Global

Developing countries will need to develop and implement effective approaches to assess and manage the potential benefits and risks of genetically engineered crops. Costly regulatory delays can compromise technology delivery and hinder the commercialization of public-sector developed products. This view was forwarded  by Jose Falck-Zepeda and colleagues in Delivering genetically engineered crops to poor farmers: Recommendations for improved biosafety regulations in developing countries, a policy brief published by the international Food Policy and Research Institute.

Flexible, efficient, and innovative approaches for cost-effective risk assessment should be considered by policy makers and regulators in developing countries. The authors recommend that developing countries should explore and assess all available options (including both established agricultural practices and emerging technologies) and integrate them into efficient, locally adapted farming systems.

Download the full policy brief at http://www.ifpri.org/publication/delivering-genetically-engineered-crops-poor-farmers?utm_source=New+At+IFPRI&utm_campaign=8e81631775-New_At_IFPRI1_29_2010&utm_medium=email

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Africa

A project that aims to improve the capacity for yam research-for-development in West and Central Africa (WCA) has received a €750,000 (USD 1 million) grant from the European Union-African, Caribbean and Pacific Science and Technology Program (EU-ACP). The project, tagged Strengthening Capacity for Yam Research-for-Development in Central and Western Africa (SCYReC), will be managed and implemented by Nigeria-based International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in collaboration with a team of national partners in 13 research institutions in the six countries. IITA said in a press release that the program is expected to benefit six WCA countries: Cameroon, Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria and Togo.

"We are hopeful that the project will tackle the many challenges facing increased yam production," said David Annang, project coordinator. According to the IITA, yam faces a plethora of limitations despite its contribution to food security. These include high costs of planting material and of labor, decreasing soil fertility, inadequate yield potential of varieties, as well as the increasing levels of field and storage pests, and diseases associated with intensification of cultivation.

For the original story, visit http://www.iita.org/cms/details/news_feature_details.aspx?articleid=3242&zoneid=342

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Americas

The International Potato Center (CIP) and partner institutions are implementing a three-year project to develop potato varieties that can adapt to the drought and increased temperatures of Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India, and Bangladesh. Their work is a response to the challenges of environmental constraints and climate change.

Scientists are identifying and validating heat, drought, and salinity tolerance traits in a comprehensive program of exchanging and testing advanced potato clones. Through a combination of research tools including geographic information systems and multilocation data, they are able to assess the suitability of the clones for specific locations. In addition, clones that would adapt to future conditions under climate change scenarios can also be determined.

View CIP's press release at http://www.cipotato.org/pressroom/press_releases_detail.asp?cod=76

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"Without additional support, there will likely be few genetically enhanced crops developed by public sector researchers in the marketplace in the near future," said Dr. Roger Beachy, head of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, in an interview published in the journal Nature Biotechnology.

Beachy identified the high cost involved in the regulatory process as essentially eliminating public sector participation in commercialization. He also noted the lack of expertise and infrastructure to provide regulatory authorities with the necessary documentation for regulatory approval. "I am very interested in having a regulatory structure that is science-based," he added.

Subscribers of Nature Biotechnology can view the full transcription of the interview at http://www.nature.com/

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Funding for plant genome research in the US has reached an all time high, according to an article published by Nature Biotechnology. In 2009, the National Science Foundation (NSF) doled out USD 101.6 million to 32 plant genome research projects focusing on "economically important crop plants" ranging from West African cultivated rice to poplar trees. These projects, the NSF said, will better define plant responses to changing environments and contribute to understanding of genetic processes in economically important plants. The project led by the Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research/USDA-ARS to complete the sequence of the tomato genome received the largest award, worth more than $10.4 million over four years.

Read the original story at http://www.nature.com/nbt/journal/v28/n1/full/nbt0110-10b.html

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An international team of scientists has created a new computational model that can be used to predict gene function of uncharacterized plant genes with unprecedented speed and accuracy. The network, dubbed AraNet, has over 19,600 genes associated with each other by over 1 million links and can increase the discovery rate of new genes affiliated with a given trait tenfold. It is a huge boost to fundamental plant biology and agricultural research.

"In essence, AraNet is based on the simple idea that genes that physically reside in the same neighborhood, or turn on in concert with one another are probably associated with similar traits," explained corresponding author Sue Rhee at the Carnegie Institution's Department of Plant Biology. "We call it guilt by association. Based on over 50 million scientific observations, AraNet contains over 1 million linkages of the 19,600 genes in the tiny, experimental mustard plant Arabidopsis thaliana. We made a map of the associations and demonstrated that we can use the network to propose that uncharacterized genes are linked to specific traits based on the strength of their associations with genes already known to be linked to those characteristics."

The scientists tested the accuracy of AraNet with computational validation tests and laboratory experiments on genes that the network predicted as related. The researchers found that the network is much stronger forecasting correct associations than previous small-scale networks of Arabidopsis genes.

Read the original story at http://www.ciw.edu/news/gene_function_discovery_guilt_association

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Wild species of oat Avena barbata has been tapped as a source for resistance to combat crown rust. Crown rust affects oat yields by up to 40 percent. It is caused by Puccinia coronata, a fungus that can overcome a number of resistance genes for about five years, said Martlin L. Carson, the research leader at the USDA-ARS Cereal Disease Laboratory in Minnesota.

Avena barbata is listed as a noxious weed in Missouri and invasive in California, South Asia, much of Europe and around the Mediterranean region. The research team found that the wild oat is resistant to a variety of crown rust strains. Preliminary breeding experiments with the cultivated oat Avena sativa, shows crown rot resistance in the seedlings. The group is now developing stable and sturdy lines with high yield, resistance to rust and drought tolerant.

See the story at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2010/100204.htm

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USDA-ARS chemists March Schmitt and plant physiologist Allen Bunde have been studying the secrets of a good malt in barley. Malt is the delicious flavor or cereals, candies, beers and other foods and beverages. Barleys produce the malt as they germinate. The researchers are interested in the breaking down of proteins and carbohydrates during the process of germination.

The team found out that enzymes called serine-class proteases can break down proteins in the sprouting grain as well as the beta amylase – the enzyme that converts carbohydrates to sugars. In a selection of 2,000 North American malting barleys, Schmitt and Budde found that high levels of a desirable, beta-amylase-associated attribute in the barleys correlated to low levels of the serine-class proteases. This finding will help oat breeders to develop lines with superb malting ability.

For details, see the story at  http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2010/100203.htm

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U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service chemists Mitchell Wise and Dough Doehlert have observed the strong correlation between crown rust disease pressure and avenanthramide (Avn) production in oat grain. Avns are metabolites with potent antioxidant properties and have been associated with the oat grains' health benefits. In a two- year experiment where 16 oat cultivars and two breeding lines at three locations in North Dakota were  grown, the researchers found that oat plants with the strongest crown rust resistance had the highest Avn concentrations.

Avn production was also found to be highly influenced by environmental factors because not all cultivars with strong crown rust resistance produced high Avn concentration. The results suggest that oat breeders taking into account crown rust pressure during growth can select barley cultivars for enhanced production of Avn.

Other studies by the group are focused on the detailed investigation of how certain Avns are produced.

View http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2010/100201.htm for more information.

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"Feeding the world's growing population in a manner that doesn't compromise the needs of the next generation is a balancing act, but one that can be handled through innovation and environmental stewardship," said Purdue University agronomist Gebisa Ejeta. Ejeta was the recipient of the 2009 World Food Prize for his research in drought- and Striga-resistant sorghum varieties. Working in Sudan in the early 1980s, Ejeta developed Dura-1, the first ever commercial hybrid sorghum in Africa. The hybrid was resistant to drought and out-yielded traditional varieties by up to 150 percent.

"Sustainability is an important agenda because we have to pay attention to meeting the needs of today without compromising the needs of the future," Ejeta said. "It has everything to do with the stewardship of our natural resources, while at the same time effectively using those resources to meet the food and fiber needs of today's population."

Ejeta recognized the productivity of American agriculture and according to him, this productivity "may have brought about some neglect of our natural resources because of the overuse of inputs that have made agriculture so productive." The scientist, however, remains positive that the technology can provide the tools to be able to continue to produce enough food for the current population. "It can be done, and a lot of people are doing research toward that goal."

Visit http://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/general/2010/100203EjetaSustainability.html for the complete story.

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Asia and the Pacific

The Pakistani Government aims to increase cotton production in the country through the introduction of insect-resistant Bt cotton, a report by the Daily Times says. In a meeting attended by representatives from the American seed giant Monsanto, officials from Pakistan's Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MINFA) and Ministry of Textile said, the government, specifically, wants to increase cotton production to 21 million bales by 2015. The officials stressed that to reach this target, it would be imperative to introduce approved Bt varieties cotton in the country.

The Daily Times article said that during the meeting, officials from the Ministry of Environment objected to the proposed introduction of Bt cotton in the country. The objection, however, was countered by the National Biosafety Committee saying that studies on the effect of Bt cotton on the environment will be initiated soon. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Pakistani government ministries and Monsanto.

"Signing the agreement is in our favor. We need to move ahead with the agreement while taking all the stakeholders on board. The reservations, if any, of the stakeholders shall be taken into consideration and addressed in the agreement with the company so that our interests are safeguarded," said the Nazar Muhammad Gonda Federal Minister for Food and Agriculture.

Read the Daily Times article at http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010%5C01%5C29%5Cstory_29-1-2010_pg5_5

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The Australian Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC), supported by the National Variety Trials (NVT), has released the results of 150 canola trials across the country in 2009, including 15 containing GM canola. A report, available on the NVT website, outlines the performance of varieties in the GM canola trials and provides information on how to interpret the trial data. "GM canola is one more piece of technology available for grain growers to consider, and the NVT results provide one of a number of data sources to draw upon to help make decisions regarding its potential use," said Juan Juttner, manager at GRDC. More GM canola trials will be planted in 2010, including a greater number in Western Australia following the State Government's decision to lift its moratorium.

Visit http://nvtonline.com.au/ for more information.

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Europe

On May 2009, Portugal notified the European Union its intention to declare the Autonomous Region of Madeira as a GMO-free region. Following the notification, the European Commission requested the European Food Safety Authority's (EFSA's) GMO Panel to investigate on whether the information mentioned in the documents submitted by Portugal contains any new scientific evidence in terms of protection of the environment in the Autonomous Region of Madeira, that would justify prohibition of GMOs. EFSA has now released its opinion.

The EFSA GMO Panel said that, based on the supporting documents submitted by Portugal, no new scientific evidence, in terms of risk to human and animal health and the environment, was provided that would justify a prohibition of the cultivation of GM plants in Madeira. EFSA noted that it only investigated on aspects that relate to the protection of human and animal health and the environment and not on socio-economic aspects.

Download EFSA's Opinion at http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/scdocs/doc/1500.pdf

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The Ukrainian Parliament, Verkhovna Rada, has adopted new laws requiring the mandatory labeling of all products containing genetically modified organisms (GMOs). The new laws' provision requires all food products in circulation in Ukraine to contain information on the presence or absence of GMO ingredients, with the labels "GMO-free" or "With GMO". Now the Cabinet of Ministers wants the Verkhovna Rada to cancel the obligatory requirement for "GMO Free" labeling and that only products containing genetically modified organisms (GMOs) be marked. This decision was announced by Economy Minister Bohdan Danylyshyn.

The law requiring mandatory marking of products containing genetically modified organisms was signed by Viktor Yuschenko on December 29, 2009.

Read http://www.bsba.ag/BSBA/Home_en.html for more information.

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A joint communique from the United Kingdom and French agricultural secretaries was forged "to meet the demands of the European consumer for secure, affordable, healthy, high quality and sustainable food while contributing responsibly to addressing world hunger." Hilary Benn, UK Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and Bruno Le Maire, French Secretary of State for Food, Agriculture and Fisheries met in London to discuss issues regarding European food and agricultural policies.

Identified areas where both countries can work together include:

• Assistance to farmers and the food industry in their efforts to meet challenges of climate change.
• Encouragement of innovation in the food chain in the context of the European Union 2020 growth strategy discussion.
• Development of initiatives to increase the level of transparency in reporting stocks of staple food commodities.
• Strengthening the Global Partnership for Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition.

Read the information bulletin from the U.K. Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs at http://www.defra.gov.uk/news/2010/100128b.htm

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Monsanto's herbicide tolerant genetically modified soybean MON89788 has been approved for food and processing in Russia. The soybean is the fourth GM soybean variety to be approved for food use in the country. As of the moment, there are 16 GM crops, including soybean, maize, rice and sugarbeet, approved for use in food in Russia.

The announcement can be found at http://www.bsba.ag/BSBA/Home_en.html

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The Russian Doctrine of Food Security has been recently signed by Dmitry Medvedev, President of the Russian Federation. The Doctrine is targeted at "reliable supply to the population of food, development of national agricultural and fisheries industry, timely respond to internal and external threats to stability of the national food market, effective participation in international cooperation in the field of food security".

The doctrine also established the level of the country's food supply through domestic production to ensure food self-sufficiency. It calls for the development of innovative technologies in the development of new sources of nutritious food and food ingredients such as biotechnology, nanotechnology and organic food production. Corollary to this is the need to establish biosafety assessment systems in the country.

See the story at: http://www.bsba.ag/BSBA/Home_en.html

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