Global

The report “Field to Market: The Keystone Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture” has just been released by Keystone Alliance, a diverse group facilitated by the non-profit organization, Keystone Center, specializing in collaborative decision-making processes for environment, energy, and health policy issues. The initial findings of the Environmental Resource Indicators report indicate that “crop production is already making progress toward reducing its environmental footprint”.

Agricultural sustainability is defined as "meeting the needs of the present while improving the ability to feed future generations by focusing on increasing agricultural productivity while decreasing environmental impact, improving human health through access to safe, nutritious food and improving social and economic well-being of rural communities.” Michael Reuter, director of conservation programs for the Central US Region of The Nature Conservancy notes that  “Several trends are emerging. Importantly, production agriculture has become increasingly efficient, relying on fewer inputs to produce more. However, we recognize there are significant challenges ahead in meeting increased global demand in a sustainable manner”. Howard L. Minigh, president and CEO of CropLife International, said that the report shows that agriculture is moving in the right direction in reducing its environmental impact.

See the full report at http://www.keystone.org/spp/env-sustain_ag.html and the media release of CropLife International at http://www.croplife.org/library/attachments/3acfb0c0-2eee-4a9e-a449-cdfeb18c5ddd/4/2009%2001%2012%20-%20Keystone%20Report%20press%20release.pdf.

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Africa

Good news for farmers in West and Central Africa (WCA). Researchers from the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and Nigeria’s Institute for Agricultural Research (IRA) announced that they have successfully developed maize varieties resistant to the deadly weed Striga. Also known as witchweed, the parasitic plant infests some 50 million hectares of cereal crops and is responsible for billions of dollars worth of crop damage every year in Africa. Controlling the parasitic weed is a challenge. It can produce tens of thousands of tiny seeds which can remain dormant in the soil for many years. Underground, Striga parts connect to crop roots and feed on them, reducing yield dramatically and sometimes even destroying entire fields.

Trials of the witchweed-resistant maize varieties — TZLComp1Syn W-1 (Sammaz 16) and IWDC2SynF2 (Sammaz 15) — have shown great potential for increased maize production not only in Nigeria but also in other countries in the WCA Region. Sammaz 16, a late-maturing maize variety, produces 3.2 tons per hectare under heavy Striga conditions. Even under extreme infestation, harvest loss from this variety is less than 10 percent. Sammaz 15, on the other hand, could yield 4.42 tons per hectare. This is 23 percent higher than the average production of local varieties under weed infestation. IITA released the maize varieties late last year.

For further information, visit http://www.iita.org/cms/details/news_feature_details.aspx?articleid=1963&zoneid=342

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Americas

Kansas State University (KSU) has received a US$ 1 million grant from the United States Department of Agriculture to keep the wheat crops in the state blast fungus-free. The wheat blast fungus is a close relative of a devastating fungus that has long affected rice crops and another fungus that affects turf grass across the country. In the mid-1980s a close relative of these fungi began affecting wheat in and around Brazil, explained Barbara Valent, KSU professor of plant pathology. Although the fungus hasn’t moved north from South America, the scientists are gearing up. Better be prepared than sorry, they say.

Valent said the project comprises three areas, the first of which is sequencing the fungus's genome to find genome fragments specific to the wheat blast pathogen. This would help in the creation of diagnostic tools that field specialists can use in the field to identify wheat blast. Valent and her team will also be searching the K-State Wheat Genetic and Genomic Resource Center, which houses some 2,500 wheat accessions, for varieties resistant to the blast fungus.

Read the media release at http://www.k-state.edu/media/newsreleases/jan09/whtblst11509.html

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Scientists and biofuel manufacturers alike have been optimistic about the potential of food crops to produce energy, but a new study by researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and University of Minnesota suggests that the global yields of most biofuel crops have often been exaggerated.

Matt Johnston and colleagues found that yields of most crops, including corn, rapeseed and wheat, have been overestimated by 100 to 150 percent or more. They discovered that current yield estimates were often based on data from the United States and Europe and didn't account for differences in climate, soils, technology and other factors that influence agricultural outputs in other nations especially in the developing world. For the study, the researchers drew on agricultural data from nearly 240 countries to calculate the potential yields of 10 biodiesel crops and 10 ethanol feedstocks worldwide.

For instance, Johnston noted that in Canada, one of the world's largest producers of rapeseed, the average yield of rapeseed biodiesel is just 550 liters per hectare. This is nearly half the estimates in yield tables, and well below the average for other developed nations.

Read the open-access article published by Environmental research Letters at http://dx.doi.or/10.1088/1748-9326/4/1/014004 The media release is available at http://www.news.wisc.edu/16127

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The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is seeking public comment on a petition by Syngenta Seeds Inc. to deregulate a corn genetically modified to produce the microbial enzyme alpha-amylase. This enzyme helps breakdown large corn starch molecules, facilitating ethanol production. If APHIS grants the petition for deregulation, the corn and its progeny can be planted freely without requiring permits. An environmental assessment (EA) draft has been prepared to determine whether deregulating the GM corn could have a significant impact on the environment. Comments must be submitted on or before Jan. 20, 2009.

Read http://www.aphis.usda.gov/newsroom/content/2008/11/deregcorn.shtml or http://www.aphis.usda.gov/brs/aphisdocs/05_28001p.pdf for more information.

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The Office of Inspector General of the United States Department of Agriculture (DA) has submitted the results of an audit of the DA controls over the importation of transgenic plants and animals to the Secretary for International and Homeland Security Affairs and Biotechnology Office. Controls were found to be appropriate for current risk associated with transgenic crops although  “no control is in place that would identify undeclared, regulated transgenic plants or identify a shipment of undeclared transgenic plants unknown to the U.S. regulatory system.” No import control policy is available for transgenic animals and its products.

The Office recommended that the USDA develop and implement a strategy to monitor the development of transgenic plants and animals abroad. In addition USDA needs to strengthen its coordination with other Federal agencies to "mitigate future risks to the U.S. environment, agriculture, and trade."

View the full report at http://www.usda.gov/oig/webdocs/50601-17-TE.pdf

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U.S.-based Arcadia Biosciences Inc announced that it has entered an agreement with Advanta India Ltd to develop  nitrogen-use efficient (NUE) sorghum. Under the deal, Advanta will have exclusive global rights to use Arcadia's NUE technology in sorghum, in return for an upfront payment, milestone fees and a share in sales. Financial details were not disclosed.

On a separate note, DuPont is teaming up with Athenix to improve insect control in corn and soybeans.  DuPont business Pioneer Hi-Bred will use proprietary insect-resistance trait genes from Athenix to develop and commercialize next-generation corn and soybean seed products.

Read the media releases at http://www.arcadiabio.com/pr_0034.php and http://www.athenixcorp.com/news_2.php

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Asia and the Pacific

Bt brinjal is likely to be the first biotech food crop to be approved and adopted in India in the near term.  Bt brinjal has been under development by Mahyco in collaboration with public sector institutions in India for the last 8 years. It has undergone a rigorous science-based regulatory approval process in India and is currently at an advanced stage of consideration for deregulation by the Indian regulatory authorities which approved the experimental seed production of Bt brinjal hybrids by Mahyco in 2008-2009. Studies on food and feed safety, including toxicity and allergenicity tests, have been conducted on rats, rabbits, fish, chickens, goats and cows; these studies have confirmed that Bt brinjal is as safe as its non- Bt counterpart. Similarly, environmental impact assessments to study germination, pollen flow, invasiveness, aggressiveness and weediness, and effect on non-target organisms were completed, and it was confirmed that Bt brinjal behaves in a similar way to its non-Bt counterpart.

Agronomic studies under multi-location research trials (MLRTs) and large-scale field trials (LSTs) confirmed that insecticide requirement for Bt brinjal hybrids was on average 80% less than for the non-Bt counterpart for the control of FSB; this translated into a 42% reduction in total insecticides used for control of all insect-pests in Bt brinjal versus the control. As a result of the effective control of FSB, Bt brinjal’s average marketable yield increased by 100% over its non-Bt counterpart hybrids, 116% over popular conventional hybrids and 166% over popular open- pollinated varieties (OPVs) of brinjal.

Thus, to-date the studies submitted to the regulatory authorities confirm that Bt brinjal offers the opportunity to simultaneously provide effective control of the most important pest of brinjal, FSB, decrease insecticides for this important insect-pest by 80%, and more than double the yield over conventional hybrids and open-pollinated varieties, thereby providing significant advantages for farmers and consumers alike. At the national level it can thus contribute to food safety, security and sustainability.

The International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications' (ISAAA) discusses this crop in the latest Brief 38 on “The Development and Regulation of Bt Brinjal in India (Eggplant/Aubergine)”. Brief 38 is a comprehensive review of all aspects of the cultivation in India of the important vegetable brinjal, also known as eggplant or aubergine. The Brief summarizes the development, status and content of the extensive regulatory dossier in India for biotech Bt brinjal, which confers resistance to the most important insect-pest of brinjal, fruit and shoot borer (FSB).

For more information or a copy of Brinjal Brief 38-2009 contact ISAAA South Asia Office at b.choudhary@cgiar.org or k.gaur@cgiar.org.  An online version is available at http://www.isaaa.org and http://www.isaaa.org/kc.

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The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), along with a global consortium of researchers, has undertaken the mammoth task of re-engineering the photosynthetic pathway in rice. The research could lead to the development of rice varieties that can produce 50 percent more grain using less fertilizer and less water. For this project, the Institute has received a grant of US$11 million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. “This is a long-term, complex project that will take a decade or more to complete,” explained John Sheehy, IRRI scientist and project leader. “The result of this strategic research has the potential to benefit billions of poor people.”

Plants make their own food by capturing carbon dioxide and converting it to carbohydrates, a process called photosynthesis. Some plants manufacture  food more efficiently than others. Normally, these carbon-efficient plant species possess the advanced C4 carbon fixation pathway. The C4 mechanism overcomes the tendency of RuBisCo, the key enzyme in photosynthesis, to waste energy. The pathway allows plants to survive under conditions of drought and high temperatures and carbon dioxide and nitrogen limitation. Sheehy and colleagues aims to convert the photosynthesis of rice from the less-efficient C3 form to the C4 form.

The media release is available at http://beta.irri.org/news/index.php/Press-Releases/2009/New-higher-yielding-rice-plant-could-ease-threat-of-hunger-for-poor.html

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 "Achieving Self-sufficiency in Agricultural Production and Nutrition", a seminar organized by the Indian Merchants' Chamber on December 20, 2008 in Mumbai brought together some of India's top notch agricultural scientists and agribusinesses to discuss various aspects of the agricultural sector including input supplies, role of technology, government policies as well as issues such as global warming. Dr M. S. Swaminathan, eminent scientist, highlighted the need to overcome  hidden hunger caused by micro nutrient deficiencies. This was one challenge that threaten food and nutrition security and required a paradigm shift in the way the government and the private sector are dealing with it, he asserted.

Delivering the keynote address, Dr.R S Paroda, former Director General of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), said that growth of agricultural production was unprecedented in the past 50 years - from 50 million tons to 220 million tons of food grains accompanied by more real income due to a reduction in food prices in real terms. Nonetheless, the challenge for India was adding 19 million (equal to Australia) to its population every year, and currently supporting 8% of the world's population on 2.8% of the world's land mass. "To feed our growing population, we would need to have growth of an additional 5 million tonnes of food grains every year, a difficult task in the context of diminishing growth rates, rising soil salinity and lowered soil fertility." He added that India could overcome these challenges as it was a world leader in the cultivation of cotton, pearl millet, castor, and pigeon pea.

Twelve reputed experts and agricultural scientists made presentations on such topics as strategies for increasing production and productivity of grains (rice, wheat, pulses), oilseeds, cotton and horticulture crops, and role of agricultural biotechnology and its regulatory oversight. 

On this occasion, Dr. R.S. Paroda, Dr. B.R. Barwale and Mr. M.N. Chaini jointly released ISAAA's latest publication "Trust in the Seed" that highlights the significance of the seed and new crop technologies. The seminar concluded with specific recommendations for achieving agricultural and nutritional self-sufficiency.

For more information visit http://www,imcnet.org. or get news about biotech in India from b. choudhary@cgiar.org.

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According to a report by Farm Weekly, Queensland's Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries (DPI&F) and the Cotton CRC are investigating reports of cotton bollworm survivors in Bollgard II plants in the Emerald Irrigation Area. Some 85 bollworm larvae were collected from the Bollgard II cotton at Emerald, 31 Helicoverpa punctigera and 54 Helicoverpa armigera, but there is no evidence to suggest that either species may be differentially surviving.

Susan Maas, DPI&F and Cotton CRC cotton extension officer, said that the surviving larvae had been tested but there was no evidence of any Bt resistance. "One theory is that at the peak flowering stage, there could be a dip in expression of the plant gene conferring the toxin,” Maas explained. Up to 1.5 medium to large larvae per square meter were found in the Bollgard fields in December and all affected fields were at the mid- to late-flowering stage of crop growth.

The complete article is available at http://fw.farmonline.com.au/news/nationalrural/cotton/general/gm-cotton-under-investigation-in-queensland/1408255.aspx

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Europe

The European Parliament voted to ban some 22 pesticides deemed as dangerous to the human health and the environment. The EU lawmakers passed two laws that will force farmers and chemical producers to replace the “cancer-causing” products over the next decade.

The move has garnered the support of numerous organizations. Hiltrud Breyer, the German MEP who steered the measure in Parliament said that the  agreement is not only a milestone for the protection of both the environment and the consumer: it marks an historical moment. She further commented that this agreement is the first of its kind in the whole world and that Europe is a pioneer on a global scale.

Farmers, however, warned that the ban could devastate crops yields, prompting increase in food prices. An article by Science said that farmers are worried that any reduction in available pesticides will accelerate the development of resistance among plant pests and pathogens to the remaining agents. A report by the Press Association said that the UK government, which opposes the move, will vote against the plan when it comes up for approval by EU governments. Several scientists have also signed a petition against the new rules.

Read the article published by Science at http://blogs.sciencemag.org/scienceinsider/2009/01/european-pestic.html A short article from the European Parliament is available at http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/public/story_page/008-45731-005-01-02-901-20090108STO45591-2009-05-01-2009/default_en.htm

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Researchers at the Flanders Institute for Biotechnology and Ghent University are one step closer to developing novel crop plants resistant to nematode pests. They have shown that nematodes are able to manipulate the transport of the phytohormone auxin in order to force the plant to produce food for them. Auxin coordinates numerous growth and behavioral processes in the plant life cycle, including cell division and elongation, phloem and xylem differentiation, and growth of root hairs.

During infection, nematodes inject a cocktail of proteins in a particular cell in the plant vascular bundle. These proteins cause the plant cell to merge with neighboring cells and to start producing food for the nematode. Auxin initially accumulates at the site of infection. Concentration of auxin then increases in the neighboring plant cells when the feeding site needs to grow.

Wim Grunewald and his colleagues were able to show that nematodes knock out the expression of certain plant PIN proteins. PIN facilitates the transfer auxin from one cell to another. The discovery could lead to the development of ways to prevent nematode infection for example, by locally counteracting the nematodes’ manipulation of auxin transport. Nematodes are usually controlled by applying methyl bromide, pesticide that has been banned for use in the United States because of its severe negative effects to the environment.

Read the complete article at http://www.vib.be/VIB/EN/ The paper published by PLoS Pathogens is available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1000266

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A new government agency has been created in a bid to strengthen research on food and the environment in the United Kingdom. The Food and Environment Research Agency (Fera) will work in plant and crop protection, food chain safety, crises response and environmental risk assessment.

The new organization brings together the country’s Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) Central Science Laboratory, Plant Health Division, Plant Health and Seeds Inspectorate and the Plant Variety Rights Office and Seeds Division into one entity. Farming Minister Jane Kennedy noted that the new agency will strengthen Defra's food, farming and environmental research program. Defra explained that Fera will enable a more rapid response to protect the public interest, and remove delays for businesses involved in both national and international trade.

Read the media release at http://www.csl.gov.uk/newsAndResources/showNews.cfm?id=189

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