PLANT BREEDING NEWS
EDITION 215
31 July 2010
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 How
to feed a hungry world
1.02
Global warming and priorities of plant breeding
1.03
The return of wheat rust
1.04 “Business as
usual” crop development won’t satisfy future demand
1.05 First
WACCI Biotech School funded by the VW Foundation ends successfully
1.06 Ambitious GM rice
project, aiming to re-engineer rice to increase yields by 50 per
cent, enters next phase
1.07
Breeding focus switches to hybrids
1.08 AGRA and Lundin For
Africa Society partner with Injaro Investments to invest in the West
African seed industry
1.09 Maize farmers and seed businesses changing with the
times in Malawi
1.10 Malaysia launches two new varieties of rice
1.11 International experts see
backswing in pendulum of biological patenting
1.12 How to get IP protection for new varieties of plants and animals
1.13 GM food crops
need to be part of the solution
1.14 What plant genes
tell us about crop domestication
1.15 Cotton’s global genetic
resources - Report documents the status of cotton seed collections across eight
countries
1.16 Saving
corn, one seed at a time
1.17 Flowering and
freezing tolerance linked in wheat, UC Davis study shows
1.18 Mapping out pathways to
better soybeans
1.19 Combating stem rust: Uganda pest should give us food
for thought
1.20 Single gene causes susceptibility to two major pests
in wheat
1.21 Planting for the future: New rust resistant wheat
seed on its way to farmers
1.22 Energy crops
growing on seawater - Ceres salt-tolerant trait could unlock millions more
acres of marginal cropland
1.23 A new tool for improving
switchgrass
1.24 Maize seedlings
predict drought tolerance
1.25 What secrets are
stored in the roots of corn plants?
1.26 Corn detasseling: A summer rite on the way out
1.27 Rutgers
researchers discover secrets of nutritious corn breed that withstands rigors of
handling
1.28 Research will help boost fungal disease resistance
in legumes
1.29 Drought-tolerance: a learning challenge for
poor farmers
1.30 Variety fix to meet bread salt reduction target
1.31 Toxin-free castor plants
would be major help to industry
1.32 New Fusarium chemotype tightens FHB tolerance levels
1.33 Developing viral disease in tomato
1.34 Fungi's genetic
sabotage in wheat discovered
1.35 Plant scientists at the John
Innes Centre find new explanation for hybrid vigour
1.36 Recent
News and Event items from the FAO-BiotechNews e-mail newsletter
1.37 Newsletter on
Organic Seeds and Plant Breeding, Issue 11/2010
2.01
Molecular Techniques in Crop Improvement
2.02 Rice
Biofortification
2.03 FAO publication: Induced
Plant Mutations in the Genomics Era
2.04 Corn Fact Book tells story
of a modern agricultural marvel
2.05 ISAAA
Releases "Bt Cotton in India: A Country Profile" - First in Biotech
Crop Profile Series
2.06 The proceedings of the Seventh African Crop Science Society Conference held 5-9 December 2005,
Entebbe, Uganda
2.07 2nd International Symposium on Genomics of Plant
Genetic Resources
2.08 The Africa Rice Congress 2010
2.09 6th
International Rice Genetics Symposium
2.10 Plant Genetic Resources Newsletter: dead but
maybe not yet buried
3.
3.01 FAO provides free access to statistics treasure
trove
3.02 Tracking
research across the globe
4.01 Syngenta accepts
student scholarship applications in potato-growing areas
4.02 2011 Jeanie Borlaug Laube WIT Award: Call for
Applications
4.03 Women in Triticum (WIT) Mentor Award: call for nominations
5.01 Strategic
Scientist-Quantitative Modeling position at Monsanto
5.02 Positions
available at the Institute of Biological Environmental and Rural Sciences,
Aberystwyth University
6. MEETINGS, COURSES
7. EDITOR
1 NEWS, ANNOUNCEMENTS
1.01 How
to feed a hungry world
Producing
enough food for the world's population in 2050 will be easy. But doing it at an
acceptable cost to the planet will depend on research into everything from
high-tech seeds to low-tech farming practices.
With
the world's population expected to grow from 6.8 billion today to 9.1 billion
by 2050, a certain Malthusian alarmism has set in: how will all these extra
mouths be fed? The world's population more than doubled from 3 billion between
1961 and 2007, yet agricultural output kept pace — and current projections (see page 546)
suggest it will continue to do so. Admittedly, climate change adds a large
degree of uncertainty to projections of agricultural output, but that just
underlines the importance of monitoring and research to refine those predictions.
That aside, in the words of one official at the Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, the task of feeding the world's
population in 2050 in itself seems “easily possible”.
Easy,
that is, if the world brings into play swathes of extra land, spreads still
more fertilizers and pesticides, and further depletes already scarce
groundwater supplies. But clearing hundreds of millions of hectares of
wildlands — most of the land that would be brought into use is in Latin America
and Africa — while increasing today's brand of resource-intensive,
environmentally destructive agriculture is a poor option. Therein lies the real
challenge in the coming decades: how to expand agricultural output massively
without increasing by much the amount of land used.
What
is needed is a second green revolution — an approach that Britain's Royal
Society aptly describes as the “sustainable intensification of global
agriculture”. Such a revolution will require a wholesale realignment of
priorities in agricultural research. There is an urgent need for new crop
varieties that offer higher yields but use less water, fertilizers or other
inputs — created, for example, through long-neglected research on modifying
roots (see page 552) —
and for crops that are more resistant to drought, heat, submersion and pests.
Equally crucial is lower-tech research into basics such as crop rotation, mixed
farming of animals and plants on smallholder farms, soil management and curbing
waste. (Between one-quarter and one-third of the food produced worldwide is
lost or spoiled.)
Developing
nations could score substantial gains in productivity by making better use of
modern technologies and practices. But that requires money: the FAO estimates
that to meet the 2050 challenge, investment throughout the agricultural chain
in the developing world must double to US$83 billion a year. Most of that money
needs to go towards improving agricultural infrastructure, from production to
storage and processing. In Africa, the lack of roads also hampers agricultural
productivity, making it expensive and difficult for farmers to get synthetic
fertilizers. And research agendas need to be focused on the needs of the
poorest and most resource-limited countries, where the majority of the world's
population lives and where population growth over the next decades will be
greatest. Above all, reinventing farming requires a multidisciplinary approach
that involves not just biologists, agronomists and farmers, but also
ecologists, policy-makers and social scientists.
To
their credit, the world's agricultural scientists are embracing such a broad
view. In March, for example, they came together at the first Global Conference
on Agricultural Research for Development in Montpellier, France, to begin
working out how to realign research agendas to help meet the needs of farmers
in poorer nations. But these plans will not bear fruit unless they get
considerably more support from policy-makers and funders.
The
growth in public agricultural-research spending peaked in the 1970s and has
been withering ever since. Today it is largely flat in rich nations and is
actually decreasing in some countries in sub-Saharan Africa, where food needs
are among the greatest. The big exceptions are China, where spending has been
exponential over the past decade, and, to a lesser extent, India and Brazil.
These three countries seem set to become the key suppliers of relevant science
and technology to poorer countries. But rich countries have a responsibility
too, and calls by scientists for large increases in public spending on
agricultural research that is more directly relevant to the developing world
are more than justified.
The
private sector also has an important part to play. In the past,
agribiotechnology companies have focused mostly on the lucrative agriculture
markets in rich countries, where private-sector research accounts for more than
half of all agricultural research. Recently, however, they have begun to engage
in public–private partnerships to generate crops that meet the needs of poorer
countries. This move mirrors the emergence more than a decade ago of public
partnerships with drug companies to tackle a similar market failure: the
development of drugs and vaccines for neglected diseases. As such, it is
welcome, and should be greatly expanded (see page 548).
Genetically
modified (GM) crops are an important part of the sustainable agriculture
toolkit, alongside traditional breeding techniques. But they are not a panacea
for world hunger, despite many assertions to the contrary by their proponents.
In practice, the first generation of GM crops has been largely irrelevant to
poor countries. Overstating these benefits can only increase public distrust of
GM organisms, as it plays to concerns about the perceived privatization and
monopolization of agriculture, and a focus on profits.
Nor
are science and technology by themselves a panacea for world hunger. Poverty,
not lack of food production, is the root cause. The world currently has more
than enough food, but some 1 billion people still go hungry because they cannot
afford to pay for it. The 2008 food crisis, which pushed around 100 million
people into hunger, was not so much a result of a food shortage as of a market
volatility — with causes going far beyond supply and demand — that sent prices
through the roof and sparked riots in several countries. Economics can hit food
supply in other ways. The countries in the Organisation for Economic
Co-operation and Development pay subsidies to their farmers that total some
US$1 billion a day. This makes it very difficult for farmers in developing
nations to gain a foothold in world markets.
Nonetheless,
research can have a decisive impact by enabling sustainable and productive
agriculture — a proven recipe (as is treating neglected diseases) for creating
a virtuous circle that lifts communities out of poverty.
Editorial
News
features
- Inside the hothouses of industry
- Natasha Gilbert
- An underground revolution
- Virginia Gewin
- The global farm
- Jeff Tollefson
Opinion
- Monitoring the world's
agriculture
- Jeffrey Sachs et al.
- Regulation must be revolutionized
- Ingo Potrykus
Podcast:
Future food
What
might tomorrow's crops need to look like in order to feed the world?
For
more online see http://www.nature.com/food
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v466/n7306/full/466531a.html
Source:
Nature
466, p531–532
29 July 2010
10.1038/466531a
Published
online 28 July 2010
++++++++++++++++++++++
1.02 Global warming and priorities of plant
breeding
3 July 2010
Md. Abdur Rahim
GLOBAL
warming is an increase of average air temperature of the Earth's surface and
oceans' temperature. The most important challenge for sustainable agriculture
is climate uncertainty, more specifically global warming. According to Gallup
Polls, over a third of the world's population is unaware of global warming,
with people in developing countries less aware than those in developed
countries. Anticipated changes in global climate leading to more frequent
extreme conditions will need adaptations of agricultural crops in order to
sustain agricultural production.
This
anthropogenic climate change first came to the consideration of the policy
makers after the assessment of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
(IPCC) in 1990. According to IPCC global air temperature increased 0.74 ± 0.18
°C (1.33 ± 0.32 °F) between the start and the end of the 20th century. The main
causes for global warming is due to increasing concentrations of greenhouse
gases, resulting from anthropogenic activity, particularly burning of fossil
fuel and unexpected deforestation.
The
consequence of the global warming is increasing the average air and ocean
temperatures, leading to gross melting of snow and ice, and rising global sea
level. Increased air temperature directly as well as indirectly affect the
agricultural production. In the last decade, severe drought and heat have led
to significant crop yield losses in the world including Bangladesh.
Furthermore, the magnitude of sea level rising is another vulnerability of
Bangladesh.
The
coastal areas get frequently inundated with saline sea water during high tidal
period and are not completely protected against salt water intrusion. The
drought, heat and salinity affect crop yield at almost all the crop growth
stages, with the flowering stage being the most vulnerable. The response of
plants to water deficiency and salt toxicity involve both short-term
physiological responses as well as long-term structural and morphological
changes in crops.
The
northern part such as Greater Rangpur, Dinajpur and Barind Tract of Rajshahi
are the drought prone areas of Bangladesh. The limited irrigation of these
areas reduces cropping intensity than the other part of the country where
irrigation allows two or three rice crops annually. On the other hand, most of
the salinity prone parts are Khulna, Satkhira, Bagerhat, Pirozpur, Jhalakathi,
Barisal, Patuakhali, Chittagong, Cox's Bazar, Noakhali, Borguna and Bhola.
The
coastal area of Bangladesh constitutes 20% to 30% of the agricultural land. Among
the coastal areas, the Sundarbans (mangrove forest) covers about 4,500 km2. The
rest of the coastal area is agricultural land. The farmers of these areas are
severely affected with salinity problem and they need salt tolerant crop
varieties. Study justifies planning of plant breeding for global warming to
develop drought and salinity tolerant crops in the future.
In
stress conditions plant activates mechanism of acclimation and adaptation.
Adaptation is related to heritable modifications. Molecular control mechanisms
for abiotic stress (drought and/or salinity) tolerance are based on the
regulation of stress-related genes. Acclimation is defined as the generation of
non-inheritable modifications that reflect the physiological change of the
plant to cope with abiotic stress.
However,
conventional Plant Breeding has relied upon repeated recombination of adapted
material to search for relatively small improvements. Introduction of new genes
from unadapted material to the high yielding gene pool has mostly been
inefficient, particularly for complex traits like drought and/or salinity
stress tolerance. In this case, marker assisted selection (MAS) and
quantitative trait loci (QTL) May be more effective tool for improvement of
drought and salinity tolerance in agricultural crops.
Finally,
it can be said that we should utilise molecular biology tools and conventional
breeding simultaneously for the genetic improvement of abiotic stress
tolerance. Therefore, government should patronise such research and ensure
proper fundings.
Md. Abdur Rahim is Assistant Professor, Department
of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University,
Bangladesh.
Source:
The Daily Star, Bangladesh, 3 July 2010
1.03 The return of
wheat rust
The
disease eating away our daily bread
A genuine food scare to worry about—and also
learn from
Jul
1st 2010
IN
1998, at a research station in south-west Uganda, William Wagoire, a plant
breeder out checking his crops, came across something that everyone thought had
been driven from the face of the Earth: the crimson cankers of stem rust, a
disease that was once wheat’s deadliest scourge but had not been seen since the
Green Revolution that transformed agriculture in the second half of the 20th
century. Since then stem rust has spread from a corner of Africa’s Great Lakes
to countries as distant as Iran and, recently, South Africa (see article).
Scientists now fear that the fungus cannot be kept out of Punjab, one of the
world’s great bread baskets.
So
far rust has not caused a disaster. But that is mostly because of luck, and
luck does not last. In the right conditions stem rust destroys everything in
its path. After decades in which they have not encountered the disease most of
the world’s wheat varieties have fallen behind in the endless battle of thrust
and counter-thrust waged by predators and prey. They are defenceless. Wheat is
the most widely planted crop in the world, providing a fifth of mankind’s
calories. So the return of stem rust could cause vast suffering, threatening
mass hunger in some of the world’s most populated areas.
Scare
stories abound, but this is one worth taking seriously. Fortunately, the story
of wheat rust—albeit punctuated with carelessness and complacency—is not just
of destruction but also of unacknowledged successes. Plant breeders have come
up with remedies and strategies that could keep stem rust at bay. But they
urgently need more help.
http://www.economist.com/node/16485348?story_id=16485348&fsrc=rss
Source:
The Economist, July 1, 2010
++++++++++++++++++++++
1.04 “Business as usual” crop development won’t satisfy
future demand
Urbana, Illinois, USA
7 July 2010
Although global grain production must double by 2050
to address rising population and demand, new data from the University of
Illinois suggests crop yields will suffer unless new approaches to adapt crop
plants to climate change are adopted. Improved agronomic traits responsible for
the remarkable increases in yield accomplished during the past 50 years have
reached their ceiling for some of the world’s most important crops.
“Global change is happening so quickly that its impact
on agriculture is taking the world by surprise,” said Don Ort, U of I professor
of crop sciences and USDA/ARS scientist. “Until recently, we haven’t understood
the urgency of addressing global change in agriculture.”
The need for new technologies to conduct global change
research on crops in an open-field environment is holding the commercial sector
back from studying issues such as maximizing the elevated carbon dioxide
advantage or studying the effects of ozone pollution on crops.
However, U of I’s Free Air Concentration Enrichment
(FACE) research facility, SoyFACE, is allowing researchers to conduct novel
studies using this technology capable of creating environments of the future in
an open-field setting.
“If you want to study how global change affects crop
production, you need to get out of the greenhouse,” Ort said. “At SoyFACE, we
can grow and study crops in an open-field environment where carbon dioxide and
ozone levels can be raised to mimic future atmospheric conditions without
disturbing other interactions.”
From an agricultural standpoint, one of the few
positive aspects of global change has been the notion that elevated carbon
dioxide in the atmosphere will stimulate photosynthesis and result in increased
crop yields.
But recent studies show that crops grown in open
fields under elevated carbon dioxide levels resulted in only half the yield
increase expected and half of what the United Nation’s Intergovernmental Panel
on Climate Change used in their model predictions regarding the world’s food
supply in 2050.
There’s no doubt that carbon dioxide levels are
rising. At the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, atmospheric carbon
dioxide levels were 260 parts per million (ppm). Today, those numbers have
increased to 385 ppm. By 2050, carbon dioxide levels are expected to be 600
ppm.
“Elevated carbon dioxide is creating a global warming
effect that in turn is driving other climate change factors such as
precipitation patterns,” Ort said. “By 2050, rainfall during the Midwest
growing season is projected to drop 30 percent.”
U of I researchers are also studying how elevated
ozone levels will affect crop yields.
Soybean plants are being evaluated in elevated ozone
at SoyFACE. New studies show that yields in the tri-state area of Indiana,
Illinois and Iowa have been suppressed by 15 percent due to ozone pollution.
Ort said if the same cultivars of soybean are used in 2050 that are being
planted now, producers can expect to see an additional 20 percent drop in yield
due to expected increases in ozone levels by the middle of the century.
“Ozone is a secondary pollutant caused by the
interaction of sunlight with pollution clouds produced in industrialized areas
and carried over rural areas by wind,” Ort said. “For example, if pollution
from Chicago blows out of the city into agricultural areas, it can interact with
sunlight to produce ozone and cause plant yields to suffer.”
Because ozone is an unstable gas, its concentration
levels vary greatly, Ort said. Thus, agricultural areas located near industrial
areas will face the greatest challenges. Unfortunately, of the world’s two
top-growing areas for soybean – the United States faces a much greater ozone
challenge than Brazil.
“The SoyFACE experiment and historical data recorded
over the past 10 years both indicate that for every additional one part per
billion of ozone, soybean yields will decrease 1.5 bushels per acre,” Ort said.
“We are applying for funding to examine corn’s sensitivity to ozone at SoyFACE,
but a historical analysis indicates a significant sensitivity and yield loss.”
In addition to generating results about the response
of crops to global change, SoyFACE has provided proof of concept that
adaptation of crop plants to global change can be achieved in the field. Ort
believes that this approach can and needs to be scaled to much larger sizes necessary
for conventional selective breeding.
Currently, only five FACE research facilities exist in
the world. SoyFACE is the largest and most expansive in terms of number of
global change factors under investigation. Researchers at SoyFACE are assisting
in the development of additional FACE experiments in Brazil, India and
Australia.
“FACE technology, coupled with revolutionary genomic
tools, can markedly accelerate the breeding cycle,” Ort said. “Once we discover
the suites of genes that control the optimal response of plants growing in
global change conditions, we can screen germplasm collections to narrow down
hundreds of thousands of cultivars before testing the best ones in the field.”
Ort said top priorities of focus include tropical
areas that are already food insecure and areas such as the U.S. Corn Belt that
produce a large percentage of the world food supply.
“More research in these areas is critical,” he said.
“How top-producing areas fare with climate change will be very important in
determining global food security for the future.”
This research was published in the Annual Review of
Plant Biology, Current Opinion in Plant Biology, and Plant Physiology.
Researchers include Ort, Stephen Long, and Elizabeth Ainsworth of the U of I,
and Xin-Guang Zhu of the Shanghai Institute of Biological Sciences in China.
Research was funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Department of
Energy, and the Illinois Council on Food and Agricultural Research.
http://www.seedquest.com/news.php?type=news&id_article=8670&id_region=&id_category=&id_crop=
Source: SeedQuest.com
+++++++++++++++++++++++
1.05 First
WACCI Biotech School funded by the VW Foundation ends successfully
A three-week long (June 28 - July
16, 2010) Biotechnology School which brought together 24 participants from 7
countries for training in Genotyping and Phenotyping Plant Genetic Resources at
the West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI) has ended successfully. The
workshop funded by the Volkswagen Foundation, was a collaboration between
WACCI, the Biotechnology Centre of the University of Ghana and the Institute of
Plant Breeding, Seed Science and Population Genetics, University of Hohenheim,
Germany. In an opening address, the Director of WACCI, Prof. Eric Danquah,
lamented the deteriorating quality of postgraduate education in the Sciences in
most of sub-Saharan Africa due to inadequate funding. He intimated that the
state of food insecurity in the sub-region was partly due to weak
infrastructure and low prioritization of research and development. He
emphasized that the Biotech School had been designed to correlate laboratory results
in biotechnology with results from fieldwork to ensure that research results do
not remain in the laboratory as in the past, but are taken to the doorstep of
the farmer, following validation on research plots. He thanked the
collaborators and the funding agency, and also expressed the hope that more
collaborative ventures will be undertaken in the future.
Experts from Ghana, Germany, the
USA, the UK and Tunisia taught theoretical and practical modules in advanced
genetics, crop genomics and molecular approaches in crop breeding. Instructors for the three-week workshop included:
·
Dr. Bettina I.G.
Haussmann, Principal Scientist, International Crop Research Institute for the
Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Niamey, Niger.
·
Professor Philip
White, (Head), Environmental Plant Interactions Programme, Scottish Crop
Research Institute (SCRI), Dundee, Scotland
·
Professor Khaled
Masmoudi, (Head), Plant Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Centre of Biotechnology,
Sfax, Tunisia
·
Dr. Heiko Kurt
Parzies, (Senior Scientist), Institute of Plant Breeding, Seed Science and
Population Genetics, University of Hohenheim, Germany
·
Dr. Jacquelyn Renae
Jackson, (Research Assistant Professor), Department of Agricultural,
Environmental and Natural Sciences , Tuskegee University, Tuskegee, AL, USA
Some of the participants had this
to say;
Vivian Oduro, Ghana: “It was just
excellent! We had quality information that would carry us throughout our
career. Well done WACCI”.
Obitoye Dorcas Olubunmi, Nigeria:
“The training was excellent, eye-opening and very interesting. The information
given was so accurate and up to date. The organizers were warm, welcoming and
approachable. It was indeed an international workshop. Keep up the good work,
WACCI”.
Leiser Willmar Lukas, Germany:
“Wunderbar! Amazing time in Ghana. Very interesting, well organised workshop
with great cultural exchange by both instructors and participants. Thanks for
the nice time”.
Establishment of WACCI
The WACCI (www.wacci.edu.gh) was established in the University of Ghana (UG) in
June, 2007 with funding from the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa
(AGRA) to train 40 plant breeders, arriving in 5 cohorts of eight students
each, at the PhD level. WACCI was conceived from a partnership between the
University of Ghana (UG) and Cornell University to address the critical
shortage of plant breeders in the West and Central Africa sub-region. The aim
is to equip the next generation of plant breeders with the necessary knowledge
and skills required for the improvement of indigenous crops that feed the
peoples of the West and Central Africa regions. The PhD programme is a 5-year
fully funded course. Students undertake two year of coursework at the UG and
three years of field research at the students’ home institution. In the first
year, students take 10 courses, five per semester. The second year involves
advanced modular courses delivered by selected experts from around the globe to
give students exposure in practical issues that would confront them in their
research. WACCI is committed to developing the human capacity necessary for the
realisation of AGRA’s dream of an African green revolution. Currently in the
third year, WACCI has enrolled 28 students from Mali, Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon,
Niger, Burkina Faso and Kenya. The Centre obtained additional funds from the
Generation Challenge Programme (GCP) in April, 2008 to support 4 more students.
WACCI’s core aspiration of
training world class problem solving plant breeders for the West African region
to aid in increasing the pace of the release and adoption of nutritious and
high yielding local crop staples can be realised efficiently if WACCI
collaborates with advanced institutions worldwide. Planned activities of the
Centre include networking and integration of students into other training
programmes in advanced laboratories across the globe for internships and long
distance mentoring.
Contact Eric Danquah edanquah@wacci.edu.gh for link opportunities.
++++++++++++++++++++++++
1.06 Ambitious GM rice project, aiming to re-engineer
rice to increase yields by 50 per cent, enters next phase
1 July 2010
by Rhiannon Smith
An international consortium aiming to re-engineer rice
to increase yields by 50 per cent is about to move into the second phase of its
decades-long project.
The project aims to genetically modify rice to use a
more efficient method of photosynthesis — the process by which plants convert
carbon dioxide into carbohydrates needed for growth.
Rice has a type of photosynthesis called C3. But some
plants, including maize and sorghum, have evolved to use a type called C4. The
C4 crops are anatomically different from C3s and are better at concentrating
carbon dioxide around a particular enzyme — RuBisCO — which is crucial in
photosynthesis.
If the scientists are successful in creating rice that
follows the C4 pathway the crop could produce 50 per cent more grain, and would
require less water and fertiliser.
The C4 plants work best in hot climates, so could be
important as global warming increases.
"As temperatures rise, C4 plants will
photosynthesise better than C3s," said Richard Leegood, a plant biologist
from the UK-based University of Sheffield, which is leading an international
team of researchers, coordinated by the International Rice Research Institute
(IRRI) in the Philippines.
The project received US$11.1 million of funding over
three years from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in October 2008.
Most of this money has gone to IRRI, said Leegood,
where researchers are doing the mammoth task of screening plants to try to
identify the genes that control photosynthesis.
The project is a long-term venture — Leegood says that
it will be at least 20 years before the modified rice is available.
"Many genes need to be manipulated, then
engineered traits need to be transferred into commercial varieties."
Since C3 photosynthesis evolved naturally into the C4
type in other plants more than 60 times through history, Leegood hopes that the
public will accept this GM rice.
"It is not an unnatural process; it's something
that plants do ordinarily."
Lewis Ziska, a plant physiologist at the US Department
of Agriculture said: "This kind of innovative work is crucial if we are
going to meet the demands of an expanding population"..
Although there are many other issues that cause food
insecurity, Leegood said that this solution could tackle those limitations that
are "inherent" in the production of such crops.
The Sheffield work forms part of its Project Sunshine,
a programme that investigates how the power of the sun can be harnessed to meet
the world's increasing food and energy needs.
http://www.seedquest.com/news.php?type=news&id_article=8270&id_region=&id_category=&id_crop=
Source: SciDev.Net via SeedQuest.com
+++++++++++++++++++++++
1.07 Breeding focus switches to hybrids
July 9, 2010
HYBRID oilseed rape varieties are set to dominate in Europe if
developments in breeding technology and facilities are anything to go by.
Dominic Kilburn travelled to the Baltic coast to visit one of the market’s
biggest players.
Pressure on rotations and a lack of time in the autumn are
the key limiting factors in UK growers achieving higher yields from oilseed
rape, while the use of farm saved seed may also be holding yields back.
That’s according to Theo Labuda of oilseed rape specialist LS
Plant Breeding, who says that, compared with many of their continental
counterparts, UK farmers have to contend with a later cereal harvest each year,
which means less time to prepare the land properly, and this compromises the
winter oilseed rape crop.
Mr Labuda points out, in the UK, about 60 per cent of the crop
planted each year is derived from certified seed, while French growers opt for
74 per cent, Denmark 80 per cent and in Germany the figure is as much as 95 per
cent.
Winter oilseed rape yields in Germany, where the crop is estimated
to be 1.5 million hectares (3.71m acres), are averaging about 4.3 tonnes per
hectare (1.74t/acre), while across Europe as a whole, the average is 3.3t/ha
(1.34t/acre).
Hybrids
According to Dr Frank Grosse of LS Plant Breeding’s parent company
NPZ-Lembke, over the next 10-15 years, hybrid varieties are likely to become
the dominant force in oilseed rape in Europe.
The company’s own oilseed rape breeding programme, considered to
be one of the largest in Europe, is now only focusing on hybrid varieties,
rather than conventional open pollinated alternatives.
“50-60 per cent of the European crop is down to hybrids already,
but the percentage is higher in Germany,” says Dr Grosse. “Increased
performance from hybrids such as yield advantage, stress tolerance and deeper
rooting are causing them to be more popular.”
According to Dr Grosse, German growers are among the leading
adopters of hybrid varieties in Europe, with 65 per cent of winter oilseed rape
crops down to hybrids. This compares with 54 per cent in France and 37 per cent
in the UK.
“We are seeing more interest in hybrid varieties from south
eastern European countries, while they are also suited to the weather extremes
presented in the developing Eastern European markets,” he says
Source: SeedQuest.com
1.08 AGRA and Lundin
For Africa Society partner with Injaro Investments to invest in the West
African seed industry
Nairobi, Kenya, Abidjan, Ivory Coast and Accra, Ghana
19 July 2010
First closing of the West Africa Agricultural Investment Fund which
invests in the production of improved seed targeted at smallholder farmers
The West Africa
Agricultural Investment Fund (“WAAIF”) and
Injaro Investments Limited (“Injaro”) today announce the First Closing of the
first ever West African fund focused on investing in indigenous seed production
companies. The initial investors in the fund are The Alliance for a Green
Revolution in Africa (AGRA) and the Lundin For Africa Society, a Vancouver-based foundation. The launch of this fund will provide
capital that is desperately needed by West Africa’s critical but nascent seed
production industry.
“The sole purpose of WAAIF is to provide high quality seeds to
smallholder farmers in West Africa, thereby improving income and quality of
life,” said Dr. Namanga NGONGI, President of AGRA. “Direct investment in local
seed companies will allow West African enterprises, working with local public
crop breeders and local farmers, to act as a catalyst for prosperity amongst
smallholder farmers.”
WAAIF is the first fund of its kind in West Africa: targeted
specifically at promoting the growth of small- and medium-sized African seed
companies through long-term loans provided at reasonable rates. WAAIF will thus
fill a critical funding gap in West African agricultural development—financing
for its seriously underdeveloped and undercapitalized seed sector.
Across West Africa there are around 20 small-to-medium sized seed
companies compared to over 50 in East and Southern Africa and the hundreds that
operate in Europe or in the United States. To help fill this gap, WAAIF will
operate in five countries—Burkina Faso, Ghana, Mali, Niger, and Nigeria.
“Africa’s plant breeders have begun developing high yielding,
locally-adapted seed that would enable farmers to double or triple their
yields,” said Joseph DEVRIES, director of AGRA’s Seeds Programme. “We now need
a vibrant seed sector that gets these varieties to farmers. WAAIF will enable
this--it is venture capital for West Africa’s seed entrepreneurs.”
The lack of a robust African seed industry has left smallholder farmers
with few choices. Smallholder farmers who grow most of the food consumed in
Africa can neither afford nor access high-yielding quality seed varieties of
their staple food crops. Whereas improved seed has been responsible for more
than half of global yield increases, African smallholder farmers must rely on
saved seed whose quality has deteriorated over time, producing the world’s
lowest cereal yields and ensuring chronic hunger and malnutrition.
The AGRA-Lundin-Injaro partnership aims to jumpstart a well-capitalised,
competitive and efficient regional seed industry; with commercial incentive to
produce, distribute and market improved seed varieties that meet farmers’ demands.
VENTURE CAPITAL FOR SEED ENTREPRENEURS
WAAIF will invest in and partner with seed companies to transform them
into viable commercial entities that provide high quality seed to smallholder
farmers at a reasonable price, said Jerry Parkes, Managing Principal of Injaro.
The average investment size will be around US$250,000 and the fund will seek an
overall net return of 3% on its investments.
In addition to capital investment, Injaro and AGRA will provide business
development services, including continual advice on issues like seed
production, storage, and distribution and seed company management. Distributors
will also be trained on the appropriate use of seeds and other inputs such as
fertilizer, to ensure the most efficient, safe and environmentally sound use of
all.
WAAIF will seek to actively involve women as entrepreneurs, workers, and
smallholder farmers. Women make up the majority of Africa’s smallholder farmers
and have the greatest impact on the livelihood of their families, yet face many
impediments to education, training and access to finance.
To qualify, companies will need to meet investment criteria in the
following areas: corporate setup, output of improved seed, financial
performance, and a range of development criteria. The latter includes measures
such as overall job creation, skills development in rural communities, and an
environmentally benign footprint.
“Until recently, only well-off, large-scale farmers bought improved
seed,” DEVRIES said. “The seed market is evolving to recognize that the real
market is at the bottom of the pyramid, among millions of smallholder farmers.
The prices, crops and varieties marketed need to reflect that.
“African farmers need improved varieties of maize more than any other
farmers in the world. Their livelihoods their very survival depends on it.”
DEVRIES added.
And while maize will be an important crop for the program, it will not
be the only one. Companies producing seed for such staple crops as beans,
cowpea, rice, sorghum, soya bean, millet and others will be encouraged to
apply.
“Rather than having to chose between poor quality low-yielding seed or
high-cost hybrid seed marketed by multinationals, African farmers will have
another choice,” NGONGI said. “We can foresee the day when dozens, if not
hundreds, of small- and medium-sized African seed companies are working across
the region with local, public sector breeders to get low-cost, high-quality
seed to farmers across the West African sub-region.
ABOUT THE ALLIANCE FOR A GREEN REVOLUTION IN AFRICA (AGRA)
AGRA is a dynamic partnership working across the African continent to
help millions of small-scale farmers and their families lift themselves out of
poverty and hunger. AGRA programmes develop practical solutions to
significantly boost farm productivity and incomes for the poor while
safeguarding the environment. AGRA advocates for policies that support its work
across all key aspects of the African agricultural value chain ¬from seeds,
soil health and water to markets and agricultural education.
AGRA's Board of Directors is chaired by Kofi A Annan, former
Secretary-General of the United Nations. Dr Namanga Ngongi, former Deputy
Executive Director of the World Food Programme, is AGRA's president. With
support from The Rockefeller Foundation, the Bill & Melinda Gates
Foundation, the UK's Department for International Development and other donors,
AGRA works across sub-Saharan Africa and maintains offices in Nairobi, Kenya,
and Accra, Ghana.
ABOUT LUNDIN FOR AFRICA
Lundin for Africa (LFA) is the philanthropic arm of the Lundin Group of
Companies and was founded in 2006 by the Lundin family with a view to
contributing toward improvements in the lives of Africa's most impoverished and
vulnerable populations.
The Lundins are mining and natural resource entrepreneurs who have
enjoyed considerable success in Africa and have recognized the need to ensure
that benefits received from the resource sector are shared with host countries’
local communities. Working together with Canadian and international NGOs, LFA
supports participatory grassroots initiatives that encourage sustainable
community development.
ABOUT INJARO INVESTMENTS
Injaro Investments is an investment adviser and fund manager primarily
focused on opportunities in West Africa
Its mission is to become the premier conduit for capital to SMEs in West
Africa by supporting entrepreneurs to develop strong businesses that will be a
catalyst for economic growth and that will improve the livelihood of the
communities in which they operate. Injaro aims to achieve this by deploying
capital efficiently and actively developing its investees in order to generate
strong returns for its investors.
The Injaro team comprises investment professionals with many years of
experience, built within world-renowned organizations, in principal
investments, investment banking, management consulting and agri-business. The
team applies its local knowledge, world-class experience and an open-minded
approach to dealing with the challenges of investing in West African SMEs.
http://www.seedquest.com/news.php?type=news&id_article=9002&id_region=&id_category=&id_crop=
Source: SeedQuest.com
+++++++++++++++++++++++
1.09 Maize farmers and seed businesses
changing with the times in Malawi
In
Malawi, farmers who have in the past few years witnessed crop failure due to
poor rains are switching to two new drought tolerant maize varieties, and seed
companies are changing their business models to keep up. “The climate is
changing, rainfall is decreasing and the weather is now dictating which
varieties farmers grow and in turn which varieties seed companies produce,”
says Dellings Phiri, general manager of Seed Co. Malawi, a leading southern
African seed company.
He
refers to two new drought tolerant maize varieties–ZM 309 and ZM 523–developed
specifically for Malawi’s drought-prone areas with infertile soils by CIMMYT,
Malawi’s Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, and the Chitedze Research
Station, through the Drought Tolerant maize for Africa (DTMA) project. The
research was supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the
Howard G. Buffett Foundation. The varieties were officially launched in March
2009.
For
more info see http://www.cimmyt.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=715&Itemid=924
Source:
CIMMYT e-News June 2010:
Contributed
by Margaret E. Smith
Department
of Plant Breeding & Genetics, Cornell University
1.10 Malaysia launches two new varieties of
rice
Padi
angin (a weedy rice with easy and spontaneous grain shattering
characteristics) is a serious problem to rice farmers in Malaysia which can
cause losses of up to 74 percent each season. The infestation of padi angin
can now be controlled by planting MR 220CL1 and MR 220CL2, two
new varieties launched recently by the Minister for Agriculture and Agro-based
Industry, Datuk Seri Noh Omar.
Both
varieties were developed by breeding local varieties, MR 200 and MR
219 with an American rice variety. Research on these varieties has been
ongoing since 2003 through a collaborative effort of Malaysian Agricultural
Research & Development Institute (MARDI) and BASF. The varieties are
resistant to imidazolinone. Malaysia will be the first to plant these varieties
in Asia Pacific and it is expected to be widely cultivated throughout the
country in the next three years. Extensive field trials were conducted which
showed good results. The seeds will be commercially produced by Federal Land
Consolidation and Rehabilitation Authority (FELCRA).
Email
Mahaletchumy Arujanan at maha@bic.org.my for
more news on Malaysian crop biotech developments.
Source:
Crop Biotech Update 16 July 2010:
Contributed
by Margaret E. Smith
Department
of Plant Breeding & Genetics, Cornell University
1.11 International experts see backswing in pendulum of biological patenting
Geneva, Switzerland
21 July 2010
Some experts in Europe are coming to agreement that a tipping point
might have been reached with regard to biological patents. At a conference
organised this week by the “no patents on seeds” initiative on the eve of a
public hearing of the European Patent Office on cases involving the patenting
of broccoli and tomatoes, nongovernmental representatives and farmers
associations from Europe and elsewhere said there were detectable changes in
American jurisprudence and European governments seem to be rethinking the
biopatent issue.
“We have a real chance to push for change in patent law,” Christoph
Then, a Greenpeace biopatent expert, said at the conference. With regard to the 20 July EPO hearing and the upcoming judgment, the
NGOs do not expect a decisive step away from the patenting of plants and
animals.
The EPO itself already warned that the hearing was solely dedicated to
check whether marker-assisted selection is a biological breeding process or is
a technical method and therefore patentable. The patentability of plants and
animals would not be discussed, the EPO announced in a press release.
The broccoli and tomato cases, one patented by Plant Bioscience Ltd. (EP
1069819) and the other by the Israeli Ministry of Agriculture (EP 1211926),
have been brought before the EPO’s Enlarged Board of Appeal after France-based
seed cooperative Limagrain Group, Swiss biotech company Syngenta and the food multinational
Unilever filed complaints respectively.
The background of these complaints, according to the Greenpeace expert,
is a ban on patenting mainly biological processes in plant and animal breeding
in EU 1998 Directive on the protection of biotechnological inventions. So while
the EPO’s hearing might result in a revocation of the breeding procedure, said
Then, the products generated could still remain covered by the patents.
Greenpeace fought a similar case on sunflowers recently.
Even simple genetic screening and selection of plants and animals with
special characteristics developed in classical breeding was used to apply for
patents, “because a company was the first to describe a genetic feature,” said
Then. “It is a systematic abuse of patent law which [is] resulting in the
appropriation of natural food all over the world.” Then said a clear ban on
breeding processes and genetic sequences is necessary to avoid the bypassing of
existing rules.
The Dutch Parliament, following an initiative of the Dutch ministries of
economy and agriculture, was the first to pass a resolution to include a
minimal “breeders’ exemption” in their national law. At the same time
Parliament decided that a full exemption on the national and EU level has to be
explored in the next three months (a report on the debate can be found here.) A motion to directly table a breeders exemption in Brussels and to
push for the respective change in the EU biopatent directive failed earlier in
July by a margin of 70 to 71 votes, said Niels Louwaars, senior scientist
biopolicies at the Dutch Centre for Genetic Resources and program manager
international projects at Wageningen University. Louwaars co-authored a study
commissioned by the ministries to examine positive and negative effects to
innovation of the existing system.
In the study [pdf] on the “Breeding Business” Louwaars and his colleagues concluded:
“If you consider breeding an important technology – because we need new plant
varieties to cope with climate change or new plant diseases – and if you think
access to new resources is important for breeding and diversity is good for
competition, then the IP system in plant breeding needs to be changed.”
The study recommended to “get rid of strategic patenting” and asked
patent offices to “be more strict in how they apply their own rules,” for
example when testing the inventive step. “If patent offices would do this we
might be able to get rid of more than 99 percent of questionable patents,”
Louwaars said. Antitrust authorities, according to Louwaars, also should become
much more active.
When discussing the results of the study with representatives of the
European seed industry, a lawyer from seed producer Limagrain said he had proof
of the anti-innovative effect of the existing system because he had to stop
researchers in his company in many cases from exploring new things because of
IP rights granted to seed material.
Seeds of Change
Patents should never extend to breeding and to seeds, said Louwaars.
With regard to the failure in the Dutch Parliament to initiate changes at the
EU level he said, “We lost a battle, but not the war.” He said he hoped for
Germany to be successful in their initiative with regard to changes.
“We have reached the tipping point in Germany,” said Then, pointing to a
growing number of statements not only from civil society, but from the political
parties and the German Ministry of Agriculture, which is organising a
conference on possible options for change in biopatenting. Like the Dutch
colleges, the ministry had commissioned a study (for the study in German see here) that warned against the risk of a decline in plant variety through
biopatenting.
Matthias Miersch, member of the German Parliament for the Social Democratic
Party, said at the Munich conference that the difficulty to change
international or EU legislation should not make legislators wait. “National
parliaments can take the lead with changes,” he said, pointing to a motion
tabled by his party on a complete ban to patent animals, plants and breeding as
such. He also was in favour of governments subsidising legal aid to fight
biopatents. According to Miersch other parties in the German Parliament were
expected to join the initiative.
“There certainly is momentum,” said Carlos Correa, Director of the
Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies on Industrial Property and Economics Law,
at the University of Buenos Aires. Changes are visible not only in Europe, but
also in the US where “healing has started,” he said, and the patent system is
being given a second look after years of ever-extending patenting.
From a developing country point of view, it is essential to make the new
debate in the EU and the US much more visible, he said. Developing countries
often only get the message that they have to adapt to the patent standards of
the industrialised countries.
“We have to get the message through that there we are in a phase of
reviewing the system,” Correa said. While proposals to the World Trade
Organization to clearly ban patents on life in the WTO Agreement on
Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) – as tabled by
Bolivia for example – were bold, WTO member countries could declare a stop on
these patents in national law and still be fully compliant with TRIPS as it is,
he said.
Farmers as Innovators
Wilhelmina Pelegrina, executive director, Southeast Asia Regional
Initiatives for Community Empowerment (SEARICE), recommended taking a look into
alternatives to patenting or even plant variety protection in breeding. From
the experience of her organisation, which works with farmers, farmer
organisations and governments in many Southeast Asian countries, she said, “We
saw that farmers cannot only conserve traditional seed, but can also develop new
seed and be the innovators.”
In Laos, for example, 600 farmers connected with the initiative
developed 114 new varieties over a period of nine years, much more than were
produced in formal breeding processes. And even in a country with no official
government breeding program like Bhutan, over 40 new rice variants have been
produced in recent years which led government officials to ponder legislative
changes to recognize the informal breeding process.
“We noted that IPR rights was no incentive,” said Pelegrina. Instead,
feeding the community and adapting seeds to climate change are important
motivations. She concluded that the current seed policies imported from
industrialised countries do not fit the highly dynamic development of breeding
in local communities.
Related Articles:
- UN
Conference Pushes Plant Breeding; Others See Food Security In Jeopardy
- Gene
Patenting In Question In The US, EU; New Resistance Effort
- Advocates
Warn Against ‘Monsantosizing’ Of Global Food Sources
http://www.seedquest.com/news.php?type=news&id_article=9065&id_region=&id_category=&id_crop=
Source: Intellectual Property Watch via SeedQuest.com
1.12 How to get IP protection for new varieties of plants and animals
Nicholas Jones and Rachel Wallis
Nicholas Jones, partner, Withers & Rogers LLP.
A new ‘low-risk’ peanut without the harmful proteins which cause an
allergic reaction is great news for millions of sufferers worldwide, and could
bring huge financial benefits to the researchers who developed it.
However, seeking patent protection for such inventions may not be a
straightforward matter.
The American Department of Agriculture’s Food Allergy Research Group,
which led the peanut research, identified three proteins they believe to cause
the majority of allergic reactions. The scientists then combed 900 different
varieties of peanut, looking for naturally-occurring mutations with lower than
expected levels of the dangerous proteins, and used traditional cross-breeding
techniques to produce the low-risk nut.
Rachel Wallis, a partner and patent attorney at Withers & Rogers
LLP.
To exploit the full commercial value of their activity, whilst also
ensuring that competitors do not infiltrate the market with a similar nut
variety, the research team initially needs intellectual property protection.
But the scope for obtaining patent protection for new varieties of plants or
breeds of animal is limited in most countries.
In Europe, for example, a patent may only be obtained if the technical
feasibility of the invention is not limited to the specific variety for which
protection is sought. In other words, it must be possible to produce the
invention in more than one variety.
The most famous case in this area relates to the “Oncomouse”, a mouse
genetically modified to develop tumours. This was deemed a patentable invention
because other species could also be modified to develop tumours using the same
technical process.
A purely biological process
If the new peanut had been developed as a result of an inventive genetic
modification it would have been eligible for patent protection. However,
under current European patent law, any plant and animal variety developed by a
purely biological process, such as cross-breeding, is not regarded as a
technical invention and is therefore outside the scope of patent eligibility.
The application of genomics to turbo-charge traditional breeding means
that the anti-allergy peanut is likely to be joined by an array of new varieties
of plants and animals that result from crosses made on the basis of rapid
genotyping of existing varieties to pinpoint desired genes.
For example, a public-private partnership in the UK is currently
revolutionising commercial barley breeding in this way. The project has studied
1,000 barley cultivars, identifying natural gene variants that can improve
important economic characteristics such as yield and resistance to pests and
disease.
But if new varieties developed with a helping hand from genomics fall
outside the scope of patent protection, other forms of intellectual property
protection are available. However, research scientists and commercial breeders
need to think more creatively about how to wring the commercial value from
their inventions.
Plant variety rights
One approach is to apply for plant variety rights, which may be obtained
for new botanical varieties. Such rights protect the breeder of a new
plant against other breeders producing, conditioning, selling or marketing a
similar variety. To qualify for a plant variety right, the new plant must
be distinct from other known varieties, as well as being uniform. It must
also be stably reproducible with the characteristics that provide its
distinctiveness.
A plant variety right protects a specific variety and, in this case, the
right could apply to the specific variety of peanut. Were the peanut
patentable, the patent could have also applied to other types of nut sharing
the same characteristics. However, whilst narrower in scope, plant
variety rights can provide up to 30 years protection - a decade more than a
patent’s lifespan.
Registered trademarks
A trademark acts as a badge of origin of the goods or service provided
by a company or individual. With such a commercially viable product, the
researchers of the ‘low-risk’ peanut could develop a brand which is widely
recognisable to consumers. This could be in the form of a distinctive
name, logo, symbol or a combination of these elements. Non-conventional
trademarks also include colour, smell or sound.
The trademark should serve as a distinction of origin rather than a
descriptor of the product. For example, it is unlikely that ‘nutty’ would
gain successful trade mark status. On the other hand, invented words,
such as KODAK for films or Lego for toy bricks, have proved to be two of the
most distinctive and successful brands.
In the 1960s, a mould called Fusarium venenatum was discovered
and developed by researchers who were tasked with finding alternative
protein-rich foods. It was patented as a ‘mycoprotein’ in 1985 and launched to
consumers in 1994 by Marlow Foods, then part of the AstraZeneca group.
The company created a brand for the purpose of selling it to consumers, which
is protected by a trademark. Today the trademark, ‘Quorn’ is one of the
UK’s leading brands in the meat-replacement food market and is estimated as
accounting for 60 per cent of the market.
A registered trademark can have an indefinite life and protection in
other countries can also be obtained via a Community or International trade
mark. The brand recognition and reputation that comes with a well-known
registered trademark, such as Quorn, can provide market protection regardless
of the patent position.
Community design / registered design rights
Community and registered design rights can also be extremely useful for
protecting inventions that are not eligible for patent protection. For
example, should the inventors of the anti-allergy peanut decide to develop a
fully marketable product, they may decide to design distinctive packaging or a
logo for their peanut variety. If so, they could protect the appearance
of their product for up to 25 years with a registered design right.
Patent rights
Although essentially biological processes are not currently eligible for
patent protection, there are two cases, at least one of which will be heard
this summer by the European Patent Office’s Enlarged Board of Appeal, which
could re-define this section of patent law in Europe.
In 2002 and 2003, the European Patent Office granted patents to
varieties of broccoli and tomatoes respectively. Both had been developed
through conventional breeding techniques. Oppositions were filed against the
granted patents and questions relating to the cases have been referred to the
Enlarged Board of Appeal for consideration. The anticipated decisions of
the Enlarged Board will hopefully give useful and definitive guidance to
industry on the patent eligibility of such inventions in the future.
http://bulletin.sciencebusiness.net/ebulletins/showissue.php3?page=/548/art/18990&ch=1
Source: SeedQuest.com
1.13 GM food crops need to be part of the solution
With the world’s food security facing a looming
"perfect storm", GM food crops need to be part of the solution,
argues Professor Jonathan Jones. In this week’s Green Room, he wonders why
there is such a fuss about biotechnology when it can help deliver a sustainable
global food system.
A billion humans do not have enough to eat.
Water resources are limited, energy costs are rising,
the cultivatable land is already mostly cultivated, and climate change could
hit productive areas hard. We need a sustainable intensification of agriculture
to increase production by 50% by 2030 – but how?
Food security requires solutions to many diverse
problems. In the US or Europe, improved seeds could increase yields by 10% or
more, reduce pesticide use and give "more crop per drop".
However, improved seeds can only help impoverished
African farmers if they also have reliable water supply, roads to take crops to
market, and (probably most important) fertiliser.
Better farming methods are also part of the solution;
these require investment in technology and people.
Fortunately, after 25 years of "food
complacency", policymakers are taking the issue seriously again.
I want to reduce the environmental impact of
agriculture while maintaining food supply.
The best thing we can do is cultivate less land,
leaving more for wildlife, but if we are still to produce enough food, yields
must go up.
There are many contributors to yield; water,
fertiliser, farming practice, and choice of seed.
‘Simple method’
We can improve crop variety performance by both plant
breeding (which gets better every year with new genetic methods), and by
genetic modification (GM).
Ouch; yuck – GM. Did you recoil from those letters?
Why?
I started making GM plants (petunias, as it happens)
in 1983, working at a long defunct agbiotech company in California called
Advanced Genetic Sciences.
In the early 80s, we did wonder about – in
Rumfeldspeak – "unknown unknowns; the unknowns we didn’t know we didn’t
know about", but 27 years later, nothing alarming has been seen.
The method (GM is a method not a thing) is simple.
We take a plant, which typically carries about 30,000
genes, and add a few additional genes that confer insect resistance, or
herbicide resistance, or disease resistance, or more efficient water use, or
improved human nutrition, or less polluting effluent from animals that eat the
grain, or more efficient fertiliser uptake, or increased yield.
We could even (heck, why not?) do all of the above to
the same plant.
The result is increased yield, decreased agrochemical
use and reduced environmental impact of agriculture.
In commercial GM, many hundreds of independent
introductions of the desired new gene (the "transgene") are made,
each in a different individual plant that is selected and tested.
Most lines are discarded. To be commercialised, a line
must carry a simple, stable and well-defined gene insertion, and show heritable
and effective transgene function, with no deleterious effects on the plant.
Growing demand
GM is the most rapidly adopted, benign, effective new
technology for agriculture in my lifetime.
Fourteen million farmers grow GM crops on 135 million
hectares; these numbers increased by about 10% per year over the past decade,
and this rate of growth continues.
More than 200,000 tonnes of insecticide have not been
applied, thanks to built-in insect resistance in Bt crops; how could anyone
think that’s a bad thing?
Bt maize is safer to eat because of lower levels of
mycotoxins from fungi that enter the plant’s grains via the holes made by
corn-borer feeding; no insects, no holes, no fungal entry, no toxins in our
food.
There are not enough fish in the sea to provide us all
with enough omega 3 fatty acids in our diet, but we can now modify oilseeds to
make this nutrient in crops on land.
Protection from rootworm means maize crops capture
more water and fertiliser, so less is wasted.
Farmers must always control weeds; herbicide tolerant
(HT) soy makes this easier, and has enabled replacement of water-polluting
persistent herbicides with the more benign and rapidly inactivated glyphosate.
HT soy has enabled wider low-till agriculture, reducing CO2 emissions.
And yet in Europe, we seem stuck in a time warp.
Worldwide, 135 million hectares of GM crops have been
planted; yet in Norfolk, I needed to spend Ł30,000 of taxpayers’ money to
provide security for a field experiment with 192 potato plants, carrying one or
another of a disease resistance gene from a wild relative of potato.
It boggles the mind. What are people afraid of?
‘Wishful thinking’
Some fear the domination of the seed industry by
multinationals, particularly Monsanto.
Monsanto is certainly the most determined and
successful agbiotech company.
In their view, they had to be; they bet the company on
agbiotech because unlike their rivals (who also sell nylon or agrichemicals)
they had nothing else to fall back on.
But monopoly is bad for everyone. Here’s a part
solution; deregulate GM.
If it costs more than $20m (Ł13m) to get regulatory
approval for one transgene, lots of little GM-based solutions to lots of
problems will be too expensive and therefore not deployed, and the public
sector and small start-up companies will not make the contribution they could.
Never before has such excessive regulation been
created in response to (still) purely hypothetical risks.
The cost of this regulation – demanded by green
campaigners – has bolstered the monopoly of the multinationals. This is a
massive own-goal and has postponed the benefits to the environment and to us
all.
Some fear GM food is bad for health. There are no data
that support this view.
In the US, where essentially all the food derives from
GM crops, in the most litigious society in history, nobody has sued for a GM
health problem.
Some fear GM is bad for the environment. But in
agriculture, idealism does not solve problems. Farmers need "least
bad" solutions; they do not have the luxury of insisting on utopian
solutions.
It is less bad to control weeds with a rapidly
inactivated herbicide after the crop germinates, than to apply more persistent
chemicals beforehand.
It is less bad to have the plant make its own
insecticidal protein, than to spray insecticides.
It is better to maximise the productivity of arable
land via all kinds of sustainable intensification, than to require more land
under the plough because of reduced yields.
Some say GM is high risk, but they cannot tell you
what the risk is. Some say GM is causing deforestation in Brazil, even though
if yields were less, more deforestation would be required to meet Chinese and
European demand for animal feed.
Some say we do not need GM blight resistant potatoes
to solve the Ł3.5bn per year problem of potato blight, because blight resistant
varieties have been bred. But if these varieties are so wonderful, how come
farmers spend Ł500 per hectare on spraying to protect blight sensitive
varieties?
The answer is the market demands varieties such as
Maris Piper, so we need to make them blight resistant.
I used to be a member of a green campaign group. They
still have campaigns I support (sustainable fishing, save the rainforests,
fight climate change), but on GM, they are simply wrong.
Even activists of impeccable green credentials, such
as Stewart Brand, see the benefits of GM.
Wishful thinking will not feed the planet without
destroying it. Instead, we need smart, sustainable, sensitive science and
technology, and we need to use every tool in our toolbox, including GM.
Professor Jonathan Jones is senior scientist for The
Sainsbury Laboratory, based at the John Innes Centre, a research centre in
plant and microbial science
The Green Room is a series of opinion articles on
environmental topics running weekly on the BBC News website
1.14 What
plant genes tell us about crop domestication
Simple genetic changes make plants suitable for
cultivation, but domestication wasn't always quick or easy
St. Louis, Missouri, USA
7 July 2010
Anyone who has seen teosinte, the wild grass from
which maize (corn) evolved, might be forgiven for assuming many genetic changes
underlie the transformation of one plant to the other.
However, a method for exploring the genetics of
domestication called Quantitative Trait Locus (QTL) mapping has revealed that
only modest modifications are needed to convert a wild plant to a crop plant.
Some major transitions in phenotype can even be achieved by a single genetic
change.
The few artificial experiments in domestication that
have been conducted have also shown that it is possible to achieve
domesticate-like plants in fewer than 20 generations.
None of this pleases archaeobotanists, who try to
piece together the history of plant domestication from scraps of ancient plant
remains.
Their data are sparse and unimpressive — a
10,000-year-old squash seed found in a cave in Oaxaca, Mexico, or four
12,000-year-old grains of rice recovered from a rock shelter in Hunan Province
in China — but they have their own irrefutable reality.
“There’s been an argument in the recent archeological
literature that genetics gives a false picture of domestication as a rapid,
geographically localized process,” comments Kenneth M. Olsen, PhD, assistant
professor of biology in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St.
Louis. "They argue instead that domestication likely involved much trial
and error in many different geographic regions over a long period of
time."
In a review of the genetics of plant domestication
published in the advance online edition of Trends in Plant Science, Olsen, who
uses genetic approaches to study the domestication of rice, cassava and
coconut, and Briana L. Gross, PhD, a postdoctoral research scholar in his lab,
review the recent genetic data and argue that genetic evidence doesn’t conflict
with the archeological evidence that domestication was gradual, dispersed and
tentative.
The Domestication Syndrome
Plant domestication can be thought of as a two-step process.
In the first step, plants acquire traits in what is called the “domestication
syndrome” that make the plant worth the labor of cultivation. These include
traits that allow a crop to be reliably sown, cultivated and harvested, such as
uniform seed germination and fruit ripening.
In the second step, the now domesticated plant is
selected for improved qualities. It is in this stage, for example, that farmers
might breed many different varieties of a crop that differ in grain taste,
fruit color or fruit shape.
In the case of grains two of the most important traits
in the domestication syndrome are the loss of shattering, and the loss of seed
dormancy.
Shattering, or the tendency of seeds to break off the
central grain stalk once mature, is an advantage for wild grains, because it
helps to ensure the seeds disperse. But a crop plant must retain its seeds long
enough that the seed heads can be gathered at harvest.
The shattering trait provides a good example of the
apparent conflict between the genetic and archeological data. Artificial
domestication experiments show that it is possible to breed nonshattering
cereals quite quickly. But Old World archeological data indicates that
nonshattering cereals appeared only gradually, and typically only after the emergence
of another domestic trait: larger grain size.
The increase in grain size suggests the plant was
already under cultivation, and that the seeds were being sown, or buried,
rather than blown about on the surface. Why would the nonshattering trait emerge
later than larger grain size?
"The answer, at least in some cases," Olsen
suggests, "is that a mutation that led to a complete loss of shattering
might make harvesting easier but it would also make threshing much
harder." So the nonshattering trait might have lagged behind other
domestic traits because it required an optimal combination of mutations that
balanced seed retention for both harvesting and threshing.
“This is why rice is still somewhat shattering, unlike
maize,” says Olsen. “If you have complete loss of shattering it makes threshing
very difficult; so it’s a compromise.”
A second trait in the domestication syndrome is loss
of seed dormancy. A wild plant all of whose seeds sprouted at the first shower
or warm spell would risk disaster, so most wild species hedge their bets and
stagger the germination of seeds. But in the more controlled agricultural
environment, where the seeds are sown all at once and reaped all at once, there
is strong selection against seeds with this trait.
However, in this case too, it is possible to overshoot
the mark. “In rice, if you completely select against dormancy you can get a
phenomenon called pre-harvest sprouting, where grains germinate while they’re
still on the stalk, Olsen says. “That’s another case where selection has gone
too far, and you’re losing crop productivity."
More than one way to make a domestic plant
Any plant breeder can tell the difference between a
weed and a crop plant, but figuring out the genetic differences between them is
much harder. Searching for the relevant changes among all the genetic variation
in a species is like groping in a fog, because most of the variation is neutral
and not linked to significant variation in the plant’s phenotype.
Quantitative Trait Locus (QTL) mapping is a
statistical method that looks for strong associations between particular
phenotypic traits and short DNA sequences that identify, or mark, particular
locations in the genome. It is particularly useful for studying the inheritance
of complex traits that are influenced by many genes and their interactions with
the environment.
The main goal of QTL mapping is to understand whether
a trait is controlled by a few genes of large effect or many genes of small
effect. The assumption is that phenotypes under simple genetic control could be
domesticated more easily than those whose traits had a complex genetic basis.
The genetic data indicate that important domestication
traits are under simple genetic control, but also, as Gross and Olsen write,
that there are “many ways to make a domesticated plant.” For example, genetic
analysis shows that barley, common beans and Asian rice were domesticated more
than once, a remarkable finding because the archeological evidence on this
question is inconclusive.
QTL maps have also revealed that the same traits are
sometimes controlled by different constellations of genes. For example,
different genes prevent shattering in the two domesticated lineages of barley.
Although QTL mapping has led to many insights about
the domestication of plants, Gross and Olsen emphasize that genes cannot tell
us everything. Trying to read the history of domestication out of the genomes
of existing crop plant is like trying to read a book missing many pages.
There’s a simple reason for this. Living crops cannot
provide information about any plant lineage that did not ultimately contribute
to a modern crop. So the genetic record is silent about domestication
experiments that ultimately failed or were abandoned. If these experiments left
a record, they left it only in archaeobotanical remains — which makes it
difficult to reconcile that record with the genetic data.
Sticky rice, fragrant rice and other fun stuff
The second step in plant domestication is the fun one.
Once a plant has become amenable to sowing and reaping, farmers set to work to
improve it or diversify it.
One such improvement is sticky rice, a type of
short-grained, famously glutinous Asian rice. Olsen, who has studied the
origins of sticky rice, says that usually “about 20 percent of the starch in
the rice is amylose and the rest is another starch called amylopectin. Amylose
is an unbranched molecule and amylopectin is branchy; because it is branchy,
the rice starch sticks to itself when it is cooked."
“In certain areas of the world, particularly Southeast
Asia, people favored varieties of rice that were sticky," Olsen says.
"By selecting sticky rice, they were actually selecting rice that had a
mutation in a gene called Waxy. The gene mutation prevented the plant from making
a protein responsible for a key step in producing amylose. When amylose was
absent, the grains were filled with the stickier starch amylopectin.”
The fragrance of cooking basmati or jasmine rice is
another example of an improvement. What you smell when the steam wafts above
the rice cooker is an aromatic compound called 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline (or 2AP),
which is also an important note in the aroma cooked popcorn, bread crust,
crabmeat — and screwpine leaves. Screwpine leaves are aromatic leaves used to
flavor rice dishes and sweets in India and southeast Asia.
The rice BADH2 gene underlies variation in the
production of 2AP and a survey of this gene in aromatic rices around the world
has shown that although one gene variant (or allele) is by far the most common,
the aroma can be generated by a variety of mutations of the BADH2 gene.
To learn more about the science and history of food,
Olsen recommends On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen by
Harold McGee. This compendium of food lore even includes the science that
underlies the recipe for “thousand-year-old” duck eggs, the “startlingly
decrepit” delicacies Chinese love to serve to nervous American tourists.
http://www.seedquest.com/news.php?type=news&id_article=8675&id_region=&id_category=&id_crop=
Source: SeedQuest.com
1.15 Cotton’s global genetic resources - Report documents the status of
cotton seed collections across eight countries
Madison, Wisconsin, USA
12 July 2010
A multinational collaborative effort among cotton scientists produced a
report on the status of the global cotton genetic resources. According to the
report, cotton production relies primarily on two species, with 48 other
species catalogued in the various seed collections that have largely been
poorly characterized and under-utilized in crop improvement efforts.
Based on the findings of this report, there are four wild species not
conserved or maintained within any of the eight collections. The report also
documents that the majority of a wild species genome and two other wild species
are represented by fewer than accessions. The wild species that are not
conserved, or are underrepresented, are threatened by extinction. These
species, along with the genes and traits they house, may be lost if immediate
action is not taken to collect and preserve them.
The report was initiated in 2008 at the International Cotton Genome
Initiative Research Conference in Anyang, China, where cotton scientists
initiated a dialogue concerning global cotton genetic resources. Representing
the status of cotton genetic resources preserved in Australia, Brazil, China,
France, India, Russia, United States, and Uzbekistan, the report was published
in the July/August 2010 edition of Crop Science, published by the Crop Science
Society of America.
The report was co-authored by B. Todd Campbell and Sukumar Sada of
USDA-ARS, with contributions from twenty other scientists from the represented
countries.
The seed collections established by these countries are extensive,
dispersed globally across five continents. They are divided into three gene
pools, including five species in the primary gene pool, twenty species in the
secondary gene pool, and twenty-five species in the tertiary gene pool.
Seed collections are reservoirs of genes necessary to protect present
and future generations of humankind from emerging crop diseases and
vulnerabilities. Long-term preservation of the genetic resources of globally
important crops, such as cultivated cotton, serves as a long-term genetic
insurance policy.
These preserved genetic resources provide key repositories of genes and
traits used by plant breeders to overcome current and future crop diseases and
vulnerabilities, challenges associated with a changing climate, and the ability
to develop new and novel end-use products. They also provide an important
inventory of genetic resources to meet the natural fiber demands of growing
populations.
As the single most important fiber crop in the world, coordinated
efforts to collect and maintain cotton genetic resources have occurred over the
last century, but this report represents the first effort to document the
status of these collections and address global concerns on the diversity and
resilience of the cotton genome.
The report documents both the challenges and opportunities faced by
cotton collections in germplasm acquisition, conservation and regeneration,
characterization, and database development. Although grand challenges such as
native habitat loss, political and legal impediments, and funding constraints
create significant difficulty for maintaining interconnected and stable global
collections, the initiation of multinational and collaborative efforts, such as
the one described in this report, create opportunities to conserve and expand
the world’s cotton genetic resources.
Ultimately, this report serves as a starting point for building strong,
multinational collaborations for conservation and characterization of cotton
collections at different germplasm centers in the world. Multinational communication
and collaboration are essential to protect, secure, and evaluate the global
cotton germplasm resources. Without global, collaborative efforts the most rare
and unique cotton germplasm resources are vulnerable to extinction.
For more information on the International Cotton Genome Initiative,
visit http://icgi.tamu.edu/.
The full article is available for no charge for 30 days following the
date of this summary. View the abstract at http://crop.scijournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/50/4/1161.
http://www.seedquest.com/news.php?type=news&id_article=8820&id_region=&id_category=&id_crop=
Source: SeedQuest.com
1.16 Saving corn, one seed at a time
By
Betty Jespersen
25 July
2010
For
information on saving, sharing and buying heirloom seeds, visit
www.seedsaversexchange.org, a nonprofit organization whose members have
distributed an estimated one million samples of rare garden seeds, including
varieties preserved by the Scatterseed Project based in Industry.
WILTON
— For just a few days last week, when the sun was just up and the dew still
wet, Pamela Prodan was out in her corn patch, doing her small part to preserve
an heirloom variety that likely was grown in this region by the Abenaki.
For
the past decade, in a hobby that has turned into a passion, Prodan has been
hand-pollinating non-hybrid corn, using seed saved by four generations of the
Mosher family of Wilton.
“This
corn is part of the heritage of this region,” she said. “We have to thank the
Native Americans for this corn. It is a gift from their culture.”
Prodan
and her partner, Conrad Heeschen, save the seeds of many of the crops they grow
on their homestead in the fertile Wilton Intervale, a small valley along Wilson
Stream in the western mountains.
They
grind the heirloom corn, known as Byron Yellow Flint, into meal to use in
cooking and feed the dry kernels to their chickens. It is tasty, hardy,
disease-resistant, early and vigorous, Prodan said.
In
2008, the strikingly long, straight ears won a Judge's Prize at the Common
Ground Country Fair in Unity.
“I
am thinking of the future generations," Prodan said. "This is a very
valuable corn and it should not be lost.”
One
of her goals is to preserve its genetic diversity.
"That
is why I hand-pollinate," she said. "Corn is pollinated by the wind
and I don't want these plants to become contaminated with any other variety.
"I
am just a little link in this chain.”
Prodan
follows the process laid out by Susan Ashworth in the hand-pollinator's bible,
“Seed to Seed, Seed Saving Techniques for the Vegetable Gardener.”
Hand-pollination
is time-consuming but not difficult and is the only way people can maintain the
purity of a variety of corn, according to Ashworth.
First,
the tip is cut off the husk leaves on a selected immature ear to expose its
maturing silks, the female part of the plant. It is then enclosed in a small
white “shoot bag” to protect it from any outside pollination.
Next,
uncontaminated pollen is collected from the tassel, the male portion of the
plant, just as it begins to shed pollen from the top of the plant. It, too, is
carefully enclosed in a bag and when ready, the pollen is shaken off.
The
pollen, the consistency of a very fine powder, from different plants is mixed
together to maintain as much genetic variability as possible, according to
Ashworth.
Hand-pollination
is the next step.
A
small amount of the pollen mix is shaken onto the silks of selected ears. Each
pollinated ear is then re-bagged to prevent contamination.
This
year, Prodan has between 300 and 400 plants in her sampling. Half were used to
provide the pollen; the other half were pollinated.
“That
represents a pretty large sampling,” she said.
In
March, Prodan presented her seed-saving project at the Maine Organic Farmers
and Gardeners Association's Seed & Scion Swap at the Common Ground
Education Center in Unity.
Paul
Mosher, a retired agronomist and former potato specialist at the University of
Maine in Orono, said the corn Prodan is growing is the same used by his father,
Clare, and back to his great-grandfather, Horace. It was commonly grown by
farmers throughout this region over 150 years ago.
“It
was known as Eight-Row Flint corn back then because it has eight rows,"
Mosher said. "Those that grew it in those days used it as a grain for
their cattle and also ground it into meal for cooking. I still grow a few
plants every few years just to save the seed.”
Mosher,
92, shared his seed with Will Bonsall of Industry, founder of The Scatterseed
Project, a regional seed exchange that maintains more than 3,000 plant
varieties, including 1,100 varieties of peas and 650 of potatoes. He sells his
seed through the Seed Savers Exchange (www.seedsavers.org).
Prodan
got her seed from Bonsall more than 10 years ago.
Bonsall,
who researched the variety, found it was similar to other native “flint” corns,
recognizable for its long, skinny cobs and grown by Abenaki communities across
northern Vermont, New York and western Maine, Prodan said.
Ashworth
wrote that the value of heirloom plants is that they are often well-adapted to
specific regional climates and resistant to local diseases and pests, in
contrast to hybrid varieties.
She
also warns of the urgency of rescuing the world's heritage of seed. Old
varieties are lost each year, she said, as multinational agribusinesses buy out
family-owned seed companies and replace regionally adapted collections with
more profitable hybrids and patented varieties. These are more expensive to
produce, cost more for the farmer and gardener, and are less disease and
pest-resistant than native strains, she said.
“Far
from being obsolete or inferior, these may well be the best home garden
varieties ever developed," she said. "It is entirely possible that
half of the non-hybrid varieties still available from seed companies could be
lost during the next decade.”
The
largest seed bank in the United States, the Seed Savers Exchange, (www.seedsavers.org),
is a nonprofit organization that saves and shares heirloom seeds. Members have
distributed an estimated one million samples of rare garden seeds since the
group was founded 35 years ago, according to its website.
Those
seeds are widely used by seed companies, small farmers supplying local and
regional markets, chefs and home gardeners.
“The
genetic diversity of the world's food crops is eroding at an unprecedented and
accelerating rate," according to seedsavers.org. "The vegetables and
fruits currently being lost are the result of thousands of years of adaptation
and selection in diverse ecological niches around the world.”
http://www.sunjournal.com/franklin/story/883283
Source: Special to the Sun Journal via SeedQuest.com
1.17 Flowering and freezing tolerance linked in wheat, UC
Davis study shows
Washington, DC, USA
30 June 2010
New research by UC Davis wheat geneticist Jorge
Dubcovsky and his colleagues could lead to new strategies for improving
freezing tolerance in wheat, which provides more than one-fifth of the calories
consumed by people around the world.
The new findings, published June 22 in the Online
First issue of the journal Plant Physiology, shed light on the connection between flowering and
freezing tolerance in wheat.
In winter wheat and barley varieties, long exposures
to non-freezing cold temperatures accelerate flowering time in a process known
as vernalization. These exposures also prepare the wheat to better tolerate
freezing, a process known as cold acclimation.
In their new study, Dubcovsky and his colleagues at UC
Davis, The Ohio State University and in Hungary, demonstrated that when the
main vernalization gene, VRN1, is expressed in the leaves, it initiates a
process that leads to decreased expression of the freezing tolerance genes. (In
genetics, "expression" refers to the process by which information
carried by the gene is used to create a protein.)
"This system enables wheat and other temperate
grasses to respond differently to cool temperatures in the fall than they would
to cool temperatures in the spring," said Dubcovsky, a professor in UC
Davis' Department of Plant Sciences.
Dubcovsky heads UC Davis' wheat breeding program and
Wheat Molecular Genetics Laboratory. The lab coordinates a broad-based research
program that aims to provide the scientific information needed to develop
healthier and more productive varieties of wheat.
He noted that a cool temperature in the fall, when
plants have low levels of the vernalization gene VRN1, activates the freezing
tolerance genes, helping to trigger the plants' acclimation to cold
temperatures. This is essential in the fall, when cool temperatures are an
indication that winter's freezing temperatures are approaching.
"However the same cool temperature in the spring,
when high levels of the vernalization gene VRN1 are present in the leaves,
results in a weaker response of the freezing tolerance genes," Dubcovsky
said. "This avoids initiating the plants' cold-acclimation response, which
requires a lot of the plants' energy and is unnecessary in the spring because
warmer weather is approaching."
This work was supported by the National Research
Initiative from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
Through federal funding and leadership for research,
education and extension programs, NIFA focuses on investing in science and
solving critical issues impacting people's daily lives and the nation’s future.
For more information, visit www.nifa.usda.gov.
http://www.seedquest.com/news.php?type=news&id_article=8212&id_region=&id_category=&id_crop=
Source: SeedQuest.com
1.18 Mapping out pathways to better soybeans
Washington, DC, USA
19 July 2010
Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists are a step closer to unlocking genetic clues that may
lead to packing more protein and oil into soybeans, a move that would boost
their value and help U.S. growers compete in international markets.
ARS researchers Carroll
P. Vance, Yung-Tsi
Bolon and Randy
C. Shoemaker have narrowed down
where genes that determine protein and oil content are likely to be found along
the soybean genome. Vance and Bolon work in the ARS Plant
Science Research Unit in St. Paul, Minn.
and Shoemaker works in the ARS Corn
Insects and Crop Genetics Research Unit in Ames, Iowa. The team also included Bindu Joseph, a post doctoral
researcher who worked with Shoemaker and is now at the University of California-Davis.
More than half of the estimated $27 billion U.S. soybean crop is
exported each year. But there is increasing competition for international
markets, and low protein and oil content often deflate prices paid to U.S.
growers, particularly in the Midwest.
The researchers used two different approaches to compare the genomes of
two nearly identical inbred lines of soybeans that varied in seed protein and
oil content, examining patterns in how thousands of genes are expressed, and
sequencing 3 billion base pairs of soybean RNA.
By comparing the results, the researchers drew up a genetic map that
identifies key molecular markers along a region of the soybean genome known as
Linkage Group I. The widely studied region makes up less than 1 percent of the
plant's overall genome, but includes 13 "candidate genes" that are
likely to play a role in determining oil and protein levels, and a series of
associated molecular markers, according to the scientists.
Breeders will be able to use the markers as signposts to enable the
development of new soybean lines with higher protein and oil levels. The effort
also uncovered evidence showing that protein levels are determined early in the
seed's development.
The report, published online in the journal BMC Plant
Biology, also is accompanied by vast
amounts of sequencing data that scientists can access to study genes related to
other desirable traits, such as drought tolerance and pest resistance.
ARS is the principal intramural scientific research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The research supports the USDA priority of promoting
international food security.
http://www.seedquest.com/news.php?type=news&id_article=8991&id_region=&id_category=&id_crop=
Source: SeedQuest.com
1.19 Combating
stem rust: Uganda pest should give us food for thought
With 800 million chronically
undernourished, anything that reduces the food supply has potential for tragedy
A
lethal stem rust has spread to southern Africa's wheat crop. The fungus,
identified in Uganda in 1999 and called Ug99, is
a new contender in the long hot war between plant breeders and plant pests.
Stem rust is an old enemy, but until Ug99 turned up, plant breeders had thought
they were in the ascendant. The spread of yet another destructive element –
along with drought, flood, locusts, windstorm and rising fuel costs – in the challenges
that face the African farmer is a reminder of several things.
One
is that in a world in which 800 million people are chronically undernourished
and more than 2 billion live on $2 a day, anything that reduces the food
supply has potential for tragedy. A second is that agricultural science is a
battle that can never be won outright. Any evolutionary biologist would have
predicted the arrival of a new pathogen – and any evolutionary biologist would
also predict that somewhere in the plant world there must already be genes resistant to the latest
devastating pest. These genes must be identified, then
spliced or bred into appropriate varieties and distributed to the blighted
areas. All of which takes time, money, manpower and relentless scholarship.
But
the stem rust is a reminder of two more unforgiving facts of life. One is that
as human population levels continue to rise, the farmland available to feed
each individual on the planet continues to fall. Sooner or later, there could
be a crisis of the kind predicted by Thomas Malthus
more than 200 years ago. The reason there has been no Malthusian crisis so far
is that as the population doubled, agricultural science tripled crop yields.
Ominously, although yields are still increasing, the rate of increase has for
three decades been slowing down. Improvements will require investment not just
in crop research, but in plant science as a whole. Researchers must understand
not just the ideal conditions for experimental wheat, but the natural
ecosystems in which rusts, blight, mildew and other pests flourish; they need
to understand not just the molecular biology of rice but the evolutionary
origins of all the grasses, and the mechanisms that produce genes for drought
tolerance, or pest resistance, or high yield and so on.
The
other fact of life is that money grows, so to speak, on trees. Almost
everything that humans eat, drink, wear, burn or take as medicine is ultimately
the gift of the vegetable world, along with the oxygen we breathe. So the new
pathogen in Africa is a reminder that we need to do more than invest in aid
budgets and crop science: we must learn much more about the intricate natural
world around us. That means spending money on very basic research: at the grass
roots, you might say.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/jul/19/stem-rust-uganda
Source: SeedQuest.com
1.20 Single gene causes susceptibility to
two major pests in wheat
A
team of researchers led by Justin Faris of the Agricultural Research Service
discovered that a single gene (Tsn1) in wheat causes susceptibility to
two major fungi pests- Pyrenophora tritici-repentis (also known as tan
spot) and Stagonospora nodorum (leaf blotch). These two fungi are often
found to infest the same crop fields and producing the same toxin, ToxA, to
promote programmed cell death (PCD). The team also developed DNA molecular
markers for Tsn1 to ease the elimination of the gene by selective
breeding. According to Faris, once the gene is eliminated from the cultivars,
the devastating fungi would not have the means to kill the leaf tissues of
wheat.
Together
with other scientists from seven other organizations, they analyzed the DNA
sequence of Tsn1 and exposed that the gene is controlled by the wheat's
circadian clock. The PCD response to ToxA only occurs during daytime, which may
mean that it can affect photosynthesis of wheat.
See
the press release at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2010/100712.htm.
Source:
Crop Biotech Update 16 July 2010:
Contributed
by Margaret E. Smith
Department
of Plant Breeding & Genetics, Cornell University
1.21 Planting for the future: New rust
resistant wheat seed on its way to farmers
The
red, blister-like postules on leaves and stems give it away: the field is
infected by Ug99, a type of wind-borne pathogen known as stem rust that attacks
wheat plants. Since its discovery more than a decade ago, Ug99 has held the
agricultural world in suspense as governments and scientists rush to protect
wheat crops. In 2008, several countries began producing seed of new, rust
resistant wheat varieties for distribution to farmers. Agricultural experts
hope these high-yielding varieties will be planted in farmers’ fields by 2011,
providing a buffer against Ug99. Efforts are starting to pay off. The
Borlaug Global Rust Initiative (BGRI) was founded in 2005 and provides a key
venue for the world's wheat and rust experts to exchange information about the
disease and its movements, as well as about resistant wheat lines. At a recent
meeting, BGRI participants discussed progress by several countries in producing
resistant seed. Sources included resistant lines from CIMMYT, from the
International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), and
in some instances from their own breeding programs or commercial suppliers.
According to reports, new stocks of resistant seed should be ready for
distribution to farmers by 2011—significantly sooner than the 10 years it
usually takes for a new variety to be released, tested, and made available.
For
more info see http://www.cimmyt.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=716&Itemid=924
Source:
CIMMYT e-News June 2010:
Contributed
by Margaret E. Smith
Department
of Plant Breeding & Genetics, Cornell University
1.22 Energy crops growing on seawater - Ceres salt-tolerant
trait could unlock millions more acres of marginal cropland
Thousand Oaks, California, USA
30 June 2010
Energy crop company Ceres, Inc. announced today that
it has developed a plant trait that could bring new life to millions of acres
of abandoned or marginal cropland damaged by salts. Results in several crops,
including switchgrass, have shown levels of salt tolerance not seen before.
Ceres reported that its researchers tested the effects
of very high salt concentrations and also seawater from the Pacific Ocean,
which contains mixtures of salts in high-concentration, on improved energy
grass varieties growing in its California greenhouses. Energy grasses, such as
sorghum, miscanthus and switchgrass, are highly productive sources of biomass,
a carbon-neutral feedstock used for both biofuel production and electricity
generation.
“Today, we have energy crops thriving on seawater
alone,” said Richard Hamilton, Ceres President and CEO. “The goal, of course,
is not for growers to water their crops with seawater, but to enable cropland
abandoned because of salt or seawater effects to be put to productive uses.”
Currently, there are over one billion acres of
abandoned cropland globally that could benefit from this trait and others in
Ceres’ pipeline, including 15 million acres of salt-affected soils in the U.S.
The company now plans to evaluate energy crops with its proprietary
salt-tolerant trait at field scale. If results are confirmed, biofuel and
biopower producers will have more choices for locating new facilities, gaining
greater productivity on marginal land and displacing even greater amounts of
fossil fuels.
“In the end, this is not so much a salt trait, but a
productivity trait and a land-use trait,” Hamilton said. “I am convinced more
than ever that techniques of modern plant science can continue to deliver
innovations that increase yields and reduce the footprint of agriculture.
Improved energy crops will enable the bioenergy industry to scale far beyond
the limits of conventional wisdom.”
Chief Scientific Officer Richard Flavell said that
Ceres’ salt-tolerant trait could provide significant benefits to food
production, too. In conventional plant breeding, breakthroughs in one crop have
little bearing on another crop. However, by using techniques of modern biology
to develop traits, researchers can duplicate this trait much more easily, and
extend the benefits from energy to staple food crops.
“Soils containing salt and other growth-limiting
substances restrict crop production in many locations in the world. This
genetic breakthrough provides new opportunities to overcome the effects of
salt,” said Flavell. In food crops, Ceres has confirmed the trait in rice to
date and is preparing additional testing in others.
Flavell believes that salt-tolerant crops need to be
combined with better land and water management practices as well as with
agronomic techniques that minimize salt build-up in the soil. Furthermore, like
first-generation traits, plant traits developed by Ceres can be stacked
together to revolutionize plant yields.
“When we begin stacking together salt tolerance,
drought tolerance and traits that allow plants to require less nitrogen
fertilizer, we can deliver significant productivity and yield increases with
fewer inputs than used in the first Green Revolution, as well as valuable
increases on marginal or abandoned cropland that does not currently sustain
economic yields,” said Flavell.
Ceres is a leading developer of energy crops that can
be planted as feedstocks for advanced biofuels, biopower and bio-based
products. Its development efforts include switchgrass, high-biomass sorghum,
sweet sorghum, miscanthus and energycane. The company markets its seeds under
its Blade Energy Crops brand. Ceres holds one of the world’s largest proprietary
collections of fully sequenced plant genes.
http://www.seedquest.com/news.php?type=news&id_article=8206&id_region=&id_category=&id_crop=
Source: SeedQuest.com
1.23 A new tool for improving switchgrass
Washington, DC, USA
27 July 2010
Agricultural
Research Service (ARS) scientists
have developed a new tool for deciphering the genetics of a native prairie
grass being widely studied for its potential as a biofuel. The genetic map of
switchgrass, published by Christian
Tobias, a molecular biologist at the
ARS Western
Regional Research Center in Albany, Calif.,
and his colleagues, is expected to speed up the search for genes that will make
the perennial plant a more viable source of bioenergy.
Switchgrass is now grown as a cattle feed and to restore depleted soils.
But interest in using it as a biofuel has intensified in recent years because
it can be burned to produce electricity and, like corn stalks, can be converted
to ethanol. It also grows on marginal lands, is adaptable to different regions,
and—as a perennial—does not need to be replanted each year, which means lower
energy costs and less runoff.
To assemble the genetic map, the team crossed a commercial variety of
switchgrass known as Kanlow with an ARS-developed variety known as Alamo to
produce 238 plants. They extracted DNA from that population and assembled a map
based on more than 1,000 genetic markers that could each be attributed to one
parent or the other.
The map divides the switchgrass genome into 18 distinct groups of genes
linked together on the same strand of DNA. The results were recently published
in the journal Genetics.
The work is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA) National
Institute of Food and Agriculture, as part of
the joint USDA-DOE Plant
Feedstock Genomics for Bioenergy Program.
Understanding the genetic composition of switchgrass could produce big
rewards. To make switchgrass more commercially viable as a biofuel, scientists
are searching for ways to increase yields and make it easier to break down the
plant cell walls, an essential step in producing ethanol from cellulosic
biomass.
The genetic map could lead to genes associated with cell wall
composition, crop yields and other useful traits. Scientists will be able to
use the genetic map to compare the genetic profile of switchgrass to that of
rice, sorghum and other plants with better understood genomes and find
analogues to genes linked to specific traits in those crops.
ARS is the principal intramural scientific research agency of USDA. The
work supports the USDA priority of developing new sources of bioenergy.
http://www.seedquest.com/news.php?type=news&id_article=9212&id_region=&id_category=&id_crop=
Source: SeedQuest.com
1.24 Maize seedlings predict drought tolerance
ETH Zürich scientists analyze root-to-shoot ratios
in seedlings to estimate future yield and response to water stress
Madison, Wisconsin, USA
5 July 2010
Scientists have developed a new method for measuring
drought tolerance in maize. By comparing the shoot-to-root ratio in seedlings
stressed by low water, scientists can predict whether a plant has the right mix
of genes for adapting to drought conditions.
The ideal drought-resistant maize should have a higher
ratio of root surface area compared to leaves and stems. Developing enough
adult plants to determine this feature is a costly investment. The research,
conducted by Nathinee Ruta at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, tested
whether the root to shoot ratio in seedlings subjected to water stress would
provide the basic genetic information about the general pattern of root system
architecture leading to drought avoidance.
The findings were reported in the July/August 2010
edition of Crop Science, published by the Crop Science Society of America. The
study was conducted at Peter Stamp’s laboratory at the Swiss Federal Institute
of Technology (ETH) in Zurich, using maize populations developed by the
breeding program of the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center
(CIMMYT), headquartered in Mexico.
These maize lines were developed to increase yield in
drought-prone environments such as Sub-Saharan Africa. Therefore, the data on seedling
roots could be compared with yield trials in drought environments that had been
generated throughout several years.
The roots of these seedlings grew on filter paper in
growth pouches and were measured non-destructively using digital image analysis.
The system was kept simple to allow for a handling of 200 plants per day. This
was a sufficient amount of data to allow researchers to locate the positions of
the genes that control root growth, and link them to other genes in the maize
genome.
Most genetic studies of water stress of maize tend to
focus on the above ground portion of the plant, with the roots not easily
accessible, particularly under drought conditions. With little known about the
correlation between root structure and drought tolerance, this research offers
promising prospects for using root traits in predicting maize yield under water
stress.
“There is probably an optimal maize ideotype for each
combination of soil type and climate condition,” stated Andreas Hund, the
senior scientist leading the project. “We aim to define these ideotypes for
contrasting environments and identify key loci allowing us to select for more
efficient root systems.”
Research is ongoing at ETH to improve techniques to
measure genetic relationships between leaf and root surface area as they
respond to environmental conditions. A strong focus will be on how these
factors change over time or with respect to environmental stresses, such as
extreme temperatures or drought.
The full article is available for no charge for 30
days following the date of this summary. View the abstract at http://crop.scijournals.org/cgi/content/full/50/4/1385.
http://www.seedquest.com/news.php?type=news&id_article=8600&id_region=&id_category=&id_crop=
Source: SeedQuest.com
1.25 What secrets are stored in the roots of corn plants?
Urbana, Illinois, USA
8 July 2010
With corn being a critical U.S. crop expected to help
feed livestock and people around the world and also be a source for the
production of clean energy, plant breeders are continually seeking ways to make
the plants more productive. To better understand the role corn roots play in
this regard, an agricultural engineer and a crop scientist at the University of
Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have teamed up to examine corn root complexity and
how it impacts corn development.
“Corn root structure is very complex, and it is
critical to the growth of the plant,” said Martin Bohn, U of I associate
professor of crop sciences. “Only with an efficient and well-developed root
system can the crop produce the high yields producers are looking for and meet
world demand.”
Tony Grift, U of I associate professor of agricultural
and biological engineering, is partnering with Bohn to examine corn root
systems and to evaluate differences among corn genotypes. The team has
developed innovative technology that uses high-resolution images of corn roots
and statistical software to evaluate root complexity. The ‘softbox’ imaging
tool they designed assures proper light penetration into the corn roots and
automatically acquires six images per root at the click of a mouse button.
These images are then analyzed using a statistical software program to generate
a value for root complexity. The highly automated procedure stores the data in
a library containing tens of thousands of images. This allows revisiting the
imagery when new measurements or methods are developed.
“We define root complexity as the number of root
branching points,” Bohn said. “For the human eye, it’s virtually impossible to
meaningfully evaluate these differences in root systems. Very importantly, we
are looking at the root structure of plants grown in actual soil in the field.
Previous methods have examined the root complexity of plants grown in
artificial environments, such as through hydroponics. The root systems we look
at better represent what actually happens in the field.”
According to the researchers, a complex root structure
could lead to a more productive plant. “Root systems with a greater number of
branching points allow the plants to be more efficient at taking up water and
nutrients from the soil,” Bohn said.
The software analysis employed to evaluate the root
systems uses fractal dimensions – a statistical evaluation of geometrical
shapes – to provide an indirect estimate of the number of branching points. Not
only does the analysis of the roots provide an estimate of root complexity, it
also allows the researchers to correlate differences in the complexity of the
root systems with the plants’ genetic makeup.
“We have found significant variation in the complexity
of the root systems among various corn genotypes,” Bohn said. “We also
discovered regions in the maize genome that are responsible for the inheritance
of root complexity.”
These findings have allowed the researchers to identify
variations in root systems due to the plant’s genetics, beyond the variations
resulting from environmental factors such as weather, soil type, and available
nutrients.
“With this new technology, we have found that more
than half of the variation we observe for root complexity can be explained by
genetic differences among plants,” Bohn said. “This is allowing us to separate
corn genotypes and identify the genes responsible for the plant’s root
structure.”
An important question is: how does root complexity
transfer into productivity or how much complexity is really needed?
To unlock information regarding the importance of root
complexity on plant performance, the researchers are looking at 10 to 15
above-ground traits of corn plants with varying root complexities. Traits being
examined include plant architectural traits like leaf length and width, leaf
angle, and yield components like number of ears, number of kernels per ear, and
kernel weight. Efforts are also under way to expand the research initiative to
determine if root complexity provides the plant with the ability to grow better
under low nitrogen or drought conditions.
“We now have the technology, which includes both
hardware and software, to study corn root complexity in a high-throughput manner
and link this complexity to the genetics of the plant,” Bohn said. “We hope to
uncover a wealth of important and useful information being stored in the corn
plant’s roots.”
Funding for this research has been provided by Pioneer
Hi-Bred International, Inc., Dow AgriSciences, and the U of I College of
Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES).
http://www.seedquest.com/news.php?type=news&id_article=8708&id_region=&id_category=&id_crop=
Source: SeedQuest.com
1.26 Corn detasseling: A summer rite on the way out
By DAN PILLER • dpiller@dmreg.com
25 July 2010
A summer rite in Iowa fields — thousands of teenagers detasseling corn
plants — is likely on the way out.
Faced with a shortage of detasselers, seed corn companies have responded
by selectively eliminating the male fertility of King Corn.
Pioneer Hi-Bred of Johnston is testing a new seed germplasm that
produces corn plants that can't secrete pollen, which fertilizes the silks on
an ear of corn. Monsanto is going the chemical route, genetically engineering
seeds so they lose their male fertility when doused with Roundup herbicide.
The result is the same: The male part of the plant, the tassel, will get
the equivalent of a vasectomy. The new technologies will gradually replace
detasseling, which enables seed-corn companies to control the cross-pollination
in their growing plots.
Those fields are essentially factories for producing high-yielding
hybrid seeds, which are in demand as the world uses more corn for fuel, food
and feed.
Pioneer Hi-Bred Vice President Mike Gumina said he understands the
historic and cultural importance of detasseling in Iowa and other Corn Belt
states.
"The shortage of labor is becoming a real problem," he said.
Seed companies say they are faced with higher
costs for detasselers, who make at least $1
per hour more than the $7.25 minimum wage.
The companies also say they encounter labor shortages in rural areas
whose youthful populations have thinned.
"We have to compete with Subway for labor in rural areas,"
Monsanto spokesman Darrin Wallis said.
Ironically, seed-corn companies have had to boost the hiring of
detasselers in recent years to keep up with increased corn production, as
demand increases for ethanol and livestock feed.
The seed companies insist that they'll still need some detasselers
because not all corn strains can be male-neutered.
Pioneer Hi-Bred hires up to 30,000 detasselers from Nebraska to Ohio.
Monsanto wouldn't provide its number of detasselers, but the company is
slightly ahead of Pioneer in seed corn sales. Together, Pioneer and Monsanto
have about two-thirds of North American seed sales.
Iowa's teenagers appear to be just as eager to
detassel as their parents and grandparents.
"I've hired full crews of 125 people for several years and haven't
had problems getting kids," said Linda Thompson of Stuart, who has been
detasseling or assembling crews since 1965.
Thompson's mother, Joanne Nottingham, 80, of Greenfield, gave up
detasseling only a couple of years ago because of bad legs. She had detasseled
since the 1940s.
"It's hard work, but it's a great way for kids to learn about
working and to earn money," Nottingham said.
Detasselers, who work during the three-week corn pollination period each
July, have been a part of the landscape in Iowa and the rest of the Corn Belt
since the advent of hybrid corn in the 1930s.
Detasseling actually has come and gone before.
In the mid-1950s a germplasm was discovered that neutered male corn. The
result was a sharp decrease in detasselers until the early 1970s, when the
gelded corn became vulnerable to Southern leaf blight and seed companies were
forced back to traditional seed pollination.
Detasseling is reminiscent of the farm labor in citrus or vegetable
fields. Detasselers must wear protective netting over their heads to avoid cuts
from the sharp-edged corn plants.
Detasselers must keep moving, to cover the one-third to one-half acre
required of each detasseler.
Because farmers can fit more plants on an acre, there are more tassels
to pull off. Stalks tend to grow higher, putting shorter detasselers at a
disadvantage.
Earlier this month, an Illinois company that
provides detasselers said it had to let some of its
detasselers go because they couldn't reach the tops of the taller plants. Seed
companies don't want detasselers to bend the stalks to reach the tassel,
fearing it will reduce the plant's yield.
"You always lose a little yield when you detassel," Gumina
said.
Detasseling already has been de-emphasized in favor of mechanical
cutters, which shave the tassels off the corn plants.
Linda Thompson's crew near Madrid last week did less detasseling than
walking. They followed where machinery had cut off the tops of plants, picking
off the tassels that the machine had missed.
"The machine doesn't get every one," said Austin Olson, 16, of
Greenfield, who is in his third year of detasseling.
Source: SeedQuest.com
1.27 Rutgers researchers discover secrets of nutritious
corn breed that withstands rigors of handling
New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA
6 July 2010
Rutgers researchers have discovered the basis for what
makes corn kernels hard, a quality that allows corn to be easily harvested,
stored and transported. The findings could lead to better hybrids and increase
the supply for people in developing countries who rely on it as a nutritional
staple.
The discovery explains how a breed of corn known as
“quality protein maize,” or QPM, incorporates two qualities essential for an
economical and nutritious food crop: a source of key protein ingredients as
well as a hard-shelled kernel.
Until the arrival of QPM a decade ago, corn did not
provide a balanced protein mix when used as a sole food source. A hybrid
developed in 1960 increased protein levels with essential amino acids but was
commercially unsuccessful, because its soft kernels subjected the harvest to
spoilage.
In a paper posted this week to the online early
edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), Rutgers
geneticists reported their findings about genetic coding responsible for making
QPM kernels sturdy. The sturdiness results from threshold levels of a specific
gene product encoded by two gene copies. Their investigation explains the role
of this gene product in generating a protein matrix around starch particles
that imparts seed strength.
“While QPM was developed in the late 1990s, scientists
have not had a thorough knowledge of how kernel strength could be achieved in a
rational way,” said Joachim Messing, professor of molecular genetics at
Rutgers. “Our work contributes knowledge that will help other scientists
develop better hybrids going forward, either through traditional breeding
techniques or genetic engineering.”
At the same time, the Rutgers findings will help
scientists understand more about the evolution of seeds and their components.
Corn is naturally low in lysine and tryptophan, amino
acids that are essential to make corn an adequate source of protein. Some
societies supplement corn with soybeans or other sources of protein in human
food and livestock feed. Yet there are societies, generally in South America
and Africa, where people rely on corn as their sole source of nutrition.
"QPM has made strides in overcoming malnutrition
in these populations, but to make it more available to people who need it,
modern approaches to breeding called ‘marker-assisted breeding’ will be
superior in adapting local corn varieties for these people,” said Messing, who
is also director of the Waksman Institute of Microbiology.
As part of the investigation, Rutgers postdoctoral
researcher Yongrui Wu used a technique to eliminate, or “knock out,” the
expression of the genes that geneticists suspected were involved in QPM kernel
hardness. After knocking out these two genes, responsible for producing
proteins known as gamma zeins, Wu observed softer kernels in the offspring.
Detailed investigation of original and knockout
kernels using electron microscopy revealed that soft kernels lacked a
proteinaceous matrix interconnecting starchy components while providing
structural integrity. Such structures were not present in the knockout
offspring. The researchers therefore pegged the gamma zeins regulated by these
two genes, labeled 16- and 27-kDa gamma zein, as key components of this
molecular structure and, as a result, QPM’s hardness.
The softer, commercially unsuccessful hybrid from 1960
had higher levels of lysine and tryptophan because it had reduced levels of
several categories of zein proteins, which conferred kernel hardness but
crowded out other proteins that carried lysine and tryptophan. QPM has the gamma
zeins responsible for the hardness-preserving structure while still lacking
other zeins that crowded out nutritional proteins.
Collaborating with Wu and Messing was David Holding,
assistant professor of plant molecular genetics at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
An expert in genetic analysis of seeds, Holding provided a source of seeds that
were well-characterized for these studies.
The research was funded by the Selman A. Waksman Chair
in Molecular Genetics at Rutgers.
http://www.seedquest.com/news.php?type=news&id_article=8676&id_region=&id_category=&id_crop=
Source: SeedQuest.com
1.28 Research will help boost fungal disease resistance in
legumes
Australia
9 July 2010
Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC)
funded research in Western Australia has identified genetic material which
could be used to reduce the impact of some fungal diseases on legumes and other
crops.
Fungal diseases cause yield losses typically greater
than 25 per cent in Australian legumes and have threatened the viability of
some crops.
The need for more profitable legume varieties was the
top priority identified at an industry consultation forum hosted by the GRDC in
WA this year.
The GRDC funded project ‘Genetic dissection of fungal
disease resistance in legumes’ has generated genetic material with resistance
to the pathogen Rhizoctonia solani, which causes root rot in all legumes as
well as cereals and canola.
It has also identified genetic material resistant to
the exotic fungal disease Fusarium oxysporum, which causes wilt diseases and
could devastate Australia’s legume industry if exotic strains are introduced
into the country.
The project is being led by Karam Singh, program
leader at CSIRO Plant Industry in WA and Winthrop Professor at the University
of WA (UWA), and also involves the GRDC supported Australian Research Centre
for Necrotrophic Fungal Pathogens (ACNFP) in WA.
The research was presented by Professor Singh at the
recent GRDC supported International Legume Conference in Turkey. The GRDC
provided funding for Australian researchers to attend the event.
Professor Singh said growers would benefit from
significant yield increases and savings on inputs including fungicides if
results achieved in the laboratory for Rhizoctonia root rot were translated to
the field.
“Rhizoctonia root rot affects Australian cereal crops
as well as legumes, causing yield losses in cereals of up to 50 per cent and
annual losses of $77 million,” he said.
“It is difficult to control because of limited
rotational controls and a lack of resistant cultivars,” he said.
“The research into F. oxysporum – one of the most
damaging pathogens in legumes worldwide - means Australian legume growers will
be better prepared if any of the wilt diseases enter Australia.”
The GRDC project has tested fungal pathogens on
germplasm, mainly from the pasture legume Medicago truncatula, used because of
its simple genetic structure, short life cycle and genetic variation.
“The project screened a number of different pathogens
to try to find genetic variation in the susceptibility of germplasm to R solani
and F. oxysporum,” Professor Singh said.
“We have found strong natural resistance in Medicago
germplasm to F. oxysporum and have mapped the genetic material underlying that
resistance.
“We have been unable to find strong resistance to R.
solani in Medicago but have used a novel approach to develop effective
resistance to the pathogen.”
The genetic material identified with resistance to F.
oxysporum and R. solani can potentially be deployed in breeding programs to
help develop new legume varieties with resistance to root rot and wilt
diseases.
As part of the project, researchers are developing
collaborations with scientists at the International Crops Research Institute
for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) in India to investigate Fusarium wilt in
chickpeas.
“Expertise gained from the research work is also being
used in genomic projects on narrow leafed lupins in WA to help improve the
suitability of lupins as a human food,” Professor Singh said.
“This will have flow-on benefits in terms of demand
and price for WA growers.”
Professor Singh’s talk at the International Legume
Conference in Turkey also presented research work into insect resistance in
plants associated with the GRDC funded fungal disease resistance project.
“Both projects are important for capacity building
relating to molecular plant pathology in WA and to identify effective ways with
which plants resist some of their enemies,” he said.
http://www.seedquest.com/news.php?type=news&id_article=8718&id_region=&id_category=&id_crop=
Source: SeedQuest.com
1.29 Drought-tolerance: a learning challenge for poor farmers
14 July 2010
by Travis Lybbert
Drought-tolerant crops could improve food security — if researchers take
downstream adoption challenges seriously, says Travis Lybbert.
Few aims have attracted as much attention and investment from private,
public, academic and philanthropic sectors in recent years as drought tolerance
(DT) in agriculture. In the past decade, more than US$1 billion has been spent
on DT research and investment shows no signs of letting up.
With climate change, growing water insecurity and renewed concerns about
food security in the wake of recent price spikes, the potential welfare gains
from effective DT crops are enormous.
In rainfed regions of Australia and North America, investments in DT are
expected to bring large private profits. Among the poor in developing dryland
areas, gains from DT could make the difference between survival and starvation.
During a drought, DT could limit catastrophic losses and help households
recover more quickly.
Many proponents argue that adopting DT varieties may also allow poor
farmers to become more entrepreneurial and diversify their livelihoods.
All these prospective DT benefits not only hinge on transferring lab
results to farmers' fields, but also on farmers being able to see these
benefits for themselves — which may be particularly tricky for smallholder
farmers.
Tough to test
Public institutes and private firms release DT varieties only after they
have proven themselves in experimental trials. Even in very controlled
settings, breeders struggle to stress their test varieties with the right
amount of drought at the right time, but the difficulties don't end there.
A breeder may be satisfied that a DT variety outperforms conventional
crops, but poor farmers in difficult growing conditions will, rightly, insist on
comparing varieties themselves.
Yet smallholder farmers — who typically face poor soils, erratic
weather, and limited or no access to irrigation and other inputs — often lack
the control over conditions required to perceive subtle differences between competing
varieties.
This is precisely why private firms often can't afford to target
smallholders as their clientele: this 'background noise' can make it tough for
them to see the difference between a new variety and an old one.
Traits that confer truly dramatic benefits can outcompete this
background noise. Bt cotton, for example, has been rapidly adopted by poor
farmers in India because its benefits are almost impossible to miss (even with
counterfeit Bt seeds in circulation). This is particularly true in extreme
cases — indeed, the higher the bollworm pressure the more exaggerated the
relative performance of Bt cotton.
In contrast, the relative benefits of DT peak in just the right drought
conditions, then quickly fade with increasing drought pressure. These benefits
are also much less uniform and observable as they depend on microclimates,
rainfall timing, and soil topography and composition.
Accelerating adoption
In a recent paper, we modelled the differences between farmers'
decisions to adopt Bt and DT. Our model predicts that the diffusion of DT will
be four times slower than Bt crops. [1]
The model also shows that vulnerable farmers — the professed target
clientele of many public or public–private DT research efforts — take four
times longer to reach 90 per cent diffusion than their less vulnerable peers.
This is because the vulnerable farmers are highly sensitive to extreme drought.
DT crops do not fare well in extreme drought: when the rains fail and
households are really suffering from the broader impacts of drought, DT yields
may also fail to deliver.
Furthermore, although DT research is often motivated by impending
climate change, the more frequent extreme events predicted by most climate
models may actually slow DT adoption.
These learning complications are surmountable, but downstream challenges
must be taken seriously.
Bundling DT with other improvements that offer unconditional benefits,
such as early maturation, could speed adoption. A functional agro-services
sector and regulatory environment could also alleviate some of the learning
problems by improving the flow of information to farmers through effective
extension, variety labelling and certification.
And pricing will be key. DT diffusion is likely to be especially
sluggish among vulnerable farmers if they have to pay a premium for DT seeds,
highlighting the importance of royalty-free, humanitarian uses of intellectual
property in existing and future public–private partnerships.
DT certainly has the potential to help poor rural households cope with
and recover from drought but developing effective DT traits in laboratories and
test plots is only part of the solution.
To clear the path to widespread adoption among poor farmers, we must
take seriously the quandary of a smallholder farmer in drought-prone Africa
trying to figure out whether his neighbour's DT maize really did better than
his own.
Travis J. Lybbert is assistant professor of agricultural and resource
economics at University California, Davis in the United States.
http://www.seedquest.com/news.php?type=news&id_article=8981&id_region=&id_category=&id_crop=
Source: SciDev.Net via SeedQuest.com
1.30 Variety
fix to meet bread salt reduction target
26
July 2010
Government
targets to reduce salt in our diet could have implications for millers and
wheat breeders. Mike Abram reports
Efforts
are being made to breed breadmaking wheat varieties that will produce protein
quality characteristics to allow millers to continue to reduce the amount of
salt in bread.
A
new drive to reduce salt in our diets began in 2004, when the Food Standards Agency published
voluntary targets to reduce salt in around
85 food categories.
The
aim is to reduce daily salt intake to just 6g. Since the start of the campaign
daily intake has reduced by around 0.9g, but it was still much higher than the
target, at 8.6g, when last surveyed in 2008.
Bread
is one of the key targets for the FSA. Around 35% of the salt we consume comes
from grain-based products, such as bread and breakfast cereals. The high
percentage is as much to do with the amount eaten than the products containing
high amounts of salt per se.
But
reducing levels isn't straightforward, explains Charles Speirs, baking science
and technology manager for Campden
BRI. "Salt isn't just used to flavour bread, but also
for technical purposes."
In
particular, it is important for the large-volume bakers who use the Chorleywood Bread Process.
The process can use lower-protein wheats, with chemical improvers, such as
ascorbic acid, to produce a loaf of bread in just 3.5 hours.
Dough
is rapidly developed using high-energy mixing, which incorporates air that the
yeast can then act on before being baked.
But
if some salt is removed then the yeast ferments in an uncontrolled way, Dr
Speirs says. "It changes the way the bread rises. You can change the level
of yeast to compensate, but it can lead to an uneven crumb structure - you end
up with an open structure."
In
sandwich bread, in particular, with its fine network of bubbles, the uneven
structure is not desirable. "You don't want big holes that butter drops
through. And even where you have bubbles, you want them to be of a similar
size."
Another
issue is loaf volume. Generally bread is sold by weight, with premium loaves
having an improved structure and greater volume. That also makes them softer,
as they are less dense, and helps increase shelf life. But the fear is that
less salt will reduce volume.
A
FSA-funded project to assess what the impact of reducing salt would be on both
crumb structure and volume was set up, with Campden BRI quantifying the likely
problems and Nottingham University researching what the causes might be.
But
early on another issue became apparent. Reducing salt while using the
Chorleywood Bread Process brought more fundamental problems with the dough - it
made it less cohesive and more adhesive. "It tended to fall apart, but
also stick to the equipment.
"So
that became the focus for the project - how do you stop it becoming sticky and
falling apart."
Production
methods can play a part, the researchers found. "If you produce the
material consistently, slowly and in a cool environment then typically you
don't see problems," explains Dr Speirs. "But when the process limits
are stretched - for example, if the dough is left to prove for 20 to 30 minutes
rather than 15, which can happen when producing large batches - then you see
problems. A warm bakery can also be an issue.
"And
then there are times when you get sticky dough and you can't explain it. What
exacerbates the problem is there is currently no test that will allow you to
predict whether you will have sticky dough or not."
Coming
up with a method of predicting how dough will handle is one aim of a Campden
BRI-led research club of industry partners, which is funding a four-year PhD
student at Birmingham University.
The
research, which involves wheat breeder RAGT, will look
at whether ingredient changes can solve the problem, as well as looking at
whether there is a production fix.
Indeed,
ingredient change might be preferable. It would certainly be cheaper, in the
longer term, for millers to be able to use raw materials that will tolerate
lower salt levels in bread without needing to change their processing
procedures or equipment.
There
is hope that this could be possible, says Julie Seekings, RAGT's cereals analytical
manager. "Not all varieties react in the same way when you reduce
salt."
The
firm has been investigating how different varieties perform in predictive
breadmaking tests in its laboratories. But it has had to adapt some of its
methodology to mimic the reduction of salt in breadmaking by the millers and
bakers.
"Our
tests are done without yeast so they don't fully replicate the breadmaking
process," Mrs Seekings says.
Instead,
the firm, in common with other breeders, tests the elasticity and extensibility
of dough using Alveograph and Extensograph measurements. Those tests use a
standard amount of salt in the flour, which corresponds to a higher level of
salt in bread than the 1% millers are now aiming for.
"So
we're testing varieties with lower amounts of added salt to see what
happens."
The
initial results suggest that the elasticity and extensibility of the dough
produced does not reduce by the same amount for each variety. "It suggests
there are lines that are possibly more suited to producing bread with lower
salt levels."
And
it doesn't necessarily follow that the current, good breadmaking varieties will
necessarily have the right characteristics for baking with a lower salt
content.
The
firm's senior wheat breeder Ed Flatman, says: "The initial testing gives
some indication of how reduced salt could change some of the parameters. Some
varieties that were only average before, look better under low-salt regimes,
for example."
The
likely solution is to breed varieties with stronger rheological properties -
increased elasticity or extensibility. "Varieties with those properties
wouldn't necessarily make it onto the current Recommended List," he points
out.
Finding
varieties more adapted to a lower-salt baking process has begun by looking for
variation in existing varieties, but has been extended to pre-commercial
material, he says. "They have a broader range of genetics that we could
exploit."
Beyond
that, another option is to look at varieties from the firm's European breeding
programme, or even further afield, for a greater range of genetic variation.
"We
know something about the genetics - which combinations of genes make dough with
more elasticity or that are more extensible."
In
particular, two types of protein are under scrutiny.
"The
largest grain proteins, the glutenins, have the biggest effect on overall
quality, and we can select for those. But we may want to also look at the
gliadins, where there is more variation," says Mr Flatman.
That
variation will allow breeders to put together more combinations to test for
suitability in low salt regimes, he adds.
http://www.fwi.co.uk/Articles/2010/07/26/122458/Variety-fix-to-meet-bread-salt-reduction-target.htm
Source: SeedQuest.com
1.31 Toxin-free castor plants would be major help to industry
Mississippi State, Mississippi, USA
15 July 2010
The castor plant thrives in Mississippi and produces great quantities of
valuable oil in its seeds, but it has a reputation that a team of researchers
at Mississippi State University are trying to address.
Castor oil is the highly desirable, plentiful product of castor beans.
The oil is used to produce everything from cosmetics and paints to jet aircraft
lubricants and certain plastics. Generations ago, it was given by the spoonful
as a laxative and used as a home remedy to treat a range of maladies.
Today, castor oil still has many desirable properties. The thick oil
makes up 60 percent of the seed’s weight. For comparison, high oil corn or
canola only produce about 25 percent oil by weight. Ninety percent of the oil
is ricinoleic acid, a fatty acid found in large quantities only in castor oil.
The acid has many industrial applications.
Brian Baldwin, a Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment
station researcher in MSU’s Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, said castor
can be used as a biodiesel but is more important as an organic raw material for
industrial chemical processes. Because of Mississippi’s climate, the crop could
be grown very successfully in the state.
“Castor seed yields in Mississippi can exceed one ton per acre,” Baldwin
said. “That seed can produce 1,000 pounds of oil per acre, which is a much
higher rate than other high oil-content seeds produce.”
Daniel Barnes, a doctoral student in MSU’s Department of Biochemistry
and Molecular Biology, is trying to make it possible to grow the plant safely
for commercial oil production in Mississippi. Castor seed meal, not the oil,
contains ricin, a toxic protein that can become fatal if untreated in the body.
“Castor is the only place we can get commercial quantities of ricinoleic
acid, but because of the presence of ricin, we are not producing castor in the
United States,” Barnes said. “We want to get rid of the ability of the plant to
make the toxin altogether.”
There is no law or restriction against the domestic production of
castor, but Barnes said castor has not been grown commercially in the United
States since the 1970s. It is often planted as an ornamental in Southern
gardens.
“We import every bit of castor oil and caster seed, mainly from India
and China,” Barnes said.
Once imported, the oil often must be refined and filtered yet again to
meet Western industry’s quality standards.
“This is an expensive two-part process. We are importing a product that
could be grown here, and then we have to re-refine it,” Barnes said.
To make castor a commercially viable U.S. crop, he is trying to discover
a way to genetically modify the plant so that either the gene that produces the
toxin is no longer expressed or the toxin is no longer produced.
One of the challenges is that castor resists being transformed. The
genetic modification process involves a fragment of DNA foreign to the plant
being inserted into the genetic code, where it is accepted and becomes active.
“Everything from cotton to corn and soybeans has been genetically
modified, but castor is much more difficult. The castor cells can be
transformed, but then you can’t get whole plants to grow from the cells,”
Barnes said.
Compounding the problem is that castor is the only species in its genus,
so there is no other plant like it. Poinsettia, spurge and rubber trees are
among castor’s closest biological relatives, and these and other somewhat
closely related plants are being examined to see if they contain genetic code
useful to the castor research.
“We’re starting from scratch,” Barnes said. “That’s what makes it a
wonderful question for research.”
Barnes has been working on ricin in castor for four years. He earned his
master’s degree from MSU examining ways to reduce workers’ exposure to ricin in
the production process. Now he is trying to actually remove this toxic protein.
The project is being conducted by faculty in MSU’s departments of
biochemistry, plant and soil sciences and biological sciences. Others involved
in the interdisciplinary team are Ken Willeford in biochemistry, and Donna
Gordon and Nancy Reichert, both in biological sciences. Funding is through
MSU’s Sustainable Energy Research Center and the Office of Technology
Commercialization.
http://www.seedquest.com/news.php?type=news&id_article=8900&id_region=&id_category=&id_crop=
Source: SeedQuest.com
1.32 New Fusarium
chemotype tightens FHB tolerance levels
Mycotoxin
contamination in wheat is a big problem of the industry in Canada. The
mycotoxins are produced by the fusarium head blight Fusarium graminearum. A level
of fusarium damaged kernels (FDK) has been established for the wheat harvest in
the country based on the mycotoxin produced by the traditional chemotype or
strain of F. graminearum 15 ADON.
Recently,
a new chemotype of the fungus was discovered by Kelly Turkington of the
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and Randall Clear of the Canadian Grain
Commission. The new chemotype produces twice as much toxin as the 15 ADON
chemotype in the laboratory. Genetic studies have shown that the two chemotypes
are entirely distinct from each other but are both sensitive to tebuconazole,
the active ingredient of fungicide Folicur. The Commission however has to
increase the threshold level of FDK due to the more virulent chemotype.
"The
research illustrates to pathologists, breeders and farmers that these plant
disease issues we deal with are not static. They change from within the
population itself, or from new pathogens introduced into our cropping systems.
So we need to be vigilant in terms of monitoring our crops, to stay on top of
these issues before they hit the farmer in the pocketbook," Turkington
says.
For
details see the original article at http://www.westerngrains.com/index.asp?id=14538&gfx=&ts=0
Source:
Crop Biotech Update 23 July 2010:
Contributed
by Margaret E. Smith
Department
of Plant Breeding & Genetics, Cornell University
1.33 Developing viral disease in tomato
A
major viral disease of tomato caused by a complex of viruses called
Tospovirus has been found in all tomato producing regions of Brazil. It can
totally wipe out young tomato seedlings and the only solution is to breed for
resistance against the virus. A resistant gene Sw-5 against the virus was discovered
by Eric Campos Dianese of the University of Brazil under the supervision of
Maria Esther de Noronha Foresca. The presence of the gene in tomato plants was
highly correlated to resistance against the virus. Studies also showed that
Tospovirus forms a complex of virus species with different characteristics.
Molecular
markers for the gene have previously been identified which have been used in
rapid introgression of the Sw-5 gene into commercial varieties. These markers
however are located near the gene and can be separated during crossing work.
With the discovery of the viral resistance gene Sw-5, new markers derived from
the Sw-5 gene itself were developed and are more ideal in differentiating
susceptible and resistant plants.
According
to Leonardo Boiteus, the coordinator of tomato breeding program at Embrapa
Vegetables, the new marker ensures the maintenance of viral resistance in a
plant since the Sw-5 gene is dominant and can be expressed in heterozygous
state. He added that, "the system can be used for any type of tomato which
is important for seed companies that focus on developing new tomato
hybrids."
See
the news article in Portuguese at http://www.cnph.embrapa.br/paginas/imprensa/releases/vira_cabeca.html
Source:
Crop Biotech Update 16 July 2010:
Contributed
by Margaret E. Smith
Department
of Plant Breeding & Genetics, Cornell University
1.34 Fungi's genetic sabotage in wheat discovered
Washington, DC, USA
12 July 2010
Using molecular techniques, Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and collaborating scientists have shown how the
subversion of a single gene in wheat by two fungal foes triggers a kind of
celular suicide in the grain crop's leaves.
Fortunately, the team has also developed DNA molecular
markers that can be used to rapidly screen commercial cultivars for the gene, Tsn1,
so it can be eliminated by selective breeding. This, in turn, would deprive the
fungi of their primary means of killing off leaf tissue to feed and grow,
explains Justin
Faris, a plant geneticist with the ARS Cereal
Crops Research Unit in
Fargo, N.D.
The fungi—Pyrenophora tritici-repentis (also
known as tan spot) and Stagonospora nodorum (leaf blotch)—are often
partners in crime, occurring in the same crop fields and producing the same
toxin, ToxA, to induce a Tsn1-controlled response in wheat called
programmed cell death (PCD). Normally, PCD protects plants by confining
invading pathogens in dead cells. However, the strategy doesn't work against
the ToxA fungi because they're "necrotrophs," pathogens that feed on
dead tissue.
To better understand this genetic trickery, Faris led
a team of scientists from seven different research organizations in isolating,
sequencing and cloning the DNA sequence for Tsn1 from cultivated wheat
and its wild relatives. Based on their analysis, the researchers concluded that
modern-day wheat inherited Tsn1 from goatgrass. They figure this
happened after a goatgrass gene for the enzyme protein kinase fused with
another gene, NB-LRR, which probably conferred resistance to biotrophs,
pathogens that feed on living tissue.
Interestingly, Tsn1 is controlled by wheat's
circadian clock, and only initiates PCD in response to ToxA during daylight
hours. At night, Tsn1 shuts down and "ignores" ToxA,
suggesting the toxin may indirectly interfere with the plant's photosynthesis.
The team, which includes researchers from North Dakota State
University-Fargo and the Australian
Centre for Necrotrophic Fungal Pathogens-Murdoch among others, is reporting its findings this week
online in the Proceedings
of the National Academy of Sciences.
ARS is the principal intramural scientific research
agency of the U.S.
Department of Agriculture
(USDA). This research supports the USDA priority of promoting international
food security.
http://www.seedquest.com/news.php?type=news&id_article=8818&id_region=&id_category=&id_crop=
Source: SeedQuest.com
1.35 Plant scientists at the John Innes Centre find new explanation for
hybrid vigour
Norwich, United Kingdom
20 July 2010
Plant scientists at the John Innes Centre have provided a new solution
to an old debate on why species hybrids are often more vigorous than their
parents.
They found a type of genetic “noise” - caused by a surprising degree of
variation in gene activity even for highly similar traits in closely related
species. In this study, the scientists analysed the trait of flower asymmetry
in two closely related species of snapdragon. They measured the activity of two
relevant genes and its effect on the trait.
In research to be published in PloS biology on 20th July, the JIC
scientists showed that gene activity may be free to vary during evolution
within particular bounds. They theorize that when species hybridise, some of
the variation in gene activity may be cancelled out, leading to greater vigour.
Natural selection may be unable to eliminate the noise they identified.
It only has a very minor effect on a species for any single gene, but the
collective effect for many genes could be substantial, reducing overall species
performance. Hybridisation, however, might partly eliminate the noise.
“This is the first study that analyses the consequences of variations in
gene expression on conserved traits in closely related species,” said Professor
Enrico Coen from the John Innes Centre, an institute of the Biotechnology and
Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), which funded the research along
with a Marie Curie grant for early stage training.
The results show that hybrids might be expected to exhibit increased performance
in basic traits such as growth. However, they also show that in the longer
term, other traits such as those involved in sexual reproduction might be
expected to perform less well, accounting for reduced fertility of hybrids.
“Gene expression levels are free to drift around during evolution within
particular bounds,” said Professor Coen. “But the cumulative effects of
variation explain the conflicting phenomena of hybrid superiority and
inferiority.”
This explanation of hybrid vigour covers natural species as well as
domesticated varieties. The findings avoid some of the pitfalls of previous
explanations.
“Breeders already know there is no magic hybrid vigour gene, otherwise
they would have used it by now,” said Professor Coen. “What our study shows is
how and why hybridisation can have such a strong impact on performance” said
Professor Coen.
This was supported by a Marie Curie grant for early stage training and
the BBSRC-John Innes Centre PhD Rotation Program.
http://www.seedquest.com/news.php?type=news&id_article=9043&id_region=&id_category=&id_crop=
Source: SeedQuest.com
1.36 Recent News and Event items from the
FAO-BiotechNews e-mail newsletter
Here
below is a sample of plant-related News items from Updates 4-2010 (23 June
2010) and 5-2010 (14 July 2010) of FAO-BiotechNews. The e-mail newsletter is
published in six different versions, one per language i.e. Arabic, Chinese,
English, French, Russian or Spanish. The items' main focus is on the activities
of FAO, of other United Nations agencies/bodies and of the 15 CGIAR research
centres, plus the activities from a number of other major-intergovernmental
organisations (e.g. OECD, UPOV, OIE). All items are also provided on the FAO
Biotechnology website (at http://www.fao.org/biotech/news_list.asp?thexpand=1&cat=131).
If anyone wishes to subscribe, they can send a message to FAO-Biotech-News@fao.org indicating
which e-mail addresses are to be subscribed and in which language they wish to
receive the newsletter.
FAO
website http://www.fao.org
FAO
Biotechnology website http://www.fao.org/biotech/ (in
Arabic, Chinese,
English,
French, Russian and Spanish)
NEWS
*** (http://www.fao.org/biotech/news_list.asp?thexpand=1&cat=131)
1)
FAO Biotechnology website - updates
Three
main sections of the FAO biotechnology website have recently beenupdated. The
first, on 'FAO Documents', provides an annotated list offreely-downloadable
documents and now includes 210 web links to a wide rangeof articles, books,
meeting reports, proceedings and studies published byFAO, or prepared in
collaboration with FAO, over the last 13 years concerningagricultural
biotechnologies. The second, on 'Country policy documents'provides an annotated
list of freely-downloadable biotechnology policydocuments from 18 FAO members.
Most of the 25 documents are national policydocuments, covering applications of
biotechnology in food and agriculture aswell as in other areas, such as
pharmaceuticals, the environment and humanhealth care. The third, on 'Sectoral
overviews', provides an overview of theapplication of biotechnologies in the
agro-industry, crop, fisheries andaquaculture, livestock and forestry sectors
in developing countries. Seehttp://www.fao.org/biotech/ (in
Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian andSpanish) or contact
biotech-website@fao.org with any comments.
2)
Biosafety book - Bangladesh TCPOn request from its member countries, FAO's
Technical Cooperation Programme(TCP) supports countries through small projects
which address specificproblems in their agriculture, fisheries and forestry
sectors. In May 2008, aTCP was launched for Bangladesh on "Assistance in
the formulation of enablingregulatory measures for research and sustainable
application ofbiotechnology", implemented jointly by FAO and the Bangladesh
AgriculturalResearch Council (BARC). Under this TCP, a training course was
organized inGazipur, Bangladesh on 21-30 November 2008, covering five modules,
namely,agricultural biotechnology; ecological aspects of biosafety;
biosafetyguidelines including risk analysis; post-release monitoring; and
legalaspects, including plant variety protection. A 293-page book
entitled"Biosafety of genetically modified organisms: Basic concepts,
methods andissues", edited by M.K.A. Chowdhury, M.I. Hoque and A. Sonnino,
comprisingthe proceedings of the training course is now available on the web.
Seehttp://www.fao.org/docrep/012/i1252e/i1252e00.htm or
contactimdadul57@yahoo.com for more information.
3)
Induced plant mutations in the genomics eraThe International Symposium on
Induced Mutations in Plants was held on 12-15August 2008 in Vienna, Austria
organised by the International Atomic EnergyAgency (IAEA) and FAO through the
Joint FAO/IAEA Division of NuclearTechniques in Food and Agriculture. It
comprised an opening session, twoplenary sessions and ten concurrent sessions,
covering topics such as inducedmutations in food and agriculture, genetic
diversity and crop domestication,abiotic stress tolerance and adaptation to
climate change, crop quality andnutrition, seed and vegetatively propagated
plants, gene discovery andfunctional genomics. A 458-page publication entitled
"Induced plant mutationsin the genomics era", edited by Q.Y. Shu, is
now available, with acompilation of peer-reviewed full papers contributed by
participants. Seehttp://www.fao.org/docrep/012/i0956e/i0956e00.htm or
contact Q.Y.Shu@iaea.orgfor more information.
4)
Reports of four regional consultations on plant breeding capacityThe Global
Partnership Initiative for Plant Breeding Capacity Building(GIPB), FAO and
partners have previously carried out a worldwide assessmentof national plant
breeding and related biotechnology capacity (PBBC). Toanalyse these results,
the GIPB recently held four regional e-consultations(for Latin America and
Caribbean; South-Eastern and Southern Asia;Sub-Saharan Africa; and Western Asia
and Northern Africa). For each one, abackground note was prepared before the
consultation and a report wasprepared afterwards. Seehttp://km.fao.org/gipb/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=380&Itemid=100039&lang=en
or contact gipb@fao.org for more information.
5)
FAO biosafety capacity building book - now in French and SpanishFAO recently
published "Building biosafety capacities: FAO's experience
andoutlook", aiming to illustrate the main findings and lessons learned
fromFAO's past and ongoing biosafety capacity building initiatives. This
53-pagebook, by A. Sensi, K. Ghosh, M. Takeuchi and A. Sonnino, is now
alsoavailable in French and Spanish. Seehttp://www.fao.org/docrep/012/i1033e/i1033e00.htm or
contactcharlotte.lietaer@fao.org to request a copy, providing your full
postaladdress and well as indicating which language version you wish to
receive.
6)
Cartagena Protocol: COP-MOP 5 documentsThe 5th meeting of the Parties to the
Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety(COP-MOP 5) takes place on 11-15 October 2010 in
Nagoya, Japan, back-to-backwith the 10th meeting of the Conference of the
Parties to the Convention onBiological Diversity (COP 10), on 18-29 October
2010. The meeting willaddress a number of standing issues on the COP-MOP agenda
(i.e. compliance;operation and activities of the Biosafety Clearing-House;
capacity building;financial mechanisms and resources; cooperation with other
organizations,conventions and initiatives; and administration and budgetary
matters). Itwill also address a number of substantive issues arising from the
medium-termprogramme of work and previous COP-MOP decisions (i.e. handling,
transport,packaging and identification of living modified organisms; risk
assessmentand risk management; liability and redress; monitoring and
reporting;assessment and review; and public awareness and participation). Seehttps://www.cbd.int/mop5/ for
background information and access to officialdocuments (in Arabic, Chinese,
English, French, Russian and Spanish) orcontact secretariat@cbd.int for more
information.
7)
UNIDO e-biosafety training networkThe e-biosafety training network of the
United Nations Industrial DevelopmentOrganization (UNIDO) aims to address the
demand of biosafety regulatorysystems in developing countries for intensive
training in biosafety. Itcombines distance-learning with on-campus training,
including laboratorypractice, and the programme is currently given in
cooperation with the MarchePolytechnic University (Ancona, Italy), the
Pontifical Catholic University ofMinas Gerais (Belo Horizonte, Brazil) and
Ghent University (Ghent, Belgium).Registration for the academic year 2010-2011
is now open for the trainingcourse in Italy (registration deadline 1 October,
course begins 5 November),Brazil (course begins in early October) and Belgium
(registration deadline 15September, course begins 1 November). Seehttp://binas.unido.org/moodle/mod/resource/view.php?id=133 or
contactm.bosse@unido.org for more information.
8)
OECD Biotechnology Update 20Issue number 20 (July 2010) of the OECD
Biotechnology Update is nowavailable. Presented by the Organisation for
Economic Co-operation andDevelopment (OECD) Internal Co-ordination Group for
Biotechnology, the34-page newsletter provides updated information on OECD
activities related tobiotechnology. See http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/13/7/45604987.pdf
(517 KB) orcontact icgb@oecd.org for more information.
9)
Review of FAO's capacity building activities in biosafetyFAO has just published
"Building biosafety capacities: FAO's experience andoutlook", which
aims to illustrate the main findings and lessons learned fromFAO's past and
ongoing biosafety capacity building initiatives, in order toimprove future
interventions and better shape strategic planning, in linewith the Cartagena Protocol
and other related international instruments. The53-page book, by A. Sensi, K.
Ghosh, M. Takeuchi and A. Sonnino, presents abrief overview of 26 biosafety
capacity building projects, whose totalfunding amounted to about 7.5 million US
dollars, launched by FAO since 2002.They include 18 national projects as well
as six that are subregional,regional or interregional and two that are global.
Conclusions in the bookpropose key operational elements for future initiatives
to maximize resultsand fully meet countries' needs. Seehttp://www.fao.org/docrep/012/i1033e/i1033e00.htm or
contactcharlotte.lietaer@fao.org to request a copy, providing your full
postaladdress.
10)
Codex Committee on Methods of Analysis and Sampling - 31st session reportThe
report of the 31st Session of the Codex Committee on Methods of Analysisand
Sampling, that took place on 8-12 March 2010 in Budapest, Hungary, is
nowavailable. Agenda item 3 was dedicated to the "Proposed draft
guidelines oncriteria for methods for detection, identification and
quantification ofspecific DNA sequences and specific proteins, in particular in
foods derivedfrom modern biotechnology" and is covered in paragraphs 13-33
of the report.See the report (ALINORM 10/33/23), together with the agenda
providing linksto the meeting's documents, athttp://www.codexalimentarius.net/web/archives.jsp or
contact codex@fao.orgfor further information. The Committee agreed to forward
the proposed draftguidelines to the 33rd Session of the Codex Alimentarius
Commission (to beheld 5-9 July 2010 in Geneva, Switzerland) for adoption at
Step 5/8 with therecommendation to omit Steps 6 and 7. The Codex Rules of
Procedure,describing also the 8-Step elaboration procedure, are available athttp://www.codexalimentarius.net/web/procedural_manual.jsp (in
Arabic,Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish).
11)
Codex Committee on Food Labelling - 38th session reportThe report of the 38th
Session of the Codex Committee on Food Labelling, thattook place on 3-7 May
2010 in Quebec City, Canada, is now available. Agendaitem 6 was dedicated to
"Labelling of foods obtained through certaintechniques of genetic
modification/genetic engineering" and is covered inparagraphs 134-161 of
the report. See the report (ALINORM 10/33/22), togetherwith the agenda
providing links to the meeting's documents, athttp://www.codexalimentarius.net/web/archives.jsp or
contact codex@fao.orgfor further information.
12)
Symposium on Genomics of Plant Genetic ResourcesFollowing the first symposium,
held in Beijing, China in 2005, the 2ndInternational Symposium on Genomics of
Plant Genetic Resources was held on24-27 April 2010 in Bologna, Italy.
Abstracts from the symposium are nowavailable. The scientific programme was
organised in nine different sessions,covering themes such as 'harnessing plant
diversity: From sequence tofunction' or 'genomics-assisted crop improvement for
food security indeveloping countries'. The symposium was organised by
BioversityInternational, the Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop
PlantResearch (IPK) and the University of Bologna, and took place with
thepatronage, inter alia, of FAO. See http://www.gpgr2.com/ or
contactroberto.tuberosa@unibo.it for more information.
13)
UN General Assembly - 64th session resolutionsThe 64th Session of the UN
General Assembly considered a number of agendaitems with preparatory documents
and/or resolutions relevant tobiotechnologies, including items 53 (a) on
'Agricultural technology fordevelopment'; 55 (c) on 'Science and technology for
development'; and 60 on'Agriculture development and food security'. See the
preparatory documents(numbered A/64/258, A/64/168 and A/64/221 respectively)
for each item athttp://www.un.org/ga/second/64/documentslist.shtml (in
Arabic, Chinese,English, French, Russian and Spanish) and the resulting
resolutions (numberedA/RES/64/197, A/RES/64/212 and A/RES/64/224 respectively)
athttp://www.un.org/ga/64/resolutions.shtml or
contact inquiries2@un.org formore information. For example, in resolution
A/RES/64/224, the GeneralAssembly, inter alia, "Reaffirms the need to
mobilize the resources needed toincrease productivity, including the review,
approval and adoption ofbiotechnology and other new technologies and
innovations that are safe,effective and environmentally sustainable".
14)
The International Industrial Biotechnology NetworkThe International Industrial
Biotechnology Network (IIBN) was launched at asymposium held on 29 March 2010
at the United Nations Industrial DevelopmentOrganization (UNIDO) Headquarters
in Vienna, Austria, co-organized with theInstitute of Plant Biotechnology for
Developing Countries (Ghent University,Belgium). The network is dedicated to
promoting "the use of novelbiotechnologies for adding economic value to
under-utilised biologicalresources in developing countries in order to meet
specific developmental andbiodiversity conservation goals, respectful of
cultural and social values. Toachieve its mission, IIBN will catalyse
partnerships between public researchinstitutes, governments, private sector and
national and internationaldevelopment agencies leading to international
initiatives intended totranslate recent technological advances in the life
sciences into renewablebio-based products". See http://indbiotech.net/ or
contactg.tzotzos@unido.org for more information.
15)
Biosafety Protocol News 7The Secretariat of the Convention on Biological
Diversity has now publishedthe 7th issue of Biosafety Protocol News. The
23-page issue highlightsexperiences and lessons learned in facilitating the
exchange of informationon living modified organisms (LMOs) through the
Biosafety Clearing-House,with contributors presenting their experiences and
lessons learned in Africa,Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, and Latin America.
Seehttp://www.cbd.int/doc/newsletters/bpn/bpn-07.pdf
(5.8 Mb) or contactbch@cbd.int for more information.
16)
UNCTAD technology and innovation report 2010The United Nations Conference on
Trade and Development recently published"Technology and innovation report
2010: Enhancing food security in Africathrough science, technology and
innovation". The 106-page report focuses onways of improving agricultural
performance in Africa and the role thattechnology and innovation can play in
raising the agricultural production andincomes of smallholder farmers and in
facilitating access to food for thepoorest people both on and off the farm. It
is organised in seven chapters,covering respectively key issues in the
development of African agriculture;building innovation capabilities in Africa
agriculture; agriculture andnational food security; challenges and
opportunities to achieve foodsecurity; transfer and diffusion of agricultural
technology; technology mixesfor small scale farming (including discussion of
various cropbiotechnologies); and recommendations. Seehttp://www.unctad.org/en/docs/tir2009_en.pdf
(1.2 MB) or contactconstantine.bartel@unctad.org for more information.
17)
Papers from CGIAR Science Forum 2009On 16-17 June 2009, the CGIAR Science Forum
2009 was held in Wageningen, theNetherlands, convened by the Independent
Science and Partnership Council(ISPC) of the Consultative Group on
International Agricultural Research(CGIAR). It brought together over 300
scientists, donors and civil societygroups from 55 countries to debate recent
advances in genomics,biofortification, bio-based products and other
technologies that can reducefood insecurity in developing countries. A special
open access issue of thejournal Crop Science has now been published containing
a selection of paperspresented at the Forum. Seehttp://www.sciencecouncil.cgiar.org/home/mobilizing-science/en/ or
contactSC-Secretariat@fao.org for more information.
18)
The 6th International Rice Genetics SymposiumThe abstracts are now available on
the web from the 6th International RiceGenetics Symposium that took place on
16-19 November 2009 in Manila,Philippines. Organized every 4-5 years since 1985
by the International RiceResearch Institute (IRRI), the symposium's aim was to "showcase
the latestdevelopments in the field, including research on breeding, mapping of
genesand quantitative trait loci, identification and cloning of candidate
genesfor biotic and abiotic stresses, gene expression, and genomic databases
andmutant induction for functional genomics". The 365-page publication
containsabstracts from the plenary, concurrent and poster sessions and from
twoworkshops. The symposium was held in conjunction with the 7th
InternationalSymposium on Rice Functional Genomics. See http://ricegenetics.com/
orcontact secretariat@ricegenetics.com for more information.
19)
Abstracts from Africa Rice Congress 2010The Africa Rice Congress 2010 was held
in Bamako, Mali on 22-26 March 2010.Organised by the Africa Rice Center, and
following the first Africa RiceCongress that was held in Dar es Salaam,
Tanzania in 2006, the congress' aimwas to take stock of advances in rice
science and technology aimed atenhancing rice productivity in farmers' fields,
while protectingenvironmental services and coping with climate change. A
205-pagepublication, edited by P. Kiepe, M. Diatta and D. Millar,
containingabstracts from the congress, in English and French, is now available
on theweb. The abstracts, many of which describe the use of biotechnologies
inrice, are organised in six main themes, one of which is 'genetic diversityand
improvement' (pages 1-59). Seehttp://www.africaricecenter.org/africaricecongress2010/index.html (in
Englishand French) or contact a.agboh-noameshie@cgiar.org for more information.
20)
Impact analysis of MASTo complement its scientific crop improvement research,
the GenerationChallenge Programme (GCP) of the Consultative Group on
InternationalAgricultural Research (CGIAR) commissioned a series of
socio-economicstudies, including one entitled 'Ex-ante impact analysis of
marker-assistedselection technologies' by G. Norton and colleagues. The study
was conductedin Africa and Asia to evaluate the quantitative impact and investments
of twoGCP projects which utilised marker-assisted breeding to develop
improvedvarieties of rice and cassava. See the studies athttp://www.generationcp.org/sp5_impact/sp5main or
contactc.devicente@cgiar.org for more information.
21)
Agricultural biotechnologies to 2015The Organisation for Economic Co-operation
and Development (OECD) recentlypublished "Biotechnologies in agriculture
and related natural resources to2015", by A. Arundel and D. Sawaya. The
105-page article provides an overviewof the current state of technological
development and presents estimates andprojections for the types of
biotechnologies expected to reach the market foruse in agriculture and related
natural resources to 2015. It is one of twoarticles published in a special
issue (volume 2009/3) of the periodical 'OECDJournal: General Papers', written
for the 'Bioeconomy to 2030' project. Seehttp://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/19/36/44534300.pdf
(2.1 MB) or contactdavid.sawaya@oecd.org for more information.
***
EVENTS *** (http://www.fao.org/biotech/events_list.asp?Cat=133)27
September - 1 October 2010, Dakar, Senegal. 5th World Cowpea
ResearchConference. Organised by the International Institute for Tropical
Agriculture(IITA), in cooperation with the Dry Grain Pulses Collaborative
ResearchSupport Programme, Purdue University and the Institut Senegalais
deRecherches Agricoles, the conference will cover a wide number of
topicsranging from cowpea genetic improvement and use of molecular tools, to
humannutrition and processing and enterprise development. Seehttp://cowpea2010.iita.org/ or
contact c.fatokun@cgiar.org for moreinformation.
1-5
November 2010, Guadalajara, Mexico. VII Encuentro Latinoamericano y delCaribe
sobre Biotecnología Agropecuaria (REDBIO 2010). The programme for this7th Latin
American and Caribbean Meeting on Agricultural Biotechnologyconsists of 6
plenary sessions and 16 symposia, covering a wide range oftopics such as
emerging technologies, biodiversity, bioenergy and biofuels,biotechnology in
animals, forestry and tropical fruits. Seehttp://redbiomexico2010.org/inicio.html (in
Spanish) or contactomartinez@redbiomexico2010.org for more information. REDBIO
is the TechnicalCo-operation Network on Agricultural Biotechnology in Latin
America and theCaribbean, and this major meeting is held every three years.
Contributed by John RuaneThe Coordinator of FAO-BiotechNews,FAO-Biotech-News@fao.org
1.37 Newsletter on Organic Seeds and Plant Breeding, Issue
11/2010
July 2010
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- ECO-PB is
critical on the implementation of COUNCIL DIRECTIVE 2008/90/EC
- Finalisation
of the European project “Farm Seed Opportunities”: Opportunities for farm
seed conservation, breeding and production
- Collection
of Open Pollinated Vegetable Varieties as Basis for Biodynamic and Organic
Breeding Activities
- 2nd
EUCARPIA Organic and Low-input Section Conference “Breeding for
resilience: A strategy for organic and low-input farming systems?”
- ECO-PB
General Assembly attached to the 2nd EUCARPIA Organic and Low-input
Conference in Paris
More news from:
. ECO-PB
(European Consortium for Organic Plant Breeding)
. FIBL
(Research Institute of Organic Agriculture)
Website: http://www.eco-pb.org
Published:
July 7, 2010
=========================
2.01 Molecular Techniques in Crop Improvement
Jain, S. Mohan; Brar, D.S. (Eds.)
2nd ed., 2010, IX, 772 p., Hardcover
Price: $229.00 + shipping and handling ($8.00
U.S. or $20.00 Elsewhere)
The first edition of this book, "Molecular techniques in crop
improvement" published in 2002 provided comprehensive information on the
latest tools and techniques of molecular genetics and applications in crop
improvement, and highlighted molecular genetics from the perspective of plant
breeders. Since then, major advances have been made in molecular tagging of
genes/QTLs governing complex agronomic traits, identification of candidate
genes and in applying marker assisted breeding for tolerance to biotic and
abiotic stresses and quality traits. Recent advances in transgenic
technologies, genome sequencing and functional genomics offer tremendous
opportunities to support plant breeding programs. We have covered new
developments in molecular biology and their potential applications in plant
breeding in this second edition. The book has a total of 31 chapters and
divided into 4 sections: A) Plant breeding in the genomics era, B) Molecular
markers and their application, C) Genomics, and D) Transgenic technologies. The
book features major topics, which are QTL analysis, comparative genomics,
functional genomics, bioinformatics, DNA marker technology automation,
gene-based marker systems, , application of molecular markers for tolerance to
biotic and abiotic stresses as well as in germplasm conservation, gene
pyramiding, gene silencing, TILLING, CISGENESIS, microarray, metabolomics,
proteomics, transcriptomics, microRNAs, marker-free transformation, gene
targeting/homologous recombination, and genetic engineering. This book will be
especially useful to scientists engaged in molecular genetics and plant
breeding. It will also be a valuable book for the graduate and post graduate
students specialising in crop science, genetics, plant breeding and
biotechnology.
2.02 Rice
Biofortification
Lessons for Global Science and Development
By Sally Brooks
'A deeply thought-provoking
book, this study of biofortification in rice explores how and why public
science so often irons out complex needs into a demand for pre-packaged
solutions. Biofortification could yet become an exemplar of a different,
boundary-crossing, socially-informed science for poverty alleviation. [This]
book is essential reading for both critics and proponents of biotechnology in
international development.'
Paul Richards, Professor of Technology and Agrarian
Development, Wageningen University, The Netherlands
$34.95
Paperback
Pathways to Sustainability Series
June 2010 • 208 pages • 234 x
156mm • ISBN 9781849711005
Biofortification - the enrichment of staple food crops
with essential micronutrients - has been heralded as a uniquely sustainable
solution to the problem of micronutrient deficiency or 'hidden hunger'.
Considerable attention and resources are being directed towards the
biofortification of rice - the world's most important food crop.
Through an in-depth analysis of international rice
biofortification efforts across the US, Philippines and China, this book
provides an important critique of such goal-oriented, top-down approaches.
These approaches, the author argues, exemplify a model of global, 'public
goods' science that is emerging within complex, international research
networks. It provides vital lessons for those researching and making decisions
about science and research policy, showing that if this model becomes
entrenched, it is likely to channel resources towards the search for 'silver
bullet' solutions at the expense of more incremental approaches that respond to
locality, diversity and the complex and uncertain interactions between people
and their environments. The author proposes a series of key changes to
institutions and practices that might allow more context-responsive
alternatives to emerge.
These issues are particularly important now as
increasing concerns over food security are leading donors and policy makers to
commit to ambitious visions of 'impact at scale' - visions which may never
become a reality and may preclude more effective pathways from being pursued.
Published in association with the Economic and Social
Research Council (ESRC)
'A lucid analysis of the
decision making in international agricultural research which emphasizes a
technical, commercial approach. Malnutrition is far better tackled with a
biodiversity approach that makes available local foods that can be eaten fresh
and are free.'
Suman Sahai, Convenor, Gene Campaign, New Delhi
'A deeply thought-provoking
book, this study of biofortification in rice explores how and why public
science so often irons out complex needs into a demand for pre-packaged
solutions. Are the great private philanthropic foundations and the brilliant
scientists they fund simply incapable of understanding the lives of the rural
poor? The author prefers instead to make a case for deep institutional reform,
offering space for new types of partnership. Biofortification could yet become
an exemplar of a different, boundary-crossing, socially-informed science for
poverty alleviation. Her book is essential reading for both critics and
proponents of biotechnology in international development.'
Paul Richards, Professor of Technology and Agrarian
Development, Wageningen University, The Netherlands
'Rice Biofortification
convincingly illustrates the tenacity of the top down linear research paradigm
which unfortunately still dominates the international agricultural research
agenda. How researchers can effectively work with local contexts is an
important issue, which the author handles admirably.'
Joachim Voss, independent research professional, and
formerly Director General of the International Centre for Tropical Agriculture
(CIAT), Cali, Colombia
http://www.earthscan.co.uk/?tabid=102307
Source: SeedQuest.com
2.03 FAO publication: Induced Plant Mutations in the Genomics Era
Preface
The year 2008 marked the 80th anniversary of mutation induction in
plants. The application of mutation techniques, i.e. Gamma-rays and other
physical and chemical mutagens, has generated a vast amount of genetic
variability and has played a significant role in plant breeding and genetic
studies. The widespread use of induced mutants in plant breeding programmes
throughout the world has led to the official release of more than 2,700 plant mutant
varieties. A large number of these varieties (including cereals, pulses, oil,
root and tuber crops, and ornamentals) have been released in developing
countries, resulting in enormous positive economic impacts.
During the last decade, with the unfolding of new biological fields such
as genomics and functional genomics, bioinformatics, and the development of new
technologies based on these sciences, there has been an increased interest in
induced mutations within the scientific community. Induced mutations are now
widely used for developing improved crop varieties and for the discovery of
genes, controlling important traits and understanding the functions and
mechanisms of actions of these genes. Progress is also being made in
deciphering the biological nature of DNA damage, repair and mutagenesis. To
this end, the International Symposium on Induced Mutations in Plants was
organized by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations through the Joint FAO/IAEA
Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture.
The Symposium comprised an open session, two plenary sessions and ten
concurrent sessions, covering topics from induced mutations in food and
agriculture, plant mutagenesis, genetic diversity, biofortification, abiotic
stress tolerance and adaptation to climate changes, crop quality and nutrition,
seed and vegetatively propagated plants, gene discovery and functional
genomics. A workshop on low phytate rice breeding was also organized. About 500
participants from 82 Member States of the IAEA and FAO, and nine international
organizations/institutions attended the Symposium, with a good balance between
the private and public sector, as well as developing and developed Member States.
The Symposium received valuable assistance from the cooperating organizations
and generous support from the private sector, for which the sponsoring
organizations are most grateful.
This publication is a compilation of peer-reviewed full papers contributed
by participants. They were either oral or poster presentations given in
different sessions except Concurrent Session 3 (which will be compiled by the
Human Health Division in a separate publication). These papers not only provide
valuable information on the recent development in various fields related to
induced mutations, but also on the social and economic impact of mutant
varieties worldwide. Therefore, these Proceedings should be an excellent
reference book for researchers, students and policy makers for understanding
applications of induced mutations in crop improvement and biological research.
Qu Liang
Director
Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture
IAEA
Download
the full version (6,302 Kb)
Contents
Preface
Table of Contents
Opening Remarks
Opening Remarks
Summary of the FAO/IAEA International Symposium on Induced Mutations in
Plants
Closing Statement
A Summary of the International Symposium on Induced Mutations in Plants
Opening Session
Plenary Session 1
Induced Mutations In Food and Agriculture
Concurrent Session 1
Mutation Enhancement of Genetic Diversity and Crop Domestication
Concurrent Session 2
DNA Damage, Repair and Genome Stability
Concurrent Session 4
Induced Mutations for Traits that Affect Abiotic Stress Tolerance and
Adaptation to Climate Change
Concurrent Session 5
Induced Mutations for Enhancing Crop Quality and Nutrition
Concurrent Session 6
New Techniques and Systems for Mutation Induction
Concurrent Session 7
High Throughput Techniques for Mutation Screening
Concurrent Session 8
Mutation Induction and Breeding of Ornamental and Vegetatively
Propagated Plants
Concurrent Session 9
Induced Mutations in Seed Crop Breeding (1)
Concurrent Session 10
Induced Mutations in Seed Crop Breeding (2)
Plenary Session 2
Induced Mutations in the Genomics Era: New Opportunities and Challenges
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO),
Rome via SeedQuest.com
2.04 Corn Fact Book tells story of a modern agricultural marvel
St. Louis, Missouri, USA
29 July 2010
Those with an interest in knowing
more about America's family farmers and the positive contribution they make to
the nation's economy won't want to miss the 2010 edition of the Corn Farmers
Coalition's Corn Fact Book.
The educational publication, funded by corn checkoff programs in 14
different states, has been widely distributed in Washington as a part of a
large advertising campaign that has included, print, radio, online and large
scale outdoor messages. It is now available to the general public.
"This publication is full of interesting facts on the technology
and innovation that allow us to grow corn for food, feed, and fuel but it also
tells the story of who grows corn today," said Keith Hora, a Washington,
Iowa farmer featured in the Corn Fact Book. "It also explains how farmers
in the US have become the most productive in the world, and the economic
benefits farmers and the general public receive as a result of our efforts. It
truly is an American success story."
Among the facts chronicled: Seven of the largest corn crops in history
have been produced in the last seven years, despite less-than-ideal weather and
on virtually identical acreage. And 90 percent of all U.S. corn is still
produced by family farmers. The Corn Fact Book highlights a few farmers and
tells a bit of their story and how it benefits us all.
Every year, American consumers ask farmers for more food but give them
less land on which to produce it. They want farmers to be more efficient and
use less energy. Every year, farmers manage to succeed - with less than 2
percent of the population feeding the rest of the country - and managing to
export a fair bit as well.
"We're more efficient that ever," said Jon Holzfaster, a
Paxton, Neb. grower featured in the Fact Book. "We're using less fuel and
traveling across the land fewer times. We have better genetics to help us
optimize yields from existing acres and our use of chemicals has decreased
dramatically. In this respect, the good old days are actually happening right
now."
And the facts show that the efforts by family farmers to improve their
environmental footprint are paying off. Thirty-seven percent less land is
needed to produce a bushel of corn; soil erosion is down 69 percent and
emissions produced in growing and harvesting a bushel of corn has dropped 30
percent.
Click
here for more information on the Corn Farmers Coalition.
http://www.seedquest.com/news.php?type=news&id_article=9274&id_region=&id_category=&id_crop=
Source: SeedQuest.com
2.05 ISAAA Releases "Bt Cotton in India: A Country
Profile" - First in Biotech Crop Profile Series
Bt Cotton in India: A
Country Profile is the first volume
in a new series of publications called "Biotech Crop Profiles" which will feature comprehensive overviews of
the adoption, impact and future prospects of biotech crops in developing
countries. The series is produced by researchers of the International Service
for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA).
Bt Cotton in India: A
Country Profile critically
analyzes the adoption and impact of Bt cotton in India from 2002 to 2009. The
volume is a user-friendly, comprehensive and rich source of information on Bt
cotton in India – the first biotech cotton crop to be approved in India in
2002. It includes the most relevant authoritative statistics and
references on Bt cotton in India, including hectarage of Bt cotton hybrids,
numbers of Bt cotton farmers, and a chronology of approved Bt cotton events.
The volume also summarizes the impact of Bt cotton in
India at the national and farm-level during the eight year period of
commercialization taking into account the 11 independent studies
conducted by public institutions during that period. It is excerpted from the
"Global Status of Commercialized
Biotech/GM Crops: 2009", ISAAA
Brief 41, authored by Dr. Clive James.
The volume hopes to share the rich knowledge and
experience with Bt cotton in India more widely with the scientific community in
the country and also with global society. This will facilitate a more
informed and transparent discussion about the contribution and potential role
of Bt cotton in the agriculture sector in India and other countries, and
particularly Bt cotton's contribution to a more sustainable agriculture.
Download a copy of the publication at http://www.isaaa.org/resources/publications/biotech_crop_profiles/bt_cotton_in_india-a_country_profile/download/default.asp
Contributed by Bhagirath Choudhary
2.06 The proceedings of
the Seventh African Crop Science
Society Conference held 5-9 December 2005, Entebbe, Uganda
This publication includes more than 250 of high quality papers, and 5
keynote lectures, in different fields, presented orally or in poster format in
the conference, which constituted the bulk of the three parts of the
proceedings, 1600 pages (African Crop Science proceedings, December 2005,
volume 7). The theme of the conference was “Opportunities and Challenges in
transforming African Agriculture”. Click on the link below to access
these Free-publications http://www.acss.ws/?t=a_conf&s=4
The proceedings of the 9th ACSS conference, Cape Town, South
Africa, 2009 are now uploaded on the www.acsj.info website which is linked to the ACSS website.
Contributed by Kasem Zaki Ahmed
Minia University, El-Minia, Egypt
2.07 2nd International Symposium on
Genomics of Plant Genetic Resources
(24–27 April 2010, Bologna, Italy): this
conference, organised by Bioversity International, the Leibniz Institute of
Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK) and the University of Bologna,
followed a tightly-packed agenda organised in nine different sessions,
addressing themes such as 'harnessing plant diversity: From sequence to
function' and 'genomics-assisted crop improvement for food security in
developing countries', amongst others. The book of abstracts can be downloaded
at http://www.generationcp.org/UserFiles2/File/News-items/Other/2010/June/2nd_Symp_Abstracts.pdf.
2.08 The Africa Rice Congress 2010
(22–26 March 2010, Bamako, Mali):
organised by the Africa Rice Center, the congress' aim was to take stock of
advances in rice science and technology aimed at enhancing rice productivity in
farmers' fields, while protecting environmental services and coping with
climate change. A 205-page publication, edited by P Kiepe, M Diatta and D
Millar, containing abstracts from the congress, in English and French, is now
available. The abstracts, many of which describe the use of biotechnologies in
rice, are organised under six main themes, one of which is 'genetic diversity
and improvement' (pages 1-59). To download the abstracts (available in French
and English), please visit http://www.africaricecenter.org/africaricecongress2010/index.html
2.09 6th
International Rice Genetics Symposium
(6–19 November 2009, Manila, The
Philippines): organised by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI),
the symposium's aim was to 'showcase the latest developments in the field,
including research on breeding, mapping of genes and quantitative trait loci,
identification and cloning of candidate genes for biotic and abiotic stresses,
gene expression, and genomic databases and mutant induction for functional
genomics'. A 365-page publication is available, containing abstracts from the
plenary, concurrent and poster sessions and from two workshops. The symposium
was held in conjunction with the 7th International Symposium on Rice Functional
Genomics. For the abstracts and more information, please visit the Symposium
website at http://ricegenetics.com/.
2.10 Plant Genetic Resources Newsletter: dead
but maybe not yet buried
During 2009, Bioversity
discontinued publishing PGRN,
although this decision may not yet be widely appreciated by the PGR community.
Its loss means that there is no longer a sensible outlet for the “grey” PGR
literature – such as reports of collection expeditions, updates on germplasm
collections, preliminary testing of new characterization protocols etc. A new
intiative is currently being launched by Robert Koebner (www.CropGenInternational.com) and Theo van Hintum (WUR) to bring PGRN back from the dead. The idea is to
resume publication as a web-only English language journal housed at WUR, and to
provide authors with linguistic support if needed. We are currently looking for
the necessary financial sponsorship, and to achieve this we need to demonstrate
that there is appreciable community support for the revival of PGRN.
So if you think that this is a
worthwhile goal and that you would like to see PGRN back as a freely
available, web-based journal, please email a message of support to Robert
Koebner at mockbeggars@gmail.com.
We hope to hear from as many of
you as possible!
Contributed by Pierre Charmetant
3.
3.01 FAO provides free access to statistics treasure trove
World's largest database of food, hunger and
agricultural information now fully accessible online
Rome, Italy
9 July 2010
FAO is granting free and open access to its central
data repository, FAOSTAT, the world's largest and most comprehensive
statistical database on food, agriculture, and hunger, the UN agency announced
today.
Previously, it was possible to download without charge
a limited amount of information from FAOSTAT –
which contains over one million data points covering 210 countries and territories
-- but access to larger batches of statistics required a paid annual
subscription.
The power of numbers
"We are now providing totally free access to this
immense pool of data," said Hafez Ghanem, FAO Assistant Director General
for Economic and Social Development. "This information is an important
tool in the fight to alleviate poverty, promote sustainable development and
eliminate hunger. We're particularly keen on making sure that economists,
planners, and policy-makers in the developing world, where that tool is needed
most, can get at it and put it to good use."
Ghanem also noted that the move forms part of an
ongoing FAO effort to provide easier and more direct access to its vast
information assets, an initiative that came out of an independent external
evaluation and strategic planning process initiated by FAO's Members in 2008.
"FAOSTAT is a powerful tool that can be used not
just to see where hunger occurs, but to drill down and better understand why
hunger occurs -- and what might be done to combat it," added Pietro
Gennari, FAO Statistics Division Director. "It’s especially designed to
support monitoring, analysis and informed, evidence-based policy-making
specifically related to rural and agricultural development and hunger reduction,
the only tool of its kind.”
In addition to aiding development planning, the
information contained in FAOSTAT gives developing countries the intelligence
they need in order to participate in and benefit from international trade in an
effective and competitive manner. Donor countries can also use it to identify
specific sectors where aid might be most effectively targeted.
A reservoir of knowledge
FAOSTAT includes data on agricultural and food
production, usage of fertilizers and pesticides, food aid shipments, food
balance sheets, forestry and fisheries production, irrigation and water use,
land use, population trends, trade in agricultural products, the use of
agricultural machinery, and more.
FAOSTAT can be consulted using English, French or
Spanish and allows users to select and organize the statistical information
into tables and charts according to their needs and to download it in Excel
format. The original statistic data is supplied by individual countries and
regional development organizations in standardized formats. Records go back to
1961, the dawn of the Green Revolution.
This reservoir of knowledge is already being used by
economists, planners and national development authorities, donor agencies,
international aid organizations, other UN agencies, NGOs, academic researchers,
investors – and farmers.
Current subscribers who will now have free access to
FAOSTAT include international news agencies, development institutions,
universities, government ministries and international organizations.
More news from: FAO
(Food and Agriculture Organization)
Website: http://www.fao.org
Published:
July 9, 2010
http://www.seedquest.com/news.php?type=news&id_article=8745&id_region=&id_category=&id_crop=
Source: SeedQuest.com
3.02 Tracking
research across the globe
Interactive website opens a window on
agricultural R&D
14
July 2010
Research
has shown that investments in agricultural research and extension have large
impacts on agricultural productivity, poverty, and nutrition. Yet, countries
under-invest in agriculture: In 2000, developing countries spent about $2 per
capita on agricultural research, and according to a 2008 World Bank report,
only 4 percent of official development assistance is directed toward
agriculture.
Recent
ASTI findings
The
Agricultural Science and Technology Indicators (ASTI) initiative collects,
analyzes, and shares data on agricultural research & development (R&D)
in developing countries. Facilitated by IFPRI, it tracks investment in
agricultural research, sources of R&D funding, and allocation of the
investment across institutional categories, as well as the number of
agricultural scientists, their degree levels, their distribution among major
commodities and themes, and the participation of female scientists.
Policymakers and other stakeholders can use this information to design
agricultural development strategies to reduce hunger and poverty.
ASTI
tools
The
interactive ASTI website
enables users to
- access primary data on agricultural
science indicators;
- present these data using a variety of
graphics tools;
- download national and regional
publications; and
- view profiles that list all agricultural
R&D agencies, and their contact details, in a given country.
ASTI
is updating data for more than 30 Sub-Saharan African countries. In coming
months, it expects to make available a large number of country, regional, and
sub-regional reports on its website. It recently launched a new blog so
those interested in agricultural R&D can keep abreast of developments.
Topics:
Agricultural Research &
Development
http://www.ifpri.org/blog/tracking-research-across-globe
Source: ASTI website via SeedQuest.com
4.01 Syngenta accepts student scholarship applications in
potato-growing areas
7 July 2010
Greensboro, North Carolina, USA
• This is the inaugural year of the Syngenta Potato
Scholarship
• The scholarship runs from July through September;
applications accepted online or via U.S. mail
• Agribusiness-focused scholarship winner awarded
$5,000 toward education
Continuing its investment in the future of
agriculture, Syngenta is sponsoring the inaugural Syngenta Potato Scholarship
program. Applications are currently being accepted, and the scholarship is open
to high school seniors and college students (excluding seniors) interested in
pursuing a career in agriculture who currently reside or attend school in one
of the following states: Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Michigan, North Dakota,
Oregon, Washington or Wisconsin.
The $5,000 scholarship opportunity is available to
students involved in the potato-growing industry who meet one of these
requirements: 1) High school senior interested in agriculture and/or involved
in 4-H or FFA; or 2) College freshman, sophomore or junior majoring (or
intending to major) in an agriculture-related field.
Applications must include:
- name
- address
- phone
number
- e-mail
- school/college
- major/intended
major
- agriculture
involvement
- verification
of the applicant’s involvement/previous involvement in 4-H or FFA
- declaration
of involvement in the potato-growing industry, and
- an essay
that does not exceed 350 words that addresses the following topic:
Agricultural resources are
becoming increasingly scarce, and still growers are expected to produce
higher-quality crops in a larger quantity with fewer resources. In 350 words or
less, explain how the potato industry could maximize its resources to meet the
growing demand for food, feed and fuel. When writing your essay, consider the
following aspects:
- Land Use
- Water Optimization
- Technology Transfer
- Biodiversity
Applications must be submitted by September 15, 2010, and can be sent
to:
Meredith Brown
Gibbs & Soell Public Relations
8521 Six Forks Road, Suite 300
Raleigh, NC 27615
Ph: (919) 870-5718
Fax: (919) 870-8911
E-mail: mbrown@gibbs-soell.com
For additional information and the ability to apply
for the scholarship online, please visit www.SyngentaPotatoScholarship.com.
The scholarship will be awarded in October prior to
the 2011 spring semester of school. The winner will be announced in November
and will be informed via letter. He or she will also be recognized at the
Potato Expo in Las Vegas, Nev., January 5 – 7, 2011.
http://www.seedquest.com/news.php?type=news&id_article=8665&id_region=&id_category=&id_crop=
Source: SeedQuest.com
4.02 2011 Jeanie Borlaug
Laube WIT Award: Call for Applications
The Borlaug Global
Rust Initiative (BGRI) is pleased to announce the call for applications for the
second annual Jeanie Borlaug Laube Women in Triticum (WIT) Award for early
career women researchers.
This award, established in 2010, provides professional development
opportunities for women working in wheat during the early stages of their
career. The award is named after Jeanie Borlaug Laube, mentor to many, and
daughter of Nobel Laureate Dr. Norman E. Borlaug. Jeanie Borlaug Laube has
served as Chair of the Borlaug Global Rust Initiative since October 2009.
Selection criteria:
·
The award is made
only to women
·
There is no age
limit, but the award is intended for early career scientists ranging from advanced undergraduates to
recent PhD graduates and post-doctoral fellows. Priority is given to women at
the pre-professoriate level.
·
Strength of
scientific abstract submitted to the BGRI annual technical workshop
·
Demonstrated
commitment to and passion for agricultural development
·
Leadership potential
·
Quality of written
statement of intent
·
1 letter of
recommendation from a supervisor, professor, or mentor that speaks to the
applicant’s leadership potential
Application
Deadline: October 1, 2010
Up to three awards may be granted in a given year. However, the number
of awards granted may be fewer in number depending on the quality of applications
received.
Recipients of the Jeanie Borlaug Laube WIT award are invited to the
annual BGRI technical workshop, to be held in St. Paul, Minnesota, USA, in June
2011. The exact amount of the award will vary with demonstrated need, but is
intended to help cover costs associated with attending the BGRI workshop,
including economy airfare, hotel, registration fees, and a standard per diem
for meals and other incidentals. Award recipients are also eligible to attend a
training program at CIMMYT in Obregon, Mexico, in 2011, along with the 2010
Jeanie Borlaug WIT Award recipients.
To apply, please complete the application below and submit along with a
letter of recommendation.
Applications must be
received by OCTOBER 1, 2010.
Electronic submissions may be sent to: WIT@globalrust.org
Applications may be sent by mail to:
Jeanie Borlaug Laube WIT Award
c/o Ronnie Coffman, Durable Rust Resistance in Wheat Project
Cornell University
252 Emerson Hall
Ithaca, NY 14851 USA
For an application
and for any questions, please contact:
Sarah Nell Davidson
Associate Director
Durable Rust Resistance in Wheat Project
31A Warren Hall
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY 14853
e-mail:
snd2@cornell.edu
t:
+1 607 255 1064
m: +1 607 279 5577
f: +1 607 255 1005
Please address general application questions to snd2@cornell.edu
Contributed by Jennifer M. Nelson
Durable Rust Resistance in Wheat Project
jmn99@cornell.edu
4.03 Women in Triticum
(WIT) Mentor Award: call for nominations
The Borlaug Global
Rust Initiative (BGRI) is pleased to announce the call for nominations for the
first annual Women in Triticum (WIT) Mentor Award.
This award, established in 2010 and to be first awarded in 2011,
recognizes mentors of both genders who have proven to be excellent mentors of
women working in Triticum and its nearest relatives.
Recipients of the WIT Mentor award will receive a cash honorarium of
$3,000 USD as well as the honor of organizing a session at the subsequent
year’s BGRI technical workshop.
Selection criteria:
- Men and women mentors are eligible.
- Demonstrated commitment to increasing gender
parity in agriculture as reflected in the nomination letter.
- Demonstrated excellence in mentoring of women
working in Triticum.
- Demonstrated commitment to scientific outputs
that contribute to healthy families around the world as reflected in the
nomination letter.
Deadline: Nominations
must be received by October 1, 2010
No more than one award will be granted in a given year. To submit a nomination for the Women in
Triticum (WIT) Mentor Award, please submit a letter that, in 500 words or less,
that illustrates why your nominee meets the stated selection criteria and is a
compelling recipient of the award.
Electronic submissions may be sent prior to October 1, 2010 to: WIT@globalrust.org
Applications may be sent by mail to:
WIT Mentor Award
c/o Ronnie Coffman, Durable Rust Resistance in Wheat Project
Cornell University
252 Emerson Hall
Ithaca, NY 14851 USA
Please include
information on the nominator as well as the nominee:
Part I. Nominator Information
Full Name:
Nationality:
Email address:
Address:
Current Institutional affiliation:
Gender (male or female):
Highest degree earned:
Date that your highest degree was earned:
Subject area of highest degree earned:
Part II. Nominee Information
Full Name:
Nationality:
Email address:
Address:
Current Institutional affiliation:
Gender (male or female):
Highest degree earned:
Subject area of highest degree earned:
Contributed by Jennifer M. Nelson
Durable Rust Resistance in Wheat Project
jmn99@cornell.edu
5.01 Strategic Scientist-Quantitative Modeling position at Monsanto
Required
experience/skills: PhD or PhD completion expected
in the next 6 months in Computer Science, Bioinformatics, Computational
Biology, Mathematics, Statistics and/or engineering discipline or equivalent
degree; creating predictive models and strategies to drive scientific decisions;
programming skills and ability to build predictive models from complex
data (either in an academic or professional environment); 3+ years experience with Statistical packages
(R, Matlab, SAS); proficient in computational modeling, simulation, data
analysis; strong publication record in peer reviewed journals.
Desired skills: quantitative genetics, QTL and association analysis to identify and
tag loci of interest with molecular markers; building models for predictive
breeding; advanced knowledge of various forms of statistical and analytical
techniques; machine learning experience; scientific programming (Perl, C/C++,
Java); experience working with agricultural/biological scientific data.
The Technology Pipeline Solutions (TPS) team within IT works directly
with the Monsanto scientists to develop software platforms that enable research
and development efforts. The accepted candidate will join the emerging field of
IT systems informatics leveraging their training to play a key role in defining
and delivering breakthrough science in high throughput R&D business
platforms (Breeding, Breeding Technology, Biotechnology and Compliance) for
Monsanto. The Strategic Scientist will identify changes in state-of-the-art
scientific technology in order to propose R&D software solutions to
accommodate latest trends in data quantity and quality. The selected candidate
will work in a collaborative research environment with interdisciplinary
scientists internal and external to Monsanto addressing the emerging changes in
analytical scientific breakthroughs.
Interested applicants may forward resume to pam.keck@monsanto.com and/or submit application on line; please reference this ad in your
cover letter. Monsanto is an equal opportunity employer; we value a combination
of ideas, perspectives and cultures. EEO/AA Employer M/F/D/V. www.monsanto.com
Contributed by Pam Keck
5.02 Positions
available at the Institute of Biological Environmental and Rural Sciences,
Aberystwyth University
CHAIR IN POPULATION
GENETICS/GENOMICS
Salary will be made within the
Professorial Range
Ref: IBERS.10.14
CHAIR IN BIOINFORMATICS
Salary will be made within the
Professorial Range
Ref: IBERS.10.18
CHAIR IN CROP GENETICS
& PHENOTYPE BIOLOGY
Salary will be made within the
Professorial Range
Ref: IBERS.10.20
LECTURESHIP IN CHEMICAL PHENOMICS
(METABOLOMICS)
Grade 7(from point 33 upwards)/8:
Ł32,620 - Ł43,840
Ref: IBERS.10.15
LECTURESHIP IN STATISTICAL
GENOMICS
Grade 7(from point 33 upwards)/8:
Ł32,620 - Ł43,840
Ref: IBERS.10.16
LECTURESHIP IN PURE AND APPLIED
EPIGENETICS
Grade 7(from point 33 upwards)/8:
Ł32,620 - Ł43,840
Ref: IBERS.10.17
LECTURESHIP IN QUANTITATIVE
GENETICS
Grade 7(from point 33 upwards)/8:
Ł32,620 - Ł43,840
Ref: IBERS.10.19
LECTURESHIP IN BIOINFORMATICS (NEXT GENERATION SEQUENCING)
Grade 7(from point 33 upwards)/8:
Ł32,620 - Ł43,840
Ref: IBERS.10.21
Closing date for all posts: 14
September 2010
Interview dates: During the
second half of October 2010
For information and
application forms please go to
www.aber.ac.uk/hr
Email: vacancies@aber.ac.uk
Hotline: (01970)
628555
Contributed by Catherine Howarth
cnh@aber.ac.uk
6. MEETINGS, COURSES
New listings may include some program details, while repeat listings will
include only basic information. Visit web
sites for additional details.
North Carolina
State University offering Plant Breeding Methods (HS 541) in a distance
education version
North Carolina State University will be offering CS,HS 541, Plant
Breeding Methods in a distance education version this fall. The
instructor is Todd Wehner (todd_wehner@ncsu.edu). This is an introductory Plant Breeding course for first year
graduate students and advanced undergraduate students. The emphasis
is on traditional methods of developing improved cultivars of cross-pollinated,
self-pollinated, and asexually-propagated crops, and the genetic principles on
which breeding methods are based. The purpose of this course is to
provide the student a general background in all areas of plant
breeding. The goal is to develop students who are knowledgeable in
all of the areas of plant breeding, and to have sufficient understanding to
work as an assistant breeder at a seed company, or to continue with advanced
courses in plant breeding.
CS,HS 541 presents an overview of plant breeding methods, including
germplasm resources, pollen control, measurement of genetic variances, and use
of heterosis. Special topics include genotype-environment
interaction, index selection, stress resistance, polyploidy, and mutation
breeding. The course provides in-depth coverage of methods for
breeding cross-pollinated, self-pollinated and asexually-propagated
crops. Courses usually taken before CS,HS 541 are genetics and
statistics. Courses taken after often include CS,HS 719 (germplasm
and biogeography), CS,HS 720 (molecular genetics), CS,HS 745 (quantitative
genetics), CS,HS 746 (advanced breeding), CS,HS 748 (pest resistance, now
PP590), CS,HS 860 (breeding lab 1), and CS,HS 861 (breeding lab 2). For
more information on HS 541 Plant Breeding Methods, see:
http://distance.ncsu.edu/courses/fall-courses/HS.php
For more information on Todd Wehner, see:
http://cucurbitbreeding.ncsu.edu/
++++++++++++++
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
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
+++++++++++
On-Line Crop Breeding
Courses Offered by UNL's Department of Agronomy & Horticulture
Course Questions: Contact
Cathy Dickinson at 402-472-1730 or cdickinson2@unl.edu
Payment Options: Credit
Cards ONLY accepted on-line, for other payment arrangements contact Cathy
Dickinson at 402-472-1730 or cdickinson2@unl.edu
Registration Questions: CARI
Registration Services 800-328-2851 or 402-472-1772, M-F 8:30a-4:30p CST
International Registrants: May
register on-line, if you need to contact us: We are available M-F 8:30a-4:30p
US CST by Skype Contact ID: cari.registration (free but must have free software
installed and computer microphone) or by calling 01-402-472-1772.
Available Courses - Fall
2010/Spring 2011
·
Self-Pollinated Crop Breeding, Aug. 24 - Sept. 23,
2010 more info
·
Germplasm & Genes, Sept. 28 - Nov. 2, 2010 more info
·
Cross-Pollinated Crop Breeding, Nov. 4 - Dec. 9,
2010 more info
·
Advanced Plant Breeding Topics, Feb. 1 - Mar. 3,
2011
Registration Options
Any
1 Course $150.00
Any
2 Courses $275.00
Any
3 Courses $400.00 (price includes course notebook)
All
4 Courses $500.00 (price includes course notebook)
For
additional information see http://go.unl.edu/cropbreeding
Contributed
by Cathy L Dickinson
P.
Stephen Baenziger
pstephen.baenziger@gmail.com
++++++++++++
2 August – 1 October 2010. Hands-on training program, Wheat
Improvement and Pathology, CIMMYT El Batán & Toluca, Mexico
Note: Application deadline was May 28th, 2010
For more details contact:
Petr Kosina (p.kosina@cgiar.org)
3 August 2010 8:00AM to 6:00 PM. 2010 ASHS Intellectual Property Symposium - Current Issues and
Applications for Intellectual Property of Horticultural Plant Cultivars,
Palm Desert, CA, USA.
To learn more, go to:
To register for the ASHS IP Symposium (or become an
ASHS member), you can do so at http://www.ashs.org.
(NEW) 23-27 August 2010.Workshop on Experimental Design and
Data Analysis with Focus on Underutilized Crops
The
International Foundation for Science (IFS), Bioversity International, RUFORUM
and other partners will conduct a training workshop on experimental design and
data analysis with focus on underutilized crops research on August 23-27 in
Entebbe, Uganda. Applicants from the African countries Uganda, Kenya, Malawi,
Ehiopia and Mozambique who are working on inter-disciplinary and
multi-stakeholder research projects of underutilized crops, between 40 to 45
years old are encouraged to apply by July 20, 2010.
For
more information on this announcement and on how to apply, check http://www.bioversityinternational.org/news_and_events/news/news/article/call_for_interest_workshop_on_experimental_design_and_data_analysis_with_focus_on_underutilized_cro.html?tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=323&cHash=45815b1e86
15-17 August 2010. 4th
Annual Plant Breeding Meeting, Plant Breeding Coordinating Committee (PBCC),
and the new National Association of Plant Breeders (NAPB) (an initiative of
the PBCC), Pioneer Hi-Bred
Hotel reservation deadline at group rate is July 31st; see http://2010plantbreedingmeeting.eventbrite.com/ for more information, including the program agenda and featured
speakers.
Call for nominations for NAPB
Secretary, NAPB Treasurer, and PBCC Vice Chair: please forward names to Stephen
Baenziger at pbaenziger1@unl.edu. The NAPB Secretary position is newly elected each year as the
first seat in an annual progression through Vice Chair, Chair, (NAPB Officers)
and Past Chair (PBCC Officer). NAPB Treasurer and PBCC Vice Chair are
newly created, elected positions in the revised NAPB/PBCC organizational
structure.
http://cuke.hort.ncsu.edu/gpb/meetings/pbccmeeting2010.html
29 August – 1
September 2010. Molecular Plant Breeding: An International
Short Course on Practical Applications of Molecular Tools for Plant Breeding.
Michigan
http://www.worldtap.msu.edu/home/page/70
30 August – 1
September 2010. 14th EUCARPIA Meeting on
http://www.comav.upv.es/capsicumeggplant/
(UPDATE)
September 2010. Apply
now for Class III of the UC Davis Plant Breeding Academy
Next class starts September 2010
Space is limited – only 4 spots remain
available.
This unique program is only offered every two years.
A number of applicants have already been selected for
this premier training program which is targeted toward working professionals
and provides in-depth postgraduate education in plant breeding.
The program, which is not crop specific, teaches the
fundamentals of plant breeding, genetics, and statistics through a balance of
classroom instruction, workshops, and site visits to plant breeding programs.
The PBA Academy has gained a wide recognition. To
date, 66 participants in 4 different PBA programs represent 17 countries and 40
different breeding organizations.
For detailed information and to apply:
Visit http://pba.ucdavis.edu/ or contact Joy Patterson at jpatterson@ucdavis.edu, 530-752-4414
or Rale Gjuric, Director, UCD Plant Breeding
Academy, 204-688-5116, rgjuric@ucdavis.edu
5-9 September 2010. Third
International Conference on Plant Molecular Breeding, Beijing,
China
·
Fellowship opportunities open to: participants from
developing countries in Africa and Asia
·
Target: Plant scientists with interest and/or
background in molecular breeding
·
More
14-18 September 2010. 14th International Biotechnology
Symposium, Rimini, Italy
·
Early application deadline (for reduced fees): 31
May 2010
·
Target: Biotechnology professionals from different
scientific disciplines
·
More
22-24 September 2010. International
Rice Conference for Latin America and the Caribbean – “Rice Challenges for XXI
Century", Intercontinental Hotel, Cali, Colombia.
Contact: Ximena Escobar
CIAT-FLAR
26 – 29
September 2010. 7th International Phytotechnology Society:
Phytotecnologies in the 21st Century: Challenges after Copenhagen
2009. Remediation – Energy – Health – Sustainability, the University of
http://www.societabotanicaitaliana.it/detail.asp?idn=665&IDSezione=2
27 September –
1 October 2010. 5th World Cowpea Conference: Improving livelihoods in the cowpea value
chain through advancement in science. Dakar,
Senegal. http://cowpea2010.iita.org/
(NEW) 1 November 2010. Annual
Meeting of the ASA/CSSA/SSA: C01 Crop Breeding & Genetics.
Breeding and Genetics of Improved Pest Resistance
Organizer: Georgia Eizenga
Presiding: Mauricio Ulloa
12:55 PM-4:25 PM
Organizer: Georgia Eizenga
Presiding: David Baltensperger
4:00 PM-6:00 PM
Breeding for Resistance to Biotic Stress
Organizer: Georgia Eizenga
Evaluation of Agronomic Performance and Quality
Organizer: Georgia Eizenga
7:55 AM-12:00 PM
Tools for Evaluating and/or Enhancing Genetic
Progress
Organizer: Georgia Eizenga
Presiding: Ganesan Srinivasan
4:00 PM-6:00 PM
Breeding for Tolerance to Abiotic Stress
Organizer: Georgia Eizenga
Graduate Student Poster Competition
Organizer: Georgia Eizenga
Use of Molecular Tools to Enhance Breeding Efforts
Organizer: Georgia Eizenga
9:55 AM-4:00 PM
Organizer: Georgia Eizenga
Presiding: Wenwei Xu
12:55 PM-4:00 PM
Organizer: Georgia Eizenga
Presiding: J. Perry Gustafson
1-19 November
2010. Plant genetic resources and seeds:
policies, conservation and use. MS Swaminathan
Research Foundation in Chennai (first part), and in Jeypur, Orissa (second
part).
8-12 November 2010. 3rd International Rice Congress (IRC2010),
(NEW)
8-19
November 2010. Eighth training course of ICRISAT-CEG:
Application
of Molecular Markers in Crop Improvement, ICRISAT
Campus at Patancheru, Greater Hyderabad, India.
ICRISAT's
Center of Excellence in Genomics (CEG, www.icrisat.org/ceg), supported by
the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India, is pleased to
announce its Eighth Training Course. ICRISAT-CEG has already trained 160
scientists through organizing 7 training courses. Details about these courses
and participants are available at http://www.icrisat.org/CEG/cegregistration.htm.
The
overall theme of the course is application of molecular markers in crop
improvement. The major focus in the course will be on analysis and the use of
marker genotyping data rather than on data generation. Course will provide
hands-on training on sample preparation, the experimental design and data
analysis components of molecular markers by using different biometrics and
bioinformatics tools. Construction of genetic linkage maps, marker-trait
association based on linkage mapping procedures and use of decision support
systems in molecular breeding will have major emphasis in the course. In
addition, participants will be exposed to the new advances in genomics,
bioinformatics and modern breeding through lectures on topics like association
genetics, next generation sequencing, marker-assisted recurrent selection,
genomic selection and novel bioinformatics approaches.
The
Eighth Training course is open to mainly Indian scientists however, few
scientists from developing countries who have demonstrable ability to use the
techniques taught can also apply. Selected Indian participants will be provided
2nd class AC train fare by the shortest route to/from ICRISAT, boarding and
lodging at ICRISAT. Candidates selected from other developing countries will
need to get the sponsorship from either their organization or some other
funding agencies for their travel expenses and ICRISAT will be taking care of
their boarding and lodging at ICRISAT campus during the course. Last date for
submitting on line application is 25 August 2010 at
(www.icrisat.org/ceg/cegregistration1.htm).
For
further details or queries, please contact: Rajeev Varshney, Leader- Centre of
Excellence in Genomics (e-mail: r.k.varshney@cgiar.org) or
Kanaka Prasad, Officer- Training (k.d.prasad@cgiar.org).
(NEW) 15-27 November 2010. The
Fifth International Training Course In Vitro and Cryopreservation for
Conservation of Plant Genetic Resources: Current Methods and Techniques, National
Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR), Pusa Campus, New Delhi, India.
The
International Training Course is being organized by the NBPGR-Bioversity International
Centre of Excellence and co-organized with the Asia-Pacific Consortium on
Agricultural Biotechnology (APCoAB), a programme of Asia-Pacific Association of
Agricultural Research Institutions (APAARI).
This
practical, hands-on course is designed for those currently involved in the
development and use of in vitro and/or cryopreservation techniques for the
medium to long-term conservation of vegetatively propagated and non-orthodox
seed species. The deadline for applications is 30 September 2010.
Details
about application and course content can be found on the website.
Please
share this announcement with your partners, colleagues and networks which might
benefit from this training opportunity.
Contributed
by Elisa de’ Medici
Bioversity
International
e.demedici@cgiar.org
22-24 November 2010. 10th Gatersleben Research
Conference 2010 (GRCX) "Sequence-informed Crop Research", Leibniz
Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), Gatersleben, Germany
http://meetings.ipk-gatersleben.de/GRCX/
Contributed by Roland Schnee
schnee@ipk-gatersleben.de
(NEW) 16-17 February 2011. Seed
Biology, Production and Quality,
UC Davis Seed Biotechnology Center, University of California, Davis.
To enroll: sbc.ucdavis.edu
In this course, learn the fundamentals and the most
current research information from leading experts in plant sciences on seed
development, production, harvesting, conditioning, storage, enhancement and
quality assessment.
Contact:
Jeannette Martins
jmartins@ucdavis.edu
(NEW) 6-10 June 2011. 13th
InternationalLupin Conference 2011, Poznań, Poland
The management of the Institute of Plant Genetics Polish Academyof
Sciences and the board of the Polish Lupin Association have a pleasureto invite
you to come to Poznań (Poland) and participate in the
13thInternationalLupin Conference 2011.Poznań is the capital of
Wielkopolska - a region of Poland renowned for highstandards and long-standing
traditions in agriculture. It is a beautiful city witha long, turbulent history
as well as a strong academic center with numerousscientific institutions, many
of them specializing in different aspects of lupinresearch (http://www.poznan.pl/mim/public/turystyka/index.html?lang=en).
The theme – “Lupin crops – an opportunity for today, a promise for the
future” – provides an international forum to discuss the current role of lupins
in animal nutrition, human diet and sustainable agricultural systems, and
should stimulate researchers and industry professionals to take on new
challenges in lupin genetic improvement and agronomic use.
PROGRAM - tentative sessions (titles and number of sessions can be
modified according to the feedback from potential contributors through the
Expression of Interest Form )
1. Taxonomy, biodiversity, ecogeography and evolution
2. Genetics and genomics
3. Breeding and biotechnology
4. Agro-ecology, farming systems, profitable and sustainable production
5. Physiology, plant development and symbiosis
6. Biochemistry and metabolomics
7. Diseases, pests, and tolerance to abiotic stresses
8. Lupins for human and animal nutrition and health
The Organizing Committee intends to publish a book of abstracts as well
as a monography of peer-reviewed contributed papers which will be delivered to the
Participants during the Conference.
http://www.igr.poznan.pl/
Contributed by George Hill
Secretary/Treasurer, International Lupin Association
October 2011. 10th
African Crop Science Society Conference 2011,
More information will be available on ACSS website.
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 of information and ideas about applied plant breeding
and related fields. It is a component of the Global Partnership Initiative for Plant Breeding
Capacity Building (
The newsletter is managed by the
editor and an advisory group consisting of Elcio Guimaraes
(elcio.guimaraes@fao.org),
Subscribers are encouraged to
take an active part in making the newsletter a useful communications tool.
Contributions may be in such areas as: technical communications on key plant
breeding issues; announcements of meetings, courses and electronic conferences;
book announcements and reviews; web sites of special relevance to plant
breeding; announcements of funding opportunities; requests to other readers for
information and collaboration; and feature articles or discussion issues
brought by subscribers. Suggestions on format and content are always welcome by
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