PLANT
BREEDING NEWS
EDITION 201
31 May 2009
An Electronic Newsletter of Applied Plant Breeding
Clair H. Hershey, Editor
Sponsored
by GIPB, FAO/AGPC and
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-Archived issues
available at: FAO Plant Breeding Newsletter
1. NEWS, ANNOUNCEMENTS
1.01 Where will the food come from?
1.02 New varieties are vital in a changing climate
1.03 Research shows maize production in
1.04 Hunt for “climate-ready” crops accelerates as organizations search seed
collections worldwide
1.05
1.06 Securing future harvests of farmers in dry areas
1.07 The Plant Breeding Center at
1.08 The fastest spreading potato variety in
1.09 Promising selection
HS2180-1-31-13-1-1-1-1 for roselle industry in
1.10 Measuring the economic impacts of transgenic
crops in developing agriculture during the first decade
1.11 World wheat groups say biotech in sync is the goal
1.12
1.13 USDA/ARS preserves plants and animals for future needs
1.14
1.15 Modern crop varieties can increase local genetic diversity
1.16 New shipment of seeds to the North Pole
1.17 The potato Neo-Tuberosum theory questioned by microsatellite marker analysis
1.18 A better understanding of a
1.19 Stripe-resistant wheat varieties from WSU
1.20 Chinese
1.21 Introgressing multiple Ty genes from wild tomato species Solanum habrochaites
and S. chilense into AVRDC lines
1.22 A combination of germplasm, genetics, genomics, and stress physiology identify
tomatoes with tolerance to drought and high temperatures
1.23 Indonesian scientists develop insect resistant soybean
1.24 International team finds key gene that allows plants to survive drought
1.25 Research aims to give consumers richly colored specialty potatoes
1.26 Space tomato project offers potential for drought, disease resistance
1.27
1.28 First Jatropha genome completed by Synthetic Genomics Inc. and Asiatic Centre
for Genome Technology
1.29 Improving citrus rootstocks in the
1.30 Brazilian researchers develop Vitamin A enriched maize
1.31
1.32 Acquiring cheap genome sequence data can improve
the quality of feedstocks used to create biofuels, according to a new study
published in The Plant Genome
1.33 Pooling resources for crop science - New analytical methods to improve plant
breeding
1.34 Genetic modification, modified: a new technique allows precision gene modification
in plants
1.35 Royalties: a taxing problem for plant breeders
2.01 ICRISAT mandates open access to all its scientific
and scholarly publications
2.02 Proceedings
available of the Eighth African Crop
Science Conference
2.03 Improved and expanded IP
Handbook of Best Practices Website
2.04 Cereal Breeding, in the Handbook of Plant Breeding series
3.01 New Farming
First website now open
3.02 New website dedicated to Jatropha research and crop improvement
3.03 Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council launches consultation
on future research for food security
3.04
4.01 Grant funds available from
the Higher Education Multicultural Scholars Program (MSP)
5.01 Fellowships
available under the TWAS fellowship programmes
6. MEETINGS,
COURSES
7. EDITOR
1 NEWS, ANNOUNCEMENTS
1.01 Where will
the food come from?
By Nina Fedoroff,
Science and Technology Adviser to the Secretary of State and to the Administrator
of the
Over the past
year, the world has experienced a succession of shocks: a global food crisis,
spiraling energy costs, accelerating climate change and most recently, a financial
meltdown. But even as each crisis sweeps the previous one out of awareness,
it is important to recognize that the food crisis is neither sudden nor quickly
fixed. It has developed gradually as a result of relentless increases in demand
in the context of a finite natural resource base and decreasing global investment
in agricultural research and development. At the present rate of growth in
population and affluence, we will need to double the food supply by mid-century.
Yet the amount of land farmed hasn
Contemporary
genetic modification of crop plants is embedded in a history of plant domestication
that transformed plants profoundly from their wild origins. No crop better
illustrates both the genetic plasticity of plants and the inventiveness of
humans better than the maize (corn) plant. Thousands of years before science
formally entered agriculture in the late 18th century, early peoples had transformed
the hard-seeded teosinte rachis into the soft-kernelled early maize ear through
the accumulation of a handful of genetic changes that completely altered the
architecture of the plant.
Scientific
advances in the understanding of plants
The late 20th
century witnessed a second genetic revolution with the invention of recombinant
While contemporary
genetic modification (only this kind is called GM) was readily accepted both
in medicine and in the food and beverage industry, GM crop plants have remained
controversial for more than 25 years. Nonetheless, despite the controversies,
several important crop plants modified to resist insects and tolerate herbicides
have steadily gained acceptance throughout the world. Today, genetically modified
cotton, corn, soybeans and canola are grown in 25 countries by more than 13
million farmers, 90% of whom are resource-poor farmers with small holdings.
To date, there is no evidence of adverse effects on either human or animal
health, while substantial environmental benefits have been realized, including
decreased use of pesticides and increased adoption of no-till farming.
Although some countries remain adamantly opposed to the use of contemporary
genetic modification, there is increasing awareness that these are important
tools in the success of global efforts to lift the last billion out of hunger
and poverty through agricultural intensification and decreased crop loss.
Moreover, molecular modification will be an indispensable tool in the adaptation
of crop plants to changing climatic conditions. Let
The Council for Biotechnology Information
communicates science-based information about the benefits and safety of agricultural
biotechnology and its contributions to sustainable development.
Source: The Council for Biotechnology Information
via SeedQuest.com
19 May 2009
++++++++++++++++++++++
1.02 New varieties are vital in a changing
climate
Western Australia
It’s that time of the year again, when we find ourselves looking to the heavens
for the promise of rain, hoping for the best and wondering what the coming
season will bring. The weather is still
the great wildcard of grain growing, isn’t it? We can plan meticulously, budget
carefully and practice sustainable farming, but it all counts for nought if
the rain doggedly stays away. So, it’s
little wonder that climate change, the uncertainty it brings and its impact
on the long term future of grain growing is occupying the thoughts of many
growers.
The Grains Research and Development Corporation
(GRDC), with other rural R&D corporations, CSIRO and federal and state
governments, recently developed a draft national Climate Change Research Strategy
for Primary Industries. In similar
vein, the GRDC supported work by the Department of Food and Agriculture WA
(DAFWA) to better understand the impact of climate change on the state’s grain
industry. The GRDC is also involved in the state government’s Agricultural
Climate Change External Reference Group which draws together representatives
from industry, the private sector and government departments and which met
for the first time in May.
The DAFWA study
found that rainfall is likely to increase in summer and decrease in autumn,
winter and spring in most parts of the state. Such work will help guide the
grain industry’s response to climate change and in particular the all important
research strategy that will help growers adjust to the many challenges of
long term change.
Clearly, research
into new grain varieties will become increasingly important. In 2007-08 the
GRDC and its partners released 16 new wheat varieties, four new triticale
varieties, 15 new canola varieties and a new oat variety. All offered higher
yields – two of the triticale varieties by as much as 30%.
It’s vital
that research work continues, not just to produce varieties offering increased
yields, but to breed varieties that can do it in a drier climate. And lack
of rain won’t be the only problem new varieties have to cope with. It’s a
fair bet that climate change will spur the development of a whole gamut of
new pests and diseases, while giving a few old foes of grain growers a big
boost as well.
Breeding resistance
to such diseases into new varieties will be important work. The sort of research
work the GRDC and its partners is already renowned for will be absolutely
vital to future generations of grain growers in a changing world.
Source: GRDC
20 May 2009
1.03 Research shows maize production in
Scientists working on maize research have demonstrated the ability of local
farmers to double maize yield in
Pastor O.A
Adenola, President, Maize Association of Nigeria, in an interview, says farmers
in the project harvested about 3 tons per hectare of maize.
“The good news
is that doubling maize production in
Scientists
say results from the two and a half-year project, which was funded by Nigeria’s
Federal Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Development and started in 2006
indicated that Nigeria can double her current maize production of about 7
million tons to 14 million tons.
The research,
which involved thousands of local farmers under the auspices of the Maize
Association of Nigeria, was a collaborative work by a coalition of scientists
at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture
(IITA), Institute of Agricultural Research & Training (IAR&T), National
Rice/Maize Center -National Accelerated Food Production Program, Institute
for Agricultural Research, National Cereals Research Institute; the National
Agricultural Extension and Research Liaison Services (NAERLS).
Dr. Oyewole
Ajala, IITA’s Maize Breeder and Project Leader, says the research achieved
the results after deploying maize varieties that were tolerant of low nitrogen,
drought, and Striga.
“Other maize
varieties given to farmers during the course of the project were stemborer-resistant
and early maturing varieties,” he says.
During the
research period, planting materials were distributed to farmers based on the
climatic conditions in the different agroecological zones, while farmers were
trained and encouraged to optimize the use of inputs.
“The project
established that
Findings from
the project support the need for the Nigerian government to set aside money
to mop up excess maize to avoid a price crash in the future.
Ajala says,
“A guaranteed minimum price to be set by the government is required to keep
farmers on the farm.” Available data indicate that between 2006 and 2007,
maize varieties released by IITA and partners boosted production but the absence
of an effective mop-up mechanism led to price fluctuations.
According to
the Food and Agriculture Organisation,
Source: SeedQuest.com
12 May 2009
++++++++++++++++++++++
1.04 Hunt for “climate-ready” crops accelerates
as organizations search seed collections worldwide
Amid predictions that climate change will create hostile growing conditions,
partners look to crop collections for future varieties
The Global Crop Diversity Trust announced
today numerous new grant awards to support scientists to explore the millions
of seed samples maintained in 1,500 crop genebanks around the world. They
will search for biodiversity critically needed to protect food production
from the ravages of climate change.
The awards
support a wide range of innovative projects, including a search in Southeast
Asia and the Pacific for bananas that are resistant to banana streak virus,
which will likely become more problematic with climate change; transferring
traits from a wild to a cultivated variety of potato that convey resistance
to a soil-borne pathogen responsible for bacterial wilt; a search for novel
traits with tolerance to heat and drought stresses in Chilean maize crop collections;
a project in India to find pearl millet that can handle scorching temperatures;
and a project to increase the ability of maize to cope with erratic rains,
while increasing its nutritional quality for small-scale, marginal farms in
Sub-Saharan Africa.
Working together
with the Trust in the effort will be the Generation Challenge Programme (GCP) of
the Consultative Group on International Agricultural
Research (CGIAR) and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization’s Global
Partnership Initiative for Plant Breeding Capacity (GIPB).
“We want to
support scientists to probe crop genebanks for natural traits that will allow
farm production to stay one step ahead of climate change,” said
By the turn
of the century, scientists now predict that temperatures during growing seasons
in the tropics and subtropics are destined to be even hotter than what are
now considered extreme temperatures. New data also show steadily dryer conditions
in many regions. But there is widespread concern, particularly in the developing
world, that plant breeding efforts are not moving fast enough to develop new
varieties that can withstand these stresses and enable farmers to avoid steep
drops in food production.
The Trust,
in partnership with the UN Foundation and with the support of the Bill &
Melinda Gates Foundation, is supporting work to probe crop collections for
critical traits such as drought or heat tolerance. GCP is offering funding
for scientists to use molecular mapping technology to identify the “
“It’s not enough
to simply identify the trait,” said Humberto Gómez, the Coordinator of GCP’s
Genotyping Support Service. “To produce a viable crop variety, one has to
go further and also conduct molecular analysis and then the breeding work.
This work can take up to ten years from the point of discovering the trait
to having a new variety actually growing in a farmer’s field. We’re seeking
to speed up that process by supporting breeders in the developing world.”
“Together,
these efforts will increase our ability to be ready for climate change,” said
Elcio Guimaraes of GIPB. “It will be much easier for young plant breeders
to identify and use promising traits that arm crops against climate change.”
The grants
cover projects initiated by scientists in
Source: Global
Crop Diversity Trust
22 May 2009
+++++++++++++++++++++++
1.05
The UC Davis Seed Biotechnology Center announced
plans to establish the European Plant Breeding Academy, which will
open in 2010. Their highly successful
In conjunction
with the expansion to
The director
will be responsible for all
For more information
regarding the
A detailed
position announcement will be released soon.
Source: SeedQuest.com
11 May 2009
++++++++++++++++++++++++
1.06 Securing future harvests of farmers
in dry areas
The world’s
dry areas – which cover 41% of the earth’s land area, and are home to a quarter
of global population – will be facing the brunt of Climate Change. This will
lead to unprecedented challenges to food security particularly with the food
and economic crises on top of evermore erratic weather patterns.
“But these
challenges can be overcome if policy makers, researchers and development agencies
work together, in genuine partnership” stressed Dr Mahmoud Solh, Director
General of the International Center for Agricultural
Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA).
Dr Solh was
speaking at ICARDA’s Presentation Day, held at the
The
Improved water
management through applying carefully monitored small amounts of water to
crops at intervals have enabled farmers to double water productivity, while
using less water overall than had they applied full irrigation. The “smaller-is-better”
approach, known as “supplemental irrigation” produced twice as much food per
liter of water, as the full treatment. Traditional farming techniques (some
millennia old!) such as rainwater harvesting have also been refined, using
new scientific methods, to arrest soil erosion, rehabilitate degraded rangelands
and feed its inhabitants.
About 900 improved
crop varieties, developed over the past 30 years of ICARDA’s existence in
collaboration with their national counterparts, have been released worldwide
to farmers. These varieties give high and stable yields, and have resistance
to such environmental stresses as drought, heat, cold, salinity), while also
carrying defences against. diseases and insect pests. The extra food produced
using these multiple resistant varieties is worth over US$ 850 million per
year.
ICARDA works
closely with national programs to enhance food security. Examples include
Similarly in
ICARDA’s research
also covers water and land management, rangelands, livestock (sheep and goats,
which are the key species in dry areas), cropping systems, and economic and
policy analysis. New fodder crops and alternative livestock feeds are being
explored. For example agro-industrial by-products like pulp and molasses are
being put to good use in so-called feed blocks that are easy to make, store,
carry and provide to livestock, This has allowed livestock owners to improve
flock productivity while cutting down production costs.
The Center
and its partners use a three-pronged approach to combat Climate Change: adaptation,
mitigation and resilience. For example, improved varieties with greater tolerance
to drought, extreme temperatures and salinity will enable farmers to reap
harvest even under highly stressful conditions. More diverse farming systems
with new synergistic crop combinations and management of the soils and water
will be more resilient to external shocks. Farmers are being trained and local
communities supported in adapting to these new production methods. Linkages
to markers where better prices can be gained for farm products will help rural
communities cope with climate-related fluctuations. Supplemental irrigation
and water harvesting techniques will help address growing water scarcity.
Policy makers are working to design long-term coping strategies. “Food security
in dry areas is a challenging goal, particularly in the context of climate
change,” said Dr Solh. “But we believe it can be achieved, if we combine good
science with good partnerships.”
Established
in 1977, ICARDA serves the entire developing world for the improvement of
barley, lentil, and faba bean; and dry-area developing countries for the on-farm
management of water, improvement of nutrition and productivity of small ruminants
(sheep and goats), and rehabilitation and management of rangelands. In the
Central and
The Consultative Group on International Agricultural
Research (CGIAR) is a strategic alliance of countries, international and
regional organizations, and private foundations supporting15 international
research centers that mobilizes cutting-edge science to promote sustainable
development by reducing hunger and poverty, improving human nutrition and
health, and protecting the environment.
Source: ICARDA via SeedQuest.com
4 May 2009
+++++++++++++++++++++++
1.07 The
Dr.
Susana Milla-Lewis, Dr. Vasu Kuraparthy, and Dr. Jeremy Pattison have recently
joined North Carolina State University (NCSU) in the area of plant breeding.
Dr. Kuraparthy (PhD,
They
join a team of field plant breeders working at NCSU, now coordinated through
the plant breeding center, directed by Charles Stuber. The 29 plant breeders
at the center include Drs. Burton, Carter, Holland, and Marshall in the USDA-ARS,
Drs. Bowman, Cardinal, Goodman, Isleib, Kuraparthy, Lewis, Milla-Lewis, Murphy,
Qu, Stalker, and Tallury in Crop Science, Drs. Dvorak, Frampton, Hodge, Isik,
McKeand, and Whetten in Forestry, and Drs. Ballington, Fernandez, Panthee,
Pattison, Ranney, Wehner, Werner, and Yencho in Horticultural Science.
For
more information, see http://plantbreeding.ncsu.edu/
or contact
Charles
Stuber at charles_stuber@ncsu.edu
Contributed
by Todd Wehner
7 May 2009
1.08 The fastest spreading potato
variety in
Chinese
farmers are rapidly adopting a CIP-developed potato variety that resists drought
and gives much better yields than local varieties. CIP scientists developed
the
http://www.cipotato.org/pressroom/press_releases_detail.asp?cod=59
Source:
CIP:
14
May 2009
Contributed
by Margaret E. Smith
Dept.
of Plant Breeding &
mes25@cornell.edu
+++++++++++++++++++++++
1.09 Promising selection
HS2180-1-31-13-1-1-1-1 for roselle industry in
Recent findings
have shown that some accessions and mutant lines of roselle have relatively
high contents of
Development
of New Varieties Through Mutation Breeding:
In the past,
research had been conducted by UM, MARDI and DOA.
At present,
two introduced varieties are available to growers and these varieties are
called “Terengganu” and “Arab”. Growers predominantly plant the “Terengganu”
variety. The variety “Arab” is considered a more recent introduction. Present
varieties are reported to yield up to 8t/ha of fruits, or up to 4t/ha of calyces.
With good crop care, some growers have reported yields of some individual
plants to exceed 4kg of fruits per plant. The “Arab” variety yields higher
than the “Terengganu” variety, both in terms of fruits and calyces. But the
latter is better in terms of quality characteristics. The “Arab” variety therefore
could be further improved for its quality. A mutation breeding program was
conducted on variety “Arab” which resulted in six promising mutant lines.
Two of the selections HS2180-1-36-49-4-1 and HS2180-1-36-23-10-1 were highlighted
previously, and subsequently released as new varieties UKMR-1 and UKMR-2,
respectively.
Promising Selections:
Six promising
mutant lines had been developed using the “Arab” variety in a mutation breeding
program. Evaluations and selections were done in every generations starting
from M2 through M6 at UKM Bangi and at TFirdauce, Tasek Gelugor,
Selection HS2180-1-31-13-1-1-1-1:
This research
innovation highlights and describes the promising selection HS2180-1-31-13-1-1-1-1,
currently propagated at M7 generation. Morpho-agronomic characteristics of
the selection recorded include plant height (132.2 cm), canopy diameter
(123.9 cm), number of branches per plant (9.2), number of fruits per plant
(182.8), fruit weight per plant (1.9 kg), capsule weight per plant (1.0 kg),
calyx weight per plant (0.9 kg) calyx weight per fruit (4.9 g), and capsule
weight per fruit (5.3 g). In terms of physico-chemical characteristics, this
selection has vitamin C content of 11.4 mg/100g fresh weight and 5%
Authors:
Mohamad,O1.,
Ramadan, G1., Halimaton Saadiah, O2., Noor Baiti, A. A1., Zainal, M1., Nurul
Rahainah, C. M1., Zainal Abidin Aziz4., Ahmad Bachtiar, B3., Zainal, M1.,
Mamot, S1., and Aminah, A1.
Acknowledgements:
This research
is funded by ScienceFund Project No:05-01-02-F0057 to UKM from the Ministry
of Science , Technology and Innovation,
Note: The article
is extracted from the Invention, Innovation and Technology Exhibition 2009
(
Contributed
by Dr. Mohamad bin Osman
School of Environmental
and Natural Resource Sciences
Universiti
Kebangsaan
1.10 Measuring the economic impacts of transgenic
crops in developing agriculture during the first decade
Approaches, findings
and future directions -- an IFPRI Food Policy Review
Biotechnology
in agriculture has generated a great deal of controversy in recent years.
Of the many scientific advances that have occurred in plant breeding since
Gregor Mendel conducted his experiments about 150 years ago, crops with genetic
modifications seem to have been accorded a unique status. The use of crops
that are modified by the transfer of genes across species has provoked concerns
that continue to be echoed in the media and the academic press and have reached
into the fields and lives of farmers in both rich and poor countries. An issue
that remains unresolved is that what consumers and producers in rich countries
may want is not necessarily what producers and consumers in poor countries
may need (and want); hence, the preferences of the rich countries—transformed
into science and development policies—may hinder the poor’s access to needed
technologies.
This review
of scholarly literature explores a key concern of IFPRI’s: whether biotech
crops can benefit poor farmers. The authors examine the issue by emphasizing
the methods applied to empirical data from developing countries, because these
methods influence the nature of economists’ findings and how they interpret
them. The authors consider the economic impacts of biotech crops not only
on farmers, but also on consumers, the agricultural sector as a whole, and
international trade. They have also compiled a web-bibliography, bEcon, which
is available to researchers, particularly those in developing countries, as
a tool to further their own understanding of the evidence.
The authors
conclude that biotech crops have promise for poor farmers. Further in-depth
investigation is required. Bt cotton is by far the most studied biotech crop,
but analysis of the economic impacts of other crops has only begun. Impacts
on poverty, inequality, health, and the environment need more rigorous exploration.
Particular aspects of biotech crops—such as the institutional organization
of their supply, the way that knowledge and transgenic seed are diffused in
communities, and the costs and benefits of biosafety regulations—warrant in-depth
investigation. So far, the published economics research that has applied a
clearly identified method to empirical data collected in the fields of farmers
in developing countries is limited. One reason is that few biotech crops have
been introduced in developing-country agriculture, partly due to slow or hindered
bio-policies and regulatory frameworks. Development cooperation organizations
have not sufficiently invested in these; the above-mentioned preferences of
some rich countries come into play here again. IFPRI is assisting developing
countries to develop and implement such appropriate regulatory frameworks.
I trust that
this report and the related web-bibliography will assist developingcountry
researchers in establishing their own evidence base and will help in their
endeavors and encourage them to address the important questions that remain
to be answered. Agricultural productivity and environmental challenges—including
climate change—and growing long-term food needs will require access to and
utilization of advanced biotechnology in developing-country agriculture.
Joachim von
Braun
Director General, IFPRI
International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)
Food Policy Review No. 10
Measuring the Economic Impacts of Transgenic Crops in Developing Agriculture
during the First Decade
Approaches, Findings, and Future Directions
Melinda Smale,
Patricia Zambrano, Guillaume Gruère, José Falck-Zepeda, Ira Matuschke, Daniela
Horna, Latha Nagarajan, Indira Yerramareddy, and Hannah Jones
2009
Source: SeedQuest.com
May 2009
1.11 World wheat groups say biotech in sync
is the goal
Organizations
representing the wheat industry in the
Noting that
“none of us hold a veto over the actions of others,” they agreed it was in
the best interest of all three producer communities to introduce biotechnology
in a coordinated fashion to minimize market disruption.
The announcement
came in a statement of joint principles on the issue of biotechnology in wheat,
which has been a sensitive subject in some parts of the world, including
The statement
highlighted the importance of wheat to the food supply and declining acres
in all three countries due in part to competition from crops that have the
advantages of biotech traits. The statement also noted the slow growth trend
of wheat yields compared to other crops and the lack of public and private
investment in wheat research worldwide.
Noting that
biotechnology is not the only answer to a host of agronomic questions facing
wheat production, the groups agreed it could be a “significant component”
to tackling
Source: SeedQuest.com
15 May 2009
1.12
The
lead Bt cotton researcher in
Bt
cotton has been undergoing contained field trials (CFT) under the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI) for
about five years.
Speaking
to senior policy makers from agriculture sector ministries who were on a fact-finding
mission at the Bt cotton CFT site in Thika, near Nairobi, Dr. Waturu, who
is also the KARI Thika Center Director, said biotech cotton was urgently need
to help boost production, which was in a free fall due to challenges caused
by pests and diseases.
Cotton
production in
Source: CropBiotech Update via SeedQuest.com
29
May 2009
1.13 USDA/ARS preserves plants and animals
for future needs
When the Russian
wheat aphid spread to the
To find resistance
to this insect that cost American wheat and barley farmers billions of dollars
in losses, Agricultural Research Service
(ARS) scientists turned to the agency
ARS researchers
identified more than 300 resistant wheat germplasm accessions and 40 promising
barley lines as potential sources of resistance genes, mostly from the ARS
germplasm collection. Breeders began a "crash program" using this
germplasm to develop new varieties, and the crisis was averted.
The NPGS preserves
thousands of agronomically important plants and their relatives in working
collections around the country. Each collection concentrates on specific types
of plants. In addition, the National
Center for Genetic Resources Preservation (NCGRP) in
The NPGS is
an important heritage of plant diversity. It is also a stockroom for tools
to deal with problems like the mutation of a pathogen, explains David Ellis,
a curator and plant physiologist at NCGRP.
Researchers
from all over the world turn to the NPGS to solve disease problems and also
to expand plants
Germplasm preservation
is not an action that can wait until new genes are needed. Global climate
change, loss of habitats, and even war and political instability threaten
genetic variation in agriculture and in the wild. Pathogens and pests continue
to evolve. Protecting as wide an array as possible of crop varieties and their
wild relatives is the best insurance policy, because it
By Kim Kaplan
Agricultural
Research Service, USDA
Source: SeedQuest.com
15 May 2009
1.14
For
further information on the Embrapa Labex Program contact:
Dr. Elisio Contini – Contini@embrapa.br
Head
of the International Cooperation Office of Embrapa
Dr. Bonifacio Magalhaes – Bonifacio.Magalhaes@embrapa.br
International
Cooperation Officer for
Dr.
Mauricio Lopes – Mlopes@cenargen.embrapa.br
Labex
South
Contributed
by Mauricio Lopes
1.15 Modern crop varieties can increase
local genetic diversity
It is often
claimed that the introduction of high-yielding crop varieties threatens agricultural
biodiversity. Farmers who adopt the modern varieties abandon their traditional
varieties and overall genetic diversity falls as a result. Generally this
is true, but a new paper published online in Field Crops Research shows that
it need not be the case, especially if the modern varieties count farmer varieties
among their parents.
In the early
1990s, while a PhD student at
Farmers selected
three lines: Machhapuchhre-3 (M3), Machhapuchhre-9 (M9, which is similar to
M3 but with lower cold tolerance) and Lumle-2 (L2, like M3 with better grain
quality and easier threshing). Only M3 was officially released, but M9 and
L2 have been adopted widely thanks to informal seed exchanges among farmers.
By 2004 about 60% of the land in the study villages was sown to one of the
three
To assess genetic
diversity an international team of researchers from
Another crucial
result is that although some farmers grow
“It is the
preferred rice for preparation of the dish Madeko Bhat used during funerals
and other ritual and social ceremonies,” Sthapit explained.
The client-oriented
breeding programme was clearly a success; it resulted in farmers adopting
modern varieties adapted to high altitudes, whose cultivation improved the
livelihoods of the farm families. The adoption of the new varieties reduced
the number of households and the area for some landraces, but overall genetic
diversity increased because the modern varieties contained alleles not seen
before in the district. They also contained alleles from the landraces, so
preserving that genetic diversity too.
“The conclusion
is clear,” said Sthapit. “Participatory breeding and client-oriented breeding
programmes should choose locally adapted varieties as parents for breeding.
It ensures that landrace genes are conserved and increases the likelihood
that the breeding programme will succeed.”
Source: Bioversity International
via SeedQuest.com
6 May 2009
1.16 New shipment of seeds to the
North Pole
As
the first anniversary of the inauguration of the Svalvard Global Seed Vault
(Norway) draws near, CIAT has made a second shipment of duplicate seeds of
beans and tropical forages to this fortress built on a remote archipelago
near the North Pole to safeguard the world
For
more information see http://www.ciat.cgiar.org/newsroom/release_36.htm
Source:
CIAT,
:
Contributed
by Margaret E. Smith
Dept.
of Plant Breding &
mes25@cornell.edu
1.17 The potato Neo-Tuberosum theory
questioned by microsatellite marker analysis
Researchers at the
The
article and references are freely accessible at the journal web pages as indicated
below.
Download
Neo-Tuberosum article:
http://www.springerlink.com/content/722k437480m20231/fulltext.pdf
Download
Spooner et al., 2007 on the potato gene pool:
http://www.pnas.org/content/104/49/19398.full.pdf?ck=nck
Download
Ghislain et al., 2009 on the new Potato Genetic Identity kit:
http://www.springerlink.com/content/722k437480m20231/fulltext.pdf
Contributed
by Marc Ghislain
Head,
Applied Biotechnology Laboratory
International Potato Center
CIP, Lima, Peru
1.18 A better understanding of a
Agricultural Research Service, USDA
By Dennis O'Brien
The pathogen
that causes the world
Up to 60 resistance
genes have been known to combat Puccinia triticina, the fungus that
causes wheat leaf rust. But the pathogen is so genetically diverse and quick
to adapt that most wheat resistance genes prove ineffective within a few years.
The stakes
are high. Leaf rust is the world
Kolmer recently
completed a comprehensive genetic analysis of emerging strains of P. triticina
collected in a recent survey of
Kolmer found
that the strains of P. triticina infecting wheat in
The work, to
be published in the journal Phytopathology,
will help researchers identify the origins of emerging strains of P. triticina,
unravel clues about migration patterns, monitor shifts in virulence and figure
out why some resistance genes are more effective and long-lasting than others.
ARS is the
principal intramural scientific research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture
Source: SeedQuest.com
5 May 2009
1.19 Stripe-resistant wheat varieties
from WSU
Two
new improved wheat varieties have been released by researchers at the Washington
State University (WSU). The new wheat varieties JD and Babe are resistant
to the stripe rust. Caused by the fungus Puccinia striiformis, stripe
rust is a
"JD
has excellent yield potential across a broad range of production conditions
and has exceptional milling and baking quality." said Kim Kidwell, WSU
professor and developer of the new wheat strains. Babe, on the other hand,
is targeted as a high-yielding replacement to popular spring wheat varieties.
The
complete article is available at http://www.wsutoday.wsu.edu/pages/publications.asp?Action=Detail&PublicationID=14437&TypeID=1
Source:
Crop Biotech Update
Contributed
by Margaret E. Smith
Dept.
of Plant Breeding &
mes25@cornell.edu
1.20 Chinese
Scientists with the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography (EGI), Chinese Academy of Agricultural
Sciences, have recently cultivated a new species of salt-tolerant wheat
with an output of more than 400 kilograms per mu (about 666.67 square meters).
With obvious
advantages of salt-tolerance and high yield, the new species "Xindong
No. 34" can produce 403.32 kilograms of wheat per mu, ranking the first
in all testing species. This makes its harvest 6.89 percent higher than that
of "Xindong No.26", the first salt-tolerant wheat in
The new medium
gluten wheat is also good at disease-resistance and lodging-resistance, said
Ren Wei, associate researcher of the EGI.
Soil salinization
is widespread in west
Source: SeedQuest.com
7 May 2009
1.21 Introgressing multiple Ty genes
from wild tomato species Solanum habrochaites and S. chilense into AVRDC lines
Dr.
Peter Hanson, Global Theme Leader, Breeding, shared details of a recent breakthrough
in developing disease-resistant tomatoes in a seminar on 22 May and a field
demonstration on 26 May at AVRDC headquarters.
Through
“gene pyramiding”— introgressing multiple Ty genes from wild tomato species
Solanum habrochaites and S. chilense into AVRDC lines—breeders have developed
lines with resistance to several whitefly-transmitted begomoviruses, which
cause Tomato yellow leaf curl virus disease.
In
the tropics and subtropics, TYLCVD leads to 100% crop loss if the infection
occurs at an early stage, and farmers often misuse pesticides in an attempt
to control the disease.
“AVRDC
is the first to develop and distribute open pollinated lines with Ty resistance
for small-scale farmers,” says Dr. Hanson. Multilocation trials are ongoing
in
Ty-resistant
varieties must also satisfy yield and fruit quality requirements of farmers
and markets.
Socioeconomics
researcher Dr. Simone Kathrin Kriesemer
will conduct participatory evaluations with farmers in Karnal to help determine
which varietal traits are most important and how economic standing, gender
or other factors affect farmers’ choice of tomato variety.
Source: AVRDC - The World Vegetable Center - Newsletter via SeedQuest.com
29 May 2009
1.22 A combination of germplasm,
genetics, genomics, and stress physiology identify tomatoes with tolerance
to drought and high temperatures
Global
food security depends on genetic diversity. To develop vegetable crops capable
of thriving in the extremes of a changing climate, plant breeders must evaluate
hundreds of crop relatives in search of genes linked to important agronomic
traits such as drought tolerance and disease resistance. Once identified,
these genes can be built into commercial varieties through conventional breeding
or genetic engineering.
You
could say our breeders are spoiled for choice: AVRDC maintains the world’s
largest public vegetable genebank with over 56,000 accessions from 150 countries,
including over 44,000 accessions of globally important vegetables and close
to 12,000 accessions of indigenous vegetables. Yet even with a wealth of germplasm
at hand, the right gene or combination of genes may remain elusive. Although
molecular characterization and genetic diversity analysis of germplasm collections
greatly enhances the efficiency of breeding programs in identifying key genes,
breeding for tolerance to environmental (abiotic) stress continues to challenge
plant breeders. Refining methods to evaluate phenotype—a plant’s observable
physical characteristics, which are a product of its genes and its response
to the environment it is growing in—can reveal a great deal about its defense
mechanisms.
The
drought pool screening method used by AVRDC researcher Dr. Rachael Symonds
has been useful in assessing the comparative drought tolerance of different
lines or germplasm accessions under the same soil moisture conditions. “The
drought pool is a simple and practical method that allows a large number of
genotypes to be screened quickly for drought tolerance,” says Dr. Symonds.
“Plants have to compete against each other for the same soil water, so genotypes
with a competitive advantage are easily identified.” She also has developed
protocols to monitor the transpiration response of test plants to a progressive
water deficit. By applying these screening protocols, drought tolerance was
identified in Solanum pimpinellifolium and S. pennellii, wild relatives
of cultivated tomatoes.
A
prolific tomato line may stop producing fruit when temperatures start to climb.
In high heat, tomatoes release less pollen, and less viable pollen, which
decreases fruit set and yield. Selecting tomatoes for pollen viability under
heat stress was found to be another valuable screening method for heat tolerance.
Vegetable
cultivars with tolerance to heat and drought would help improve the livelihoods
of resource poor farmers in developing countries. AVRDC – The World Vegetable
Center together with its partners the International
Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), India; Leibniz University of Hannover,
Germany; Central Queensland University
(CQU), Australia; University of Dar-es-Salaam
(UDES), Tanzania; Mikocheni Agricultural Research Institute (MARI), Tanzania;
and Academia Sinica, Taiwan is addressing the problem of drought and heat
stress in tomato through a project funded by BMZ/GTZ to improve productivity
and enhance yield stability of tomato in the tropics.
The
heat tolerance trials conducted at HQ and at UDES,
by
Andreas Ebert and Kadirvel Palchamy
Source: AVRDC - The World Vegetable Center – Newsletter via SeedQuest.com
29
May 2009
1.23 Indonesian scientists develop
insect resistant soybean
Scientists
at the Indonesian Center for
Agricultural Biotechnology and Genetic Resources Research and Development,
Pin
II gene is implicated in the defense mechanisms of many crop species.
Two
plants of soybean variety Wilis (WP1, WP2) and three plants of the Tidar variety
(TP1, TP2, TP3) produced transgenic plants. However, molecular analysis of
these regenerated plants using the polymerase chain reaction technique showed
that only WP2 contained the pinll gene.
Further
evaluation of this positively transformed plant will be conducted and more
transgenic plants will be generated in the future.
More
information on this research can be obtained from http://digilib.biologi.lipi.go.id/view.html?idm=30140.
For
information on biotechnology in
Source: CropBiotech Update via SeedQuest.com
29 May
2009
1.24 International team finds key gene that
allows plants to survive drought
A team of scientists
from
"Plants
have stress hormones that they produce naturally and that signal adverse conditions
and help them adapt," says team member Peter McCourt, a professor of
cell and systems biology at the University
of Toronto. "If we can control these hormones we should be able to
protect crops from adverse environmental conditions which is very important
in this day and age of global climate change."
The research
team, led by Sean Cutler of the
This team used
a new approach called chemical genomics to identifying a synthetic chemical,
designated pyrabactin, which specifically activates an
The study results
will appear April 30 in Science Express
and in the May 22 issue of Science
magazine. Lead author Sean Cutler is a former
Source: SeedQuest.com
1.25 Research aims to give consumers richly
colored specialty potatoes
Harvest a red,
yellow or purple specialty potato and its skin color will be shiny and bright.
That’s paramount, because skin quality drives buyers to put a particular potato
in their shopping cart. Store that potato for a month or two, and its skin
color will be noticeably duller. It may even have developed unappealing blemishes
that prompt consumers to leave it in the store.
Across southern
Project leader
Mike Thornton, a
At Kimberly,
colleague Nora Olsen, a
“A bright,
beautiful color and top-quality appearance are very important to marketing
specialty potatoes: they need to catch the buyer’s eye,” said Olsen.
At
And in
“We have two
very desirable goals—higher amounts of phytonutrients and an even more visually
appealing potato,”
The trial will
include Yukon Gem, a white-skinned potato with yellow flesh; All Blue, a purple-skinned
potato with purple and white flesh; Red LaSoda, a red-skinned potato with
white flesh; Purple Pelisse, a purple-skinned fingerling potato with purple
flesh; Bintje, a white-skinned potato with light-yellow flesh, and POR01PG20-12,
a red-skinned potato with red and white flesh. Purple Pelisse is a recent
release from the Tri-State Potato Variety Development Program, in which the
The project
is funded by both the Idaho Potato Commission and the USDA Agricultural Research
Service.
Source: SeedQuest.com
4 May 2009
1.26 Space tomato project offers potential
for drought, disease resistance
Little Rock,
Arkansas
Arkansas - home of thousands of backyard gardens, farmer’s markets, and a
summer festival that pays annual homage to the tomato - also is home to a
team of scientists based at the University of
Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR) that is developing a tomato plant hearty
enough to grow in space and surviving down-to-earth droughts and disease.
More than providing
fresh produce for astronauts on extended missions to Mars, the research has
important implications for developing crops resistant to drought and other
stresses while improving the nutritional value of food.
Dr. Mariya
Khodakovskaya, assistant professor of applied science, and Dr. Stephen Grace,
associate professor of biology, at UALR and researchers at
“We are working
now on tomatoes, but we are identifying mechanisms and genes that are responsible
for other traits and can be used for other crops more important in countries
that have droughts,” Khodakovskaya said. “It has implications for earth agriculture
as well as space agriculture, which is why the project has been funded for
three years by Arkansas Space Grant Consortium.”
The scientists
believe future investments will promote collaborative partnerships between
UALR and private and public institutions throughout
A year when
she was affiliated with
“It was the
first transgenic tomato tested in space conditions,” she said.
Her transgenic
tomato plants show dramatic increases in drought tolerance, vegetative biomass
and fruit lycopene concentration. Studies in
Grace, who
earned his Ph.D. at
He and Khodakovskaya’s
cross-linked research projects are supported by grants from the P3 Research
Center of Arkansas NSF EPSCoR Program - the Experimental Program to Stimulate
Competitive Research - and the Arkansas Space Grant Consortium.
Dr. Khodakovskaya
will identify key genes and gene networks involved in stress tolerance and
activation of antioxidant production in tomato plants. Her team will also
create new reproducible biological source of antioxidants by establishment
of highly productive tomato “hairy roots” cultures.
Dr. Grace works
on the biochemistry of flavonoids, another important group of plant phytochemicals
that act as health promoting antioxidants. Flavonoids have shown promise in
protection against coronary heart disease, neuron damage, certain cancers,
and other age-related diseases.
“For this reason,
there is great interest in developing crops with optimized levels and composition
of these high value natural products,” Grace said. “Our group studies the
light regulation of flavonoid synthesis in tomato in order to develop strategies
to increase flavonoid levels for improved nutritional content.”
Other scientists
working on the project are Dr. Nawab Ali, research associate professor in
UALR’s Graduate Institute of Technology; Dr. Fabricio Medina-Bolivar of
“As soon as
we develop a new tomato with drought tolerance and more antioxidants, we will
test how it grows in space conditions,” Khodakovskaya said.
Source: SeedQuest.com
7 May 2009
1.27
Researchers
at Iowa State University have discovered
a previously unknown pathway in plant cells that regulates plant growth.
Yanhai Yin,
an assistant professor in genetics, development and cell biology, examined
signaling mechanisms of a plant hormone called brassinosteroids. The hormone
controls the growth of cells.
The brassinosteroids
(BRs) have a
"Previously,
we knew that steroids promote growth," said Yin. "In model plants
like Arabidopsis (a relative of mustard) and crops such as corn and rice,
if you have more steroids, you have more growth, and if you have less steroids,
you have less growth and the plant is smaller."
Now Yin knows
that the HERK1 (named for Hercules -- the Greek and Roman god who possessed
superhuman strength) pathway, induced by BRs, is controlling much of that
growth.
Yin and his
team
There are many
other internal and external factors such as light, nutrition and hydration
that effect plant growth, but the HERK1, along with some unknown signals,
have a great effect.
Yin and his
team of Hongqing Guo, assistant scientist; Lei Li, Huaxun Ye, and Xiaofei
Yu, all graduate students; and Alexandria Algreen, undergraduate student;
have shown that by over-expressing HERK1, they were able to increase a plant
By under-expressing
HERK1, the plants were about 50 percent smaller.
Now Yin and
his group are trying to find what regulates HERK1 and how HERK1 controls growth.
Understanding
what make plants get bigger could be a critical component when producing grain
and bio-mass for biofuels.
"With
that knowledge, maybe we have one more tool to manipulate corn and rice if
we want more grain, or if we want more mass for bio-energy crops," he
said.
Source: SeedQuest.com
22 May 2009
1.28 First Jatropha genome completed by
Synthetic Genomics Inc. and Asiatic Centre for Genome Technology
Partners analyze Jatropha genome and associated microbial genomes to understand
and improve plant yield and health to develop renewable fuels, biofertilizers,
and disease control solutions
- Jatropha
genome represents second mMilestone accomplishment for partners who announced
complete oil palm genome sequence in 2008
Synthetic Genomics Inc. (
ACGT and
The sequencing
of the genome, using both traditional Sanger sequencing and next generation
sequencing, has revealed that the jatropha genome is approximately 400 million
base pairs in size, similar to the size of the rice genome. The teams are
now working on annotating the genome to identify particular genes of interest
and to discover genetic variations for use in marker assisted breeding. The
teams are also applying traditional breeding tools, as well as modern plant
molecular biology tools, to improve plant yield, oil quality, fertilizer requirements
and to enhance stress and disease tolerance.
ACGT and
"Having
the sequenced genome of jatropha will enable us to develop new, sustainable
energy feedstocks that grow on marginal land or in more arid climates and
that do not compete with agriculture for food production," said J. Craig
Venter, Ph.D., founder and CEO of
"The completion
of the jatropha genome is yet another significant milestone for ACGT and
Source: SeedQuest.com
20 May 2009
1.29 Improving citrus rootstocks
in the
The
European Union project on Citrus Breeding for Efficient Water and Nutrient
Use, led by six research organizations working in the
Two
regional networks have been set up: one will assess the new rootstocks at
various sites and the other will improve the management and use of citrus
genetic resources, particularly in
For
details, view the press release at: http://www.cirad.fr/en/actualite/communique.php?id=1117
Source:
Crop Biotech Update
Contributed
by Margaret E. Smith
Dept.
of Plant Breeding &
mes25@cornell.edu
1.30 Brazilian researchers develop
Vitamin A enriched maize
Maize
varieties with increased pro-vitamin A content could be growing in
The
agronomic performance of the vitamin A-fortified maize cultivar will be evaluated
this planting season. If everything goes well, the new maize variety will
be available to farmers by 2010. EMBRAPA is also doing biofortification research
on cassava, beans, sweet potato, cowpeas, and wheat.
For
more information, read http://www.cnpms.embrapa.br/noticias/mostranoticia.php?codigo=525
Source:
Crop Biotech Update
Contributed
by Margaret E. Smith
Dept.
of Plant Breeding &
mes25@cornell.edu
1.31
Scientists
uncover A global team of researchers that includes CIMMYT scientists has uncovered
the molecular basis of a "wonder" gene that, in tandem with other
resistance genes, has helped protect wheat from three deadly fungal diseases
for more than 50 years, providing farmers benefits in excess of USD five billion
in harvests saved.
http://www.cimmyt.org/english/wps/news/2009/feb/dnawheat.htm
Source:
CIMMYT
Contributed
by Margaret E. Smith
Dept.
of Plant Breeding &
mes25@cornell.edu
1.32 Acquiring cheap genome sequence data
can improve the quality of feedstocks used to create biofuels, according to
a new study published in The Plant Genome
Madison, Wisconsin
With the costs of genome sequencing rapidly decreasing, and with the infrastructure
now developed for almost anyone with access to a computer to cheaply store,
access, and analyze sequence information, emphasis is increasingly being placed
on ways to apply genome data to real world problems, including reducing dependency
on fossil fuel. For the efficient production of bioenergy, this may be accomplished
through development of improved feedstocks.
A recently
published study examined the impact of very cheap sequence data (approximately
1USD per genome) on improvement of switchgrass, a perennial grass well suited
to biomass production. Results were published in the current issue of The
Plant Genome.
Acquiring the
genetic component of natural variation is or will soon become cheap enough
that it will soon be able to be incorporated through marker-assisted selection
into almost all breeding programs. With availability of cheap sequencing capacity,
neither complete sequence assembly nor gene annotation is required to apply
these techniques.
In a species
such as switchgrass there exists a great deal of phenotypic variation derived
from latitudinal adaptation across its natural range and local adaptation
to soil, temperature, and moisture conditions. It is still largely undomesticated
and thus large gains might be realized through fixation of beneficial alleles
in breeding populations. There are likely to be a few genes with large effects
that will dramatically impact yields once incorporated into breeding programs.
This has occurred during the domestication of all our grain crops, but it
may take just a fraction of the time now.
The development
of a dollar genome sequence could provide information highways that would
cut across several disciplines and drive the development of next generation
biomass feedstocks, bioproducts, and processes for replacing fossil fuels.
New feedstocks could produce sustainable high yields with minimal inputs in
regions where competition with food is minimized, as well as provide ancillary
environmental benefits associated with carbon sequestration and environmental
remediation.
Another result
of inexpensive sequencing would be an increased use of comparative genomics.
A comprehensive survey of genetic diversity would help guide conservation
efforts to preserve germplasm diversity and allow reconstruction of past speciation
events at a more detailed level.
As a result
of access to multiple related genomes, similarities between closely related
species would allow inference of missing data. For example, if a draft switchgrass
genome assembly does not provide a complete assembly as judged by comparison
to an inbred genome or more closely related grass, it will be possible to
infer unresolved regions, including retrotransposon family composition and
composition of other abundant repetitive elements. Comparative approaches
would be applied to better understand the molecular basis for differences
between species that result in higher or lower yields in different environments.
The full article
is available for no charge for 30 days following the date of this summary.
View the abstract at http://plantgenome.scijournals.org/content/2/1/5.full.
Source: SeedQuest.com
11 May 2009
1.33 Pooling resources for crop science
- New analytical methods to improve plant breeding
The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) is providing
up to 40 million euros to fund four Networks of Competence in the field of
agricultural research over five years.
Headed by Bonn University and the Forschungszentrum Jülich, the "CROPSENSe" Network of Competence
is one of four projects to have emerged as a winner in the "Networks
of Competence in Agricultural and Food Research" competition run by the
BMBF.
Working together
with many partners from universities and the private sector, new analytical
methods are being developed to improve plant breeding and research in the
agricultural sciences. CROPSENSe will use innovative sensor systems to make
the invisible visible for agricultural research. The key crop processes and
structures will be analysed by contact-free, high-speed methods in the future.
New technologies
will contribute significantly to raising yields, while simultaneously conserving
resources. This is why new sensor systems are being developed to catalogue,
adapt and combine properties of plants and stands. It will then be possible
to recognise plant and soil conditions quickly, precisely and non-destructively,
for example, to develop better plant varieties.
The funding
amounts to 9.7 million euros over the next five years. North Rhine-Westphalia
will add 4.7 million euros. The Network of Competence brings together a total
of 41partners from universities throughout
http://www.research-in-Germany.de/Newsletter
Source: :
Research in Germany, Newsletter
Issue
April 2009
1.34 Genetic modification, modified: a new
technique allows precision gene modification in plants
University and
The controversy
surrounding genetic modification of plants stems partly from the way it
But a new,
precise method promises to restore much of that lost control. Developed by
University of Minnesota and Massachusetts General Hospital researchers,
it uses an enzyme that reads
The method
has potential for changing the way researchers approach a host of tasks, such
as making crops more nutritious or resistant to adverse conditions, coaxing
algae to produce more biofuel, or even curing diseases in humans and other
animals.
"My colleagues
and I demonstrated the first use of the technology in plants, and we and others
have shown it to work in human cell lines and other animal models, such as
fruit flies and roundworms," says Voytas, a professor of genetics, cell
biology and development and director of the University
"The method
offers enormous potential for gene therapy, and its advantage is its precision."
The enzymes
at the heart of the technology are known as zinc finger nucleases, or ZFNs.
In doing their job, ZFNs explore the
In the case
of the tobacco plant, "the modified gene is a widely used target for
herbicides," says Voytas. When functioning normally, the gene instructs
the cell to make a protein that
But the modified
gene instructs the cell to make a slightly altered version of the protein,
one that can still perform its cellular duty but offers no foothold for a
herbicide. And so the plant becomes herbicide-resistant.
Voytas is now
testing the method in rice, the world
Or, as Voytas
puts it, "The technology is ready for prime time."
By Deane Morrison
Source: SeedQuest.com
5 May 2009
1.35 Royalties: a taxing problem for plant
breeders
Special issue of
Traditionally
the certified seed price of field crops includes the cost of royalty. This
practice of ‘front end’ loading royalty is now not only outmoded but paradoxically
is proving to be counterproductive. Furthermore, as long as royalty remains
attached to the seed price it will be regarded as a tax rather than a reward
for innovation.
This article
addresses some of the issues facing the European Plant Breeding Industry and
its intention is to stimulate debate on how to achieve better intellectual
property management.
Source: SeedQuest.com
21 May 2009
=========================
2.01 ICRISAT mandates open access
to all its scientific and scholarly publications
The International Crops Research Institute for the
Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) has formally launched an open access (OA)
system for its scientific publications. ICRISAT has declared the Green OA
Mandate in the Institute, thereby making available a digital, web-accessible
repository of pre-prints of the scientific and scholarly publications emerging
from ICRISAT’s research.
According
to the registry on global OA initiatives maintained by the
Dr
William Dar, Director General of ICRISAT, said that the OA mandate will further
enhance the profile of the Institute through improved citations to published
scientific work. “Our Institute’s Green OA Mandate is in keeping with our
guiding principle of developing international public goods, and it will further
demonstrate the public value, and social and economic relevance of ICRISAT’s
research.”
The
spiraling journal subscription costs have impacted the availability of critical
research information to researchers across the globe. In the current global
economic scenario, even institutions in developed countries find it difficult
to meet increasing journal subscription costs.
Since
the beginning of this decade, the open access movement has sprung up with
roots in many developed countries. Champions of the OA movement believe that
in spite of publisher-mandated copyright restrictions, authors of scientific
and scholarly papers have the fullest freedom to share their findings with
their peer community.
The
OA repository of ICRISAT can be accessed at http://openaccess.icrisat.org.
Most
of ICRISAT’s print publications can be accessed at http://books.icrisat.org
Source: SeedQuest.com
27
May 2009
2.02 Proceedings
available of the Eighth African Crop
Science Conference
The
proceedings are now available online of the Eighth African Crop Science
Conference held 27-31 October 2007,
Click
on the link to access these Free-publications: http://www.acss.ws/?t=a_conf&s=4
Contributed by Kasem Zaki Ahmed
President, African Crop
Science Society
Minia University, El-Minia,
Egypt
2.03 Improved
and expanded IP Handbook of Best Practices Website
Improved and Expanded IP Handbook of Best Practices
Website just launched thanks to collaboration with Concept Foundation
and funding from the Rockefeller Foundation (now Online: www.ipHandbook.org )
Major
improvements and expansions to the website launched today, thanks to a new
collaboration with Concept Foundation and funding by the Rockefeller
Foundation:
1.
Special video presentations, downloadable with synchronized slides,
prepared by the ipHandbook community. Includes a unique & growing
list of links to other relevant videos.
2.
An exclusive list of distance learning courses, including one prepared
by and for the ipHandbook community in collaboration with UNIDO’s
e-Biosafety Training Programme
3.
Follow us on Twitter for regular updates (read our twitter strategy
on the homepage) or use the new RSS Feeds on selected pages.
4.
Improved navigation with pull-down menus.
5.
Integrated Google translation on each page.
6.
Improved search functions.
7.
The full content now shared under a Creative Commons license.
8.
An updated and expanded Resources section (more updates to follow soon).
9.
A vibrant blog on current IP topics, including a list of over 60 IP
related blogs by third parties.
10.
Translation by PIPRA of 31 chapters into Vietnamese. Everyone is encouraged
to request a royalty-free license to translate individual chapters or the
executive guide into other languages.
Over
the next 6 months, we will gradually update and expand patent search tools,
information resources, publications, sample agreements and much more. Most
importantly, however, we are aiming at establishing a virtual global network
of IP and innovation managers, policymakers, scientists and R&D leaders.
We are in the process of developing interactive tools, allowing people from
around the world to interact and build a social IP network. Specific features
to become avail-able include:
-
Networking features (using LinkedIn), capitalizing on the Web 2.0 possibilities.
-
Discussion boards, including the possibility for users to upload references,
comments, upcoming events and links, thus allowing the content to be expanded
and remain current.
-
An index of relevant statutory protection and licensing regulations in selected
countries.
-
The addition of additional topics and resources, including Wiki-type features
on such topics as “knowledge gov-ernance” (or what lies beyond IP), “global
access strategies” and more.
Stay
tuned and follow-up on Twitter to be updated in real-time on new features
About the Handbook and Executive Guide:
The comprehensive Handbook and Executive
Guide provide substantive discussions and analysis of the opportunities
awaiting anyone in the field who wants to put intellectual property to work.
The printed version includes 153 chap-ters on a full range of IP topics
and over 50 case studcomposed by over 200 authors from North, South, East,
and West.
It is available in print form, sold to high-income
countries (click here to purchase your copy now) and distributed for
free to low- and middle-income countries (see if you quali-fy), subject
to availability of funding for distribution support.
Each of the chapters can be downloaded in
PDF. Photocopying and distribution through the Internet for non-commercial
purposes is permitted and encouraged, providing all such copies include complete
citation and copyright notices as given on the first page of each chapter.
Thanks to support from the Global Forum for Health Research, a CD-ROM
is also available and can be downloaded. Click on the CD-ROM image t
“Pragmatic IP management is build-ing bridges between
the world’s islands, be they economic, institu-tional, or geographic. The
choice of this metaphor is not accidental. It affirms a key claim that reverberates
within the resource: the global IP system and innovation management are not
about changing islands. Rather, it is about building bridges between them”
noted Anatole Krattiger, the Handbook’s Editor-in-Chief.
For further information, please contact:
editors@ipHandbook.org
Or:
Peter
Hall, Acting CEO of the Concept Foundation (peterehall@spamarrest.com)
Alan
Bennett, Executive Director, PIPRA (abbennett@ucdavis.edu)
Anatole
Krattiger, Editor-in-Chief (afk3@cornell.edu or anatole@asu.edu)
Contributed
by Anatole Krattiger
Editor-in-Chief
2.04 Cereal Breeding, in the Handbook
of Plant Breeding series
Agriculture depends on improved cultivars, and plant
breeders are those who develop improved cultivars through proper germplasm
choice. Breeding methods and molecular tools are secondary to germplasm choice
in plant breeding. The lack of funding presents a serious threat to plant
breeding programs focused on cereal commodity crops. This loss of public support
affects breeding continuity, objectivity, and, perhaps equally important,
the training of future plant breeders for the utilization and improvement
of current plant genetic resources, especially those that are genetically
broad based. The research products of breeding programs are important not
only for food security, but also for commodity-oriented public and private
programs, especially on the fringes of crop production and rural communities.
This volume, as part of the Handbook of Plant Breeding
series, aims to increase utilization of plant genetic resources and to heighten
awareness of the value and impact of plant breeding and biotechnology. Ensuring
strong applied plant breeding programs with targeted use of molecular tools
to specific traits (e.g. qualitative and highly heritable traits that are
difficult to measure) will be essential in ensuring a sustainable use of plant
genetic resources. We have an opportunity to greatly enhance agricultural
production and value through germplasm adaptation, increased genetic diversity
on farms, and maximization of genetic improvement under environmental stresses
to meet the growing demands for food security, food quality, and environmental
conservation.
Cereals presents breeding efforts in
The book is a novel and exciting contribution to the
field of cereal breeding and should be of great interest to students and scientists
alike. Thirty-nine authors representing over 10 developed and developing countries
as well international centers (e.g. CIMMYT, ICARDA, FAO) have done an excellent
job sharing knowledge and experience to the next generation of plant breeders
that will develop the future cultivars for different purposes. We feel this
book is very opportune since there has been a serious erosion of public plant
breeders especially in the past 10 years.
This book is a call to policy makers, breeders, educators,
instructors, students, industry leaders, grant donors, grant reviewers, economists,
and many others to meet the need for continuous and holistic long-term applied
plant breeding programs that will supply the future generation of plant breeders.
Without them, there will be no development of future cultivars. More than
ever, scientists are encouraged to be creative in their search for needed
research in order to address current and future challenges before searching
for funding. The conduction of long-term research with applied impact will
be beneficial as well as the exploration of plant breeding paradigms and scientific
alternatives between enhanced productivity (and uniformity) and enhanced quality
of life for all human beings. Millions of people have the right to access
to adequate food (FAO, 2008). While food distribution is still a challenge
all over the world to alleviate hunger, there is still enough food for an
increasing human population and cereal breeding is the best investment to
maintain enough food supply under the environmental challenges facing our
planet (e.g. global warming, biofuel demand, abiotic stresses).
Written for: Plant breeders, researchers, courses in
plant breeding
Keywords:
http://www.springer.com/life+sci/plant+sciences/book/978-0-387-72294-8
Series:
Handbook of Plant Breeding
, Vol. 3
Carena,
Marcelo J. (Ed.)
2009,
XIV, 426 p. 40 illus., 13 in color., Hardcover
ISBN:
978-0-387-72294-8
Contributed
by
3.01 New Farming First website now open
The Farming
First website developed by CropLife International
in partnership with the International Fertiliser Association (IFA), the International
Council for Science (ICSU) and the International Federation of Agricultural
Producers (IFAP) is now available for viewing at http://www.farmingfirst.org.