* GLOBAL * FLOOD-TOLERANT RICE DEVELOPED
Research teams from the International Rice Research Institute
(IRRI) in the Philippines and the University of California's
Davis and Riverside campuses have discovered a rice gene
that allows the crop to survive complete submergence in water,
with no compromise to yield. This discovery will pave the
way to the development of rice varieties that can withstand
flooding, a common problem in many rice-growing countries.
Although rice is grown in standing water, it will die if
it is completely submerged for more than a few days. However,
weed populations decreased if rice is left in water. The
isolated gene, designated Sub1A, can therefore buy farmers
time and reduce herbicide use. The research team is now trying
to identify all the genes that are regulated by Sub1A, to
use this information to further improve tolerance to flooding
and other stresses.
For information, please contact: Duncan Macintosh, email
d.macintosh@cgiar.org. More information is available in the
Research section of this issue of the Crop Biotech Update.
BIOTECH TOBACCO FOR THE PRODUCTION OF HIV PREVENTION CREAM
AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome), a sexually transmitted
disease, is a global health problem of epidemic proportions.
In Sub-Saharan Africa alone, an estimated 24.5 million people
were living with AIDS at the end of 2005, and approximately
2.7 million new infections occurred during that year. AIDS
is caused by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), which
leads to the devastation of the immune system.
The
best protection against HIV is the use of condoms. However,
women cannot always ensure their partners
use adequate protection.
Dr. Julian Ma and his team of researchers, of St George’s
University of London, are working on developing an additional
barrier to HIV infection: a vaginal cream that prevents transmission
of the virus if applied twice a week. The active ingredient
in the cream is the microbicide Cyanovirin-N (CV-N), which
inactivates an extensive range of HIV strains. Initial clinical
trials of the cream on monkeys have provided very encouraging
results, and the team hopes to conduct human trails in the
next three years.
However,
for the new treatment to make a significant global health
impact, particularly in developing
countries, it is
essential to produce the microbicide cheaply and in large
supplies. As conventional production systems do not meet
these requirements, Dr. Ma has turned to transgenic tobacco
plants as alternative pharmaceutical “factories” for
the large-scale production of CV-N. The team is currently
investigating the scale-up of cultivation of transgenic plants,
in sealed containment greenhouses in the UK. For more information, contact Dr. Julian Ma at: jma@sgul.ac.uk
INTERNATIONAL CONSORTIUM SEQUENCES GENOME OF FOREST FRIENDLY
FUNGUS
An international consortium of research teams from France,
the United States, Belgium, Germany, and Sweden have elucidated
the genomic sequence of the soil fungus Laccaria bicolor (commonly known as bi-colored deceiver). L.
bicolor establishes
mutually beneficial symbiosis with tree species in natural
and in agro-forestry ecosystems, aiding its host in the absorption
of nutrients and minerals of the soil, in exchange for a
home and for carbon sources from the tree. L. bicolor is
used in large-scale commercial inoculation programs in forest
nurseries worldwide to promote the growth of tree seedlings.
L.
bicolor is the first symbiotic fungus to be sequenced,
and the information obtained from the 65 million base pairs
distributed in 10 pairs of chromosomes, encoding 20,000 genes,
will provide important insights into the genetic basis of
plant-fungal interactions.
To find out more, visit http://genome.jgi-psf.org/Lacbi1/
Lacbi1.home.html or http://www.inra.fr/presse/
sequencage_laccaria_bicolor,
or write to Francis Martin (fmartin@nancy.inra.fr).
CROSS-CONTINENT SURVEY ON GM FOOD CONDUCTED
About 62% of South Africans and 43% of Singaporeans who
are familiar with genetically modified (GM) foods are accepting
of the technology, as long as it makes food taste better.
This is one of the findings of a recently concluded survey
by Synovate, a global market research company, which surveyed
3,127 respondents in Greece, Indonesia, Poland, Singapore,
and South Africa.
Other findings of the survey include the following: 1) 84%
of Greeks and a majority of respondents in South Africa and
Poland are familiar with GM foods, while 92% of Indonesians
and 65% of Singaporeans are not familiar with the term; 2)
among the consumers who are aware of GM foods, 89% of those
from Greece, 68% from Poland, 59% from Singapore, 66% from
Indonesia, and 33% of South Africans believe they may be
harmful; and 3) despite these cautious feelings, 46% of Indonesians,
45% of South Africans, and 42% of Poles and Singaporeans
believe that the benefits of GM foods outweigh the risks.
For more information on Synovate, visit http://www.synovate.com.
Read the press release at http://www.synovate.com/current/news/
article/2006/08/gm-foods-8211-delight-or-fright.html.
* AFRICA *
AFRICA RICE CONGRESS YIELDS RESOLUTIONS ON FOOD SECURITY
Rice should be one of the cornerstones of a Green Revolution
for Africa, and this can be achieved through a new and better
capacity-building program focusing on the development of
a multi-disciplinary cadre of scientists. In line with this,
equal attention should be urgently given to four areas: policy,
capacity building, technology development and transfer, and
infrastructure. This was one of the resolutions reached at
the recently concluded Africa Rice Congress in Dar es Salaam,
Tanzania.
Other resolutions were adopted, among them measures to accelerate
farmer adoption of New Rices for Africa (NERICA) varieties
and other improved technologies through concerted actions
by a broad partnership, including governments, research institutions,
NGOs, the private sector, and local, regional, and international
organizations. The Congress participants also urged African
governments to support their rice farmers, instead of becoming
increasingly dependent on external supply for rice.
Leading scientists attending the Congress also mentioned
that new farming technologies being introduced to the continent
benefited mainly men, many of whom had left their rural homes
for urban centers. Dr Tunji Akande, a rice policy analyst,
said the scenario has adversely affected the production of
rice in countries like Kenya, where more than 60% of labor
in rice fields are provided by women.
The
congress was organized by the Africa Rice Center (WARDA).
About 175 participants from all over the world, particularly
from West, East, and Central Africa, attended. With reports
from http://allafrica.com/stories/200608040086.html and http://allafrica.com/stories/200608070373.html.
Read the press releases at http://www.warda.org/warda/newsrel-
congress2-aug06.asp,
http://www.warda.org/warda/
newsrel-congress-aug06.asp, and
http://www.cgiar.org/
newsroom/releases/news.asp?idnews=443.
ETHIOPIA,
U.S. SIGN GRANT AGREEMENT Ethiopia and the United States have signed
a grant agreement in support of ongoing U.S.-Ethiopian
partnership programs
under USAID. The agreement was signed by Mekonnen Manyazewal,
Ethiopia’s State Minister of Finance and Economic Development,
and Glenn Anders, USAID Mission Director, and amounts to
US$ 57.6 million.
USAID partnership programs in Ethiopia are carried out to
reduce vulnerability to disease, improve quality of primary
education, ensure food security, and end poverty and hunger.
About US$ 15.6 million of the grant will be used to fund
existing and new programs promoting market-led economic growth,
particularly in the food, livestock, and agriculture sectors.
Read the complete news, and other articles related to Ethiopia,
at http://www.ena.gov.et.
UGANDA TRADE SHOW SPEAKERS CALL FOR RESEARCH SHARING
Hilary Onek, Uganda’s Minister of Agriculture, has
called on local research bodies to share their output and
results with farming communities in order to increase the
country’s agricultural productivity. He announced this
as he presided over the closing ceremonies of the 14th Source
of the Nile Agricultural and Trade Show, held recently in
Jinja, Uganda.
State Minister for Agriculture in Charge of Animal Industry,
Maj. Bright Rwamirama, was also at the same function. He
said that displays at the show had proved that good research
has been conducted, and what remains is for farmers to be
given information and resources to allow them to engage in
farming as a business.
With reports from http://allafrica.com/stories/200608010182.html and http://allafrica.com/stories/200607240313.html.
* THE AMERICAS *
LEUCENA BOOSTS MAIZE YIELDS IN MIXED FIELDS
Leucaena
leucocephala, a fast-growing perennial shrub from
Central America, is the most widely cultivated tropical legume,
and provides the highest quality feed of any tropical legume.
Legumes have the ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen, an
essential agricultural nutrient, through their symbiotic
interaction with beneficial bacteria known as Rhizobia. Leucena is able therefore to provide up to 500 kg/hectare/year of
nitrogen to a field. In addition, the tropical legume also
has the ability to interact with soil fungi for an improved
uptake of additional essential nutrients and minerals.
Researchers of the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation
(EMBRAPA) have investigated the effect on the productivity
of maize crops when leucena shrubs are planted intercalated
among the maize plants. The result: Up to 200% increase in
production in the absence of added chemical nitrogen fertilizers,
compared to plantations of only maize.
According to Israel Alexandre Pereira Filho of EMBRAPA,
this finding has important implications for small-scale,
resource-poor farmers, as it would significantly lower the
costs of production. In addition, excess, unabsorbed chemical
nitrogen fertilizers are a major source of agricultural pollution
as they contaminate water supplies, so a mixed cultivation
strategy would also be very beneficial to the environment.
Read more (in Portuguese) at: http://www.embrapa.br/noticias/
banco_de_noticias/folder.2006/agosto/foldernoticia.2006
-08-01.3121836454/noticia.2006-08-03.3290835854/mostra_noticia
PERUVIAN FARMERS HEAVY PESTICIDE USERS, STUDY FINDS
Farmers in Peru are damaging to their health, and that of
their families, by using toxic pesticides without proper
protection. This is one of the findings of a study by the
International Potato Center (CIP): Persistent Organic Pollutants
(POPs) Pesticides in Andean Farming Communities in Peru.
The project was funded by the Canadian POPs Fund through
the World Bank, and research was conducted in five areas
in Peru previously selected as hotspots of pesticide use.
Findings of the study include the following:
1) Farmers are still using hazardous pesticides, including
Temik, an
extremely hazardous chemical that has been the cause of many
deaths and severe bouts of poisoning in many areas of Peru;
2) Some pesticides that are now being used in Peru should
be applied only when wearing extensive protection, but farmers
with limited resources and education have no access to this
information, and are thus unaware of the risks; and 3) Farmers
frequently have direct contact with pesticides, but often
do not understand the meaning of hazard colors on pesticide
labels. One solution is integrated pest management (IPM),
the CIP mentions in its press release; IPM’s main objective
is to reduce the excessive use of pesticides to achieve a
more sustainable agriculture.
Read the complete press release at http://www.cipotato.org/news_more.asp?cod=26.
* ASIA AND THE PACIFIC *
INDONESIA, AUSTRALIA CONSUMER PERCEPTION SURVEYS CONDUCTED
Australians and Indonesians have similar attitudes toward
genetically modified (GM) foods. This was the conclusion
of a recently-conducted survey of consumer perceptions of
GM foods, led by Marthin G. Nanere of La Trobe University,
Australia; Asep Saefuddin of Bogor Agricultural University,
Indonesia; and Emmanuel Yiridoe from Nova Scotia Agricultural
College, Canada.
The researchers conducted the surveys from October 2005-February
2006. Data from 635 respondents showed around 70% of Indonesians
and 56% of Australians were willing to consume GM foods if
these foods reduced pesticides use. Moreover, around 80%
of Indonesians and close to 70% of Australians were willing
to consume GM foods if these foods were more nutritious than
their non-GM counterparts. The study also found that ethical
and religious concerns are apparently more important in Indonesia
than in Australia in explaining consumer attitudes toward
GM foods.
For more detail information, please send email to Asep Saefuddin,
PhD at wakilrektor4@ipb.ac.id.
VIETNAM’S
SCIENTIFIC ORGS TO OPERATE BUSINESS VENTURES
Ten
ministry research institutes and five scientific and technological
organizations in Vietnam have
been selected
to operationalize a pilot project that will introduce organizational
reforms to encourage income generating activities. These
agencies will operate like a business – from taking
out loans, covering operational costs, making investments,
and engaging in joint ventures with foreign companies. They
can also engage in production, selling, and exporting of
products that are produced from the research they do.
Dang
Kim Son, Director of the Institute for Agricultural and
Rural Development Policy and Strategy, says that the
new model would enable organizations to provide better
salaries for its staff as well as improve working conditions
to attract
more talents. For more news from Vietnam, email Le Hien of BiotechVn at
lehien@agbiotech.com.vn.
CSIRO DEVELOPING INSECT RESISTANT COWPEAS FOR AFRICA
Australia’s CSIRO Plant Industry is
developing insect resistant cowpeas using biotechnology
to address a major
protein food crop requirement for Sub-Saharan Africa. Scientists
led by Dr. TJ Higgens are working on a system to introduce
new Bt genes to provide protection against pod borers in
cowpeas, a serious pest that can reduce yield by more than
80 percent.
CSIRO Plant Industry has already developed good gene transfer
systems for legumes such as peas, chickpeas, and lupins.
Thus, they were approached by the Network for Genetic Improvement
of Cowpeas Africa to work on the crop. The research currently
being done is supported by the African Agricultural Technology
Foundation, with grants from the Rockefeller Foundation.
Aside from developing improved breeding material, CSIRO
Plant Industry aims to transfer the technology to Africa.
An African scientist has visited the Canberra-based group
and was able to reproduce the system. Other trainees are
expected to ensure that sub- Saharan nations will be able
to use this technology.
Additional information on the CSIRO project is available
at http://www.pi.csiro.au/enewsletter/PDF/PI_info_Cowpeas.pdf
RICE
GENE MAKES CROP FLOOD-TOLERANT
When
plants are submerged in water, they automatically turn
on a variety of responses that enhance their survival.
But if they are submerged for too long, they wilt and
die. Rice is no different: Even as rice is grown in water,
young plants are often affected by annual flooding of
low-lying agricultural lands. Some cultivars, however,
are highly tolerant, and can survive up to two weeks
of complete submergence due to a major quantitative trait
locus designated Submergence 1 (Sub1).
But
how exactly does Sub1 work? Kenong Xu and colleagues
of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in
the Philippines, and the University of California's Davis
and Riverside campuses, analyze the components of the Sub1 locus,
and find that “Sub1A is an ethylene-response-factor-like
gene that confers submergence tolerance to rice.” Their
findings are published in Nature.
In
analyzing the gene, scientists found that the Sub1 locus
is actually composed of three genes from the ethylene-response-factor
(ERF) family, which comprises proteins that function
in allowing plants to cope with plant stress. The first, Sub1A,
they found, is variable but required for submergence
tolerance; and, when over-expressed in rice, the Sub1A gene
allows the rice varieties to tolerate submergence in
water. A variant, Sub1A-1, was found only in
submergence-tolerant rice; while Sub1A-2, differing
from Sub1A-1 by a single nucleotide change,
was the submergence-intolerant version of the gene. When
introduced to the submergence-intolerant rice variety
Swarna, which lacks Sub1A, scientists found
that resulting rice plants were not only tolerant of
being submerged in water, but also produced high yields
and retained other beneficial crop qualities.
This
success in characterizing the Sub1A gene demonstrates
the value of having a high-quality reference sequence
from a single plant cultivar for accurate detection of
genetic variation. Knowledge of the sequence of specific
genes and their associated variants will also enable
researchers to tap into the natural genetic variation
in a wide collection of rice germ lines. Development
of submergence-tolerant varieties using these procedures
is at an advanced stage for Laos, Bangladesh, and India,
and has already been reported in Thailand.
Subscribers
to the journal can read the complete article at http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/
v442/n7103/full/nature04920.html and its corresponding commentary at http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/
v442/n7103/full/442635a.html. Other readers can access the abstract at http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/
v442/n7103/abs/nature04920.html
BEAN
GENE WORKS FOR CMV RESISTANCE IN OTHER PLANTS
To
protect themselves against pathogen invasion, plants
make use of specific resistance (R) genes. Studies have
shown that the R proteins interact with pathogen elicitors,
triggering a cascade of defense responses that eventually
lead a pathogen to be confined within the initial zone
of infection. This localization of infection protects
a plant from further damage by the pathogen.
How
unique are these resistance genes? Can they function
only in certain plants, and not in others? Young-Su Seo
and colleagues of University of California, Davis report
that “A viral resistance gene from common bean
functions across plant families and is up-regulated in
a non-virus-specific manner” in the latest issue
of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science,
USA.
Researchers
identified viral response genes in common bean undergoing
defense response to viral infection, and selected a gene
designated as RT4-4 for further analysis. They
introduced RT4-4 to Nicotiana benthamiana,
and screened transgenic plants for resistance to bean
dwarf mosaic virus (BDMV), cucumber mosaic virus (CMV),
bean common mosaic virus (BCMV), bean yellow mosaic virus
(BYMV), and tobacco mosaic virus (TMV). Researchers found
that most plants, whether transgenic or non-transgenic,
developed disease symptoms typical to BDMV, BCMV, BYMV,
or TMV. However, transgenic plants developed systemic
necrosis, a resistance-response, when infected with seven
strains of CMV from pepper or tomato, but not a CMV from
bean. Researchers traced the response to RT4-4 activity
by detecting resistance responses in CMV-challenged leaves
of transgenic tobacco plants. They also identified the CMV
2a gene product as the elicitor of the necrosis
response. The approach holds promise, the researchers
write, for providing insights into the mechanisms by
which plants activate resistance responses against pathogens.
Subscribers
to PNAS can read the complete article at http://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/full/103/32/11856.
Non-subscribers can read the abstract at http://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/abstract/103/32/11856.
RING
MUTANT WINS DROUGHT WAR
The
RING, or Really Interesting New Gene, zinc-finger proteins
are known to function in gene regulation and development.
A large number of RING zinc-finger protein genes are
present in the Arabidopsis genome, suggesting that such
proteins are important for plant growth and development.
But what do RING zinc-finger proteins do?
Scientists
from Michigan State University take a look at the XERICO gene,
which codes for RING zinc-finger protein, and which has
been found to be induced by salt and osmotic stress.
Through their experiments, Jae-Heung Ko and colleagues
find that “Upregulation of an Arabidopsis RING-H2 gene, XERICO,
confers drought tolerance through increased abscisic
acid biosynthesis.” Their findings appear in the
latest issue of The Plant Journal.
The
team over-expressed the XERICO gene in Arabidopsis plants,
and analyzed the overall expression of genes in both
transgenic and wild-type plants at various growth stages.
The researchers found that adult transgenic plants were
more resistant to salt and osmotic stress compared to
wild-type controls, however young seedlings showed hypersensitivity
to the same stresses, as well as to exogenous abscisic
acid (ABA) . ABA functions in plant development and stress
responses, such as drought. The team reports that the
level of various plant hormones was altered in transgenic
plants over-expressing XERICO. Understanding
how ABA is regulated, and how it accumulation affects
the level and performance of other plant hormones, is
crucial in developing drought tolerant crops.
Subscribers
to the Plant Journal can read the complete article through http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-313X.2006.02782.x or http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/full/10.1111/
j.1365-313X.2006.02782.x. Other readers can access the abstract through
http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/
j.1365-313X.2006.02782.x.
COURSE
ON CROP PRE-BREEDING SCHEDULED
The
Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA),
the Cooperative Program on Agricultural Research, Development
and Innovation for the South American Tropics, and the
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
(FAO) will hold an International Course on Crop Pre-breeding
in Brasilia, Brazil, on October 17-27, 2006. The objective
of this course is to train Latin-American researchers in
strategies of use of vegetable germplasm, with emphasis
on pre-breeding. For more information, visit http://www.cenargen.embrapa.br/
pre-melhoramento/Ing/index_ing.html.
ACCESS
TO LEARNING AWARDS OPEN FOR NOMINATIONS
The
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s annual Access
to Learning Award 2007 is open for nominations. The award
recognizes excellence in providing access to information
by utilizing new information and communication technologies
in an innovative way, at no cost to the user. The recipient
will receive an award of up to US $1 million. Deadline
for nominations is December 31, 2006. A PDF version of
the application is available at http://www.inasp.info/ldp/awards.
BIOINDUSTRIES
TO GATHER IN BIOBRASIL 2006
The
industry hub of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil will
play host to BioBrasil 2006: Business and Trends in Biotechnology,
on October 17-18 of this year. Created by FIEMG System
- Industry Federation of Minas Gerais State – the
conference focus on subjects as agribusiness, human and
animal health, and will include the 3rd International Congress
of Biotechnology, Exposition of Products and Services in
Biotechnology, and Al-INVEST Business Meeting. For more
information, visit http://www.fiemg.org.br/Default.aspx?tabid=1888.
MALAYSIA
CONFERENCE TO EXAMINE BIODIESEL
Biodiesel:
Renewable Energy will be held at the Ritz Carlton, Kuala
Lumpur Malaysia on August 22-23, 2006. This premier regional
conference will explore the business opportunities the
biodiesel industry has to offer; from production to marketing
to distribution. Read more at http://www.coreventus.com/
brochures/Biodiesel_KLC31B.pdf.
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