PLANT BREEDING NEWS
EDITION
208
An
Electronic Newsletter of Applied Plant Breeding
Clair
H. Hershey, Editor
Sponsored
by GIPB, FAO/AGP and
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-Archived issues available at: FAO Plant Breeding Newsletter
1.
NEWS, ANNOUNCEMENTS
1.01 ICRISAT and IFAD call for a second Green Revolution
1.02 Addressing
climate change and food security together
1.03 Members
of the CGIAR endorse reforms
1.04 Scottish Crop Research Institute Group supports
1.05 A
series of crop- and region-specific socio-economic studies from GCP
1.06
1.07 2009
Year in Review: Scientists give their opinion of top news stories in agricultural
biotechnology
1.08 UC
1.09 Maize
research improves farmers’ productivity in
1.10
1.11 Firms in race to offer rice seeds for early harvest
in
1.12 African maize seed companies: Management by the book
1.13 Institute
for Agricultural Research (IAR) Samaru, secures release of 27 new maize varieties/hbrids
and three new cowpea varieties in
1.14 From
1.15 Wheat warriors: The struggle to break the yield barrier
1.16 Precision breeding creates super potato
1.17 Russian GM potato varieties obtain state patents
1.18 GM seeds in
1.19 Conference
report: "GMOs in European Agriculture and Food Production"
1.20 Private seed breeders line up for plant variety protection
1.21 Who owns the eggplant?
1.22 Bt
brinjal is a safe breakthrough: Indian Minister of S&T
1.23 USDA/APHIS seeks public comment on draft environmental
impact statement for genetically engineered alfalfa
1.24 Fourth Annual Soybean Rust Symposium includes some
bombshells
1.25 African scientist works on sorghum project in
1.26
1.27 Fall in rice strains highlights
1.28 African policymakers urged to speed seed to farmers
1.29 Newly Elected African
Crop Science Society Council, 2009-2011
1.30 Report
on bee mortality and bee surveillance in
1.31 Frost tolerant wheat varieties a step closer
1.32 Australian
scientists identify crown rot-resistant wheat lines
1.33 Virus-resistant
GM squash more vulnerable to bacterial wilt attack
1.34 New
high-yielding hybrid sorghum varieties
1.35 Whiteflies
interfere with stressed plants
1.36 ARS
finds PEMV-resistant pea lines
1.37 Amylopectin
potatoes by precision breeding
1.38 Cloning plants from seeds
1.39
1.40 Newly discovered enzymes could be targeted to make water-wise crops
1.41 Antagonistic genes control rice growth
1.42
2.01 Plant
Breeding and Farmer Participation
3.01
3.02 The Borlaug Global Rust Initiative (BGRI) launches
a quarterly newsletter
4.01 Monsanto’s Beachell-Borlaug International Scholars
Program
4.02 Graduate Assistantship, offered
in the
4.03 The Islamic Development Bank (DB) Prizes
For Science and Technology for Year 1431H (2010G)
5.01 Post-doctoral
associate in RosBREED: Enabling
Marker-Assisted Breeding in Rosaceae
6. MEETINGS,
COURSES
7. EDITOR
1 NEWS, ANNOUNCEMENTS
1.01
ICRISAT and IFAD call for a second Green Revolution
A second Green Revolution must be waged to end
hunger and poverty in the drylands. This clarion call was given by the International
Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) Director General
William Dar and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) President
Kanayo Nwanze in dialogue with the media.
The two leaders also called upon national governments
to draft polices that would transform dryland agriculture into a successful
business. To turn agriculture profitable for farmers, governments need to
create local demand and make local markets viable, they said. This would be
the only way to attain food security in a world afflicted by climate change.
In a joint statement on the occasion of the 37th
Annual Day celebrations of ICRISAT, Dr Dar and Dr Nwanze stressed the urgent
need for a second Green Revolution focused in the semi-arid tropics. “Nearly
80 million hectares of
Dr Nwanze said that a key strategy should involve
the small farmers as they feed one-third of the world population. He also
stressed the need to organize these farmers into groups and provide them with
access to inputs and markets. Emphasizing the need for political will and
the right policy atmosphere he points out, “We need a different landscape
to feed a population of 9.6 billion by 2050. There is a need to develop better
seeds, which can withstand water shortage, new pests and adverse weather conditions
including flooding.’’
Referring to climate change, which is affecting
agricultural productivity across the world, the IFAD President said, “Climate
change is going to erode the development that took place (in agriculture)
in the past two and half decades unless we take required steps and stress
on research for more resistant crops.’’ Stating that the international community
and the governments had long neglected agricultural research, he said that
the amount spent for agriculture-related activities came down from 18% to
3% between 1980 and 2006. According to Dr Nwanze, IFAD has taken up projects
worth $636 million in
The important role of women in agricultural production
cannot be ignored. Underscoring the vulnerability of poor women to climate
change, both ICRISAT and IFAD called for policies benefiting rural women.
“Empower women with suitable technology, give them access to markets by connecting
roads,” Dr Nwanze said. Thanks to the valuable knowledge that women have acquired
over the years in water, forest and biodiversity management, women’s role
in the identification of appropriate adaptation and disaster mitigation processes
in a warmer world could be very useful, Dr Dar added.
ICRISAT and IFAD collaboration in Asia
The IFAD-funded project Harnessing the true potential
of legumes: economic and knowledge empowerment of poor rainfed farmers in
Collaboration in sub-Saharan Africa
There are two initiatives in sub-Saharan
Bio-energy
Yet another project, Harnessing water-use efficient
bio-energy crop for enhancing livelihood opportunities of smallholder farmers
in
Under this collaboration, ICRISAT and IFAD have
identified improved sweet sorghum varieties, pest and disease-tolerant breeding
materials and optimal spacing for maximizing grain and sugar yields. The tie-up
has also helped collect 138 jatropha accessions and organize self-help groups
to understand biodiesel options. High yielding cassava cultivars have been
identified for different agro-eco zones and cassava-based livelihoods are
being studied.
The road ahead
ICRISAT and IFAD will work together to enhance
agricultural productivity, diversify and develop rural enterprises and improve
livelihood opportunities in the drylands of
With just six years until the 2015 deadline for
the Millennium Development Goals, the challenges are immense and research
will be fundamental in identifying better solutions for improving the lives
of poor rural communities.
For this reason, IFAD is resolving to increase
its engagement and support to the CGIAR Centers.
http://www.seedquest.com/news.php?type=news&id_article=11968&id_region=&id_category=&id_crop=
Source: SeedQuest.com
++++++++++++++++++++++
1.02 Addressing climate change and food security together
Opportunities in agriculture should not be missed -
FAO publishes policy brief
Farming practices that capture carbon and store
it in agricultural soils offer some of the most promising options for early
and cost-effective action on climate change in developing countries, while
contributing to food security, FAO said in a policy brief prepared for the
Yet agriculture has been largely excluded from
the main climate financing mechanisms under discussion in
Agriculture not only suffers the impacts of climate
change, it is also responsible for 14 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions.
But agriculture has the potential to be an important part of the solution,
through mitigation-reducing and/or removing a significant amount of global
emissions. Some 70 percent of its potential for reducing emissions could be
realized in developing countries, FAO said.
"We hope the UN summit in
The FAO policy brief being released today calls
for funding to help "vulnerable" developing nations respond "more
comprehensively to the dual challenges of climate change and food security."
The brief said such support should reward actions
aimed at reducing emissions and adapting to climate change, while also encouraging
agricultural development and improved food security. The policy brief also
suggested exploring synergies between Official Development Assistance (ODA)
and new, additional climate funding.
Part of the solution
Food production will have to increase by 70 percent
to feed an additional 2.3 billion people by 2050, FAO said. Climate change
threatens agricultural production through higher temperatures and changes
in rainfall patterns, and increased occurrences of droughts and floods, especially
in areas that are already prone to climate-related disasters. Poorest regions
with the highest levels of chronic hunger are likely to be among the worst
affected by climate change.
"Agriculture offers readily available and
cost-effective options for reducing the emission of greenhouse gases, and
can start to do so now," Müller said. "And climate financing mechanisms
targeting agriculture could speed up efforts to reduce emissions and adapt
to climate change, while helping to reduce hunger and poverty. "
In contrast, he added, some other sectors may well
require investments in expensive technologies and new, long-term research.
Certain farming practices, including those used
by organic and conservation agriculture, capture carbon and store it in soils.
These include no/low tillage, utilizing residues for composting or mulching,
use of perennial crops to cover soil, re-seeding or improving grazing management
on grasslands and agroforestry, which combines crops and trees.
The idea, said Mϋller, is to disturb the soil
as little as possible, keep it covered and mix and rotate crops, so that carbon
is taken out of the atmosphere and parked in soils and vegetation. Nearly
90 percent of agriculture
Beyond soil carbon sequestration, more efficient
fertilizer use and management of livestock systems are also promising options
that enhance emission removals and reductions. Many of these activities may
also reduce deforestation and forest degradation due to their associated productivity
gains, that means more food can be produced without expansion of agriculture
into forests.
FAO stressed that improved farming practices required
for climate change mitigation are often the same as those needed to increase
productivity, food security and adaptation, including the restoration of degraded
agricultural lands, integrated nutrient and soil management and agroforestry.
The way forward
In addition to calling for funds to be channelled
into mitigation and adaptation schemes for agriculture, FAO believes a work
programme on agriculture, within the UNFCCC Subsidiary Body for Scientific
and Technological Advice could build confidence at the international level
around agriculture
Country-led pilot projects could demonstrate how
synergies across climate change mitigation, adaptation and food security might
be exploited, while building capacity and confidence in the use of technologies,
financing mechanisms and methodologies needed to do this.
http://www.seedquest.com/news.php?type=news&id_article=11970&id_region=&id_category=&id_crop=
Source: SeedQuest.com
1.03 Members of the CGIAR endorse reforms
At the 2009 CGIAR Business Meeting held in
http://www.seedquest.com/news.php?type=news&id_article=12272&id_region=&id_category=&id_crop=
Source: SeedQuest.com
++++++++++++++++++++++
1.04 Scottish Crop Research Institute Group supports
The Managing Director of
Speaking at a
"We are currently seeing in the
Recently
Dr Kerby backed a recent Westminster Government
initiative that spoke of the
Dr Kerby was speaking at the Sustainable Agricultural
Supply Chain Summit being held at
http://www.seedquest.com/news.php?type=news&id_article=11973&id_region=&id_category=&id_crop=
Source: SeedQuest.com
+++++++++++++++++++++++
1.05 A series of crop- and region-specific socio-economic studies from GCP
In this issue of GCP News, we present our
latest resource – a series of crop- and region-specific socio-economic studies
to complement and also inform crop improvement research. These evidence-based
studies go beyond crop science and evaluate the social and economic characteristics
of developing world farming systems by region and crops, in order to best
meet farmer needs. Which interventions will have the greatest impact where?
The studies are an essential planning and decision-making tool for all in
agricultural research and development.
For an overview of the four studies, we invite
you to visit the Socio-economics homepage at http://www.generationcp.org/sp5_impact/sp5main.
The articles below include direct links to both
a website and – where available – a high-level brief on each of the studies.
1) Targeting and impact analysis of Generation
Challenge Programme (GCP) technologies
Through the compilation of multiple datasets, this
study determined areas in the developing world experiencing the highest levels
of poverty, poorest crop yields, and greatest susceptibility to drought. From
the study, 15 regions were identified as high-priority focal areas for future
GCP research (see Study 2b below, Getting the focus right: Food crops and
smallholder constraints).
·
Website
·
Brief
2) Getting the focus right:
a) Beyond drought-tolerant maize: study of additional
priorities in maize
A pilot study was commissioned to determine production
constraints specific to maize. More.
b) Food crops and smallholder constraints
Building on both Study 1 and Study 2a above, this
study determined the main production constraints across 14 of the 15 high-priority
regions identified by Study 1. A list of potential solutions was also formulated.
·
Website
·
Brief
3) Ex-ante impact analysis of marker-assisted
selection technologies supported by the Generation Challenge Programme
In order to better understand the economics of
marker-assisted breeding (
·
Website
·
Brief
4) From attractiveness to feasibility:
A strategic assessment of the capacity to develop and adopt GCP technologies
(in progress)
To complement the aforementioned socio-economic
studies which have identified priority farming systems for GCP investments,
this study takes a different perspective, examining the extent to which a
given region can adapt and adopt such technological advances, to ensure that
GCP efforts achieve maximum results. In this way, the study seeks to identify
capacity issues and determine whether GCP technologies are both attractive
and feasible for end-users. Commissioned in 2008, this study is still in progress.
More
GCP warmly invites your feedback and comments at
GenerationCP-News@cgiar.org
++++++++++++++++++++++++
1.06
Despite mounting challenges brought on by climate
change, farmers around the world are increasingly being aided by modern agricultural
practices, such as biotechnology.
Climate change is already affecting
Sharon Bomer Lauritsen, Executive Vice President
for Food and Agriculture at the Biotechnology Industry Organization (
“Our member companies have been developing environmental
stress tolerance traits (plants that are naturally tolerant to extreme cold,
heat, drought, saline soil, diseases and insect pests) for the past decade,
and many of these are poised for commercialization,” says Bomer. “The pending
authorization of these products couldn’t be more timely given the challenges
facing farmers.
“According to this recent report, climate change
is hurting crop production, distribution, and yields directly through changes
in temperature and precipitation, and indirectly by increasing pest and weed
outbreaks. Through biotechnology, seeds yield more per acre, plants naturally
resist specific insect pests and diseases, and farmers use less energy. Genetically
engineered plants and animals can naturally fight diseases and adapt to environmental
stress.
“Productivity gains through biotechnology are especially
crucial at a time when our population is growing and our demand for food is
increasing, especially in developing countries. According to the United Nations
Food and Agriculture Organization, feeding a world population of 9.1 billion
in 2050 will require raising food production by 70 percent. Food production
will need to increase by nearly 100 percent in developing countries, where
farmers are most adversely affected by climate change.
“Farmers are not defenseless in their struggle
against extreme weather conditions and evolving pest populations. Biotechnology
will continue to be one of many tools to help farmers meet these environmental
challenges and better provide the food, fuel and fiber to serve a growing
population.”
About
Source: SeedQuest.com
+++++++++++++++++++++++
1.07 2009 Year in Review: Scientists give their opinion of top news stories
in agricultural biotechnology
With so many stories to choose from, it was hard
for us to determine the top agricultural biotechnology story of 2009. Therefore,
we turned to the Council for Biotechnology Information (
Norman Borlaug
The loss of Dr. Norman Borlaug, Nobel
Peace Prize Laureate and father of the Green Revolution, was cited by several
experts as the biggest story of 2009 because of his work to alleviate poverty
and hunger. In his obituary, The New York Times praised
Dr. Borlaug
According to Dr. Ronald Phillips of the
Reflecting on Dr. Borlaug
Many
According to Dr. Kenneth G. Cassman of the
Dr. Chris Somerville of
the
Mapping of the Corn Genome
Other
Dr. Larry Heatherly of
the University of Tennessee chose the mapping of the corn genome as the story
of the year because "this achievement will lead to new/improved quality
traits, enhanced genetic pest resistance, and increased production with fewer
inputs resulting in lower cost of production and a more sustainable economic
production system."
Agricultural Biotechnology Makes Headlines
Other agricultural biotechnology stories made headlines
during 2009. These stories include Bill Gates
"Genetically modified crops are proving to
be an unmitigated environmental miracle… Within a decade there may be crops
that are no-till, insect-resistant, omega-3-enriched, drought-tolerant, salt-tolerant
and nitrogen-efficient. If they boost yields, then the 21st century will see
more and more people better and better fed from less and less land."
— Matt Ridley, The Economist, The World in
2010 Issue
"We have global warming problems, we have
health problems. And many – not all, by any means – solutions can be found
in agricultural biotechnology."
— Michael Specter, author of Denialism and
New Yorker reporter, NPR
Interview
"We believe that biotechnology has a critical
role to play in increasing agricultural productivity, particularly in light
of climate change. We also believe it can help to improve the nutritional
value of staple foods."
— Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton
"The engineered crops currently being grown
are safe and cause less environmental damage than their conventional cousins."
— Michael Jacobson, Executive Director of the Center
for Science in the Public Interest, Huffington Post
Source: SeedQuest.com
1.08
The National Institute of Food and Agriculture/AFRI
has recommended for funding $500,000 to the UC Davis Seed Biotechnology
Center to address plant breeding education.
Allen Van Deynze, Hamid Ashrafi, Theresa Hill,
Raoul Adamchak, Carol Hillhouse (UC Davis) and Jim Prince (Fresno State
University) will use pepper as a model to develop plant breeding modules to
recruit students and integrate resistance to phytophthora root rot and
leaf blight into chile peppers.
There is a lack of plant breeding professionals
being trained despite an increasing demand by the industry. UC Davis is leveraging
its student farm program and Kindergarten-12 student program to recruit students
into plant sciences and plant breeding. Furthermore an internship program
for graduate students is being developed with
The long-term goals are a) to educate students
on the importance of plant breeding and genetic diversity in food production
and b) to develop and release pepper germplasm that combines resistance alleles
to the most virulent races of phytophthora root rot and leaf blight.
The specific objectives are to: 1) develop an interactive,
hands-on education program for breeding and genetic diversity of peppers for
undergraduates and K-12. 2) define and characterize the genetic basis of race-specific
disease resistance to root rot and foliar blight on an ultra-high density
genetic map of pepper 3) combine/pyramid genetic loci for Phytophthora
capsici resistance in a chile pepper line using marker-assisted breeding.
The outcome is educating approximately 300 undergraduates
and 1500 K-12 students on the use of genetic diversity in plant breeding;
understanding race-specific resistance of phytophthora syndromes in pepper;
and delivering a chile pepper line resistant to multiple races of phytophthora.
Contributed by Allen Van Deynze
avandeynze@ucdavis.edu
+++++++++++++++++++++++
1.09 Maize research improves farmers’ productivity in
A multi-country study on variety performance and
adoption patterns to measure the impacts of maize research in West and
The study
on The Economic and Poverty Impacts of Maize Research in West and
A copy of
the abstract is available at
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/122561950/abstract?CRETRY=1&SRETR
Email the lead author at A.Alene@cgiar.org.
From Crop Biotech Update
Contributed by Margaret E Smith
Dept. Plant Breeding and
1.10
by Dr. Clive James, Chair of ISAAA and author of
the ISAAA Annual Brief on Biotech/GM Crops
In the ISAAA 2008 Brief, I predicted "a new
wave of adoption of biotech crops..providing a seamless interface with the
first wave of adoption, resulting in continued and broad-based strong growth
in global hectarage".This prediction started to become a reality in the
latter half of November 2009, when within the short span of one week, China
. Bt
cotton. China has successfully planted Bt cotton since 1997 and now, over
7 million small farmers in China are already increasing their income by approximately
US$220 per hectare (equivalent to US$1 billion nationally) due, on average,
to a 10% increase in yield, a 60% reduction in insecticide application, both
of which contribute to a more sustainable agriculture and prosperity of small
poor farmers.
. Bt
rice offers the potential to generate benefits of US$4 billion annually from
an average yield increase of 8%, and an 80% decrease in insecticides, equivalent
to 17 kg per hectare on China
. Phytase
maize.
. a
more timely and efficient approval process for biotech crops in developing
countries;
. new
modes of South-South technology transfer and sharing, including public/private
sector partnerships;
. more
orderly international trade in rice and reduction in probability of recurrence
of 2008-type price hikes, which were devastating for the poor; and
. shift
of more authority and responsibility for developing countries to optimize
"self sufficiency" and provide more incentive for their involvement
to deliver their share of the 2015 Millennium Development Goals.
Finally, Bt rice and phytase maize should be seen
as only the first of many agronomic and quality biotech traits to be integrated
into improved biotech crops, with significant enhanced yield and quality,
which can contribute to the doubling of food, feed and fiber production on
less resources, particularly water and nitrogen, by 2050. The approval by
Reference: Huang, J., R. Hu, R. Scott and C. Pray.
2005. Insect-Resistant GM Rice in Farmers
http://www.isaaa.org/kc/cropbiotechupdate/online/default.asp?Date=12/4/2009#
Source: CropBiotech Update: 4th Dec 09
Contributed by Bhagirath Choudhary
1.11 Firms in race to offer rice seeds for early harvest in
Sohel Parvez
Seed firms have sped up efforts to bring in new rice varieties
for early harvest to give farmers scope to grow more crops. Market players
believe such seeds would also help farmers minimise the risks of crop damage
from floods and harvest 30 days earlier than in the case of other varieties.Supreme
Seed Company, BRAC,
BRAC, a nongovernmental organisation, is working on a Vietnamese
high-yielding variety, an open pollinated rice seed. Others focus on hybrids.
BRAC
BRAC plans to hand the seed to the Seed Certification Agency
to get approval for marketing.
"If the government approves the seed, farmers will
be able to preserve it without depending too much on the market," he
said. “We expect to start marketing of the seed by 2012 after receiving permission
from the government,” he added. The initiative comes amid expectations of
farmers to grow more crops -- not only to cash in more gains but to minimise
the risks of crop losses in natural disasters.
Two government agencies have released two HYVs for Aman
season: BRRI Dhan-33 and BINA Dhan-7 that can be harvested at least a month
earlier than the other HYV BR11. “We plan to market the seeds in flood-prone
areas in Boro season,” said Mohammed Masum, chairman of Supreme Seed Company,
market leader in hybrid rice seeds. The company will send the hybrid seeds
to the government next year for approval.
A problem remains. The yield of these seeds might be lower
than the existing peers. Masum said: "Even if the yield is low, farmers
may accept our seeds to avoid crop losses in Boro season." Mahbub Anam,
managing director of Lal Teer Seed, said early-rice seeds would back up the
government initiative to ensure food security.
Mahbub said the government should examine the performance
of the short-duration hybrid seeds against a short duration HYV, not against
the BR28 that matures in over 140 days. Anwar Faruque, director general of
Seed Wing of the agriculture ministry, said the government would approve well-performing
short-duration hybrid rice seeds. “We want maximum yield in short-duration.
If we can grow three crops a year in the same land, it will help increase
crop intensity and attain food security," he said.
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=117505
Source: SeedQuest.com
1.12 African maize seed companies: Management by the book
Local companies constitute
a key source of improved seed for maize farmers in sub-Saharan
Small- and intermediate-scale seed companies have
a critical role in bringing
As the center
Drawn from experiences of MacRoberts and participants
in his training courses and produced with funds from the Drought Tolerant Maize for Africa (DTMA) project,
his book responds by providing seed entrepreneurs with information on critical
factors for success, as well as on vision, strategy, tactics, marketing, research
and development, seed production, finances, and human resources.
Bring on the seed!
"The importance of seed provision for agricultural
development cannot be overstated," says MacRobert. "Access to improved
seed and inorganic fertilizers is crucial for the food and income security
of many farmers and countries in
This has been amply demonstrated in countries like
as
“By applying the principles and strategies in the
book, no doubt a greater number of new seed entrepreneurs will be more successful,
grow their businesses faster, become sustainable, and reach more African farmers
with improved seed,” says Marianne Bänziger, CIMMYT Deputy Director General
for Research and Partnerships.
http://www.cimmyt.org/english/wps/news/2009/oct/maizeSeed.htm
Source: CIMMYT E-News, vol 6 no. 6, October 2009
via SeedQuest.com
1.13 Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR) Samaru, secures release of 27
new maize varieties/hbrids and three new cowpea varieties in
Maize production in
The breakdown of the varieties released is: Institute
for Agricultural Research Samaru 3 varieties; Institute for Agricultural Research
and Training Ibadan 2 varieties; collaborative research and development between
IITA and National Agricultural Research System produced 22 varieties and hybrids
including 6 hybrids developed along with Premier Seed Company.
The varieties/hybrids released are as follows:-
Open
– pollinated varieties (17)
Drought Tolerant (7)
-
1 Extra-early maturing white with
-
1 Early maturing while with
-
4 Early maturing white bred for DT
-
1 Medium maturing white DT
Stem
borer resistant (4)
-
1 Medium-late maturing yellow
-
2 Medium maturing white
-
1 Medium-late maturing white
Low
Soil Nitrogen tolerance (2)
-
1 Medium maturing yellow
-
1 Medium maturing white
Quality
Protein Maize (2)
-
2 White medium maturing
Normal
Maize (2)
-
2 Medium maturing white
Hybrids
(4 droughts tolerant)
-
2 Top cross drought tolerant hybrids
-
2 Three way cross drought tolerant
hybrids
Hybrids
(6 commercial hybrids)
-
2 High yielding white hybrids
-
2 High yielding yellow hybrids
-
1 Striga tolerant white hybrid
-
1 Striga tolerant yellow hybrid
The varieties were recommended for different ecologies
of
On the same day (
Contributed by Shehu G. Ado
National Coordinator for Maize Research
1.14 From
In a world fraught with divisions and human conflicts,
an uplifting example of multi-sectoral, cross border cooperation is helping
bring seed of a new, high-yielding, disease resistant variety from
Responding to the threat of a new, eastern African
strain of stem rust that could lay waste to wheat harvests in the Middle East
and Asia, Egypt
The new variety is resistant to the Ug99 strain
of stem rust. This age-old fungal disease of wheat had been held in check
for five decades by high-yielding, rust resistant wheats developed in the
1950s by late CIMMYT wheat breeder Dr. Norman E. Borlaug and his international
team of scientists working in
Helping slow stem rust
Since first being spotted in
According to ARC wheat researcher, Dr. Moussa Guirgis
Mosaad, Misr-1 was developed using a line selected from a 2006-07 elite bread
wheat yield trial distributed by CIMMYT. "
"We
The need for certified seed
The 1.5 tons of seed will be multiplied under a
two-year FAO project, launched in May 2009 with funding from the European
Union, to expand the production and use of certified seed for wheat and other
"The name of the new variety in
Braun notes that the following individuals provided
vital assistance to bring about the Cairo-Kabul seed shipment: Kay Simmons,
acting deputy administrator, Plant
http://www.cimmyt.org/english/wps/news/2009/oct/rustResistantwht.htm
Source: CIMMYT E-News, vol 6 no. 6, October 2009
via SeedQuest.com
1.15 Wheat warriors: The struggle to break the yield barrier
In 2009, out of a global population of 6.8 billion
people, more than 1 billion regularly woke up and went to bed hungry. By 2050
the population is expected to grow to 9.1 billion people, most of whom will
be in developing countries. Unless we can increase global food production
by 70%, the number of chronically hungry will continue to swell. To help ensure
global food security, a new research consortium aims to boost yields of wheat—a
There is no easy fix for world hunger. Any improvement
will require complex collaborative efforts and funding to support them. With
this in mind, wheat scientists and agricultural experts from diverse private
and public institutions are joining to form a Wheat Yield Potential Consortium
(WYC). This group will strive to improve wheat yields, which must increase
1.6% annually to meet a projected demand of 760 million tons by 2020.
The unofficial launch of the WYC happened in November
2009, when over 60 world-renowned experts gathered for a USAID-sponsored symposium
at CIMMYT’s
“Over the past year we
In recent decades, wheat yields have increased
nearly 1% each year, but global population is growing roughly 1.5% annually.
Climate change, unsustainable cropping practices, and changes in diet preferences
further challenge wheat’s ability to meet the demands of a global population
that relies on the crop for more than one-fifth of its caloric intake.
Meeting of the minds
“The international wheat community recognizes that
each of us has different skills and that, though individually we cannot solve
the problem of insufficient wheat yields, collectively we can,” said Richard
Richards chief research scientist at Australia
The Consortium will pursue advanced approaches
to increase wheat yields, including increasing the efficiency of photosynthesis,
improving the plant’s adaption to target environments, and using physiological
and molecular breeding. To date, selective, conventional breeding has been
the main force behind yield improvement. Scientists breed a large number of
high-yielding wheat plants, select early generations with good agronomic traits,
populate trial fields with the offspring, and move the best forward in the
breeding program. The cycle is then repeated. This system has been successful,
but precedent suggests it will not be fast enough to overcome the combined
challenges of population growth and climate change. “Instead of going straight
to the end product —yield—we must look at every yield-determining physiological
process and improve the efficiency of the limiting ones,” Richards said.
Powering up photosynthesis
Under favorable conditions, yield is a function
of the interception, conversion, and distribution of solar energy. To increase
yield, one or more of these components must be improved. Thanks to years of
wheat improvement, the efficiency of solar energy intercepted is nearly 90%
and energy distribution results in an almost optimal proportion of total biomass
to grain, roughly 50%. “This leaves the conversion of sunlight into chemical
energy—mainly controlled by photosynthesis—as the main yield component left
to improve,” said Xinguang Zhu, group leader of Plant Systems Biology at the
One way to do this is to increase carbon-fixing
efficiency during photosynthesis. Plants that thrive at moderate temperatures,
like wheat, tend to use C3 carbon fixation, a slow system that accepts both
carbon dioxide and oxygen. The fixation of oxygen, called photorespiration,
reduces the efficiency of photosynthesis. Plants that inhabit warmer locations,
like maize, tend to use C4 carbon fixation, which increases chloroplastic
CO2 concentration, reduces photorespiration, and improves energy-use efficiency.
The fact that the C4 system has evolved many times
in nature has inspired scientists to look for ways to introduce parts of it
into wheat, so that the plant can thrive at relatively high temperatures.
This will be essential as temperatures in tropic and subtropic regions continue
to climb. Studies show that for every 1°C of warming, wheat yields in these
areas will fall 10%. Given that 95% of the world’s malnourished people live
in these regions—which also have the highest rates of population growth—high-yielding
wheat that can beat the heat could make a world of a difference.
http://www.cimmyt.org/english/wps/news/2009/oct/wheatwarriors.htm
Source: CIMMYT E-News, vol 6 no. 6, October 2009
via SeedQuest.com
1.16 Precision breeding creates super potato
The skin is light brown, the meat luscious and
yellow: from the outside alone, this new potato looks like any other. But
on the inside, it is different. Its cells produce pure amylopectin, a starch
used in the paper, textile and food industries. The new potatoes – recently
harvested and processed for the first time – were developed by Fraunhofer
researchers with the aid of a new, especially rapid breeding process.
The fall of 2009 was a truly special season for
the Emsland Group: For the first time in the history of the largest German
potato starch manufacturer, it processed Tilling potatoes, which exclusively
contain amylopectin starch. Not only can nutritional starches for emulsifying
soups and desserts be extracted from it – it can also be used for paste and
smooth coating for paper and thread production. “This potato is the first
product in
Tilling – an acronym for “Targeting Induced Local
Lesions in Genomes” – is a breeding process that researchers want to use to
push evolution yet another step forward. In nature, evolution proceeds slowly:
Through mutation and selection, plants and animal species adapt and change.
Over the course of generations, those species develop that, due to their genetic
make-up, are best adapted to the prevailing environmental conditions. Others
became extinct. For millennia, humans have been using this evolutionary process
for their own purposes, by focusing on highly productive- – and profit yielding
– species. Modern breeding processes operate the same way, though the natural
mutation rate is accelerated. “With the aid of chemicals, a vast number of
mutants can be rapidly obtained,” says Jost Muth of IME, who participated
in the development of the new potato starch. “We are working here with natural
principles. In nature, sunlight triggers changes in the genome. With chemistry,
we accomplish the same thing – only faster.”
Until now, mutation breeding was an exhaustive
process. “Growers had to bring out the mutated seeds to the field, and then
wait until they reached the end of their vegetation period in order to determine
if one of the genetic modifications achieved the desired result. In addition,
the majority of generated mutations could not be determined, since the characteristic
is only expressed in a homozygous state,” explains Prüfer. His team has succeeded
in accelerating the implementation. In the laboratory at IME, the mutated
seeds were germinated. As soon as the first leaves appear, it’s harvest time:
The researchers take a leaf sample, break apart the cellular structure, isolate
the genome and analyze it. This way they can find out within a few weeks if
a mutation has attained the desired traits.
In a project sponsored by the “Nachwachsende Rohstoffe”
agency, researchers at IME, in collaboration with the Bioplant and Emslandstärke
companies, found the super potato germ. They had to examine 2,748 seedlings
until just the right one was identified that exclusively produces the starch
component amylopectin. From this germ, experts were able to generate the first
generation of super potatoes. There are genes active in their genome responsible
for the formation of amylopectin, whereas genes that trigger the formation
of amylose are shut off. “Until now, potatoes always contained both starch
types. Industry had to separate the amylopectin from the amylose – an energy
and cost-intensive process,” explains Prüfer. “With the Tilling potatoes,
which only contain amylopectin, this process stage is superfluous. In
This fall, 100 tonnes of the new super potato that
exclusively produces amylopectin were harvested. “They can be processed as
usual in the production lines,” reports Muth. “Special measures aren’t necessary,
because the Tilling potatoes are totally normal breeds that contain no genetically
modified material.” The example shows that conventional or modern breeding
methods will lead to success if the gene responsible for the expression of
a specific trait is a natural part of the plant, and is known to scientists.
The gene for the production of amylose in potatoes is one such gene. "Gene
technology-based processes are indispensible and it is prudent to use them,
when we want to integrate genetic material into a plant genome – , for example
if we develop transgenic tobacco plants producing pharmacological substances,”
concludes Prüfer. "When it comes to dealing with genes, there is an easy
rule: as much modification as needed, but as little as possible.”
http://www.seedquest.com/news.php?type=news&id_article=12118&id_region=&id_category=&id_crop=
Source: SeedQuest.com
1.17 Russian GM potato varieties obtain state patents
Last week state patents of the
The patent holder is the Center “Bioengineering” of the Russian Academy of Sciences
http://www.seedquest.com/news.php?type=news&id_article=12213&id_region=&id_category=&id_crop=
Source: Black Sea Biotechnology Association
(BSBA) via SeedQuest.com
1.18 GM seeds in
In
In
According to industry leaders in the three largest
producing regions (Rio Grande do Sul, Paraná and Mato Grosso), 67.4 per cent
of the complete cultivation area of soybean will be covered by Roundup Ready
cultivars in 2009/2010.
The Bt maize acreage this year is eight times higher
than in the year before, which represents 41 per cent of maize production.
"The Bt-technology obviously works and is profitable for the farmers,"
points out Modeato Daga, a grain producer in
In the future, a second GM soybean seed may be
employed. Brazilian authorities have approved the use of a new GM soybean
developed by BASF and state agricultural researchers. This variety is tolerant
to imidazoline-based herbicides and, according to BASF, launch of the seed
is planned for the seasons 2011/2012, i.e. for first sowing around October
2011. This approval marks first time ever that the Brazilian CTNBio biosecurity
commission has approved a GM seed with the participation of a government entity.
http://www.seedquest.com/news.php?type=news&id_article=12392&id_region=&id_category=&id_crop=
Source: SeedQuest.com
1.19 Conference report: "GMOs in European Agriculture and Food Production"
November 25-26, 20009
The benefits and risks of the use of genetically
modified organisms (GMOs) in agriculture and food production, in particular
the cultivation of genetically modified crops, are continually discussed in
the EU. This was reiterated by the adoption of Council Conclusions in the
EU Environment Council in December 2008. These called for a further improvement
of the implementation of the EU legal framework, while acknowledging the need
for the continuing timely processing of applications for the placing on the
market of GMOs and fulfilment of relevant international obligations. An efficiently
functioning framework is required to allow the EU to continue to make proper
assessments of future GMO applications, in particular when GMOs could contribute
to more sustainable agriculture or better quality food production.
The international conference on GMOs in European
Agriculture and Food Production was held at the initiative of Ms. Gerda Verburg,
Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality of The Netherlands, and Ms.
Jacqueline Cramer, Minister of the Environment and Spatial Planning of The
Netherlands.
The conference sought to take an inventory of stakeholder
opinion on the present EU policy framework in the EU and to explore possible
ways forward. Participants were invited to discuss a proposal to give EU Member
States the authority to make a final decision on the cultivation of GMOs on
their territory. This proposal had been put forward by the government of The
Netherlands in March 2009 in the EU Agriculture and Environment Councils.
A second element of the conference was the exchange of information and the
building of a knowledge base on the socio-economic aspects of the use of GMOs
in European agriculture and food production.
The conference took place on 25 and
The conference offered a two-day programme with
speakers representing the different stakeholders from around the world. The
conference programme also presented an extensive opportunity for participants
to make an active contribution. Working groups, side events and poster presentations
provided participants with a platform to present their views and experiences.
Furthermore, the conference programme contained a ministerial roundtable meeting
that was attended by EU ministers of agriculture and environment and their
delegates. Also, representatives of DG Agriculture and Environment of
the European Commission took part in the meeting. The conference was chaired
by Ms. Gerda Verburg, Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality of
The Netherlands.
The outcomes of this conference will be presented
at both the Agriculture and Environment Councils (December 2009). It will
also be included in the contribution of The Netherlands (January 2010) to
a European Commission report on the socioeconomic benefits and risks, as well
as the agronomic sustainability of commercial GMO applications.
This document is a chair’s report on the conference
proceeding and the most relevant discussions and outcomes. The report includes
a summary of the proceedings of the conference (section 2), including the
outcomes of the working groups (section 2.3) and the main findings of the
event’s ministerial roundtable (section 3).
The presentations given during the conference are
available at www.minlnv.nl/gmoconference2009.
Full report: http://www.seedquest.com/News/pdf/2009/conferencereport.pdf
http://www.seedquest.com/news.php?type=news&id_article=12301&id_region=&id_category=&id_crop=
Source: SeedQuest.com
1.20 Private seed breeders line up
for plant variety protection
Harish Damodaran
Private seed companies are increasingly queuing
up before the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers
The Authority – a statutory body established to
protect plant breeders
Private Share
The private sector accounts for only the remaining
nine, including JK Agri
The registrations issued till date pertain only
to ‘extant varieties
“If one looks at the nearly 400 new-variety applications,
of which 160 or so are at the stage of testing for DUS (Distinctiveness, Uniformity
and Stability, which is a qualification for registration), I would assume
60-70 per cent of them are from private companies,” the PPVFRA Chairperson,
Dr S. Nagarajan, told Business Line.
Also, the existing registrations cover only 12
field crops – rice, wheat, maize, pearl millet ( bajra), sorghum ( jowar),
green gram ( moong), black gram ( urad), lentil ( masur), pea ( matar), kidney
bean ( rajmah), pigeon pea ( arhar) and chickpea ( chana).
New Crops
The PPVFRA has since also added cotton, jute, sugarcane,
turmeric and ginger to the list of crops, whose lines can be protected against
breeders
Once notified, the breeders of lines in these crops
would also be entitled to a 15-year protection period, during which others
are barred from selling their seeds except under appropriate licensing arrangements.
Farmers will have the freedom to save, use, sow, re-sow and even sell the
seeds of the protected hybrid/varieties, so long as they do not engage in
branded sales.
“The private sector, including multinationals,
has a strong presence in crops such as cotton and vegetables, for which we
will start issuing registrations only now. And that will obviously show up
in future registrations,” Dr Nagarajan noted.
Market Dynamics
The Indian market for traded seeds (mainly hybrids)
is currently estimated at roughly Rs 7,500 crore.
This includes Rs 1,800-2,000 crore from cotton
(where the top players are Rasi Seeds, Nuziveedu Seeds and Mahyco), Rs 1,500
crore from vegetables (Nunhems, Seminis, Syngenta and Namdhari Seeds), Rs
800 crore from maize (Monsanto and Pioneer Hi-Bred), Rs 600 crore from hybrid
rice (Bayer CropScience and Pioneer), Rs 500-600 crore from bajra (Pioneer
and Bayer) and Rs 70-80 crore from sunflower (Syngenta and Ganga Kaveri Seeds).
Nunhems, Seminis and Pioneer are the subsidiaries
of Bayer CropScience, Monsanto and DuPont, respectively.
If to this, Monsanto
“The PPVFRA regime is a welcome step to the extent
that it acts as a psychological barrier against infringement. Once I register
a hybrid or even its parental lines, others would be deterred from exploiting
it for commercial purposes,” said Dr Arvind Kapur, CEO (Vegetable Division)
of Rasi Seeds.
At the same time, it may not good enough to stop
sale of stealth seeds by unorganised players or breeders in farmers
“No company can go after these people beyond a
point. We saw this in the case of illegal Bt cotton seeds,” he said.
The PPVFRA maintains a National Gene Bank for storing
the seed samples deposited by breeders.
“We send a part of the samples to the DUS test
centres and the rest is secured under double lock-and-key over the 15-year
protection period,” Dr Nagarajan informed.
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2009/12/18/stories/2009121850861600.htm
Source: SeedQuest.com
1.21 Who owns the eggplant?
As
agriculture universities transform local varieties into genetically modified
Bt brinjal, questions of ownership arise
Indians call it the brinjal. Other countries know
it as the eggplant or aubergine. It is widely used the world over and every
cuisine from the Chinese to the African has an encyclopaedia of recipes that
establishes its popularity as a vegetable of daily use. And no vegetable has
hogged the headlines as much as the brinjal in recent years — ever since Mahyco,
the Indian partner of the biotech giant Monsanto, began its experiments to
turn this commonly used vegetable into the genetically modified Bt brinjal.
In recent months, it has seldom been out of the news in this country because
of the controversy surrounding questionable procedures for testing and approval,
and a high-profile case in the Supreme Court.
Almost forgotten in this tumult is the work of
several public institutions, primarily the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University
(TNAU) in
Since an expert committee set up by the Genetic
Engineering Approval Committee has recommended that the regulator should consider
approving all the Bt brinjal hybrids and varieties containing Mahyco’s Bt
technology, it raises some vital questions that have been swept under the
carpet. These are questions related to ownership of the varieties, technology
fees and terms of release, issues that have received scant attention in the
hype generated by the “free” transfer of the technology to the public institutions.
The Bt cry1Ac gene technology was sublicensed to
these universities and other public institutions in
Who really owns the nearly dozen OPVs that the
two agriculture universities have used in the Bt experiments? What would be
the nature of intellectual property rights (IPRs) that the developers would
enjoy given that the technology is owned by Mahyco — a company in which Monsanto
has a 26 per cent stake — and how soon would the universities be allowed to
release their seeds? These are critical issues that need to be answered since
only a quarter of the nation’s brinjal farmers are known to be using hybrid
seeds. There is a simple reason for that: OPVs, produced by natural pollination,
allow farmers to reuse their seeds unlike with hybrids where cultivators need
to go back to the companies every planting time for expensive proprietary
seed.
A copy of the Material Transfer Agreement signed
between TNAU and Monsanto in March 2005 reveals some interesting facts. The
university says it has supplied to Mahyco “eggplant germplasm developed by,
owned, controlled and/or licensed-in by TNAU”. But can the university claim
ownership of the original germplasm which would have come from the farming
community? Was their permission sought and granted when such an agreement
was being drawn up? And would the benefits, if any, be shared with this community
when commercialisation takes place?
Agriculture experts also question if TNAU can claim
to own and control this germplasm when no legislation allows it as of now.
Did the university register these OPVs? Farmers’ lobbies say if this is indeed
the case, then it should show proof of how and when control and ownership
were obtained from the donors/breeders for the germplasm of the essentially-derived
varieties as they are termed otherwise, and also if it would amount to a serious
violation of farmers’ rights.
Equally significant is the compact between the
university and Mahyco which is aimed at developing and delivering “pro-poor
varieties of insect- tolerant Bt eggplant to facilitate technology access
to resource-constrained farmers”. Pro-poor varieties of Bt eggplant? That’s
an intriguing term but what is germane here is the fact TNAU can only deliver
the “products” (Bt varieties) to farmers by a further agreement with the company.
The restrictions on the university are many: TNAU
cannot backcross the Bt gene into any other germplasm apart from the four
selected varieties; it cannot further develop transgenic eggplants with “products”
it derives from the partnership nor can it do any breeding work with these
products. On the other hand, Mahyco has reserved for itself “certain rights
to the use of the Bt gene”.
It’s good to remember the overarching philosophy
of ABSPII. The project document states that “to safeguard the licensor’s interests,
specific strategies for the stewardship and monitoring of the technology by
the licencees was addressed and formulated early in the sublicensing programme”.
So while references to pro-poor varieties sounds impressive, it’s important
to remember that IPRs extract a price — from the licensees, sub-licensees
and the customer.
So the question of who owns the products is as
important as the question of who owns the germplasm. We are waiting for TNAU
to clear the air.
http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/latha-jishnu-who-ownseggplant/379041/
Source: SeedQuest.com
1.22 Bt brinjal is a safe breakthrough:
Indian Minister of S&T
Addressing the concerns raised over the biosafety
studies conducted for Bt brinjal, the Minister says "GEAC (MoEF) and
Review Committee on Genetic Manipulation (RCGM) of DBT have jointly developed
protocols for each test, closely monitored progress and ensured compliance
during the testing of Bt brinjal. Bt brinjal has been tested extensively at
various public sector institutions and nationally accredited laboratories
with very good GLP track records in collaboration with Mahyco".
Bt brinjal, the first biotech vegetable crop which is grown by 1.4
million small and marginal farmers on 550,000 hectare in
A full issue of Dec 2009 DBT
HTTP://WWW.ISAAA.ORG/KC/CROPBIOTECHUPDATE/ONLINE/DEFAULT.ASP?DATE=12/11/2009
Source: CropBiotech Update: 11th Dec 09
Contributed by Bhagirath Choudhary
1.23 USDA/APHIS seeks public comment on draft environmental impact statement
for genetically engineered alfalfa
The U.S. Department of Agriculture
APHIS considered two alternatives in the draft
EIS: to grant nonregulated status to the two RR alfalfa lines, or to maintain
the lines’ status as regulated articles. APHIS analyzed these alternatives
with regard to their potential environmental impacts, socioeconomic impacts,
as well as human health and safety impacts.
APHIS originally deregulated two lines of RR alfalfa
(J101 and J163) in 2005. The agency prepared this draft EIS to comply with
a February 2007 judgment and order by the U.S. District Court for the Northern
District of California. The court did not overturn APHIS’ 2005 conclusions
regarding the safety of the RR alfalfa for food and feed purposes, but rather
concluded that APHIS had not adequately documented potential, or lack of potential,
environmental impacts.
APHIS is seeking public comment on the draft EIS
and will consider all public comments submitted during the comment period
before finalizing the EIS or making any decisions regarding the regulatory
status of RR alfalfa. The comment period will be open for 60 days from the
date of publication in the
To obtain feedback and take comment from members
of the general public APHIS is scheduling four public meetings. These meetings
will take place in conjunction with the Western Alfalfa Seed Conference in
APHIS’ regulates the introduction (importation,
interstate movement and environmental release) of GE organisms. APHIS has
been safely regulating GE organisms since 1986 and to date has authorized
more than 13,000 safe environmental releases (field tests) of GE plants and
deregulated more than 75 GE plants.
The draft EIS is available on the APHIS Web site
at http://www.aphis.usda.gov. Notice
of this draft EIS is scheduled for publication in the
Consideration will be given to comments received
on or before
·
Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/main?main=DocketDetail&d=APHIS-2007-0044 to
submit or view comments and to view supporting and related materials available
electronically.
·
Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: please
send two copies of your comment to Docket No. APHIS-2007-0044, Regulatory
Analysis and Development,
Comments received are posted on the Regulations.gov
Web site and can be viewed at USDA, Room 1141,
http://www.seedquest.com/news.php?type=news&id_article=12292&id_region=&id_category=&id_crop=
Source: SeedQuest.com
1.24 Fourth Annual Soybean Rust Symposium includes some bombshells
The American soybean industry has changed dramatically
since soybean rust was found on our shores in late 2004 – and so has our understanding
of Phakospora pachyrhizi, the fungal pathogen that causes the disease.
Five years after soybean rust was discovered in
·
Farms in the
·
The sentinel plot network has successfully
tracked known locations of soybean rust every day since that first discovery,
but funding cuts in 2010 are leading to a scale-down of the system.
·
An array of fungicides were registered
and put to good use controlling soybean rust, but reports from
·
Some populations of kudzu are resistant
to soybean rust, but the amount of infected acreage of kudzu that serves as
a spore bank has been growing steadily.
·
Geneticists are gaining an understanding
of how some plants defend themselves against the fungus and are isolating
genes breeders can cross into commercial varieties, but they point out that
resistant varieties will not be a silver bullet for managing the disease.
Marking a Shift
Presenters at the symposium shared insights on
soybean rust at scales ranging from electron microscopy to field maps to diagrams
of global weather patterns. Colleagues teamed up across state boundaries,
interagency lines and scientific disciplines to tackle this once feared soybean
disease from all possible angles, generating a remarkable amount of new information.
Symposium chairperson Anne Dorrance of The Ohio State University pointed out
that since 2004, participants have published 170 peer-reviewed papers in European
and American publications, including 63 articles in American Phytopathological
Society journals, on soybean rust.
“This is a celebration of accomplishment,” Dorrance
told the group at the symposium’s opening session on
The effort to understand and manage soybean rust
is by no means over, but the 2009 symposium marked a shift in tone for the
group, notes David Wright, director of research for the North Central Soybean
Research Program, and technical chairperson of the symposium.
“We’ve gone from the fearing this disease to being
confident we can manage it if it becomes a problem,” he explains.
Progress on soybean rust will continue as researchers
fine-tune models that will help predict disease outbreaks and their economic
costs, develop resistant soybean germplasm, identify and track genetically
distinct populations of the fungus, create diagnostic tools for field use,
and learn more about how environmental factors affect the disease.
Sentinel Changes
Among the biggest changes growers will see in the
coming year is a scale-down of the Sentinel plot system that has covered the
nation’s soybean producing areas since 2005 with meticulously scouted soybean
plots and spore collection equipment. With the end of federal grants that
have supported the system, funding will drop 60 to 80 percent in 2010 compared
to its 2006 to 2008 peak, says Don Hershman, extension plant pathologist at
the University of Kentucky, who coordinated the first four years of the Sentinel
effort.
The nationally funded network will cover the South
from
“From a Northern perspective, we only need to know
where soybean rust is from about April 1,” Hershman says. “The South is where
the main event is. If things begin to change, if models indicate there could
be a problem in
Grower Commitment
The Sentinel plot system is a monument to soybean
growers’ commitment to staying ahead of soybean rust, Hershman points out.
“We recognized this was a major disease, but more
important than that, growers demanded it,” he says, recalling a 2005 meeting
of USDA researchers, extension specialists and growers. “They wanted a national,
systematic monitoring program. We were given our marching orders.”
Support for the system directed Northern money
to Southern states in a unique effort to protect the entire industry, adds
Wright. “The credit goes back to the farmers,” he says. “It was the farmers
who were determined to get the sentinel plot system operational within months,
not years. It was the farmers who funded research at the
The plots paid off handsomely – both in the value
of the data they provided on how soybean rust moves and in the estimated $200
million growers have saved each year by avoiding unnecessary sprays or making
properly timed treatments when needed, says Wright.
Checkoff investments in the soybean rust battle
will continue to show returns, Wright predicts. If a “perfect storm” of spores
and weather sets the stage for Midwestern outbreaks, or the pathogen’s population
shifts to a more Midwest-adapted race, growers will be prepared. And the successful
model of coordinated effort can be emulated in the future.
“This communication/facilitation model has been
expanded to deal with other pathogens and diseases,” he says, “to try to keep
research and knowledge moving forward and help farmers remain profitable.”
The Plant Health Initiative represents a cooperative
partnership between soybean checkoff boards and land grant universities from
12 north central states. The initiative’s goal is to act as a resource that
collects and dispenses valuable management information on a variety of soybean
pests and diseases. The Plant Health Initiative receives its funding through
soybean checkoff dollars, and is administered by the North Central Soybean
Research Program (NCSRP), its primary sponsor. Funded by the soybean checkoff.
http://www.seedquest.com/news.php?type=news&id_article=12322&id_region=&id_category=&id_crop=
Source: SeedQuest.com
1.25 African scientist works on sorghum project in
Mahamadi Ouedraogo,
a scientist from
·
Improving the nutritional value of
sorghum for human consumption
·
Building African scientific capacity
through training African scientists
In the past five years, DuPont business Pioneer
Hi-Bred has hosted 11 research fellows from
At Pioneer, Mahamadi is working with scientists
on developing the next generation of
Following his fellowship, Mahamadi expects to apply
his experience and knowledge to the development of biofortified sorghum to
meet the
Pioneer partners with Africa Harvest as the scientific
lead on this project, donating molecular and transformation expertise, as
well as the initial technology for transgenic biofortified sorghum.
http://www.seedquest.com/news.php?type=news&id_article=12296&id_region=&id_category=&id_crop=
Source: SeedQuest.com
1.26
by Peng Kuang, SciDevNet
The Southwest China Germplasm Bank of Wild Species
was declared operational at an opening ceremony last month (24 November).
The seed bank, established at the
The seed bank has the capacity to store many more
samples and will offer full access to researchers, said Li Dezhu, the institute
"Germplasm is vital for a country
Gao is leading a research project on oil-rich plants
that can be used to produce bioenergy.
One important outcome of
"A country can be revitalised by a gene,"
said Xue Dayuan, chief scientist for biodiversity conservation at the Nanjing
Institute of Environmental Science. "The germplasm bank will promote
bio-resource research and identify more useful genes like hybrid rice,"
he said.
Construction of the bank began in 2004. Apart from
plant seeds, it bank stores
"The best way to preserve gene resources is
to preserve them in their local natural environment," said Xue. "But
the bank is also good, and a less expensive way to protect germplasm from
extinction."
http://www.seedquest.com/news.php?type=news&id_article=12249&id_region=&id_category=&id_crop=
Source: SciDevNet via SeedQuest.com
1.27 Fall in rice strains highlights
by Shanshan Li, SciDev.Net
The number of
The research used a variety of environmental indicators
— such as forest coverage and water quality — to examine
It found that despite making progress with its
forest resources,
"A significant reduction of biodiversity loss
— or even a halt of it — can be achieved only if biodiversity conservation
is mainstreamed into national and sectoral strategies and action plans. The
next decade is a critical period for
According to the study,
But there is some good news. Water quality in marine
ecosystems has improved by more than four per cent per year from 2001 to 2007.
The area of China
"Biodiversity is increasing in
Earlier this month, the State Forest Administration
of China published its plan to adapt to climate change, proposing that
Bao-Rong Lu, a professor at
"In addition, the farming style of monoculture
— with only a few dominant varieties covering a huge area — will lead to a
vulnerable agro-ecosystem."
Lu said that genebanks and nurseries could boost
conservation but have their limitations, such as seeds not being able to adapt
to environments after being frozen for long periods of time.
"The role of agriculture extension workers
and scientists as active partners of farmers is also very important in the
conservation of rice genetic diversity," added Lu.
Link
to abstract in BioScience
http://www.seedquest.com/news.php?type=news&id_article=11938&id_region=&id_category=&id_crop=
Source: SeedQuest.com
1.28 African policymakers urged to speed seed to farmers
by Lexy Abutu, SciDev.Net
African seed producers and researchers have called
on policymakers to boost production of improved seed varieties and ensure
that they are released to farmers more quickly.
At a policy workshop held in
Recent studies by researchers at the International
Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and the International Maize and Wheat
Improvement Center (CIMMYT) show that current demand for improved varieties
of maize seeds far exceeds supply in the region.
According to one study, the average supply of drought-tolerant,
improved maize seeds in the region accounted for only one third of the total
demand— with less than 50 per cent in Nigeria and only 11 per cent in Ghana
— from 1997 to 2007.
Tahirou Abdoulaye, an IITA agricultural economist
who led the study, said that maize seed production in the region is too low
and called for a favourable policy framework to attract the private sector
to the seed industry.
According to an IITA press release, maize productivity
has been under threat from both climate change-related drought and delays
in getting improved seed varieties to farmers.
Solving the latter problem requires a more effective,
streamlined seed sector, said Wilfred Mwangi, associate director for
Shehu Ado, director of the
He said that seed companies in the region rely
heavily on the government for bulk purchases. The government, in turn, delivers
these seeds to farmers, creating a gap between farmers and seed companies.
This gap has created problems of credibility and
confidence,
But Nnimmo Bassey, chair of Friends of the Earth
International, told SciDev.Net that narrowing the gap between supply and demand
will not only keep farmers dependent on seed companies but could also weaken
national laws that protect the environment, opening up the region to contamination
and degradation.
The workshop was held 28 October.
http://www.seedquest.com/news.php?type=news&id_article=11937&id_region=&id_category=&id_crop=
Source: SciDev.Net
via SeedQuest.com
1.29 Newly Elected African Crop Science
Society Council, 2009-2011
Dr. G.
D. Joubert,
Dr.
Luisa Santos, Mozambique, Vice- President,
luisa@zebra.uem.mz
Dr. J. S. Tenywa,
Dr. Florence M. Olubayo,
Dr. Diana Marais,
Prof. M. Abdel-Hakim
Mr. Walter Nkeabeng Leke,
Prof. K.P. Sibuga,
Prof. M.A.K. Smith,
Prof. Patrick Rubaihayo,
Prof. George Y Kanyama Phiri,
Dr. Moses O Osiru,
Prof. Kasem Zaki Ahmed,
Contributed by Kasem Zaki
1.30 Report on bee mortality and
bee surveillance in
AFSSA, the French Food Safety Agency completed
a report on honey bee mortality and the ways that colony losses are monitored
in
The project covers 1) a description and critical
analysis of surveillance programs that measured colony loss; 2) the collection
and analysis of the epidemiological data sets on colony losses; and 3) a critical
review and selection of relevant literature on the possible causes and risk
factors of colony losses.
The researchers found that bee colony losses in
See the EFSA press release on the Report at http://www.efsa.europa.eu/EFSA/efsa_locale-1178620753812_1211903101339.htm
and the article at http://www.efsa.europa.eu/EFSA/efsa_locale-1178620753812_1211903101123.htm
The full report is downloadable at http://www.efsa.europa.eu/cs/BlobServer/External_Rep/027e.pdf?ssbinary=true
From Crop Biotech Update
Contributed by Margaret E Smith
Dept. Plant Breeding and
1.31 Frost tolerant wheat varieties a step closer
Researchers have moved a step closer to breeding
wheat varieties with improved frost tolerance, thanks to a series of milder
frost events in
As part of a national project funded by the Grains
Research and Development Corporation (GRDC), the damage caused to both wheat
and barley has been examined after each frost over several years.
Ben Biddulph from the Department of Agriculture
and Food (DAFWA) is leading the project in
Ben says the good news is that the varieties showing
damage are consistent across states.
“We have concentrated on severe frosts in the past,
and while some barley varieties have suffered more than others, with wheat
everything was wiped out so we couldn’t see whether some varieties were more
tolerant,” Dr Biddulph said.
“This year we’ve looked at the damage caused in
frosts of two degrees above zero – even though they’re so minor that in many
cases growers wouldn’t even report the damage.
“What we’ve found is that with those events there
are consistent differences between wheat, as well as barley, varieties in
the amount of damage.
“That means there is genetic variation for frost
tolerance in existing varieties, and eventually it should be possible to identify
the genes responsible and produce more tolerant varieties.”
Barley flowers earlier in head development so there’s
usually more physical protection by the time frosts hit the crop, whereas
wheat is fully exposed, which is why it was harder to identify levels of damage
in different wheat varieties when we were just looking at severe frosts.
Dr Biddulph says frost tolerance is a difficult
trait to work on as there are a lot of factors at play.
“We tend to use temperature to determine the severity
of a frost, but there are other factors at work; the level of damage caused
by two events of minus three degrees is rarely the same, but the variety rankings
are consistent.
“Because there is consistency in the damage caused
to each variety we can rule out some environmental factors.
“We’re still some years away from identifying and
screening for the gene responsible, let alone breeding frost tolerant wheat
varieties, but we’re looking long-term and are confident we can make progress,”
Dr Biddulph said.
The GRDC invests around $17 million a year in pre-breeding,
working with research and funding partners to discover novel genes, traits
and molecular markers that can then be used to develop improved varieties.
http://www.seedquest.com/news.php?type=news&id_article=12196&id_region=&id_category=&id_crop=
Source: SeedQuest.com
1.32 Australian scientists identify
crown rot-resistant wheat lines
Crown Rot in wheat and barley caused by the fungus
Fusarium pseudograminearum is a serious disease causing losses of up to $
79 million annually (USD 71 million) in
Chunji Liu and colleagues at CSIRO scanned over
2400 wheat lines and 1000 barley lines from around the world to find the ones
resistant to the fungal disease. "The wheat and barley lines showing
resistance to Crown Rot are now being used in pre-breeding programs to incorporate
the resistance into adapted varieties for delivery to the wheat breeding companies,"
Liu says. Developing wheat and barley varieties is an essential strategy in
fighting the disease. Crop rotations have limited success in reducing Fusarium
infestations since the fungus survives on weeds and grasses tha! t remain
when cereals are rotated.
Liu noted that CSIRO scientists are also studying
how Fusarium invades the plant, how plants resist Fusarium infection and what
genes may be involved in defending the plant against Fusarium or reducing
its effect on yield.
The original article is available at http://www.csiro.au/news/Rot-resistant-wheat-could-save-farmers-millions.htm
l
From Crop Biotech Update
Contributed by Margaret E Smith
Dept. Plant Breeding and
1.33 Virus-resistant GM squash more
vulnerable to bacterial wilt attack
Squash plants genetically modified to resist viral
diseases become more vulnerable to a fatal bacterial infection, researchers
at the
The researchers found that the fitness advantage
enjoyed by virus-resistant plants comes at a price. "Plants that do not
have the virus-resistant transgene get the viral disease," explained
Stephenson, whose team
Results showed that the prevalence of bacterial
wilt disease was significantly greater on transgenic plants than ! on non-transgenic
plants. "When the cucumber beetles start to feed on infected plants they
pick up the bacteria through their digestive system," explained Miruna
Sasu, co-author of the study published this week in PNAS. "This feeding
creates open wounds on the leaves and when the bugs
The paper is available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0905106106
For more information, read http://www.environment.psu.edu/news/2009_news/oct_2009/modified_crops.asp
From Crop Biotech Update
Contributed by Margaret E Smith
Dept. Plant Breeding and
1.34 New high-yielding hybrid sorghum
varieties
Three new hybrid sorghum varieties that can quadruple
IER is set to train seed producers on the breeding
techniques and conduct seed promotion activities among farmers. "We have
to continue with the demonstrations because we have different kinds of farmers;
some will adopt the hybrids immediately, while others employ await and see
approach," Teme said.
See the full report at http://www.agra-alliance.org/content/general/detail/1042/
From Crop Biotech Update
Contributed by Margaret E Smith
Dept. Plant Breeding and
1.35 Whiteflies interfere with stressed
plants
Plants under herbivore attack are able to protect
themselves by emitting chemical signals recognized by the herbivore
Researchers at
The results of this study are significant for integrated
crop protection in which a combination of methods can be used to fight various
pests infesting a crop. Once it becomes clear which insects weaken plant defense
systems and which strengthen them, more focused research on environmentally-safe
pest control will be possible, according to the researchers.
The original article is available at http://www.wageningenuniversity.nl/UK/newsagenda/ne
ws/White091125.htm Download the PNAS paper at http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0907890106
International Training and
College of Agriculture and Natural Resources,
Accessing Knowledge, Information and Technologies
Through Training,
Contact: Dr. Karim Maredia, kmaredia@msu.edu
Contact: Dr. Callista Ransom, ransomca@msu.edu
Contact: Dr. Cholani Weebadde, weebadde@msu.edu
August 29 -
Contact: Dr. Cholani Weebadde, weebadde@msu.edu
Contact: Dr. Cholani Weebadde, weebadde@msu.edu
For more information on WorldTAP programs, visit
http://worldtap.msu.edu/ or email Dr.
Karim Maredia at: kmaredia@msu.edu
From Crop Biotech Update
Contributed by Margaret E Smith
Dept. Plant Breeding and
1.36 ARS finds PEMV-resistant pea
lines
Researchers at the US Department of Agriculture
The researchers are now developing PEMV-resistant
commercial pea varieties from the breeding lines. According to the ARS, there
are no PEMV-resistant dry pea cultivars. The few fresh pea cultivars that
are resistant all contain the same single dominant gene, the En gene, for
resistance. Researchers worry that the virus could quickly evolve virulent
new forms to overcome the resistance gene.
The ARS researchers found in trials that the PEMV-resistant
lines tolerate the virus
Read the original article at http://www.ars.usda.gov/News/docs.htm?docid=1261
From Crop Biotech Update
Contributed by Margaret E Smith
Dept. Plant Breeding and
1.37 Amylopectin potatoes by precision
breeding
Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular
Biology and Applied Ecology (IME) in
According to the Fraunhofer researchers, 100 tons
of these "super" potatoes were harvested earlier this fall. "They
can be processed as usual in the production lines," noted Jost Muth,
researcher at the IME . "Special measures aren
"Gene technology-based processes are indispensible
and it is prudent to use them, when we want to integrate genetic material
into a plant genome , for example if we develop transgenic tobacco plants
producing pharmacological substances," said IME scientist Dirk Prüfer.
"When it comes to dealing with genes, there is an easy rule: as much
modification as needed, but as little as possible."
For more information, read the press release at
http://www.fraunhofer.de/en/press/research-news/2009/12/super-potato.jsp
From Crop Biotech Update
Contributed by Margaret E Smith
Dept. Plant Breeding and
1.38 Cloning plants from seeds
Wageningen, The
Wageningen geneticists are developing a method
to replicate the parents of a chosen plant. Known as
Just as humans have no idea which characteristics
a child will inherit during child-bearing, plants which propagate with pollen
and pistil produce a wide variety of offspring. Breeders want to keep this
complex variation within limits.
De Jong is carrying out his work on reverse breeding
together with PhD student Erik Wijnker and a research team from breeding firm
Rijk Zwaan. This company
This opens up new vistas for the breeding industry.
De Jong says:
For example, we have the hybrid for big tasty tomatoes.
But when this is crossed with other tomatoes, the combination of desired characteristics
will be lost in subsequent generations. The tomato grower therefore needs
to keep buying new hybrid seeds. That is how breeders earn their keep. The
ideal hybrid can only be reproduced if you have its parents. Breeding firms
therefore guard the parental lines closely and keep these away in secret fields.
De Jong and Wijnker want to replicate these hybrids
in their lab using reverse breeding. The underlying scientific question is:
how can you retrieve the parents of the ideal tomato plant? If this were possible,
we would sow a big sack of seeds of many varieties all over the place and
look out for the plant which grows best under existing environmental circumstances,
says De Jong.
To do this, the researchers first set out to engineer
the meiosis process, when gender cells are formed in which the cross-overs
occur. They have succeeded for the model plant Arabidopsis and for several
crops. The good thing about Arabidopsis is that it only has five pairs of
chromosomes. The cross-overs during meiosis will result in a maximum of two-to-the-power-of-five,
which makes 32 different viable gender cells.
Afterwards, these gender cells, in which only one
copy of the chromosome resides, need to be developed into an adult plant with
two copies, just like the original parent. Here again, the duo have succeeded
in getting pollen from Arabidopsis to germinate into a seedling, by letting
the few chromosomes duplicate themselves.
The breeding industry, however, looks the other
way. Arabidopsis has very few chromosomes and can result in only 32 possible
gender cells.
Albert Sikkema
The above article was written by the editorial
staff of Resource, the bi-weekly newspaper for
http://www.seedquest.com/news.php?type=news&id_article=12332&id_region=&id_category=&id_crop=
Source: SeedQuest.com
1.39
The Chinese Academy of Sciences and Inspur Group
have started a joint project to develop the third-generation genome sequencing
instrument, which might slash the cost of genome sequencing by 99 percent.
The instrument is expected to sequence a person
The academy and the Inspur Group, a leading supplier
of computing platforms and IT application solutions in
"The home-made third-generation genome sequencing
instrument is not only conducive to life science research, but also concerns
the genetic safety of
The sequencing instrument is vital for gene science
research and the made-in-China third-generation instrument will help the country
get a leading edge in the field, he added.
(Xinhua)
http://www.seedquest.com/news.php?type=news&id_article=12110&id_region=&id_category=&id_crop=
Source: SeedQuest.com
1.40 Newly discovered enzymes could
be targeted to make water-wise crops
Plants take in carbon dioxide (CO2) from the environment
for photosynthesis through microscopic breathing pores called stomata. Also,
water vapor is released into the atmosphere through these pores in a process
called transpiration. Stomata can tighten to save water when CO2 is abundant,
but researchers didn
Schroeder and his team identified a pair of proteins
that are required for the CO2 response in Arabidopsis. The proteins, enzymes
called carbonic anhydrases, split CO2 into bicarbonate and protons. Arabidopsis
mutants lacking the carbonic anhydrase genes βCA1 and βCA4! showed
impaired response to increased CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere. On the
other hand, plants that overexpress these genes showed enhanced water use
efficiency.
Several types of plant cells contain carbonic anhydrases,
including mesophyll cells which are responsible for photosynthesis. Schroeder
and colleagues were able to show that the enzymes work directly within a pair
of cells, called guard cells, that control stomatal opening. Introduction
of carbonic anhydrase genes designed to work only in guard cells restored
the CO2-triggered pore-tightening response in mutant plants.
The researchers believe that the enzymes could
be targeted to make crops "water-wise" and more responsive to CO2.
"It could be that with these enzymes, you can improve how efficiently
plants use water, while taking in CO2 for photosynthesis. Our data in the
lab suggest that the CO2 response can be cranked up," Schroeder said.
Read the
original story at http://ucsdnews.ucsd.edu/newsrel/science/12-09Stomata.asp
The complete paper published by Nature Cell Biology is available to subscribers
at http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ncb2009
From Crop Biotech Update
Contributed by Margaret E Smith
Dept. Plant Breeding and
1.41 Antagonistic genes control rice growth
Palo
Alto, California, USA
Scientists at the Carnegie Institution, with colleagues,*
have found that a plant steroid prompts two genes to battle each other—one
suppresses the other to ensure that leaves grow normally in rice and the experimental
plant Arabidopsis thaliana, a relative of mustard. The results, published
in the
In plants, steroid levels reflect environmental
and internal signals and control many processes. Steroid hormones called brassinosteroids
(BRs) start their action on the surface of the cell and, through a molecular
relay, send signals into the cell
Co-author Zhi-Yong Wang at Carnegie’s Department
of Plant Biology explained the work: “We knew that the steroid is very important
for activating genes that control cell growth in Arabidopsis as well as in
rice. One of the most sensitive responses to the steroid is leaf bending in
rice, caused by expansion of the upper cells at the joint between leaf blade
and leaf sheath. We wanted to determine how the steroid functioned in rice.
We found that the steroid affects two genes encoding (or producing) proteins
that turn other genes on or off; they are called transcription factors. In
rice, when a gene called Increased Leaf Inclination1 (
This pair of genes provides a unique tool to control
the leaf angle, which is important for crop yield because erect leaves improve
light capture and allows rice plants to be planted at higher density for a
higher yield per hectare.
Through a series of experiments, the researchers
determined how the steroid and genes interact. They found that brassinosteroid
oppositely regulate these genes—
“It appears that the steroid causes the IBH1 genes
to stop the production of IBH1 protein, and in the meantime increases the
production of the
The researchers performed similar experiments on
the mustard, which showed that steroid interacted with the mustard genes the
same way. “Since similar genes are doing the same thing in these different
plants, this process is likely to be very old and found in many different
higher plants. The more we learn about such mechanisms, the closer we will
come to better engineering crops to feed a growing population,” concluded
Wang.
The work was supported by the National Science
Foundation of China; The National Institute of Health; the Ministry of Education,
Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan; and the Carnegie Institution.
http://www.seedquest.com/news.php?type=news&id_article=12327&id_region=&id_category=&id_crop=
Source: SeedQuest.com
1.42
December 2009
Issue IV/2009
TABLE OF CONTENTS
·
EU Commission published directive on
vegetable conservation varieties
·
GMO myths debunked with Marker Assisted
Selection (
·
New organic potato breeding program
“Bioimpuls” in the
·
Developing a contamination-management
for field nurseries to breed loose smut resistent spring barley under natural
infection
·
2nd EUCARPIA Organic and Low-input
Section Conference “Breeding for resilience: A strategy for organic and low-input
farming systems?”
·
An independent organic vegetable seed
production and breeding needs a strong network: Annual meeting of the “network
for organic and biodynamic seeds and plant breeding”
http://www.seedquest.com/news.php?type=news&id_article=12261&id_region=&id_category=&id_crop=
Source: SeedQuest.com
=========================
2.01 Plant Breeding
and Farmer Participation
A new book from FAO, ICARDA
and ICRISAT
S. Ceccarelli, E.P. Guimaraes and
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Request a copy: This
book is available free of charge
to interested persons in developing countries. Please provide a complete mailing
address. Those from developed countries can request to the editor, PBN-L,
for information on how to order the book. Mail requests and inquiries to:
Clair Hershey (clair.hershey@fao.org).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Participatory Plant Breeding (PPB) originated in the
early 1980s as part of a movement promoting the concept of participatory research,
in response to criticisms of the failure of post-green-revolution, experiment-station-based
research to address the needs of poor farmers in developing countries. Rooted
in debate over the social consequences of the narrow focus of the scientific
type of research, PPB gained recognition as an activity mostly promoted by
social scientists and agronomists based in anti-establishment non-governmental
organizations (NGOs).
Today there is widespread recognition that the conventional
package of new varieties and external inputs, while successful in the more
favourable production areas, has often failed to benefit small-scale farmers
in marginal areas. As a result, the vital role of PPB as an additional strategy
is better understood. Experience has taught that PPB is complementary to conventional
plant breeding rather than an alternative type of plant breeding. Demand for
a complementary approach has expanded considerably because of pressure to
ensure the relevance of research to poor farmers and their diverse agricultural
systems, and because PPB allows selection for the specific adaptation required
for such a diversity of target environments. Today, about 80 participatory
breeding programmes are known worldwide, involving various institutions and
various crops. In 2000, an international review of plant breeding research
methodologies concluded that PPB should be an “organic” part of every plant
breeding programme aimed at benefiting small-scale farmers in difficult, high-risk
environments. In fact, traditional farming and low-input systems, including
organic agriculture, are a very heterogeneous population of target environments
and not easily served by centralized, conventional plant breeding.
This book demonstrates that PPB is in essence no different
from conventional plant breeding, being based on the very same principles
of Mendelian, quantitative and population genetics, and therefore has complemented
the traditional approach to plant breeding with a number of chapters addressing
issues specifically related to the participation of farmers in a plant breeding
programme.
The book is aimed at plant breeders, social scientists,
students and practitioners, with the hope that they all will find a common
ground to discuss ways in which plant breeding can be beneficial to all and
can contribute to alleviate poverty.
The authors of the various chapters have been carefully
selected to represent three groups of scientists: the first comprises internationally
recognized experts in genetics as related to plant breeding, and in the various
aspects of plant breeding (from general methodological issues to more specific
issues, such as breeding for resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses, high
yield potential, molecular breeding and genotype × environment interactions);
the second group is represented by professional breeders who have actually
practised participatory plant breeding with a number of different crops and
in a number of socially and climatically different areas, using the range
of methods presented by the first group; and, finally, the third is represented
by a group of scientists with specific expertise in areas not usually covered
in classical plant breeding books, such as variety release mechanisms, seed
diffusion, institutional issues associated with PPB, and intellectual property
rights. A chapter documenting the impact that participatory plant breeding
has had after about thirty years of practice has been chosen to be the logical
conclusion of the book.
(Excerpted from the Foreword by the editor, PBN-L)
3.01 The Borlaug Global Rust Initiative
(BGRI) launches a quarterly newsletter
Ronnie Coffman, vice chair of the BGRI, introduced
the newsletter in early December 2009:
Dear colleagues,
This is the inaugural edition of the Borlaug Global
Rust Initiative (BGRI) quarterly newsletter. As you know, Dr. Norman Borlaug
passed away in September, but his legacy lives on through efforts like the
Borlaug Global Rust Initiative to promote wheat research for the world
If you are receiving this newsletter, you are already
a member of the Borlaug Global Rust Initiative, which is a global advocacy
platform dedicated to reducing the world
The quarterly newsletter aims to inform members
of BGRI activities and the happenings in the wheat rust community. The BGRI
is an umbrella organization, representing many different countries, institutions,
and projects that are working to mitigate rust threats all over the world.
Information about wheat rust projects and
Let us know of projects you
Subscribe/Unsubscribe
If you would like to be added to the newsletter
list, click here.
If you would like to be removed from this list,
click here.
Editor
The BGRI Newsletter is an electronic forum for
the exchange of scientific updates, opportunities, and ideas about wheat and
the rusts. It is published on a quarterly basis.
The newsletter is edited by Jenny Nelson ("jmn99@cornell.edu). The newsletter is managed
by the editor and an advisory group consisting of Ronnie Coffman (wrc2@cornell.edu),
Gordon Cisar (glc56@cornell.edu),
Peter Njau (njaupnn@yahoo.com),
and Mahinur Akkaya (akkayams@metu.edu.tr).
The editor will advise subscribers one month ahead of each edition to solicit
contributions.
Subscribers are encouraged to take an active part
in making the newsletter a useful communications tool. Contributions may be
in such areas as: technical communications on wheat breeding and rust pathology
issues; announcements of meetings, courses and electronic conferences; book
announcements and reviews; web sites of special relevance to wheat and the
rusts; announcements of funding opportunities; requests to other readers for
information and collaboration; and feature articles or discussion issues brought
by subscribers. Suggestions on format and content are always welcome by the
editor, at BGRI@cornell.edu.
3.02
Innovative “one stop shop” germplasm database resource
now available for scientists
The
“It is the holy grail of the genebank and breeding
information managers’ community – having a data search facility for different
kinds of data,” says Reinhard Simon, head of CIP’s Research Informatics Unit.
In recent decades, bioinformatics - the application
of information technology to better understand biological processes - has
been focused primarily on management systems that can deal with the enormous
amount of information generated by rapid developments in molecular biology.
CIP took one such system, BioMart, and created a novel application allowing
integrated searches across a wide range of different data types. “The kind
of information we need is often still housed in specific databases. With this
system, potentially all the evaluation data you can think of can be combined;
it’s a one stop shop,” says Simon.
The new database includes what is called passport
data, such as the origin and availability of germplasm, compliant with the
standard MCPD (multicrop passport descriptor list). With characterization
data organized according to crop specific international standards, users can
search for any specific traits they are looking for (e.g., drought tolerance
or chipping quality) using morphological characteristics or biotic and abiotic
evaluation data. Also included are molecular marker data (SSR), and the entire
list of worldwide distributions of CIP held germplasm.
The flexibility of the system allows for a range
of information from summary reports to detailed, accession-level information.
It has a user-friendly, three-step interface, requiring little or no training.
If needed, support is provided on the CIP site and by an online BioMart tutorial.
Breeders, scientists, or curators who want to order germplasm from the CIP’s
genebank can do so via a hyperlink using a “shopping cart” system, similar
to online shopping sites.
The database also provides an important new springboard
for further research. The potential is vast, explains Simon, “Curators from
other genebanks sometimes need or want to corroborate information, and scientists
and other researchers can use all these data for further analysis and for
documenting biodiversity.”
The database will be updated as new data are released
and is available at: http://www.cipotato.org/research/genebank/search
http://www.seedquest.com/news.php?type=news&id_article=12271&id_region=&id_category=&id_crop=
Source: SeedQuest.com
4.01 Monsanto’s Beachell-Borlaug International Scholars Program.
Note
from Ed Runge, Program Director,
Dear Colleagues –
The Judging Panel for Monsanto’s Beachel-Borlaug
International Scholars awarded 12 scholarships from 48 applications in the
first round of funding. Nine scholars were in wheat breeding and 3 scholars were
in rice breeding. Applications for the second round of
funding are being accepted now until February 1, 2010. Applications
for third, fourth and fifth rounds of funding will need to be submitted
between
Please note that scholars must complete part of
their PhD program in
To learn more about how to apply and to obtain
the application form go to www.monsanto.com/mbbischolars. Please
email Dr. Runge any questions that might need clarification prior to submitting
your application.
Ed Runge, Program Director and Judging Panel Chair
Monsanto
Professor and Billie B. Turner Chair in Production
Agronomy (Emeritus)
Soil & Crop Sciences Department, Mail Stop
2474
Phone 979 845-3066
Fax 979 845-0456
Cell 979 324-3956
ed.runge@yahoo.com (Note
I only receive CAAS emails at this address)
(see also Item 4.20 below)
4.02 Graduate Assistantship, offered
in the
The Monsanto Graduate Assistantship,
offered in the
A total of 14 assistantships—each
providing a $24,000 annual salary, individual health insurance, and funds
for all required fees and tuition—will be awarded to both
Requirements:
• Earn a minimum 3.5 grade point
average in all master’s level graduate course work
• Demonstrate an aptitude for
research
• Provide three letters of recommendation
from professors or employers with knowledge of applicants research and academic
abilities
• Successfully complete the
Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
• Successfully meet all other
requirements for admission to graduate studies at
Application Procedure:
Applicants should follow all
of the guidelines and procedures to apply for graduate studies in a department
offering a plant breeding degree at
Additional items to be provided
by the applicant are:
• A statement providing sufficient
background information to demonstrate the student’s aptitude to conduct plant
breeding or cotton production research
• Identification of the area
of plant breeding research to be
pursued and its importance to
the agricultural industry
• A one- to two-page letter
of support from the department sponsor or
Students applying to the Department
of Soil and Crop Sciences must send these additional items to the
attention of Wayne Smith, Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, 2474
Students applying to the Department
of Horticultural Sciences must send the additional items to the attention
of
Selection Procedure:
Applications will be reviewed
by an interdepartmental committee that includes faculty members from the departments
of Horticultural Sciences, Soil and Crop Sciences, Entomology, and Plant Pathology
and Microbiology, along with the associate dean for graduate programs.
Preference will be given first
to candidates who have earned a master of science degree outside Texas A&M.
Second preference will be given to those who have earned a master of science
degree from the university but earned an undergraduate degree elsewhere. Candidates
who have earned both bachelor and master of science degrees from the university
are not eligible for this assistantship.
Additional Information:
The award is for a maximum of
three years plus one academic semester. Students must maintain satisfactory
research progress and meet all other
If an Experiential Learning
Assignment with Monsanto is requested by Monsanto, the student will remain
enrolled at
Contributed by C. Wayne Smith
Professor and Associate Head
Department of Soil and Crop
Sciences
(see
also Item 4.01 above)
4.03 The Islamic Development Bank
(DB) Prizes For Science and Technology for Year 1431H (2010G)
The IDB Science and Technology Prizes consists of three
(3) prizes. Each prize will consist of a cash award of one hundred thousand
(100,000) US dollars, a trophy and a certificate mentioning the name of
the winner and its accomplishments. The Prizes are awarded only to institutions
(not to individuals) in IDB member countries in the following categories:
Category 1: Outstanding scientific or technological contribution to the socio-economic
development of a member country.
Category 2: Outstanding contribution to any of the following scientific disciplines:
Engineering Sciences; Agriculture; Medicine; Biotechnology; Information Technology;
Optoelectronics; Material Sciences; Pharmaceutical Sciences; Industrial Microelectronics;
alternative Energy Sources and Nanotechnology.
Category 3: Noted scientific research institutions in the IDB Least Developed
Member Countries (LDMCs).
Interested institutions may complete the Following
Documents:
Application form Using the general guidelines
The completed forms along with any attachments should
be received by Science &Technology and Technical Cooperation Division
in IDB before 23 Safar 1431H corresponding to
Email:STPrize1431@isdb.org
The Division Manager
Science & Technology and Technical Cooperation
Islamic Development Bank
Tel: +966-2 – 6466730,
Fax: +966-2- 6467828
The announcement of winning institutions will be made
during the 35th Board of IDB Governors Meeting scheduled during the period
23-24 June 2010G (11-12 Rajab 1431H) in
The names of the Prize Winners will also be announced
through the following channels: Members of the IDB Board of Governors; Members
of the IDB Board of Executive Directors; Standing Committee on Scientific
and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH) of the Organization of the
Islamic Conference (OIC), Major S&T and Financial Partners of the IDB,
and International and IDB member countries media.
More details about the IDB Prizes for Science and Technology
can be read in www.isdb.org
5.01 Post-doctoral associate in RosBREED:
Enabling Marker-Assisted Breeding in Rosaceae
We are seeking a cadre of tomorrow’s leaders to
join our team on an exciting new “science to the marketplace” federally funded
project. “RosBREED: Enabling Marker-Assisted Breeding in Rosaceae” is a four-year
trans-disciplinary project focused on rosaceous crops (apple, cherry, peach,
and strawberry) involving 12
BIMS
Developer Position
We are seeking a post-doctoral associate to lead
the development of breeding decision aid tools, databases, and other information
management software aimed for the plant breeding community. The incumbent
will interact closely and regularly with U.S. Rosaceae breeding programs to
identify needs, gaps, and strengths of current breeding information management
practices, and work with a programmer to synthesize a state-of-the-art
Breeding Information Management System (BIMS) that is interoperable with genomic
databases, statistical analysis packages, and able to match and surpass the
needs of the Rosaceae breeding community. A strong background in quantitative
genetics and great communication skills are required, and experience with
plant breeding is highly desirable. The position is based on the Washington
State University Campus in beautiful
Contributed by Gennaro Fazio
Apple Rootstock Breeder and Geneticist
Plant Genetic Resources Unit USDA ARS
6.
MEETINGS, COURSES
New listings may include some
program details, while repeat listings will include only basic information.
Visit web sites for additional details.
(Various Dates) Course offerings at UC Davis Plant Breeding Academy andt the
The Plant Breeding Academy (PBA) was established
at the
Class
Building on the success of the first two classes
of the PBA, UC Davis is partnering with European seed companies, institutions,
and associations to offer the
Class size is limited to 20 to encourage group
discussion. See http://pba.ucdavis.edu
to apply to both the European PBA and PBA Class
+++++++++++
Online Graduate Program in Seed
Technology & Business
http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=48323218&msgid=597705&act=BDP
The Iowa State University On-line Graduate Program in
Seed Technology and Business develops potential into managerial leadership.
Seed industry professionals face ever-increasing challenges.
The Graduate Program in Seed Technology and Business (
The
Applications for the July 2010 course sequence should
be submitted by
Contact us today for more information about how you can
apply.
Paul Christensen, Seed Technology and Business Program
Manager Ph.
515-294-8745, seedgrad@iastate.edu
+++++++++++
(Various Dates) University of Nebraska–Lincoln offers
four plant breeding mini-courses for seed industry professionals
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Distance Education & Life-Long
Learning Program
Professional
development opportunities in plant breeding at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln
The Department of Agronomy and Horticulture at the University
of Nebraska–Lincoln offers four plant breeding mini-courses that are excellent
professional development opportunities for seed industry personnel, producers
and other agribusiness professionals. The courses are available via distance
delivery, so participants are able to further their educational and career
goals without having to be present in a traditional classroom. Students have
the option of participating in lectures in real time, as well as viewing archived
lectures online. The courses are available for noncredit professional development,
CEU credit, and regular academic credit at UNL. Instructors are Dr. P. Stephen
Baenziger, Eugene W. Price Distinguished Professor, and Dr. Thomas Hoegemeyer,
Professor of Practice and former CEO of Hoegemeyer Hybrids.
The noncredit registration fee for each course is $150*.
Special package pricing is available for the three mini-courses offered during
the Fall 2009 semester.
For more information or to register, please visit the
above-listed Web site or contact Cathy Dickinson, cdickinson2@unl.edu.
Online courses for Spring 2010
include:
Advanced PlantBreeding Topics
·
March 3 – April 8, 2010
·
Topic for 2010 is heterosis. Course
will focus on the genetic hypotheses and quantitative genetic analyses of
heterosis, new tools for studying heterosis, prediction of heterosis and hybrid
performance, heterotic groups and organization of germplasm, and the mechanisms
for making hybrids.
Contact:
Cathy Dickinson
Admin. Associate
Department of Agronomy & Horticulture
University of Nebraska–Lincoln
279 Plant Sciences Hall
Lincoln,
NE 68583
Voice:
402.472.1730
E-mail:
cdickinson2@unl.edu
http://www.seedquest.com/News/releases/2009/july/26934.htm
++++++++++++
2-5 February 2010.
International Conference on "Green Plant
Breeding Technologies",
Please note that the EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION
DEADLINE has been extended
to
Please, click for registration now:
https://www.events.mondial.at/ei/getdemo.ei?id=489&s=_0XW0KVY8Y
View all meeting information online at http://www.vipca.at/greenbreeding
12-13 February 2010.
Seeds for Global Food Security, Indian
Seed Congress,
15 February - 14 May 2010.
Wheat Improvement and Pathology - Hands-on
Training Program,
CIMMYT, El
http://www.cimmyt.org/english/wps/events/courses/pdf/Wheat_Imp_Pathology_FebMay2010.pdf
Approximately 4 weeks will be dedicated to covering wheat
pathology and wheat quality aspects, molecular techniques and applied statistics.
The remainder of the time is spent at the field station, El Batán & Obregón,
dedicated to wheat improvement methodologies and selections. Field activities
include crossing and selections, disease screening work, and laboratory work
- pathology, biotech, and grain quality (70% of time). Lectures and seminars
on various aspects of wheat breeding comprise approximately 30% of the course
time.
Note: Deadline for registration
was
16-17 February 2010. 4th Breeding with Molecular
Markers Course, The
For more information, contact Jeannette Martins at jmartins@ucdavis.edu or (530) 752-4984.
Seed
Biotechnology Centre at UC Davis
23-26 February 2010. International Conference on Molecular
Aspects of Plant Development,
Abstract Submission Deadline:
Early Bird Registration Deadline:
Please be aware that our webpage has been moved to http://www.vipca.at/mapd
For submission, send your abstract to the following email
address:
Please, click for registration now:
https://www.events.mondial.at/ei/getdemo.ei?id=482&s=_0900ITNEB
1-3 March 2010. 8th
European Sunflower Biotechnology Conference (SUNBIO2010), Fame Residence Hotel, Antalya, Turkey
You will get the information of the SUNBIO2010 conference
organized by Trakya Agricultural Research Institute in this web page http://www.sunbio8.org/index.htm
Contributed by Yalcin KAYA
Chair of the Organizing Committee.
5-26 March 2010.
Quantitative
The National Institute of Agricultural Botany (
Further information is available by contacting the course
director by email at courses@niab.com or by calling the course administrator on +44
1223 342269.
12–16 April 2010.
Advanced course on Applications of bioinformatics in plant breeding,
Objectives: To introduce the bioinformatics tools needed
to help breeders and plant scientists realise the full potential of new molecular
breeding approaches.
http://www.generationcp.org/UserFiles2/File/News-items/Other/2009/Bioinformatics_IAMZ.pdf
(
Contact: Roland Schnee
Leibniz Institute of Plant
26
to
14-25
June 2010. Short course in Plant Breeding for Drought Tolerance,. Colorado State
University, Fort Collins, CO.
The course is designed for professionals in the
public and private sectors as well as for graduate students in plant breeding
and genetics programs. Please visit
the Plant Breeding for Drought Tolerance website at http://www.droughtadaptation.org
for further program details and registration information.
(
This year
FINAL CALL FOR PAPERS
Please visit the conference website below and submit
an abstract if you would like to be considered to make a presentation at this
event. AgriGenomics
World Congress
CLICK
HERE TO REGISTER NOW AND SAVE UP TO €100
Contibuted by Kirit Shah
Conference Producer
2-5 August 2010. 10th International Conference on Grapevine Breeding and
Registration and abstract submission to open mid-December
2009." http://www.grapebreeding2010.com
(UPDATE) 8-12
November 2010. 3rd International Rice Congress
(IRC2010),
The event is hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture and
Rural Development (MARD),
IRC, held every four years, is the world
Important dates:
·
·
·
·
(
The conference draws world-renowned speakers and
attendees from all
Also, you can contact Dr. Luisa Santos (ACSS Vice-
President, Chairman, LOC; luisa@zebra.uem.mz)
Plant Breeding News is an electronic forum for the exchange
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