, along with the food and
industrial uses and the historical, economic and cultural roles of seeds.”
Editor Derek Bewley continues: “No one before has brought together such
a comprehensive synthesis of seed science and technology learning into a single
volume. We have worked hard to ensure that our book proves a valuable knowledge
tool for everyone who works with seeds, and is interested in seeds – including
not only basic and applied researchers, but people working in all parts of the
seed industry.
And Editor Peter Halmer goes on to highlight the unique
features of The Encyclopedia of Seeds: “We have kept in mind the needs of
students and professionals in biological and agricultural sciences, in academia
and commerce, as well as those who work in administrative, regulatory and other
seed-related areas. So information is presented in an easily accessible format,
to meet the needs of this wide range of readers. The contents are alphabetically
arranged, fully indexed and cross-referenced, to connect related entries and
guide readers to follow their individual pathways through the Encyclopedia.”
With contributions from 110 expert authors worldwide, the editors have
created 560 authoritative articles, illustrated with tables, figures, maps,
black-and-white and colour photographs, further reading matter and 670
supplementary definitions.
Trevor Nicholls, Chief Executive Officer,
CABI said: “Here at CABI, we are always extremely interested in books which
provide a platform not just to enhance the knowledge and research opportunities
of our readers, but to help them be innovative and pioneering in their chosen
fields. The Encyclopedia of Seeds is the only publication to cover all the major
scientific themes and facets on the subjects of seeds and CABI is extremely
excited to be the publisher of this ground-breaking book.”
When launched
on October 6 th 2006, CABI will publish The Encyclopedia of Seeds at £185,
however a pre-publication price of £140 is being offered. To place an order,
please call +44(0)1491 829 400 or email orders@cabi.org quoting NEP or visit http://www.cabi-publishing.org/Bookshop/Index.asp.
Source: SeedQuest.com
19 September 2006
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2.02 New book published: Plant Conservation Genetics
Edited by Robert J. Henry. The Haworth
Press Inc. Binghamton, NY. 11 chapters. xii+ 180 pp. with Index. Soft Cover:
ISBN: 978-1-56022-997-1 ISBN10: 1-56022-997-7, Hard Cover: ISBN:
978-1-56022-996-4 ISBN10: 1-56022-996-9
The conservation and sustainable
use of plant genetic resources is of increasing importance globally. Plant
Conservation Genetics addresses this issue by providing an extensive overview of
this emerging area of science, exploring various practical strategies and the
latest technology for conservation of plant biodiversity. Leading specialists
and experts discuss topics ranging from the science’s foundations through every
aspect of plant conservation genetics. This informative text includes several ex
situ (outside of natural habitat) and in situ (inside of natural habitat)
techniques for plant conservation useful for researchers, educators, and
students.
Plant Conservation Genetics first reviews the importance,
opportunities, and numerous advantages of this type of conservation, then
explores various effective ex situ (for specific species) and in situ (for
certain species on up to full ecosystems and habitats) techniques for
conservation. Essential detailed information is presented on collection
strategies, botanic gardens, DNA banks, biodiversity management, and genetic
resources in seed banks. Each specialist reveals his or her personal experience
of working in the field, allowing direct experience to illustrate and provide
expert perspective on the key issues of plant conservation. The book is
carefully referenced and includes tables and figures to enhance clarity of
data.
Plant Conservation Genetics is a comprehensive desktop resource
perfect for botanists, plant scientists, agricultural scientists,
environmentalists, gardeners, and educators and students.
To purchase or
to view additional information including complete table of contents, reviews and
more:
http://www.haworthpress.com/store/Product.asp?sku=5546
Contributed by Emma Evans
Centre for Plant Conservation
Genetics
Southern Cross University
emma.evans@scu.edu.au
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2.03 FAO’s AGORA initiative widens access to agricultural
research by more countries
Rome, Italy
Over 100 of the world’s
poorest countries will now be able to access leading food and agriculture
journals for little or no cost with the launch of the second phase of the Global Online Research in
Agriculture (AGORA)
initiative, FAO announced today.
AGORA
is a successful public-private partnership between FAO, 37 of the world’s
leading science publishers and other key partners including the World Health
Organization and Cornell University. Introduced in 2003 and providing access to
69 low-income countries, AGORA today expands to include universities, colleges,
research institutes and government ministries as well as non-governmental
organizations in an additional 37 lower-middle-income countries.
AGORA
responds to the needs of thousands of students, researchers and academics in
poorer countries, who continue to face challenges accessing up-to-date
information which is vital to their work.
“We have seen from the first
phase of this initiative that there is increasing demand for access to vital
information by poorer countries. In less than three years, AGORA has already
helped bridge the knowledge gap by providing 850 institutions access to over 900
journals in the areas of agriculture and related subjects,” notes Anton Mangstl,
Director of FAO’s Library and Documentation Systems Division.
Under the
second phase of AGORA launched today, 37 countries with a per capita GNP of
between US$ 1000 and US$ 3000 will be eligible. Institutions wishing to register
will have a three-month free trial period before they are asked to pay an annual
subscription of US$ 1000. FAO will invest all subscription income into local
training initiatives to help increase awareness and usage of AGORA amongst
librarians and scientists.
“AGORA was an ambitious initiative from the
beginning, but thanks to a very effective partnership between publishers and FAO
we have made incredible headway with new institutions registering to join
everyday,” said AGORA Publishing Coordinator, Maurice Long of the International
Association of Scientific, Technical and Medical Publishers.
AGORA is
making an important contribution to the achievement of the United Nations
Millennium Development Goals by providing essential information to improve the
livelihoods of those who need it most.
Source: SeedQuest.com
27
September 2006
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3. WEB
RESOURCES
3.01 Smithsonian offers new
tropical biodiversity data and tools on the Web
A
new web site at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute will serve as a
clearinghouse for all available STRI scientific data. In addition, the site
offers a range of tools including: a GIS make-your-own-map service, and a
Google-style species search engine. A Map Library offers maps, satellite images
and aerial photographs of Panama and the region.
The site already links
to a phenomenal amount of information including: Jackie Giacalone-Willis's
mammal monitoring data from Barro Colorado Island, Dr. Annette Aiello's insect
rearing records, Dr. Joe Wright’s plant phenology data, Bocas del Toro Station's
photo-illustrated data base of organisms, the Tree Atlas for the Panama Canal
Watershed and data from the Center for Tropical Forest Science’s long term
forest dynamics plots, digital records for STRI's complete herbarium collection,
as well as long term physical environment and biological monitoring data from
the STRI Environmental Sciences Program. And more.
STRI will continue to
leverage partnerships with Discover Life, the Inter-American Biodiversity
Information Network (IABIN) and others to further our urgent goal of making data
available on the web. Discover Life is an independent, non-profit web initiative
created by John Pickering at the University of Georgia. Discover Life currently
hosts STRI databases for tropical insects, herbarium collections and digital
images.
Beginning in late 2006, STRI will become the coordinating
institution for the ecosystems thematic network of the IABIN - a regional
initiative designed to connect biodiversity databases throughout the Americas
and the Caribbean, sponsored by the Organization of American States (OAS) and
the World Bank.
The Bioinformatics Office will develop websites and host
data for STRI-affiliated individual researchers or projects that do not have the
resources to do it themselves. User comments are welcome, but please be patient,
as some areas of the site are still under construction.
Access to the
STRITM online photo data base is in the works, as is a major project
to allow interactive searches of Eastern Pacific and Caribbean Shorefish.
New bioinformatics site: http://biogeodb.stri.si.edu/bioinformatics/ Enjoy!
Also check out our new canopy program site: http://www.stri.org/english/research/facilities/terrestrial/cranes/index.php
The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI), a unit of the
Smithsonian Institution, headquartered in Panama City, Panama, furthers our
understanding of tropical nature and its importance to human welfare, trains
students to conduct research in the tropics and promotes conservation by
increasing public awareness of the beauty and importance of tropical ecosystems. www.stri.org
Contact: Steve
Paton
patons@si.edu
Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
Source: EurekAlert.org
31 August 2006
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3.02 CGIAR Virtual Library Opened
The CGIAR
Information Managers and ICT/KM Program are pleased to invite you to visit the
new CGIAR Virtual Library - http://vlibrary.cgiar.org
Get
instant access to research on agriculture, hunger, poverty, and the environment
using a valuable new resourcethe CGIAR Virtual Library. From just one
search engine, tap into leading agricultural information databases, including
the online libraries of all the Consultative Group on International Agricultural
Research (CGIAR) centers. Use the CGVlibrary to discover resources, go directly
to the full text of thousands of publications, and stay current on CGIAR
research. Customselect databases you want to search or use the topic-based
QuickSets preselected by CGIAR information specialists.
For further
informtion contact CGVlibrary@cgiar.org
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3.03 The Seed Biology
Place
www.seedbiology.de/index.html
The early stages of a
plant’s life are the bailiwick of the Seed Biology Place, a primer from botanist
Gerhard Leubner of Frieburg University in Germany. From the site’s 10 chapters,
visitors can reap the latest information on seed evolution, dormancy, and other
topics. Numerous diagrams will fertilize your understanding of seed anatomy and
plant hormone’s role in germination. Chapters also sprout abundant links to
abstracts and full-text articles by members of Leubner’s lab and other
researchers.
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4. GRANTS
AVAILABLE
4.01 Announcement of
International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI) Vavilov-Frankel Fellowships for 2007
The Vavilov-Frankel Fellowships
Fund aims to encourage the conservation and use of plant genetic resources in
developing countries by awarding Fellowships to outstanding young researchers to
carry out relevant innovative research at an advanced research institute outside
their own country for a period of between three months and one year.
The
Fellowships are supported by the Grains Research and Development Corporation
(GRDC), Australia and Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc., United States, a
DuPont Company.
The closing date for this year’s Fellowships is 6
November 2006. Download guidelines and the application
form here.
Announcements, application forms and guidelines for
preparation of research proposals are also available from IPGRI’s web site http://www.ipgri.cgiar.org/training/vavilov.htm
. If you have any problem down-loading files or if you would like to have
additional information on the Scheme, please contact Elisabetta Rossetti,
contact point for the Fellowships, at e.rossetti@cgiar.org.
View the full
announcement in PDF form.
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4.02 Rockefeller Travel Grants Available for International Plant and Genome
Conference XV
The meeting will take place January
13-17, 2007 in San Diego, USA. The Rockefeller Foundation will support five
scientists from Africa to attend the event. For more information on the grant,
contact Dr. Katrien M. Devos, University of Georgia, Athens, USA, at
kdevos@uga.edu. Application deadline is September 10, 2006. Other organizations
offering travel grants can be viewed through http://www.intl-pag.org/15/15-grants.html. For the full
announcement of the conference, visit http://www.intl-pag.org.
Source: CropBiotech
Update 25 August 2006
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4.03 Scholarship in Plant Breeding Available to MSc Graduates
The
African Centre for Crop Improvement at the University of KwaZulu-Natal,
Pietermaritzburg, South Africa offers this prestigious scholarship to young,
bright African scientists who are keen to make Plant Breeding their career. The
aim of the ACCI is to train African plant breeders in African, on African crops.
This involves 2 years study at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and 3 years field
research in the students’ home countries at their home institution.
Applicants must:
-Be under 40 years of age;
-Possess a MSc in
either Plant Breeding, Plant Genetics, Plant Pathology, Crop Science or
Horticultural Science;
-Have a position in their home country – government
scientist, NGO scientist or university lecturer;
-Be from one of the
following countries: Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Mozambique, Namibia or
South Africa.
For more information on how to apply, visit the Africancrops.net
website.
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5. POSITION
ANNOUNCEMENTS
5.01 Faculty
Position Assistant Professor
Plant Evolutionary
Genomics
University of California, Riverside
The Department of Botany & Plant Sciences at the University of California Riverside invites
applications to fill a tenure-track 9-month position at the assistant professor
level in Plant Evolutionary Genomics. Possible areas of specialization
include plant molecular population genetics, molecular evolution, genome
evolution, evolutionary genetics, and comparative genomics. The research
could focus on topics such as, but not limited to, molecular analysis of
adaptations, the nature and rate of evolutionary change in genes and genomes,
molecular genetic analysis of plant speciation or plant domestication,
hybridization, or evolution of invasiveness.
Applicants interested in
theory, modeling and data mining, as well as those conducting experimental or
descriptive studies will be considered. The candidate will hold a faculty
position as well as a joint appointment in the Agricultural Experiment
Station. The successful candidate will be expected to establish and
maintain a vigorous, innovative research program, and have a strong commitment
to excellence in teaching at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.
The review of applications will begin November 15, 2006, with appointment as
early as July 1, 2007. Applicants must hold a Ph.D with a minimum of one
year of postdoctoral experience. Applications will be accepted until the
position is filled.
Interested individuals should submit the
following: (1) a curriculum vitae, (2) a brief statement of research and
teaching interests, (3) samples of relevant publications, and (4) have three
letters of recommendation sent to:
Chair, Plant Evolutionary Genomics Search
Committee
c/o Department of Botany and Plant Sciences
2118 Batchelor
Hall
University of California, Riverside
Riverside, CA
92521-0124
Email: bpssearch@ucr.edu
FAX (951)
827-4437
Information about the Department is available at http://www.plantbiology.ucr.edu/ (see also http://www.cnas.ucr.edu/ and http://www.biology.ucr.edu/academic_programs/grad.html). The University of California, Riverside
has an active career partner program, and is an Affirmative Action equal
opportunity employer committed to excellence through diversity.
Submitted
by Norman Ellstrand
ellstrand@ucr.edu
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5.02 Position Announcement
Wheat
Breeding and Genetics, Department of Crop and Soil Sciences,
Michigan
State University
Position:
The Department of Crop and Soil
Sciences in the College of Agriculture and natural Resources at Michigan State
University invites applications for a 12-month, tenure track Assistant Professor
Position in the area of plant breeding and genetics. The successful
candidate will have research (75%) and teaching (25%) responsibilities,
consistent with the missions of the appointment. The position will be
available January 1, 2007.
Responsibilities:
Rearch
responsibilities will include basic and applied research in the area of winter
wheat breeding and genetics. A major objective of the applied research will be
the development of improved varieties of soft white and red wheats for Michigan.
Current major components of the breeding program include performance, milling
and baking quality, sprouting resistance, winterhardiness, and resistance to
diseases and insects.
Support for this position has come from state and
federal sources and through grants from the farmers and processing industries of
the state. A substantial “Soft white wheat research endowment” is being
developed that will also provide financial support. The incumbent will be
expected to maintain close working relationships with the wheat utilization
industries and farmers and to collaborate with geneticists, agronomists, plant
pathologists, plant physiologists, and food scientists. The incumbent will
be expected to compete successfully for extramural funding and to maintain a
broadly based program with both state and national foci.
Basic research
activities will depend on the incumbent’s training, expertise and interest. They
could include studies in any of the following areas: molecular, cellular,
physiological or population genetics; cytogenetics; or quantitative genetic
theory. Publication of research results and the training of graduate
students will be required. The incumbent will teach an undergraduate
course in plant genetics and will also have graduate teaching
responsibilities.
Qualifications:
A doctoral degree in plant
sciences with emphasis on plant breeding and genetics is required. Experience
with cereal crops is preferred; postdoctoral experience is desirable.
Application:
Qualified individuals should submit a letter of
application that discusses their research and teaching interests as well as
their professional goals, along with resume, transcripts, and contact
information for three references on-line to Ms. Darlene Johnson, johns146@msu.edu at the Department of Crop
and Soil Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
48824. For additional information contact Russ Freed at freed@msu.edu or
517-432-2214. Deadline for application is November 10, 2006 or until a
suitable candidate is identified. “MSU is an Affirmative Action/Equal
Opportunity Institution”.
Contributed by Russell Freed
Michigan State
University
http://www.msu.edu/~freed/
(Return to
Contents)
===========================
6.
MEETINGS, COURSES AND WORKSHOPS
Note: New announcements (listed first) may
include some program details, while repeat announcements will include only basic
information. Visit web sites for additional details.
NEW
ANNOUNCEMENTS
10-12 October 2006. Expert Consultation on:
Germplasm Enhancement and Broadening the Genetic Base of Crop Varieties on-farm
in Support of Sustainable Agriculture Production. Institute of Crop
Sciences of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing China. The
consultation meeting is being organised by the International Plant Genetic
Resources Institute (IPGRI) and will be hosted by the Institute of Crop Sciences
of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing, China. IPGRI East
Asia Office will provide all necessary assistance for making logistic
arrangements for the meeting.
Background:
It is now
increasingly accepted that future crop productivity increases can only be
achieved sustainably through an increased use of PGRFA, including the wild
relatives and exotic materials, using different approaches of plant breeding.
Therefore, knowledge, access and use of diversity in cultivated and wild
relatives are essential for broadening the genetic base of cultivars to sustain
improvement. In the past, a great amount of diversity has been assembled ex
situ and maintained in situ on farm. However, one of the major
problems hindering the utilization of PGR is how to get the unadapted genetic
diversity into a form that can be easily be used by breeders and farmers. Much
available germplasm in the primary, secondary and tertiary genepools of crops is
not in a form that most breeders can easily use. The advances made in technology
can help in this process. Biotechnology will provide essential and innovative
support to standard plant breeding in the years to come. Plant breeding
utilizing genetic enhancement, and assisted by biotechnology, will be used in
future to develop new intensive-culture crops from wild or weedy species, or
from landraces and will also be used someday to allow old crops to produce new
products.
Purpose of expert consultation:
This expert
consultation is being convened to discuss:
1.Methodologies for
pre-breeding/germplasm enhancement and broadening the genetic base of crop
varieties in the past;
2.Need for initiating collaborative activities at
global/regional level;
3.Identification of crops and partners for proposal
development;
4.Agreement on key activities and framework for proposal
development; and
5.Identification of suitable donors for
funding.
For technical information, contact:
V. Ramanatha
Rao
Senior Scientist, Facilitating Use of Genetic Resources,
Understanding and Managing Biodiversity Pogramme, IPGRI-APO, Serdang, Malaysia. v.rao@cgiar.org
Prem
Mathur
Scientist, Understanding and Managing Biodiversity Pogramme, IPGRI
Office for South Asia, NASC complex, Pusa Campus, New Delhi, India. p.mathura@cgiar.org
For logistic
arrangements, contact:
Zhang Zongwen
Coordinator, IPGRI East
Asia Office, c/o Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China z.zhang@cgiar.org
Contributed by
Elcio Guimaraes
FAO/AGPC
Elcio.Guimaraes@fao.org
+++++++++++++++
17-27
October 2006. Curso Internacional de Pre-Melhoramento de Plantas [International
Course on Pre-Breeding of Plants], Brasilia, Brazil. http://www.cenargen.embrapa.br/pre-melhoramento/Por/prog_por.htm
Contributed
by Elcio Guimaraes
FAO/AGPC
Elcio.Guimaraes@fao.org
++++++++++++++
[Editor’s
note: The following announcement has been included in the past several editions
of the newsletter. However, several people have sent reminders about the
workshop, so additional details are given here.]
8 - 9 February
2007.Plant breeding: A vital capacity for U.S. national goals, Raleigh,
NC, USA. http://www.plantbreedingworkshop.ncsu.edu
A national workshop
Second Announcement
Co-Organizers:
The Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES),
USDA; and
The Departments of Crop Science and Horticultural Sciences, North
Carolina State University
This workshop will establish the Plant
Breeding Coordinating Committee as a long-term forum for leadership regarding
issues, problems, and opportunities of strategic importance to the public- and
private-sector U.S. national plant breeding effort.
Workshop objectives
1) Develop an initial work plan to
respond effectively to current challenges in the discipline;
2) Establish
the Plant Breeding Coordinating Committee, including first election of officers.
Who should attend this workshop
-Both public- and
private-sector plant breeders, at all career stages.
-Multidisciplinary
colleagues and others interested in the future of plant
breeding.
-Persons willing to be active participants:
Participants
will be asked to commit to 1.5 days of active concentration and
discussion.
-International participants are welcome. This is a
U.S.-oriented committee, but the organizers expect it to be a relevant model for
other countries. Information on status of plant breeding in other
countries and international entities is relevant. Posters on these
subjects are welcome.
For more information about the workshop,
contact:
Ann Marie Thro, CSREES, 1 202 401 6702,
athro@csrees.usda.gov;
or,
Tom Stalker, Crop Science Dept., NCSU, 1 919 513 2929, tom_stalker@ncsu.edu.
Venue
Workshop
sessions will be at the Embassy Suites Hotel, 201 Harrison Oaks Boulevard, Cary,
NC, 27513, Tel.: 919/677-1840. The hotel is located across from the
SAS Institute, and offers free shuttle service to the Raleigh Durham
International Airport.
+++++++++++++
10-12
October 2006. Expert Consultation on: Germplasm Enhancement and Broadening the Genetic Base of Crop Varieties on-farm in Support
of Sustainable Agriculture Production. Institute of Crop
Sciences of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing China. The
consultation meeting is being organised by the International Plant Genetic
Resources Institute (IPGRI) and will be hosted by the Institute of Crop Sciences
of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing, China. IPGRI East
Asia Office will provide all necessary assistance for making logistic
arrangements for the meeting.
Background:
It is now
increasingly accepted that future crop productivity increases can only be
achieved sustainably through an increased use of PGRFA, including the wild
relatives and exotic materials, using different approaches of plant breeding.
Therefore, knowledge, access and use of diversity in cultivated and wild
relatives are essential for broadening the genetic base of cultivars to sustain
improvement. In the past, a great amount of diversity has been assembled ex
situ and maintained in situ on farm. However, one of the major
problems hindering the utilization of PGR is how to get the unadapted genetic
diversity into a form that can be easily be used by breeders and farmers. Much
available germplasm in the primary, secondary and tertiary genepools of crops is
not in a form that most breeders can easily use. The advances made in technology
can help in this process. Biotechnology will provide essential and innovative
support to standard plant breeding in the years to come. Plant breeding
utilizing genetic enhancement, and assisted by biotechnology, will be used in
future to develop new intensive-culture crops from wild or weedy species, or
from landraces and will also be used someday to allow old crops to produce new
products.
Purpose of expert consultation:
This expert
consultation is being convened to discuss:
1.Methodologies for
pre-breeding/germplasm enhancement and broadening the genetic base of crop
varieties in the past;
2.Need for initiating collaborative activities at
global/regional level;
3.Identification of crops and partners for proposal
development;
4.Agreement on key activities and framework for proposal
development; and
5.Identification of suitable donors for
funding.
For technical information, contact:
V. Ramanatha
Rao
Senior Scientist, Facilitating Use of Genetic Resources,
Understanding and Managing Biodiversity Pogramme, IPGRI-APO, Serdang, Malaysia. v.rao@cgiar.org
Prem
Mathur
Scientist, Understanding and Managing Biodiversity Pogramme, IPGRI
Office for South Asia, NASC complex, Pusa Campus, New Delhi, India. p.mathura@cgiar.org
For logistic
arrangements, contact:
Zhang Zongwen
Coordinator, IPGRI East
Asia Office, c/o Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China z.zhang@cgiar.org
Contributed by
Elcio Guimaraes
FAO/AGPC
Elcio.Guimaraes@fao.org
+++++++++++++
REPEAT
ANNOUNCEMENTS
* 2006-2008. Plant Breeding Academy, University of California, Davis.
The University of California
Seed Biotechnology Center would like to inform you of an exciting new course we
are offering to teach the principles of plant breeding to seed industry
personnel.
This two-year course addresses the reduced numbers of plant
breeders being trained in academic programs. It is an opportunity for companies
to invest in dedicated personnel who are currently involved in their own
breeding programs, but lack the genetics and plant breeding background to direct
a breeding program. Participants will meet at UC Davis for one week per quarter
over two years (eight sessions) to allow participants to maintain their current
positions while being involved in the course.
Instruction begins
Fall 2006 and runs through Summer 2008 (actual dates to be
determined)
For more information: (530) 754-7333, email scwebster@ucdavis.edu, http://sbc.ucdavis.edu/Events/Plant_Breeding_Academy.htm
*
10-14 September 2006. First Symposium on Sunflower Industrial Uses. Udine
University, Udine Province, Friuli Venezia Giulia Region, Italy.
http://www.sunflowersymposium.org/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1
http://www.isa.cetiom.fr/1st%20ann%20Symposium%20Udine.htm
Sponsored
by the International Sunflower Association (ISA)
* 9-13 October
2006. Second International Rice Congress 2006 (IRC2006). New Delhi,
India. Organized jointly by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and
Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), the theme of this congress is "Science, technology, and trade for peace and prosperity". It comprises four
major events: the 26th International Rice Research Conference (including e.g. a
session on 'genetics and genomics' and workshops on hybrid rice and on
genetically modified rice and biosafety issues); the 2nd International Rice
Commerce Conference; the 2nd International Rice Technology and Cultural
Exhibition; and the 2nd International Ministers' Round Table Meeting. See http://www.icar.org.in/irc2006/ or
contact pramodag@vsnl.com for more information.
*10-12 October 2006. Advancing renewable energy: an American rural renaissance. St. Louis,
Missouri. http://www.AdvancingRenewableEnergy.com.
*
11-14 October 2006 Plant Genomics European Meetings, Venice, Italy. http://www.distagenomics.unibo.it/plantgems/
Contact
person: PGEM5@agrsci.unibo.it
* 14 - 18
October 2006. The 6th New Crops Symposium: Creating Markets for Economic
Development of New Crops and New Uses, University Center for New Crops and
Plant Products,The Hilton Gaslamp Quarter Hotel, San Diego, CA
Sponsored by:
Association for the Advancement of Industrial Crops and Purdue www.aaic.org or www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop
* 5-11 November 2006 International symposium on integrating new technologies for striga control:
towards ending the witch-hunt, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Sponsored by
International Sorghum and Millet Collaborative Research Support Program
(INTSORMIL), Purdue University and Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research
(EIAR).
Contact: Gebisa Ejeta, Purdue University, USA: gejeta@purdue.edu)
http://www.agry.purdue.edu/strigaconference/
* 9-12 November 2006. 7th Australasian Plant Virology Workshop. Rottnest
Island, Perth, Western Australia.
For further information contact: Prof Mike
Jones, Murdoch University, Perth: m.jones@murdoch.edu.au.
* 4-22 November
2006. International training program on plant genetic resources and seeds:
Policies, conservation and use, Karaj, Iran. For further information on the
program please visit the websites of ICARDA: www.icarda.org (see: Seed
Systems Support), Wageningen International: www.wi.wur.nl (see: international education at
Wageningen UR, courses), or the Generation Challenge Program: www.generationcp.org (see: capacity
building corner, training courses).
* 13-17 November 2006. Cereal
science and technology for feeding ten billion people: genomics era and
beyond, Lleida, Spain. www.eucarpia.com or joseluis.molina@irta.es.
* 1-5
December 2006: The First International Meeting on Cassava Plant Breeding and
Biotechnology, to be held in Brasilia, Brazil. For more details, email Dr.
Nagib Nassar of the University of Brasilia at nagnassa@rudah.com.br or visit the meeting website at http://www.geneconserve.pro.br/meeting/.
*
8-9 February 2007. A national workshop on “Sustaining plant
breeding as a vital national capacity for the future of U.S. agriculture,”
Raleigh, NC. Co-organized by CSREES, USDA; and by the Departments of Crop
Science and Horticultural Science, North Carolina State University. http://www.plantbreedingworkshop.ncsu.edu/.
* 23-27
March 2007. 2nd International Conference on Plant Molecular
Breeding (ICPMB), Sanya, Hainan, China. www.icpmb.org
* 24-28 June 2007. The
9th International Pollination Symposium on Plant-Pollinator
Relationships-Diversity in Action. Scheman Center, Iowa State
University, Ames, Iowa. The official theme is: "Host-Pollinator Biology
Relationships - Diversity in Action." The Conference webpage can be viewed at
http://www.ucs.iastate.edu/mnet/plantbee/home.html
[Editor’s
note: Sept. 2006 update contributed by Jennifer J Tabke
(tabke@iastate.edu)]
We’re pleased to announce that the website for the
9th International Pollination Symposium has been updated. Note: The Symposium organizers are now accepting poster submissions
online at the website linked above. We are no longer accepting submissions for
oral presentations.We hope to host you in Iowa next June!
The International
Pollination Symposium Local Organizing Committee
* 9-14 September 2007. The World Cotton Research Conference-4, Lubbock, Texas, USA (http://www.icac.org). There is no cost of
pre-registration and if you pre-register you will receive all the up-coming
information on WCRC-4.171 researchers from over 20 countries have pre-registered
as of today.
(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, Margaret Smith, and Anne Marie Thro. 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
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=======================