Articles in the August 10, 2012 Issue of Crop Biotech Update

NEWS

Global
• FAO: World Rice Production to Increase
• FAO, Bioversity Int'l Call for Sustainable Diet and Food Diversity
• Improved Lentil Varieties Boost Production in South Asia and Africa
• MSU Leads Global Food Security Effort

Africa
• Limited Knowldege and Understanding Slowing Down Biotech in Africa, says Kenyan Minister
• Genome Sequencing Could Boost African Banana Production
• CIMMYT Expands SIMLESA Program in Africa
• Biofortification Program Reduces Vitamin A Deficiency in Uganda
• Biotech Has No Health and Environmental Hazards, Says Expert
• Virus-resistant Cassava Trials Show Good Results
• Witch Weed Resistant Seeds Introduced in Tanzania

Americas
• WFP Laureate Advocate for Ag Technologies to Combat Drought
• Scientists Create Low-Lignin Plants for Biofuel Production
• US Researchers Release National Low Carbon Fuel Standard
• Arcadia Biosciences Tie up with Indian Company to Develop LSL Tomatoes
• Epigenetics Vital in Disease Resistance

Asia and the Pacific
• Filipino Farmers Briefed on Bt Eggplant and Advantage of Biotech Crops
• Science Communication and Media Workshop in China
• Bayer CropScience to Set up Australian Breeding Center for Wheat and Oilseeds
• ICRISAT Project Increases Sorghum Yields in India
• Rice Scientists Give Update on C₄Rice Project
• Vietnamese Agri Experts: Give Biotech Crops a Go ASAP

Europe
• Biotech Standing Report of Portugal Released
• Ireland Announces 2013 Bioenergy Scheme for Willow and Miscanthus

Research
• Molecular Basis of Long-distance Transport of Defense Compounds in Seeds
• Scientists Assess Transgene Flow of GM Tomato and Its Effect on Feeding Behavior of Bumblebees
• Effect of Bt Maize on the Dev't and Reproduction of an Insect Predator

Announcements
• 41^st European Society for New Methods in Agricultural Research Conference
• BIO KOREA 2012 Conference

Document Reminders
• Country Biotech Facts and Trends

Virus-resistant Cassava Trials Show Good Results

Cassava brown streak virus is one of the major problems in the production of cassava, an important crop especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. Donald Danforth Plant Science Center reports the progress of a confined field trial in Uganda using gene silencing or RNA interference (RNAi) technology to develop virus-resistant cassava varieties. The planting started in November 2010 and were harvested in November 2011. The results of the trial provides proof of principle for the effective control of the virus using RNAi. The trial is part of the Center's collaboration with the National Crops Resources Research Institute (NaCRRI) in Uganda and Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI).

"In Uganda, we eat cassava two or three times per day. Restoring and improving cassava productivity will be critical to the continued economic progress of the country and the region," said Dr. Titus Alicai, project lead, National Crop Resources Research Institute (NaCRRI).

Read more at http://www.danforthcenter.org/wordpress/?page_id=395&pid=10522.

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This article is part of the Crop Biotech Update, a weekly summary of world developments in agri-biotech for developing countries, produced by the Global Knowledge Center on Crop Biotechnology, International Service for the Aquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications SEAsiaCenter (ISAAA)

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