PLANT
BREEDING NEWS
EDITION 202
An Electronic Newsletter of Applied Plant Breeding
Clair H. Hershey, Editor
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1. NEWS, ANNOUNCEMENTS
1.01 World hunger projected to reach
a historic high in 2009
1.02 Nature
1.03
1.04 Agriculture is essential
for facing climate change, says FAO
1.05 Projected food, energy demands seen to outpace production
1.06 Ethiopian scientist named
2009 World Food Prize Laureate
1.07 Novel
upland rice variety bred using marker-assisted selection and client-oriented
breeding released in
1.08 IAR
Samaru recommends release of 27 new maize varieties/hybrids
1.09 IRRI-bred rice varieties for the
1.10 Bean varieties released in
1.11 Chilean Highbush blueberry varieties for export
1.12
1.13
1.14 Seed exchange among farmers key to transgene presence in Mexican
maize
1.15 Scientists seek easier access
to seed banks
1.16 First result of benefit-sharing mechanism for FAO treaty;
push for farmers’ rights
1.17 11 projects announced in
1.18 New study finds that sharing
genetic resources key to adaptation to climate change in
1.19 Protecting the food crops of the future
1.20 Domestication of Capsicum
annuum chile pepper provides insights into crop origin and evolution
1.21 Scientists
disclose discovery of gene conferring drought tolerance in corn plants
1.22 Scientists find solution to fungal disease threatening
soybean in
1.23 New efforts to counter ramularia
1.24 Shatter resistant Brassicas
1.25 Disease resistance traits
isolated from oat varieties in
1.26 INRA researchers identify new aphid resistance gene
1.27 A new gene to combat possible build-up of resistance in Bollworm
Insects in Bt Cotton
1.28 Melon research sweetened with
1.29 SG Biofuels advances efforts
to develop cold-tolerant Jatropha
1.30 Scientists identify pollen self incompatibility gene
1.31 "Junk"
1.32 Genetic fingerprinting makes
rice breeding easier
1.33 GM crops without foreign
genes
1.34 Centre for Plant Conservation
1.35 An integrated genetic and
cytogenetic map of the cucumber genome
1.36 Suberin plays vital role in plant nutrient absorption
1.37 Scientists find proteins that can dampen an overactive plant immune
system
1.38 Mechanisms of aluminum tolerance in wheat
1.39 Is this the beginning of the
end of plant breeding
1.40 Study finds
2.01 ISAAA publishes "Biotech Crops in
2.02 Modification of Seed Composition to Promote Health
and Nutrition
2.03 Gamma Field Symposia Vol. 46: Recent Fruit and Potentiality of Mutation
Breeding now online
2.04 Investing
in Agriculture: Far-Reaching Challenge, Significant
3.01
3.02 New website for Cereal Rust
Reports
3.03 Forum of Plant Molecular Breeding
3.04 First the Seed Foundation launches website focusing
on seed industry education
3.05 SciEdit helps polish developing country science papers
4.01 New
African Crop Science Society Awards 2009
4.02 Graduate Assistantship,
offered in the
5.01 Senior Technical Advisor-Technical Director,
5.02
6. MEETINGS, COURSES
7. EDITOR
1 NEWS, ANNOUNCEMENTS
1.01 World hunger
projected to reach a historic high in 2009
One sixth of humanity undernourished - more than ever
before
World hunger is projected to
reach a historic high in 2009 with 1 020 million people going hungry every
day, according to new estimates published by FAO today.
The most recent increase in
hunger is not the consequence of poor global harvests but is caused by the
world economic crisis that has resulted in lower incomes and increased unemployment.
This has reduced access to food by the poor, the UN agency said.
"A dangerous mix of the
global economic slowdown combined with stubbornly high food prices in many
countries has pushed some 100 million more people than last year into chronic
hunger and poverty," said FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf. "The
silent hunger crisis — affecting one sixth of all of humanity — poses a serious
risk for world peace and security. We urgently need to forge a broad consensus
on the total and rapid eradication of hunger in the world and to take the
necessary actions."
"The present situation
of world food insecurity cannot leave us indifferent," he added.
Poor countries, Diouf stressed,
"must be given the development, economic and policy tools required to
boost their agricultural production and productivity. Investment in agriculture
must be increased because for the
"Many of the world
"For most developing countries
there is little doubt that investing in smallholder agriculture is the most
sustainable safety net, particularly during a time of global economic crisis,"
Nwanze added.
"The rapid march of urgent
hunger continues to unleash an enormous humanitarian crisis. The world must
pull together to ensure emergency needs are met as long term solutions are
advanced," said Josette Sheeran, Executive Director of the UN World Food
Programme.
Hunger on the rise
Whereas good progress was made
in reducing chronic hunger in the 1980s and the first half of the 1990s, hunger
has been slowly but steadily on the rise for the past decade, FAO said. The
number of hungry people increased between 1995-97 and 2004-06 in all regions
except
This year, mainly due to the
shocks of the economic crisis combined with often high national food prices,
the number of hungry people is expected to grow overall by about 11 percent,
FAO projects, drawing on analysis by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Almost all of the world
In the grip of the crisis
The urban poor will probably
face the most severe problems in coping with the global recession, because
lower export demand and reduced foreign direct investment are more likely
to hit urban jobs harder. But rural areas will not be spared. Millions of
urban migrants will have to return to the countryside, forcing the rural poor
to share the burden in many cases.
Some developing countries are
also struggling with the fact that money transfers (remittances) sent from
migrants back home have declined substantially this year, causing the loss
of foreign exchange and household income. Reduced remittances and a projected
decline in official development assistance will further limit the ability
of countries to access capital for sustaining production and creating safety
nets and social protection schemes for the poor.
Unlike previous crises, developing
countries have less room to adjust to the deteriorating economic conditions,
because the turmoil is affecting practically all parts of the world more or
less simultaneously. The scope for remedial mechanisms, including exchange-rate
depreciation and borrowing from international capital markets for example,
to adjust to macroeconomic shocks, is more limited in a global crisis.
The economic crisis also comes
on the heel of the food and fuel crisis of 2006-08. While food prices in world
markets declined over the past months, domestic prices in developing countries
came down more slowly. They remained on average 24 percent higher in real
terms by the end of 2008 compared to 2006. For poor consumers, who spend up
to 60 percent of their incomes on staple foods, this means a strong reduction
in their effective purchasing power. It should also be noted that while they
declined, international food commodity prices are still 24 percent higher
than in 2006 and 33 percent higher than in 2005.
The 2009 hunger report (The
State of Food Insecurity in the World, SOFI) will be presented in October.
http://www.seedquest.com/News/releases/2009/june/26584.htm
Source: SeedQuest.com
++++++++++++++++++++++
1.02 Nature
This editorial argues for the
importance of genetics research in reducing hunger. The world
The editorial can be viewed
online at http://www.nature.com/ng/journal/v41/n6/full/ng0609-635.html
http://www.seedquest.com/News/releases/2009/june/26514.htm
Source:The Meridian
Institute's Food Security and Ag-Biotech News via SeedQuest.com
1.03
A vast stretch of
African savannah land that spreads across 25 countries has the potential to
turn several African nations into global players in bulk commodity production,
according to a study just published by FAO and the World Bank.
The book, entitled
Awakening Africa’s Sleeping Giant - Prospects for Commercial Agriculture
in the Guinea Savannah Zone and Beyond, arrives at its positive conclusions
by comparing the region with northeast
At the moment only
ten percent of the Guinea Savannah zone, a vast area of around 600 million
hectares of land from
Physically challenged
The Cerrado and northeast
In both countries,
successive governments created the conditions for agricultural growth “characterized
by favourable macroeconomic policies, adequate infrastructure, a strong human
capital base, competent government administration, and political stability,”
according to the publication.
Indeed,
There are a number
of reasons for this: rapid economic, population and urban growth providing
diverse and ample domestic markets; favourable domestic policy environments,
improved business climates in many countries; increased foreign and domestic
investment in agriculture; and the use of new technologies.
Small farmer growth
If development is to be equitable and social conflict is to be avoided, then
a smallholder-led agricultural transformation such as the one undergone by
“Commercial agriculture
in
“Large-scale mechanized
production does not offer any obvious cost advantages, except under certain
very specific circumstances and is far more likely to lead to social conflict,”
he said.
The experience of
In the case of low-value
staples however, it is unlikely that land-constrained households farming 1-2
hectares or less will be able to earn sufficient income to exit poverty. The
emerging pattern of commercial agriculture in the African Guinea Savannah
therefore must provide diversification opportunities for producers of low-staples,
the publication argues.
Environmental costs
Changing the use of land in the Guinea Savannah to agriculture will inevitably
bring some environmental costs, the study found, but that agriculture can
also benefit the environment.
“Commercialization
of agriculture through intensification can reduce environmental damage by
slowing the spread of agriculture into fragile and/or environmentally valuable
lands,” said Morris.
“However intensification
brings with it risks of environmental damage through destruction of vulnerable
ecosystems and the excessive use of fertilizers and pesticides.”
As agricultural intensification
takes place, governments must take care to monitor environmental impacts and
implement measures to reduce or avoid damage. “Fortunately, there is a wealth
of experience from other countries on which to draw,” said Guy Evers, Africa
Service Chief in the FAO Investment Centre.
The publication is
a shortened version of a larger study drawn up by officials from the World
Bank with technical advice from FAO experts and funding from
http://www.seedquest.com/News/releases/2009/june/26605.htm
Source: SeedQuest.com
++++++++++++++++++++++
1.04 Agriculture is essential for facing climate
change, says FAO
Climate change mitigation from agriculture could
also benefit hunger and poverty reduction
Agricultural mitigation in developing
countries can make farming more resilient to the vagaries of climate change
and can also reduce hunger and poverty, FAO said in a policy brief for
climate change negotiators currently meeting in Bonn/Germany.
"If agriculture in developing
countries becomes more sustainable, if it increases its productivity and becomes
more resilient against the impact of climate change, this should help to reduce
the number of currently around one billion hungry people and offer better
income and job opportunities," said Alexander Mueller, FAO Assistant
Director-General.
"Millions of poor farmers
around the globe could help in reducing greenhouse gas emissions," said
Peter Holmgren, FAO focal point for the UN climate change negotiations.
"But this requires massive
investments and information — to change unsustainable farming methods and
to train farmers in mitigation practices. A new global climate agreement,
to be adopted in
Current global funding arrangements
such as the Kyoto Protocol
New and more flexible financing
mechanisms are needed that offer incentives to farmers, including smallholders,
so that they may participate in greenhouse gas emission reductions and removals.
The scope of the Clean Development
Mechanism, for example, could be expanded in order to include reduction of
emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, wetlands, croplands and
grasslands, in order to realize the high potential for sequestering carbon
in soils and above ground biomass.
Funding for climate change activities
in agriculture in developing countries should be new and additional and should
be clearly separate from official development aid, while opportunities to
use funding from different sources in mutually reinforcing ways should be
fully exploited.
Agriculture — a source and a
sink
Agriculture is a
Between 1990 and 2005, emissions
by agriculture in developing countries increased by around 30 percent and
are expected to rise further.
But sustainable farming practices
offer important options to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and, at the sme
time, to increase agricultural productivity.
Soil carbon sequestration through
reduced tillage, improved grassland management and restoration of degraded
lands, forms the
Other mitigation options include
more efficient use of fertilizer, improving water and rice management planting
trees, altering forage and sustainable use of animal genetic diversity.
http://www.seedquest.com/News/releases/2009/june/26380.htm
Source: SeedQuest.com
+++++++++++++++++++++++
1.05 Projected food, energy demands seen to outpace
production
The report, produced
by Deutsche Bank, one of the world
"We are at a
crossroads in terms of our investments in agriculture and what we will need
to do to feed the world population by 2050," says David Zaks, a co-author
of the report and a researcher at the Nelson Institute
By 2050, world population
is expected to exceed 9 billion people, up from 6.5 billion today. Already,
according to the report, a gap is emerging between agricultural production
and demand, and the disconnect is expected to be amplified by climate change,
increasing demand for biofuels, and a growing scarcity of water.
"There will
come a point in time when we will have difficulties feeding world population,"
says Zaks, a graduate student whose research focuses on the patterns, trends
and processes of global agriculture.
Although unchecked
population growth will put severe strains on global agriculture, demand can
be met by a combination of expanding agriculture to now marginal or unused
land, substituting new types of crops, and technology, the report
The report notes
that agricultural research and technological development in the
The Deutsche Bank
report, however, identifies a number of strategies to increase global agricultural
productions in sustainable ways, including:
"First we have
to improve yield," notes Zaks. "Next, we have to bring in more land
in agriculture while considering the environmental implications, and then
we have to look at technology."
Bruce Kahn, Deutsche
Bank senior investment analyst, echoed Zaks observations: "What is required
to meet the challenge of feeding a growing population in a warming world is
to boost yield through highly sophisticated land management with precision
irrigation and fertilization methods," said Kahn, a graduate of the Nelson
Institute. "Farmers, markets and governments will have to look at a host
of options including increased irrigation, mechanization, fertilization and
the potential benefits of biotech crops."
The Deutsche Bank
report depended in part on an array of global agricultural analytical tools,
maps, models and databases developed by researchers at UW-Madison
Contact: David Zaks
zaks@wisc.edu
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Source: EurekAlert.org
++++++++++++++++++++++++
1.06 Ethiopian scientist named 2009 World Food
Prize Laureate
Gebisa Ejeta developed drought- and weed-resistant
sorghum, enhancing
Dr. Gebisa Ejeta of
Secretary of State Hillary
Rodham Clinton was the featured speaker as Dr. Ejeta was announced as
the 2009 Laureate at a ceremony at the U.S. State Department on June 11 that
also featured Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, World Food Prize
President Ambassador Kenneth M. Quinn, and World Food Prize Chairman
John Ruan
Dr. Ejeta’s personal journey
would lead him from a childhood in a one-room thatched hut in rural
Dr. Ejeta next turned his attention
to battling the scourge of Striga, a deadly parasitic weed which devastates
farmers’ crops and severely limits food availability. Working with a colleague
at
“By ridding
Dr. Ejeta’s scientific breakthroughs
in breeding drought-tolerant and Striga-resistant sorghum have been
combined with his persistent efforts to foster economic development and the
empowerment of subsistence farmers through the creation of agricultural enterprises
in rural
“Even while he was making breakthroughs
in the lab, Dr. Ejeta took his work to the field,” said
“Dr. Ejeta’s accomplishments
in improving sorghum illustrate what can be achieved when cutting-edge technology
and international cooperation in agriculture are used to uplift and empower
the world’s most vulnerable people,” added Dr. Norman E. Borlaug, founder
of the World Food Prize. “His life is as an inspiration for young scientists
around the world.”
The 2009 World Food Prize will
be formally presented to Dr. Ejeta at a ceremony at the Iowa State Capitol
on
http://www.seedquest.com/News/releases/2009/june/26500.htm
Source: SeedQuest.com
+++++++++++++++++++++++
1.07 Novel upland rice variety bred using marker-assisted
selection and client-oriented breeding released in
A novel upland rice variety,
Birsa Vikas Dhan 111 (PY 84), has recently been released in the Indian
state of Jharkhand. It was bred using marker-assisted backcrossing with selection
for multiple quantitative trait loci (QTL) for improved root growth to improve
its performance under drought conditions. It is an early maturing, drought
tolerant and high yielding variety with good grain quality suitable for the
direct seeded uplands and transplanted medium lands of
This is the first example of
a rice variety bred through the combined use of marker-assisted selection
and client-oriented breeding, and is a rare success story for the use of marker-assisted
selection to improve a quantitative trait. It out-yields the recurrent parent
by 10% under rainfed conditions.
The variety was developed in
a collaborative partnership between CAZS Natural Resources, Bangor
University,
Kalinga
Three genomic regions carrying
root growth QTL on chromosomes 2 (root length), 9 (root thickness) and 11
(root penetration) were transferred from the donor
In participatory trials, farmers
selected it for its superior phenotypic performance. Farmer-selection was
made in the target environment of farmers’ fields in Jharkhand, Orissa and
The release of Birsa Vikas Dhan
111 has paved the way for certified seed production in Jharkhand, which has
a population of over 21 million people, of whom 44% live in poverty. Rice
is the staple food. About 46% of the land is rainfed upland, where rice is
grown by resource-poor smallholder farmers (most have less than 2 ha of land)
who depend on agriculture and migrate to find other work. Low and erratic
rainfall cause frequent droughts across the region.
Other news from
Birsa Agricultural University / from
Gramin Vikas Trust
http://www.seedquest.com/News/releases/2009/june/26472.htm
Source: SeedQuest.com
1.08 IAR Samaru recommends
release of 27 new maize varieties/hybrids
Maize production
in
The Seminar was Chaired
by the Head, Department of Plant Science, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Nigeria,
Dr M. F. Ishiyaku who is a cowpea breeder. The seminar was attended by
stakeholders including the Executive Director, National Agricultural
Seed Council, Scientists from International Institute of Tropical Agriculture,
The lagerly interactive
seminar presentation drew comments, suggestions and commendation from the
audience.
·
That plant breeders should pick up the challenge to be
releasing new crop varieties with the same frequency as their counterparts
in other parts of
·
The seminar was attended by Professor D. A
·
The seminar revealed how maize keep on expanding the
production frontiers attributed to varieties that addresses different stresses
including drought and Striga.
The varieties were
recommended for different ecologies of
Contributed by Shehu G. Ado
shehuga@gmail.com
+++++++++++++++++++++++
1.09 IRRI-bred
rice varieties for the
Three new rice varieties designed
to help Filipino farmers grow more rice
in difficult conditions have been officially recommended for approval for
release in the
Read more at
http://beta.irri.org/index.php/Home/What-s-New/IRRI-bred-rice-varieties-for-the-Philippines.html
Contributed by Margaret E. Smith
Dept. of Plant Breeding &
Contributed by Margaret E. Smith
Dept. of Plant Breeding &
1.10 Bean
varieties released in
June 2009
Ecuador
Source: CIAT: http://www.ciat.cgiar.org/newsroom/release_39.htm
Contributed by Margaret E. Smith
Dept. of Plant Breeding &
1.11 Chilean
Highbush blueberry varieties for export
Peter D S Caligari1, 3,
Jorge B Retamales2, 3, Gustavo A Lobos2, 3
1 Instituto de Biología
Vegetal y Biotecnología, Universidad de Talca, Chile
2 Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias,
Universidad de Talca, Chile
3 Genberries Ltda,
Campus Lircay,
Since the late eighties, the
production of blueberries in Chile, particularly for export to countries in
the Northern hemisphere has increased year on year so that in 2000 Chile only
exported about 4,000 tons while in 2007 it exported 24,370 tons and the increase
continues. Fruit export is the product
of varieties bred in
We are always interested in
developing more interactions and contacts and would be particularly keen to
trial any new genotypes or varieties on a collaborative basis.
Contributed by Peter Caligari
pcaligari@utalca.cl
1.12
Almeria-based researchers,
led by Federico García Maroto, have genetically improved castor-oil plant
so as to use it as a factory to produce bio lubricants. This research project,
part of a national macro project, is developed through the sub-project titled
So far, scientists
of the University
of Almeria have identified and donated a series of genes that are
responsible of the biosynthesis of lipids that can be used to obtain transgenic
castor-oil plants with an acid profile appropriate for the different requirements
of bio lubricants. More specifically, the idea is to obtain an oil with a
higher concentration of monounsaturated fatty acids (oleic and palmitic),
which are the compounds required to classify an oil as a bio lubricant.
Another one of the
objectives to be attained is the identification and characterisation of specific
regulatory genetic sequences, called promoters, which drive the expression
of such genes to the seeds of castor-oil transgenic plants. A promoter is
a specific part of the gene responsible for the creation or accumulation of
a desired product in certain tissue or organ.
With such modification,
in the case of castor-oil plants, the idea is for fatty oils to get accumulated
in the seed without affecting other parts of the plant, thus avoiding negative
agronomic effects.
The team of scientists
is also working on the introduction of genes into castor-oil plants with a
technique that is effective and reproducible for the production of generally
applicable bio lubricants. That is, they aim to make a great battery of bio
lubricants with different applications: automobile industry, aero generators,
industrial engines and motors, etc.
Moreover, the Institute
of Sustainable Agriculture of Córdoba is developing the agronomic aspect of
castor-oil plants. The aim of two-folded: on the one hand, to obtain varieties
adapted to current culture conditions in
The general aim of
the project carried out at a national level, called Biovesin, is to create
environmental friendly lubricants using last generation vegetal oils and biodegradable
additives selected due to their optimal performance for each use, with a good
cost-performance relation. Such study is coordinated by Dr. Rafael Garcés
of the
http://www.seedquest.com/News/releases/2009/june/26651.htm
Source: Andalucía Innova via SeedQuest.com
25 June 2009
1.13
Twelve African countries deliver
national rice development strategies with support from the Coalition for African
Rice Development (
One year almost to the day after
the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the Alliance
for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) and the New Partnership
for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) jointly launched a
The pact will be formalized
at the second General Meeting of the Coalition for African Rice Development
(
“In its first year,
Since its inception one year
ago,
With the support of the
“Our partnership with
Currently, the demand for rice
in sub-Saharan
“Rice is quickly becoming a
The MoU between JICA and
The rice production situation
in
http://www.seedquest.com/News/releases/2009/june/26355.htm
Source: SeedQuest.com
1.14 Seed
exchange among farmers key to transgene presence in Mexican maize
In 2001, a controversial study
conducted by researchers at the
George A. Dyer and colleagues
from the
According to Dyer and colleagues,
the possible spread of genetically modified seed and grain from the
The original article is available
at
http://www.news.ucdavis.edu/search/news_detail.lasso?id=9143
Read the paper published by
PLoS
http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0005734
Source: Crop Biotech Update
Contributed by Margaret E. Smith
Dept. of Plant Breeding &
1.15 Scientists seek easier access to seed banks
Frances Ogbonnaya believes
Few commercial wheats can resist
the devastating strain (Science, 8 May, p. 710). That
Still more genetic weapons against
Ug99 might be found in
Free and timely access to seeds
is enshrined in the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food
and Agriculture, which came into force in 2004. But "free and timely"
is not how plant breeders describe their experience with five of the treaty
Last week, the treaty
Once bitten, twice shy.
Frances Ogbonnaya says Ethiopian
durum wheats could help thwart a fungus now sweeping the globe—but
CREDIT: COURTESY OF
That tourniquet was supposed
to be undone by the genetic resources treaty, which superseded the biodiversity
convention when dealing with 64 crop varieties deemed vital to global food
security. In place of bilateral deals, treaty signatories in 2004 adopted
a standard material transfer agreement providing access to the 64 varieties
held in signatories
"Countries think, ‘We give
access in the here and now, but what do we get back?’" acknowledges Shakeel
Bhatti, secretary of the treaty
Elizabeth Finkel is a writer
in
Science
Vol. 324. no. 5933, p. 1376
DOI: 10.1126/science.324_1376
1.16 First result of benefit-sharing mechanism for FAO
treaty; push for farmers’ rights
By Catherine
Saez, Intellectual Property Watch
Members of a global
treaty on plant genetic resources this month announced 11 new projects on
biodiversity conservation in research institutions, and financed by a benefit-sharing
fund whose sustainability is still in doubt. The group separately acted to
better protect farmers’ rights at the national level.
The International
Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture Governing Body
met in
The treaty aims at
promoting conservation and sustainable use of plant genetic resources for
food and agriculture, and equitable sharing of benefits derived from the use
of those resources. (IPW, Biodiversity, 7 August 2008)
The Governing Body,
the treaty’s highest organ, meets at least once every two years. It is composed
of all member governments and its main function is to promote the full implementation
of the treaty.
One of the highlights
of this third session of the Governing Body was the implementation of a multilateral
system of access and benefit-sharing through the treaty’s benefit-sharing
fund. The fund is intended to be self-sustaining and is aimed at supporting
conservation and sustainable use of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture.
However, for the
moment, according to the treaty secretariat, the funds of the benefit-sharing
fund are voluntary contributions from the governments of
The secretariat said
the fund is the first multilateral mechanism providing financial support as
a way to share benefits arising from access to plant genetic resources.
Those “who access
genetic material through the multilateral system agree that they will freely
share any new developments with others for further research, or, if they want
to keep the developments to themselves, they agree to pay a percentage of
any commercial benefits they derive from their research into a common fund
to support conservation and further development of agriculture in the developing
world,” the secretariat said (IPW, Biodiversity, 14 January 2009).
First 11 Projects
The Treaty Governing
Body in 2008 issued a call for proposals for potential grantees in its first
biennial cycle (2008-2009), and 471 pre-proposals were received from seven
FAO regions, before the closing date of
Eventually eleven
projects were chosen. Some of the projects include characterisation and genetic
enhancement of finger millet in western
Most organisations
who submitted the projects are publicly funded institutions such as universities,
research institutes, and a gene bank.
Civil society representatives
present at the
For the next cycle
(2010-2011), authority for the execution will be delegated to the bureau.
The list of treaty members that are eligible for support under the benefit-sharing
fund will be prepared by the secretariat, based on a complete list of developing
countries derived from the most recent World Bank classification of economies.
According to the
Governing Body’s decision, the treaty secretary should consult within FAO
in order to find interim arrangements for the disbursement of funds, project
reporting and monitoring, and for the conclusion of the first project cycle.
All information generated
by projects funded through the benefit-sharing fund shall be made publicly
available within one year of the completion of the project, according to the
Governing Body’s third session.
“Plant genetic resources
for food and agriculture listed in Annex 1 of the treaty [describing the list
of crops covered under the multilateral system of access and benefit-sharing],
resulting from projects funded by the benefit-sharing fund, shall be made
available according to the terms and conditions of the multilateral system”
according a secretariat source.
Breakthrough on Farmers’
Rights
One of the main demands
of the civil society is that on-farm conservation be sustained and supported,
rather than only in off-site gene banks. “Ex-situ gene banks have an important
role to play. But we have been trying to save seed in gene banks for the last
half century, with more failures than successes,” said Malaku Worede of
Via Campesina, an
international movement of peasants with members from 56 countries, issued
a declaration on 2 June saying
that biodiversity could not be preserved and renewed without the recognition
of farmers’ rights defined by the treaty. This particularly includes those
rights - defined in Article 9 - on the preservation, use, exchange and sale
of their seeds, and their participation in national decision-making, as well
as the protection of their traditional knowledge.
However, they said,
the
A resolution on the
implementation of Article 9 on farmers’ rights, which was seen by many as a positive step forward, was
taken by the Governing Body on the last day of the session.
The resolution invites
each contracting party to consider reviewing and, if necessary, adjusting
its national measures affecting the realisation of farmer’s rights. It also
encourages contracting members to submit views and experiences on the implementation
of farmers’ rights as set out in Article 9, involving farmers’ organisations
and other stakeholders.
“It is indeed a significant
step towards recognition and implementation of farmers’ rights, especially
since the treaty is the only international agreement that has enshrined such
rights and putting high regard on the contributions of farmers to the conservation
and development and sustainable use of plant genetic resources all over the
world,” Corazon de Jesus from the Southeast Asia Regional Initiatives for
Community Empowerment (SEARICE) told Intellectual
Property Watch.
SEARICE agreed with
the statement made by the Action
Group on Erosion, Technology and Concentration (ETC)
and Via Campesina calling, among
other things, for a suspension of all IP rights and other regulations that
prevent farmers from saving and exchanging non-genetically modified seed,
a
She further emphasised
“the need for more involvement and participation of farmers in decision-making,
not just at the national level but also in international negotiations such
as the treaty meetings.”
“There was little
done or said about in-situ conservation,” said Pat Mooney from
“Although it [the
declaration] is still toothless,” François Meienberg from the Berne Declaration
told Intellectual Property Watch, “it is a step forward.”
http://www.seedquest.com/News/releases/2009/june/26601.htm
Source: SeedQuest.com
1.17 11 projects announced in
Eleven developing countries
that conserve food seeds and other genetic material from
Grants are to be awarded to
projects in
The projects were chosen from
hundreds of applications and come on stream thanks to the generous donations
of
The projects to be supported
include: on-farm protection of citrus agro-biodiversity in
(List
of the projects at website, below)
http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/20241/icode/
Source: FAO
1.18 New study finds that sharing genetic resources
key to adaptation to climate change in
Stanford and Crop Trust researchers emphasize
need for collection and identification of crop varieties to address growing
conditions unlike any in existence today
As rapidly rising temperatures
in Africa threaten to scorch local varieties of maize and other food staples,
the food security of many Africans will depend on farmers in one country gaining
access to climatically suitable varieties now being cultivated in other African
nations, and beyond, according to a peer-reviewed
study published in Global Environmental
Change.
But the study, conducted by
researchers at Stanford University
"When we looked where temperatures
are headed, we found that for the
Many African farmers could potentially
find crop varieties in other African countries where current temperatures
and conditions are similar to what they will face in the future. But researchers
are particularly concerned about six countries—
"This is not a situation
like the failure of the banking system where we can move in after the fact
and provide something akin to a bailout," said
The release of the study comes
amid growing concerns that an international climate change agreement to be
finalized this December in
For example, at an international
conference last week in
Researchers from Stanford and
the Global Crop Diversity Trust said there is a particularly urgent need to
address the situation in
At issue is the fact that most
crop varieties cultivated on African farms are "landraces"—or traditional
varieties—that have been selected by farmers over the centuries due to their
unique suitability to local growing conditions. But Burke and his colleagues
report that by 2050, due to global warming, temperatures during the growing
season in nearly all African countries will be "hotter than any year
in historical experience" for that region, leaving that once well-adapted
local variety suddenly unable to cope, or at least adapt quickly enough.
Seeking a potential solution
to this problem, the researchers documented the "novel" climates
expected to emerge in each African country by 2050 and compared them with
present conditions across the continent. What they found is that for the
For example, in
"We know there are local
varieties of maize, millet, sorghum and other crops genetically endowed with
traits that would be of enormous benefit in helping African farmers in that
country and others, adapt to climate change," said Luigi Guarino, Senior
Science Coordinator at the Global Crop Diversity Trust. "But the genebank
collections from many areas that are likely to have the widest range of diversity
are either incomplete or non-existent."
The researcher found that there
is a "set of countries whose current climate" is very similar "to
many future climates." But they note that the landraces from these countries,
which include
"These countries are particularly
high priorities for urgent collection and conservation of maize genetic resources,"
the researchers advise.
Meanwhile, the study identified
a "worrying set" of six countries—
Nonetheless, the study concludes
that for most countries, there are solutions available, if the collective
plant genetic resources of
"We have seen in recent
years substantial progress in conserving and sharing plant genetic resources,
but the problems we are facing with climate change demand a much stronger
commitment to international collaboration," said Fowler. "This study
makes it clear that crop diversity is a prerequisite for successful adaptation
to climate change in
The mission of the Global
Crop Diversity Trust is to ensure the conservation and availability of crop
diversity for food security worldwide. Although crop diversity is fundamental
to fighting hunger and to the very future of agriculture, funding is unreliable
and diversity is being lost. The Trust is the only organization working worldwide
to solve this problem.
Stanford's
Program on Food Security and the Environment aims to generate innovative
solutions to the persistent problems of global hunger and environmental damage
from agricultural practices worldwide.
http://www.seedquest.com/News/releases/2009/june/26562.htm
Source: Burness Communications via SeedQuest.com
1.19 Protecting the food crops of the future
Biologists are investigating
how to control when plants flower - to help farmers reap a bumper harvest.
The University
of Leeds team will also investigate whether the flowering process can be made more
robust and able to withstand predicted changes in the climate.
Professor of Plant Development
at the University, Brendan Davies, says: “Flowers are vital to the plant reproduction
process as pollination leads to the development of the fruit, where the seeds
are found. Everything that we eat comes from flowering plants - even the food
that is fed to livestock. This means that the long-term future of the world’s
food supply would be greatly enhanced if we could predict and control flowering.
Farmers need to be able to plan when their crops should be harvested and so
our study has
As part of a three-year European
project called BLOOM-
Working with computer modelling
experts, the plant scientists will build a digital model that ultimately should
be able to predict the impact of changes in genetic structure in the ‘shoot
apical meristem’– a small cluster of just a few cells that eventually produce
the entire plant, including its flowers. The model will also calculate the
impact of changes in external factors such as climate.
Professor Davies says: “Flowers
are a plant’s reproductive organs and it is essential for breeding programmes
and crop harvests that farmers and breeders are able to predict when flowering
will take place. This has been done for centuries by taking note of weather
patterns and varying light levels, but we can now improve on these predictions
by adding in other factors such as minute changes in genetic make-up.
“We now know a great deal about
how the genes that control flowers operate. What we want to find out is how
the expression of these genes, that is the order in which they are turned
on and off, helps to create a flower at a specific time and in specific environmental
conditions. It we could predict, or even control this process, then over time
we may be able to help farmers improve the quantity and quality of their harvests.”
More information about the project
can be seen at: www.erapg.org/everyone/16790/18613/19533/19536
Professor Brendan Davies is
Director of the Centre for Plant Sciences at
The Faculty
of Biological Sciences at the
The University
of Leeds is one of the largest higher education institutions
in the
Source:
SeedQuest.com
1.20 Domestication of Capsicum annuum chile
pepper provides insights into crop origin and evolution
Without the process of domestication,
humans would still be hunters and gatherers, and modern civilization would
look very different. Fortunately, for all of us who do not relish the thought
of spending our days searching for nuts and berries, early civilizations successfully
cultivated many species of animals and plants found in their surroundings.
Current studies of the domestication of various species provide a fascinating
glimpse into the past.
A recent article by Dr. Seung-Chul
Kim and colleagues in the June 2009 issue of the American
Journal of Botany explores the domestication of chiles. These hot peppers, found in everything
from hot chocolate to salsa, have long played an important role in the diets
of Mesoamerican people, possibly since as early as ~8000 B.C. Capsicum annuum
is one of five domesticated species of chiles and is notable as one of the
primary components, along with maize, of the diet of Mesoamerican peoples.
However, little has been known regarding the original location of domestication
of C. annuum, the number of times it was domesticated, and the genetic diversity
present in wild relatives.
To answer these questions, Dr.
Kim and his team examined
Geographical separation among
cultivated populations was reflected in
Across the three loci studied,
Dr. Kim and colleagues found an average reduction in diversity of 10% in domesticated
individuals compared with the semiwild individuals. Domesticated chiles in
traditional agricultural habits, however, harbor unique gene pools and serve
as important reservoirs of genetic diversity important for conserving biodiversity.
This work was conducted primarily
by Araceli Aguilar-Meléndez as her dissertation project under the guidance
of Drs. Kim and Mikeal Roose in the Department of Botany and Plant Sciences
at the University of California at Riverside. The research was supported by
the University of California Institute for Mexico and the United States (UC
MEXUS), El Coneso Nacional de Ciencia y Technología (CONACYT), and a gift
from the McIlhenny Company. Aguilar-Meléndez, Kim, and their colleagues plan
to continue research on this remarkably variable and economically important
spice in
The Botanical
Society of America is a non-profit membership society with a mission
to promote botany, the field of basic science dealing with the study and inquiry
into the form, function, development, diversity, reproduction, evolution,
and uses of plants and their interactions within the biosphere. It has published
the American Journal of Botany (www.amjbot.org) for nearly 100 years. For
further information, or for full access to this article, please contact the
AJB staff at ajb@botany.org
http://www.seedquest.com/News/releases/2009/june/26597.htm
Source: American
Journal of Botany
1.21 Scientists disclose discovery of gene conferring
drought tolerance in corn plants
Gene provides yield stability
during periods of inadequate water supply
Monsanto
Company
(NYSE: MON) and BASF scientists unveiled the discovery that a naturally-occurring
gene can help corn plants combat drought conditions and confer yield stability
during periods of inadequate water supplies.
The companies stated that they
will use the gene in their first-generation drought-tolerant corn product
which is designed to provide yield stability to their farmer customers. This
product will be the first biotechnology-derived drought-tolerant crop in the
world.
The announcement comes at a
time when recent studies, including one by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences,
are warning of declining crop yields and global food shortages as a result
of climate change. According to a United Nations
The companies said that the
drought-tolerant corn contains the cspB gene, from Bacillus subtilis. CspB
codes for an RNA chaperone, which are commonly occurring protein molecules
that bind to RNAs and facilitate their function. The gene was first identified
in bacteria subjected to cold stress conditions and further research has demonstrated
that cspB helps plants cope with drought stress. Monsanto scientists have
published those findings in a peer-reviewed paper in the journal, Plant Physiology.
In corn, cspB works by helping
the plant maintain growth and development during times of inadequate water
supply. A corn plant is particularly vulnerable to drought during reproductive
growth stages. By mitigating the impact of drought on the plant, cspB helps
provide yield stability. Improved yield stability is of significant value
to farmers faced with unpredictable rainfall.
"The development of this
trait demonstrates the strength of our robust discovery engine which is fueled
by our ongoing investment in R&D," said Robert Fraley, Chief Technology
Officer for Monsanto. "It also reflects our commitment to our farmer
customers and a recognition of the investment they make in our products. Drought-tolerant
corn will be another tool with which we can help them meet the challenges
facing agriculture today."
"BASF and Monsanto
Monsanto and BASF noted that
the drought-tolerant corn product is targeted for as early as 2012 pending
appropriate regulatory approvals. Both companies also recently announced that
they have completed regulatory submissions for cultivation in the
In any given year, 10 million
to 13 million acres of farmland planted to corn in the
Drought-tolerant corn technology
is part of the R&D and commercialization collaboration in plant biotechnology
between BASF and Monsanto, announced in March 2007. The two companies are
jointly contributing $1.5 billion over the life of the collaboration, which
is aimed at developing higher-yielding crops and crops more tolerant to adverse
environmental conditions such as drought.
The first-generation product
is part of a multi-generational family of biotech drought-tolerant products
the companies plan to bring to market in the next decade. Both BASF and Monsanto
continue to bolster the joint pipeline with other genes for drought tolerance
as well as other abiotic stress tolerance traits. Among them is the second-generation
drought-tolerant corn, currently in Phase 2 - which consists of laboratory
and field testing.
Monsanto decided to collaborate
with BASF because the company is excellently positioned to provide traits
as a series of successive upgrades within a particular crop. For BASF, Monsanto
Monsanto
Monsanto
http://www.seedquest.com/News/releases/2009/june/26456.htm
Source: SeedQuest.com
1.22 Scientists find solution to fungal disease threatening
soybean in
Soybean farmers in
Dubbed TGx 1835-10E,
the variety was bred by IITA and further developed in
collaboration with the National Cereal Research Institute (
Aside from being
resistant to the Asian rust, the variety is also high-yielding, averaging
1655 kg/ha grain and 2210 kg/ha fodder in field trials in Nigeria, according
to Olumide Shokalu,
“The variety can
be used for direct cultivation in tropical
“It has resistance
genes that are effective against all currently known types of the rust fungus
in
In 1996 the Asian
soybean rust first arrived in
By 2001, the fungus
entered
The fungus is very
aggressive and can produce billions of spores capable of turning lush green
crops with healthy foliage into brown fields with bare stalks in 2-3 weeks.
“For most African farmers, using resistant varieties is the most viable method
to control the disease as using fungicides proves too costly,” say Tefera
and Bandyopadhyay.
http://www.seedquest.com/News/releases/2009/june/26678.htm
Source: SeedQuest.com
1.23 New efforts to counter ramularia
A project to combat a newly
emerging disease of barley is being launched. It will pull together the efforts
of plant scientists, breeders and industry to prevent this disease establishing
and help
Finding ways to combat cereal
diseases is crucial to ensure food security going into the future. Ramularia
leaf spot is a fungal disease of barley that has come to prominence in the
last ten years. It is a significant problem in
The rapid increase in importance
of this disease means ways of controlling the fungus and breeding resistant
varieties are still in their infancy. In
order to ensure the security of our food supply, cost-effective and environmentally-benign
control methods need to be developed. Little scientific study has been carried out
on the fungus to date, so CORACLE provides a timely opportunity to tackle
the problem while it is still at a manageable level.
CORACLE will improve the control
of ramularia in the field, helping barley producers
to combat the disease and reduce
fungicide applications. The scientists
and companies working on the project will take an integrated approach. In
the short term, CORACLE aims to reduce the severity of ramularia outbreaks
in the field and to stop the disease spreading in contaminated barley grain.
In the longer term, the research will help plant breeders to produce barley
varieties that are more resistant to ramularia.
CORACLE is coordinated by Professor
James Brown of the John Innes Centre in
Stuart Knight of The Arable
Group, one of the CORACLE partners, outlined the threat this disease poses
to
The Scottish Agricultural College
(SAC) and the Scottish Crop Research Institute (
The project consortium includes
plant breeders and agro-chemical companies. Dr Peter Werner, a breeder at KWS UK Ltd, said:
"The control of diseases and pests is a very high priority to both the
breeding and agro-chemical industries but to date only limited progress has
been made towards Ramularia control. We
need the improved understanding of the pathology of the disease that this
project offers and expect to be able to use this to aid the development of
new varieties and products."
The John Innes Centre is an
institute of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC).
Contributed by Andrew Chapple
Assistant Press Officer
The John Innes Centre
1.24 Shatter
resistant Brassicas
An international team of scientists
has cracked the problem of pod shatter in brassica crops such as oilseed rape.
Just before harvest, oilseed
rape pods are prone to shatter, causing a 10-25% loss of seeds and up to 70%
in some cases.
"By artificially producing
a hormone in a specific region of the fruit, we have stopped the fruit opening
in the related model plant Arabidopsis, completely sealing the seeds inside,"
says Dr Lars Østergaard from the John Innes Centre. "We need to refine
the process for use in agriculture to reduce seed loss but still allowing
them to be easily harvested.
The scientists discovered that
the absence of the hormone auxin in a layer of cells in the fruit is necessary
for the fruit to open. Two stripes of tissue form where no auxin is present,
and these separate to open the pod.
It is already known that proper
plant development, such as organ growth and patterning, requires specific
hormones to accumulate in specific regions. This is the first time that removal
of a hormone has been found to be important for cell fate and growth.
Oilseed rape is grown for its
tiny black oil-containing seeds, prized for cooking oil and margarines low
in saturated fat, and increasingly for biodiesel. The meal that remains after
oil extraction is also used as a high protein animal feed.
Brassica plants normally disperse
their seeds by a pod-shattering mechanism. Although this mechanism is an advantage
in nature, it is one of the biggest problems in farming oilseed rape. As well
as losing valuable seeds, it results in runaway
If rape seeds are harvested
early to get round the problem, immature seeds may be collected which are
of an inferior quality.
Oilseed rape is relatively undeveloped
in breeding terms when compared to wheat and other crops. It retains characteristics
of a wild plant including maximising seed dispersal. JIC scientists are also
researching genetic solutions to reduce pod shatter and to improve breeding
of the crop.
The John Innes Centre is an
institute of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC).
Contributed by Andrew Chapple
Assistant Press Officer
The John Innes Centre
1.25 Disease resistance traits isolated from oat
varieties in
The effects of fusarium head
blight in wheat and barley have been well documented over the past two decades.
Mycotoxins produced by the fungi responsible can make pigs sick and cause
beer to foam out of control. But much less research has been done to evaluate
the effects of fusarium fungi on oats.
"Fusarium tends to be more
of a problem in the eastern prairies and becomes less of a problem as you
move further west," says Andy Tekauz, a plant pathologist with Agriculture
and
"We can find fusarium head
blight in most
To quantify the effects of fusarium
head blight in oats, plus identify and incorporate genetic sources of resistance,
Tekauz and a group of collaborating researchers received funding from the
Endowment Fund, which is administered by the Western
Grains Research Foundation (WGRF).
"We wanted to find out
if fusarium is a problem and if so, how big and widespread it was. For the
three-year project, we sampled a number of fields to find out how many fields
had fusarium and which species were involved," says Tekauz.
"We also wanted to look
at oats from
Tekauz was able to demonstrate
that fusarium head blight is indeed a problem in commercial oat fields, with
more than 75 percent of the fields surveyed annually affected. He was able
to isolate fusarium fungi from ten to 15 percent of the seed taken from those
fields.
"In wheat, about 95 percent
of the problem is caused by F. graminearum. In barley, there are a number
of other species involved and these same species are also involved in oats,"
he says.
The four species include F.
graminearum, F. poae, F. sporotrichioides and F. avenaceum.
"We find these four every
year in oats when we do our surveys, but their proportion tends to change
from year to year. So environment or other factors play a role in determining
what levels of these fungi will be found on the seed," says Tekauz.
The researchers then tested
Canadian oat varieties and breeding lines, plus material from elsewhere, for
genetic resistance.
"Among Canadian oats, there
was variability in fusarium head blight resistance. We were also able to identify
genetic resistance in lines obtained from other countries, particularly
"The resistance we have
identified in the project is currently being used in oat breeding programs
in western
Fusarium rating system
Tekauz says that in general, oats tend to be more resistant to fusarium head
blight than barley or wheat.
"When we put susceptible
wheat and barley varieties as checks into our oat fusarium head blight nurseries,
they accumulate more
"We would slot most oats
into the MR to MS category - moderately resistant to moderately susceptible.
In wheat and barley, there
The researchers are currently
working on a ratings system for ranking fusarium resistance in current and
future oat varieties.
"What we
Tekauz says looking for resistance
to fusarium head blight based on low
The Endowment Fund, the original
core fund of WGRF, has supported more than 200 research projects since 1983.
For more information on the
project check the WGRF Web site at www.westerngrains.com
http://www.seedquest.com/News/releases/2009/june/26542.htm
Source: SeedQuest.com
1.26 INRA
researchers identify new aphid resistance gene
Scientists at the French National
Institute for Agricultural Research (INRA) have identified a novel gene that
confers resistance against the dreaded melon or cotton aphid Aphis gossypii.
The aphid has emerged as a
The researchers identified the
resistance gene, which they called Vat (virus aphid transmission resistance),
in melon lines originating from
For more information, visit
http://www.international.inra.fr/
Source: Crop Biotech Update
Contributed by Margaret E. Smith
Dept. of Plant Breeding &
1.27 A new
gene to combat possible build-up of resistance in Bollworm Insects in Bt Cotton
Development of resistance in
target insect populations due to large-scale deployment of a single gene has
been a concern of the scientific community since the time when transgenic
crops started to cover significant areas of agricultural crops. A possible solution to this has been to manage
resistance development by deploying a range of genes with different modes
of action to delay resistance development, if at all it develops. Last month, GEAC (Genetic Engineering Approval
Committee), the apex body of Government of India which decides on matters
related to transgenic crops, approved for commercial cultivation, two Bt cotton
hybrids, MH5125Bt and MH5174Bt, both from Metahelix Life Sciences, expressing
a synthetic gene, Cry1C. The gene is
effective against Spodoptera litura, the voracious leaf eating Tobacco Caterpillar,
which is assuming alarming proportions in cotton growing areas
of
With the release of hybrids
expressing the Metahelix gene for commercial cultivation, the Indian farmer
has now one more option to choose from in controlling the boll worm insect
complex.
For more information on this
technology, you may contact Dr. Vasudeva Rao at vasrao@meta-helix.com
Contributed by M. J. Vasudeva
Rao
President Ag Technologies
Metahelix Life Sciences Private
Limited
Bangalore, India
1.28 Melon research sweetened with
People smell them, thump them and eyeball their shape. But ultimately, it
Plant breeders now
have a better chance to pinpoint such traits for new varieties, because the
melon genome with hundreds of
"This will help
us anchor down some of the desirable genes to develop better melon varieties,"
said Dr. Kevin Crosby, who completed the study with Drs. Soon O. Park and
Hye Hwang. "We can identify specific genes for higher sugar content,
disease resistance and even drought tolerance."
The results are reported
in the Journal of the American Society of Horticultural
Sciences.
Melons are fleshy,
edible cucurbits grown worldwide in a multitude of varieties. Not only are
they economically important, the scientists noted, but they are a favorite
among consumers internationally.
The average person
in the
Scientists from
For the study, the
Deltex ananas melon was crossed with a wild melon called TGR 1551. More than
100 of the offspring from that cross were grown in the AgriLife Research greenhouses
at
Previous knowledge
of melon
In addition to the complete map, the researchers located genetic markers linked to fruit sugars, ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and male sterility, which is useful for developing hybrid v