Crop Biotech Update

April 15, 2020

International Research Team Discovers Gene to Develop Fusarium Head Blight Resistant Wheat

Researchers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service (USDA ARS) and colleagues from Shandong Agricultural University in China have discovered a gene that can be used in the development of wheat varieties with more resistance to Fusarium Head Blight (FHB), a disease that is a major threat to wheat crops worldwide. FHB shrivels grain and can significantly decrease harvests of wheat and barley. Worse, the toxins released by the fungus Fusarium graminearum, a growing problem in the breadbaskets of Europe, North America, and China, remain in grain intended for food.

Researchers in Spain Use Biotech to Produce SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine in Plants

Researchers Mar�a Coca and Juan Jos� L�pez-Moya from the Spanish Research Council (CSIC) at the Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG) are using their expertise in plant biotechnology and virology to produce SARS-CoV-2 antigens to be used in vaccine development. The researchers will experiment with different expression systems from plants and have formed a team including an immunologist expert in coronavirus.

Five Countries Produce More than 90% of Biotech Crops Worldwide

High adoption of biotech crops continued in 2018 with 26 countries planting 191.7 million hectares worldwide. This area is an increase of 1.9 million hectares or 1% from the previous year's area. The average adoption rate in the top five biotech crop-growing countries increased to reach close to saturation, with the United States at 93.3% (average for soybeans, maize, and canola), Brazil at 93%, Argentina at close to 100%, Canada at 92.5%, and India at 95%.

Cas-CLOVER, an Alternative to CRISPR-Cas9

CRISPR-Cas9 has been the most used gene editing system used for genetic improvement of plants, animals, and other organisms. A new gene editing technology called Cas-CLOVER was presented in a webinar held by Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News (GEN) on April 14, 2020.

COVID-19 ALERTS

Researchers in Spain Use Biotech to Produce SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine in Plants

NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS

PLANT BREEDING INNOVATIONS

GM APPROVAL UPDATES

Russia approved corn TC1507 for food, feed, and processing.
Russia approved corn MZHG0JG for food, feed, and processing.
Russia approved corn DAS40278 for food, feed, and processing.
South Korea approved canola MS11 for food use.
The Philippines approved corn Bt11 x MIR162 x MON89034 x GA21 for food, feed, and processing.
The Philippines approved potato Y9 for food, feed, and processing.

Visit GM APPROVAL DATABASE

The Crop Biotech Update is a weekly newsletter of ISAAA, a non-for-profit organization. The CBU is distributed for free to over 23,000 subscribers worldwide to inform them about the key developments in biosciences, especially in agricultural biotechnology. Your support will help us in our mission to feed the world with knowledge. You can help by donating as little as $10.

DONATE