GLOBAL FAO
PUSHES FOR PUBLIC/PRIVATE AGRIC INVESTMENTS
“Investing in agriculture for food security so that the whole world
will profit” — this is the theme of World Food
Day 2006. According to Food and Agriculture Organization
(FAO) Director-General Dr. Jacques Diouf, there has been
a recent significant revival in lending for agriculture,
but much still remains to be done. “Increasing the
volume of public investment in agriculture but also making
it more effective are of absolute necessity,” stated
Dr. Diouf. Investments in agriculture are critical in achieving
the first United Nations Millenium Development Goal: to
halve hunger and alleviate poverty worldwide by 2015.
Readers can access the complete press release at: http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2006/1000424/index.html.
ENSURED
ACCESS TO WORLD’S MOST IMPORTANT GENE BANKS
Users of plant genetic resources such as breeders, farmers and researchers
were assured of open access to germplasm collections in
international agricultural research centers (IARCs). This
follows a signed agreement between the IARCs and the Governing
Body of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources
for Food and Agriculture during this week's World Food
Day celebration.
Signing in behalf of the Treaty was Food and Agriculture Organization's (FAO)
Director-General Dr. Jacques Diouf, who said that the “collections
represent a substantive investment by the international
community. They are a global capital on which all can now
draw.” The Treaty, which entered into force in 2004,
aims to ensure that plant genetic resources for food and
agriculture are conserved and sustainably used, and that
resulting benefits are equitably and fairly distributed.
Read the complete press release at
http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2006/1000425/index.html.
INSECT-RESISTANT
BIOTECH TRAITS LICENSED
Plant growers can now experience
wider access to insect resistant biotech traits, according
to Dow AgroSciences LLC and Pioneer Hi-Bred International,
Incorporated. The co-developers of the Herculex® family
of insect resistance for corn have already agreed to license
Herculex RW Rootworm Protection and Herculex XTRA Insect
Protection to other seed companies. Herculex I offers above-ground
protection against black cutworm, western bean cutworm,
and the European corn borer, while Herculex RW provides
below-ground protection. Herculex XTRA combines the protective
capacities of these two traits.
Readers can visit
http://www.dowagro.com/newsroom/corporatenews/2006/20061018a.htm for the complete news release.
KILLER
FUNGUS DEMYSTIFIED
Scientists with the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and their collaborators
are unlocking the secrets of the killer mold Aspergillus
flavus by looking at its genetic make-up. ARS geneticist
Yiujiang Yu, with collaborators Gary Payne at North Carolina
State University-Raleigh and Bill Nierman at the Institute
for Genomic Research (TIGR) recently sequenced the A.
flavus genome and found out that the deadly fungus shares 98 percent
or more of the same genetic material with its cousin, the
harmless food-grade fungus Aspergillus oryzae.
“
We’ve discovered that the two fungi are incredibly
similar,” says Yu, “so the night-and-day difference
that we observe, in terms of their toxin production, may
boil down to just a handful of genes.” Yu and colleagues
identified 29 genes in A. flavus that make the critical
enzymes needed for producing aflatoxin. ARS scientists
hope to find the master switch in A. flavus—the gene
that when interfered with, can shut down the fungus’ entire
poison factory. Knowing this, scientists could then move
a counter gene into vulnerable crops, endowing the plants
with built-in protection against poisonous fungi.
Readers can access the press release at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2006/061016.htm.
For more information about the article, visit: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/oct06/fungi1006.htm.
VEGGIE
CRUCIFERS FOR VACCINE PRODUCTION
Researchers
at the Thomas Jefferson University reported the first successful
use of cruciferous crops in the production of pharmaceutical
proteins. Recombinant subunit vaccines for smallpox and
severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) were produced
using transgenic collard and cauliflower plants.
The
report published in the journal Plant Science stressed
that collard is desirable for production of the recombinant
proteins due to its large leaf area, and cauliflower for
its curd or head which can be stored and transported with
ease. Both species are relatives of the model plant Arabidopsis
whose genetic system is well studied.
The
full paper can be accessed by subscribers at
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.plantsci.2006.06.017
BIOTECH
COFFEE REVIEWED
Transgenic research in coffee is going to rapidly progress soon. This forecast
was written by Vinod Kumar and colleagues in their review
published by the journal Plant Cell, Tissue, and Organ
Culture. The Indian scientists noted that due to the international
coffee genomics initiatives, there will be more research
on transgenic coffee speeding up the production of varieties
with better pest and disease resistance with improved processing
characteristics. Currently, coffee GM research mainly focus
on developing caffeine free varieties and resistance to
leaf miner pests by using Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt).
“So far, no GM coffee has hit the market”, wrote Kumar and colleagues
on their review. But the breakthroughs in in vitro manipulation
and regeneration coupled with successful gene delivery
systems will help molecular breeders to come up with desired
varieties soon.”
The abstract of the review article can be accessed at
http://www.springerlink.com/content/xk7r6704k5q68845/?
p=67342f61e3964e3486ed70fbf7c14de5&pi=6.
AFRICA
FOOD FOR AFRICA - FROM AFRICA
“Famines are created by policies, not by pests or droughts” writes
Douglas Southgate, Professor of Agricultural Economics,
Ohio State University, for the Guest Column of Accra Mail.
Africa is the only place where agricultural productivity
has decreased; poverty and malnutrition affect hundred
of millions of Africans; and environmental adversities
are omnipresent, and worsening due to prevailing agricultural
practices.
“The application of improved farming technologies - fertilizer, pesticides,
hybrid seeds - would bring clear benefits to the region” says
Southgate. However, the key elements of the “Green
Revolution” provide only the start of an answer. “The
full answer lies with government and governance.”
Southgate argues that lack of political and economical freedom, low level of
public funding for the agricultural sector, and the highest
agricultural tariffs in the world are largely to blame
for the collapse of agriculture. The involvement of the
international community has done little to improve the
situation, adds Southgate, as technical assistance and
funds have increase the role of governments in the sector,
leading to heavier taxes and tariffs, and to state-run
monopolies. As a result, private initiatives and entrepreneurship
are being stifled.
“Above all, governments need to get out of the way, to cut restrictive
tariffs, to remove state marketing boards, to allow businesses
to work - because Africans are perfectly capable of feeding
themselves if only they were allowed to”, concludes
Southgate
Read the full article at: http://allafrica.com/stories/200610170484.html.
FRANCE
TO BOOST BURKINA FASO’S COTTON SECTOR
The French Development Agency has granted the National Union of Burkinabe
Cotton Producers 7.2 billion CFA (US $13.4 million) to
assist build managerial capacity, train farmers and expand
cotton production across the eastern and central areas
of the country.
The grant also intends to diversify the agricultural sector,
boost cereal production, improve transportation and storage
facilities, and raise HIV/AIDS awareness.
Cotton is the country’s main export, and about half of the population
depends directly or indirectly on this commodity for income.
Despite remarkable increases in production in recent years,
falling world prices, a direct result of cotton subsidies
in developed nations, are driving farmers away from growing
cotton. According to the article, US cotton producers received
last year more than US $4.5 billion in subsidies. The U.S.
has since reviewed its cotton subsidies program to comply
with the World Trade Organization (WTO) rules.
Read the full article at:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=55887&
SelectRegion=West_Africa&SelectCountry=BURKINA_FASO
BIOFUELS
TO POWER MOBILE BASE STATIONS
The MTN Group, a mobile network provider for Africa, the Global System for
Mobile Communications (GSM) Association, and Ericsson have
teamed up to establish biofuels as an alternative source
of power for wireless networks in the developing world.
The three organizations have set up a pioneering project
in Nigeria to demonstrate the potential of biofuels as
a source of power for mobile base stations located beyond
the reach of the electricity grid. Biofuels from locally-produced
crops such as groundnuts, pumpkin seeds, jatropha, and
palm oil will be used in the initial pilot tests.
According to Rob Conway, CEO of the GSMA, biofuels have the potential to boost
the social and economic welfare of the developing world
by giving mobile operators local access to a commercially
and environmentally sustainable power supply. Mobile network
providers should also expect significantly lower operating
costs arising from the use of locally-produced biofuels.
Read the complete news release at http://www.gsmworld.com/developmentfund/news/index.shtml.
THE AMERICAS APPROVALS
FOR BIOTECH MAIZE FIELD TRIALS IN MEXICO DENIED
The Department of Agriculture of Mexico (SAGARPA) has announced this week
that the seven requests for authorization for biotech maize
field trials submitted to the National Service of Health,
Safety and Quality of Agriculture in Mexico (SENASICA),
have not been granted approval.
SENASICA has stated that two legal requirements need to be met before approval
is granted: a map of the depicting the centers of origin
and genetic diversity of maize, and a program outlining
measures to protect native species.
Read the full news release at http://www.sagarpa.gob.mx/cgcs/boletines/2006/octubre/B262.htm. BIOFUELS
RESEARCH GETS US$4M FUNDING
The Departments of Energy and Agriculture of the United States (DOE and USDA)
recently announced $4 million for bio-based fuels research
that will accelerate the development of alternative fuels.
Dr. Ray Orbach, DOE Under Secretary for Science, made the
announcement at a conference jointly hosted by the two
host agencies in St. Louis. The program will take advantage
of significant advances in breeding, molecular genetics
and genomic technologies to enable researchers to confidently
predict and manipulate biological functions of plants for
bioenergy resources. Solicitation for research proposals
for new plant feedstock genomics research projects has
already been issued by the DOE and USDA.
For the news release, visit:
http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/!ut/p/_s.7_0_A/7_0_1OB?
contentidonly=true&contentid=2006/10/0408.xml. Information
about the joint research program, the current solicitation
and currently funded projects is available at http://www.genomicsgtl.energy.gov/research/DOEUSDA/.
The solicitation is posted on http://www.grants.gov.
PIONEER
DEVELOPS 19 NEW RR SOYBEANS
Nineteen of the twenty new soybean varieties from Pioneer Hi-Bred for 2007
contain the Roundup Ready® (RR) gene. Aside from herbicide
resistance, the new varieties offer better protection against
insect pest and diseases found in the US Midwest and Southeast
regions such as brown stem rot (BSR), Phytophthora root
rot, soybean cyst nematode (SCN), and sudden death syndrome
(SDS). A number of the varieties were developed for soils
prone to iron chlorosis, some are more resistant to drought,
or have better stand when planted in hilly terrain. The
company states that overall, the new varieties promise
better performance and yield.
For the complete press release: http://pioneer.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=press_releases&item=191
ASIA AND THE PACIFIC
BAYER'S
HYBRID RICE LAUNCHED IN VIETNAM
Bayer CropScience launched its hybrid rice Arize® B-TE1 in Can Tho, located
in the Mekong Delta region. The event made Bayer the first
company to introduce hybrid rice seeds in Vietnam. The
hybrid rice was touted to have higher yield than the best
inbred under similar conditions. In addition, it also claims
to have superior grain, cooking, and taste qualities.
The introduction of Arize® in Vietnam is a move by Bayer to expand its
rice business. Bayer is already marketing hybrid rice in
India and the Philippines, but it aims to expand its market
in 10 countries in 10 years.
For the complete press release:
http://www.bayercropscience.com/bayer/cropscience/
cscms.nsf/id/EN_NR20060928?open&ccm=400.
CSIRO SAYS GM COTTON ‘MAYBE MORE WATER EFFICIENT’
Austalia’s Commonwealth Scientific
and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) Plant Industry
reports that preliminary research results show that genetically
modified insect-resistant cotton may also be more water
efficient. CSIRO’s researchers Dirk Richards and
Stephen Yeates said that under normal full irrigation,
Bollgard® II cotton used 10 per cent less water than
an equivalent conventional variety and had higher yields.
Australia plants Bollgard® II extensively and has reduced
pesticide use by up to 80 per cent.
CSIRO adds that Bollgard® II
and conventional cotton extract soil water at a similar
rate, but Bollgard® II
has a more compact growing season so it uses less water overall
for the same or higher yields.
Read more on CSIRO’s
work at http://www.pi.csiro.au/enewsletter/previousEditions/015story1.htm.
ICAR ADOPTS AGRI-TECH IPR GUIDELINES
The Indian Council of Agricultural
Research (ICAR), in recognition of the importance of
Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) to promote agricultural
development and innovation, has developed and adopted
a comprehensive guideline on intellectual property management,
technology transfer and commercialization. The guideline
came into effect on Oct 2, 2006. The broad components
of the guidelines include policy framework, management
of IPR, patent and plant varieties protection, technology
transfer and commercialization of IP/Technologies and
plant varieties, public-private partnership and incentives
and benefit sharing.
Mangla Rai, Director General
ICAR, said the logical transfer of IPR enabled ICAR technologies
through public-private partnerships, and added that commercial
routes will gain as much importance as the public system
for the adoption and diffusion of technologies developed
by public sector institutions.
Access the ICAR guidelines
at http://www.icar.org.in/miscel/icar-ipmttcguide.pdf.
For more information contact: b.choudhary@isaaa.org.
FARMERS'
POLICY PANEL BACKS AGRIC BIOTECH
The National Commission on Farmers, while submitting the revised draft National
Policy for Farmers to the Government of India, has strongly
recommended the deployment of new technologies to enhance
land productivity and optimize the use of water. Frontier
technologies like biotechnology, information and communication
technologies and nanotechnology provide opportunities for
launching an “Ever-Green Revolution” capable
of improving productivity in an environmental friendly
way. Biotechnology is flagged as one of the important tool
in the ten major goals to be achieved under the policy.
The safe and responsible use of biotechnology will need
credible and capable regulatory mechanisms. A National
Biotechnology Regulatory Authority should be set up for
this purpose, with farmers’ representatives on it.
The report also calls for increasing scientific literacy
and for a better understanding of the benefits and potential
risks of biotechnology.
Access the Revised Draft National Policy for Farmers at: http://krishakayog.gov.in/revdraft.pdf.
For more information contact: b.choudhary@isaaa.org. INDIAN
PM OFFERS NEW DEAL FOR RURAL INDIA
Manmohan Singh, India’s Prime Minister, has stated that the route to
economy-wide growth rates has to be through accelerated
agriculture investment and the infusion of new technologies.
Addressing the Second Agriculture Summit 2006 on 18th Sept,
the Prime Minister said that the strategy for agricultural
development must be based on improving the real incomes
and the quality of life of the farming community.
The PM
called for the greater application of new scientific
and technological knowledge to improve farming, particularly
in dryland areas, with a focus on farming systems as a
whole.
In order to revive agriculture sector, Singh has proposed
to bridge four deficits: the public investment and credit
deficit; the infrastructure deficit; the market economy
deficit; and the knowledge deficit.
To read the full document visit:
http://www.pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=21415.
For further information contact b.choudhary@isaaa.org.
THAI SCIENCE & TECH MINISTER IN SUPPORT OF BIOTECH
Yongyuth Yuthavong, the new Science and Technology Minister of Thailand, has
designated three key technologies as essential for the
country’s development: Information and Communication
Technology (ITC), Biotechnology, and Industrial Technologies.
His policy framework will address the role of science and
technology to promote Thailand’s economy and to increase
the country’s competitiveness.
The development in biotechnology is envisaged for the health
and agricultural sectors. In agriculture, biotechnology
should help farmers increase productivity and yields, said
Yuthavong.
For more information contact Thailand’s
Biotechnology Information Center (BBIC) at safetybio@yahoo.com.
EUROPE
EFSA SIGNS DECLARATION OF INTENT FOR
COOPERATION ON RISK ASSESSMENT IN EU
Members of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) Advisory Forum signed
a Declaration of Intent expressing commitment to strengthen
scientific cooperation and information exchange on risk
assessment in the European Union. EFSA will work with members
and the Scientific Committee in developing a strategy and
roadmap for scientific cooperation which will be presented
to the Advisory Forum by the end of 2006.
The members likewise
discussed possible opportunities to strengthen collaboration.
These include identifying more
formalized channels of communications; sharing data on
specific dossiers; setting up ad hoc liaison groups on
forthcoming
risk assessments; encouraging exchange of information between
scientific staff of EFSA and scientific panels at national
level; and sharing draft opinions under embargo on issues
of particular importance.
The text of the Declaration of Intent is available at http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/advisory_forum/
adv_meetings/af_18th_meeting.html while EFSA’s press
release is at http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/press_room/press_release/
adisory_forum_decl_intent.html.
BT
CORN, INSECTICIDE EFFECTS ON SOILS ASSESSED
Bryan S. Griffiths and colleagues from various research institutions in the
UK, France, and Denmark assessed the effects of Bt corn
on the soil by quantifying microbial and faunal numbers.
Their article, “Soil Microbial and Faunal Community
Responses to Bt Maize and Insecticide in Two Soils” is
published in a recent issue of the Journal of Environmental
Quality.
The team assessed the effects of Bt maize and an insecticide
on soil and microbial faunal communities in sandy loam
and clay loam soils, in order to compare results between
soil
in glasshouse conditions and in the field. Bt corn plants
were grown in both soils, and half of the plants were sprayed
with a pyrethroid insecticide. After quantifying microbial and faunal communities, the researchers
found that: 1) the main effect on all measured parameters
was that of soil type, and there were no effects of the
Bt trait or the insecticide on plant growth; 2) Soil grown
with
Bt maize had more soil nematodes and protozoa; 3) there
were no significant differences in soil phospholipid fatty
acid
content as a result of the Bt trait or insecticide applications;
4) and there were no effects of insecticide application
on the amounts of Bt protein detected in soil. The researchers
also observed that plants treated with insecticide had
higher
concentrations of the Bt toxin than untreated plants in
some instances, a finding which, they said, may warrant
further
investigation.
Subscribers to the journal can read the complete article
at http://jeq.scijournals.org/cgi/content/full/35/3/734 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2134/jeq2005.0344.
IN
VITRO CONSERVATION OF VANILLA PLANTS
SA report of more than seven years of research on how to successfully conserve
vanilla plants in vitro was published in Scientia Horticulturae.
Vanilla plants are the source of natural vanillin compound
used by the flavoring industry.
Minoo Divakaran and colleagues
described their standardized protocols used in conserving
a large collection of vanilla
germplasm by using synthetic seeds and slow growth storage.
The authors wrote that the protocol they have developed “is
efficient in the production of more multiple shoots and extendable
to different species”. This makes possible the large-scale
multiplication of disease free plants in many vanilla species.
The
authors also note that, to date “vanilla germplasm
is (still) conserved in clonal repositories belonging to
botanical gardens and in scientific institutions.” Conservation
in vitro will be complementary to these traditional ways
of safeguarding plant biodiversity.
For the abstract of the
research paper please visit
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2006.07.003.
BIOSAFETY
CLEARING-HOUSE LAUNCHES NEW LMO REGISTRY
The Secretariat has introduced an easily accessible central registry of all
living modified organisms (LMOs), including information
on the transformation event, gene insert and characteristics
of the modification, and its unique identification code
(if available). Links to all decisions that refer to one
of these organisms are provided at the bottom of each LMO
record accessible through the registry.
The Directory is
available at: http://bch.biodiv.org/informationsharing/default.shtml
NEW DIRECTORY
OF BIOSAFETY ORGANIZATIONS
The Secretariat of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) has announced
the launch of a new directory of organizations involved
in biosafety activities. The directory currently contains
134 records and is accessible through the Biosafety Clearing
House (BCH) mechanism of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety.
It profiles the nature of work undertaken by each organization,
focusing on its relevance to biosafety, and provides detailed
contact information as well as links to relevant records
in the BCH. The directory is available online at this link
http://bch.biodiv.org/resources/organizations.shtml
INDIA HOSTS
INTERNATIONAL BIOSAFETY CONFERENCE
The Ministry of Environment and Forest in India is organizing an international
conference on biosafety issues of genetically modified
organisms (GMOs) in the context of the Cartagena Protocol
on Biosafety. The conference will take place 20-22 Nov
2006 in New Delhi, India. The objective of the conference
is to provide a forum for exchange of information on the
important issues for strengthening the capacity of various
stakeholders, and to identify areas for further development
and harmonization of activities.
For further information please visit: http://www.envfor.nic.in
The International Plant Genetic Resources Institute will
be known as Bioversity International or Bioversity in December
2006 and not Biodiversity International as announced in last
week’s issue.
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