CROP BIOTECH UPDATE
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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 Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications SEAsiaCenter (ISAAA)
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November 25, 2011
In This Week’s Issue:
News
Global
Adoption of Biotech Crops Affects Consumers and Farmers' Attitudes
Food Global Demand to Double By 2050 Says UMN
Africa
Kenya Seed Companies Urged to Go Biotech
S&T is Top Priority in Uganda's National Development Plan
Africa Rice Center Scientist Wins Award
Juma: Africa Must be Open to New Biotechnology Tools
Americas
New Gene Switch System for Tissue-Specific Induction of Gene Expression
ISU Discovers Genetic Method to Double Algae Biomass
Researchers Find Revelations about C4 Photosynthesis
DuPont and Evogene Battle Soybean Rust
Asia and the Pacific
Philippines Celebrates 7th National Biotechnology Week
CMDV to Accelerate Conventional Breeding in Malaysia
Lupin Genome Map Unraveled
Research Center for GM Technology in Western Australia
Field Trials for GM Canola and Cotton in Australia
Vietnam Takes ASEAN Lead in S&T Meetings
Biosafety Workshop in Beijing
Europe
Alarming Decline in Europe's Fauna and Flora
GM Plants as a Factor of Gain Growth at the Farm Level
EFSA Updates Advice on Environmental Safety of GM Maize
TSL Scientists to Explore Genetics to Combat New Crop Diseases
Research
Researchers Develop Effective Regeneration and Transformation System in Sesame
Biotech Banana Confers Enhanced Resistance to Xanthomonas Wilt Disease
Effect of Biotech Corn Grain Diet on Boiler Performance and Carcass Yields
Beyond Crop Biotech
Not All "Fit" Survive
Sequenced Genome of Arachnid Published
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NEWS
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Global
ADOPTION OF BIOTECH CROPS AFFECTS CONSUMERS AND FARMERS' ATTITUDES
Farmer and consumer agreement on the benefits of plant biotechnology in food production was found to be strongest in countries with high adoption of GM crops, according to the results of the BASF Farm Perspective Study. The Synovate GmbH research team surveyed 1,800 farmers and 6,000 consumers from Brazil, India, the U.S., Germany, Spain, and France.
Around 80 percent of the farmers and consumers agree that the main purpose of farming is to feed the world. However, most of the farmers believe that consumers do not fully comprehend the dimension of the food supply challenge. Farmers and consumers agree about the important contribution of plant biotechnology especially in India (76% of farmers and 62% of consumers), Brazil (78% and 29%) and the USA (53% and 25%).
The press release is available at http://www.basf.com/group/pressrelease/P-11-492.
Global food demand, according to University of Minnesota (UMN) scientists, could double by 2050. Based on their projection reported in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the world faces major environmental challenges unless agricultural practices change.
"Agriculture's greenhouse gas emissions could double by 2050 if current trends in global food production continue," said David Tilman of UMN. "This would be a major problem, since global agriculture already accounts for a third of all greenhouse gas emissions."
Tilman and colleagues said that high yielding technologies and efficient use of nitrogen fertilizers could reverse this scenario. Options include increasing productivity on existing agricultural land, clear more land, or a combination of both.
See the press release from National Science Foundation at http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=122293&org=NSF&from=news
The role of the seed industry is critical in ensuring successful commercialization of transgenic crops, Kenya's Agriculture Secretary, Dr. Wilson Songa, told representatives of seed companies at a biosafety and biotechnology awareness workshop held in Nairobi on November 17-18, 2011.
Noting that the seed is no doubt the most important input in agricultural production, Songa, urged the seed industry to take advantage of favorable biosafety environment in Kenya to produce and market genetically improved seeds to enable the country to improve its food security. Kenya is currently engaged in research and development of transgenic maize, cassava, papaya, sorghum, sweet potato and cotton, among others.
The forum was organized by Seed Trade Association of Kenya (STAK) and African Seed Trade Association (AFSTA) to update seed companies on the status of modern crop biotechnology and biosafety regulations in Kenya. The Secretary General of AFSTA Justin Rakotoarisaona urged the seed companies to adopt modern biotechnology to remain competitive in the seed business. He said AFSTA supports responsible application of modern biotechnology to improve agricultural productivity and food security in Africa. The workshop was attended by about 40 seed companies operating in Kenya.
For more information, contact otunge@afsta.org.
The government of Uganda has identified science and technology as among the four priorities of its National Development Plan for 2010/11 to 2014/15. Scientific knowledge is expected to transform the country from an agrarian to industrial economy.
"Uganda's development prospects are intricately linked with the pace of generation, adoption and utilization of science and technology in the development process," said Dr. Peter Ndemele, executive secretary, Uganda National Council for Science and Technology (UNCST). The development and implementation of policies and strategies that integrate science and technology into the national development process is the mandate of UNCST.
The government is strengthening its S&T capabilities through the creation of a critical mass of scientists and engineers, and modern infrastructure in universities and research institutions. Efforts are also being done to enhance private-public partnerships and international collaborations.
View the full story at http://allafrica.com/stories/201111161054.html
A scientist from the Africa Rice Center in Cotonou, Benin, received the 2011 Japan International Award for Young Agricultural Researchers for spearheading the development of integrated weed management strategies for resource-poor rice farmers in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).
Dr. Jonne Rodenbug, a Dutch national, was able to identify effective genetic mechanisms to achieve resistance against the most important parasitic weeds in rain-fed rice systems and a number of highly resistant and tolerant varieties for immediate use in farmers' fields.
"The results of his research on resistance of rice varieties to parasitic weeds will be very useful for rice breeding programs," said Dr. Marco Wopereis, AfricaRice Deputy Director General, Research for Development. "If resource-poor farmers can fight against such weeds through their choice of seed that would be a major breakthrough because to date only crop management approaches are available to combat these weeds."
For more information, visit http://www.africaricecenter.org/warda/newsrel-japanaward-nov11.asp
African nations must be open to new biotechnology tools that allow farmers to grow crops that have even higher yields and a higher nutritional content, and which can withstand biological and physical stresses. Calestous Juma, director of the Agricultural Innovation in Africa Project at Harvard Kennedy School, Cambridge, Massachusetts, forwarded this thought in an article Preventing hunger: Biotechnology is key published in the November 23 online version of the journal Nature.
Juma said that without the advances in molecular biology and other scientific fields, African nations would be much worse off than they are now. "Solving world hunger will involve more than just producing more food. But excluding technological options that raise productivity will do more harm than good."
The international community, Juma averred, needs to take a pragmatic approach "that accommodates the best available technological options, rather than relying on ideological political positions that will put the world's most vulnerable people at risk. All technological options for meeting global food needs should therefore be on the table, including agricultural biotechnology," he stressed.
Subscribers can read the article at http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v479/n7374/full/479471a.html
The ability to regulate spatial and temporary expression of genes is an important tool in biotechnology as well as in functional genomics. Such regulation can provide information about the function of a gene during development while preventing possible harmful effects of constitutive overexpression of the gene.
Jaemo Jang of the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in the U.S., together with colleagues developed a safe and effective plant gene switch system for tissue-specific induction of gene expression in thale cress (Arabidopsis thaliana) and Chinese mustard (Brassica juncea). According to the authors, the new system provides both temporal and spatial control of transgene expression. The system could be used in various types of plant tissues. It will also allow engineering and analysis of intractable phenotypic traits such as lethality and dwarfism.
Read more at http://www.springerlink.com/content/tl1706401576j641/.
Researchers at the Iowa State University (ISU) have discovered a genetic method that can increase biomass in algae by 50 to 80 percent. Certain genes were made to turn on a function that increases the amount of photosynthesis in the plant, which leads to more biomass.
"The key to this (increase in biomass) is combination of two genes that increases the photosynthetic carbon conversion into organic matter by 50 percent over the wild type under carbon dioxide enrichment conditions," said Martin Spalding, professor in the Department of Genetics, Development, and Cell Biology and associate dean for research and graduate studies in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
Spalding added that this discovery opens up possibilities for more and better biofuel development. By using some existing mutated genes, algae can be made to produce oil instead of starch.
See the ISU news at http://www.news.iastate.edu/news/2011/nov/spaldingdario
A new grass family tree reveals how some grasses have evolved an efficient way of harvesting energy from the sun in hot, arid conditions. This new grass family was discovered by an international team of researchers who investigated how C4 strategy cam to be. They used DNA sequence data from three chloroplast genes to make the family tree of grasses. The resulting phylogeny represents 531 species, which includes 93 species for which DNA sequence data was previously unavailable.
According to Erika Edwards of Brown University, the results of their study suggests that C4 pathway has evolved in grasses more than 20 separate times within the last 30 or so millions of years. She also added that C4 evolution is like a one-way street because once the pathway evolves, there is no turning back.
The results of the study may help scientists develop more drought-tolerant grains.
Read more details at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1469-8137.2011.03972.x/abstract.
DuPont and Evogene entered into a multi-year collaboration to battle one of the most devastating diseases in soybeansoybean rust. They agreed to develop soybean varieties with improved resistance to the pathogen. This would help farmers improve their production of soybean.
One of the joint projects is the creation of a genomic database for soybean rest resistance. Evogene will use its computational genomic technology to identify new genes that confers rust resistance. DuPont, on the other hand, will develop genetically engineered soybeans carrying the gene for resistance.
Read the media release at http://www.foodbev.com/news/dupont-and-evogene-enter-soybean-collabo.
The Philippine Environment Secretary and a senator affirmed the important role of biotech for the development of the country's environment and agriculture during the opening of the 7th National Biotechnology Week at the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Quezon City, last November 21, 2011.
Environment Secretary Ramon Jesus P. Paje said in his opening message that biotechnology "is a very potent force" in developing the country's resources. He reported that products of biotechnology have been utilized to enhance the National Greening Program of the country through partnering with state universities and colleges. He also informed that the President considered the National Greening Program will not just be an environmental program, but also a poverty reduction and food security program.
Meanwhile, Keynote Speaker Senator Edgardo J. Angara and Chairman of the Committee on Science and Technology (COMSTE) expressed his view about the development of modern technologies, including biotechnology, and intensification of agriculture. He cited the success story of Bt corn, without which, he said, the livestock industry would not thrive. He also stressed the need to intensify research and development and biotech research particularly for food as this would be the hottest issue in the next decade.
Learning events such as fora, symposium, film showing, exhibits, and a contest for cartoonists, among others, were organized by the various partner government and non-government institutions. Through Presidential Proclamation 1414 issued in 2007, the last week of November was declared as the National Biotechnology Week.
For more information about the 7th Philippine National Biotechnology Week, visit SEARCA BIC website http://www.bic.searca.org or e-mail bic@agri.searca.org.
The recently concluded BioMalaysia 2011 saw the launch of the Center for Marker Discovery and Validation (CMDV) based in the Malaysian Agriculture Research and Development Institute (MARDI) by the Prime Minister Dato' Sri Najib Tun Razak. MARDI, the nation's premier institute for agricultural research, is the custodian of the technology due to their extensive experience in the field of molecular agricultural genomics.
The center will be utilizing a platform technology acquired by BiotechCorp, the Marker Assisted Selection (MAS) platform. MAS uses DNA markers in the process of selecting desired plant varieties which will speed up the plant and animal breeding process by enabling variety development through selection of desired genotypes during the early stage of the breeding program.
"This will enable the production of planting materials or brood-stock that are certified to contain desired attributes, thus enabling Malaysia's sales of these products to increase and capture significantly higher value," Mardi director general Datuk Dr Abd Shukor Abd Rahman said in an interview with the Business Times.
In conjunction with the launch, strategic collaborations involving BiotechCorp, MARDI and four other parties in the form of Memorandum of Agreements were announced, utilizing the platform. The early utilizers of the platform include the Malaysian Palm Oil Board, for the genotyping of the palm oil crop; JEFI Aquatech Resources for the breeding of shrimp and other products; as well as, Green World Genetics Sdn Bhd for the breeding of hybrid seeds of vegetables and fruit.
Ema Kenneth Fung of the Malaysia Biotechnology Information Center at kenneth@bic.org.my for additional information.
Western Australian scientists of the Department of Agriculture and Food's national lupin breeding team have completed the genetic lupin map which could lead to developing new varieties. Lupin is a genus of the legume family and is fast becoming a cash crop alternative to soy.
Department Grains Industry Executive Director Peter Metcalfe said the new map would fast track the development of lupin varieties with disease resistance, better yields and greater tolerance to drought stress.
"About 9000 locations on the lupin genome have been tagged, increasing the marker density by up to 20 times," said Metcalfe. "A high density map, such as this one, enhances the reliability, precision and ability to select genes directly based on the plant's DNA."
For more information visit http://www.mediastatements.wa.gov.au/Pages/WACabinetMinistersSearch.aspx?ItemId=144782&minister=Redman&admin=Barnett http://www.agric.wa.gov.au/PC_94798.html?s=1732758338
The first of two state-of-the art scientific facilities in Western Australia was inaugurated by Agriculture and Food Minister Terry Redman. The Minister said: "It is important for the Australian grains industry to have access to the latest innovation, including GM technology, to remain internationally competitive."
The integrated field and laboratory complex at Merredin will enable agricultural research, particularly using GM technology to develop crops that can cope with climate change. A trial by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) is already underway to study the genetic potential of several lines of GM wheat and barley.
Part of the Liberal-National Government's $9 million commitment to the New Genes for New Environments project, the facilities conform to the national standards of the Office of the Gene Technology Regulator.
Check out http://www.mediastatements.wa.gov.au/Pages/WACabinetMinistersSearch.aspx?ItemId=144782&minister=Redman&admin=Barnett for more information.
The Office of the Gene Technology Regulator (OGTR) has received license applications from Pioneer Hi-Bred Australia Pty Ltd (Pioneer) for the limited and controlled release of genetically modified (GM) canola and GM cotton into the environment (application DIR 114 and 113, respectively).
The field trial to evaluate the agronomic performance of GM canola will be take place between May 2012 and February 2016 on up to 8 sites for the first year and up to 20 sites in subsequent years, in Victoria, New South Wales (NSW) and Western Australia (WA).
The trial of cotton genetically modified for insect resistance and herbicide tolerance will be for two years, between May 2012 and May 2015 in four sites in Narrabri, NSW and Wyndham-East Kimberly, WA.
Check out http://www.ogtr.gov.au/internet/ogtr/publishing.nsf/Content/dir114-4/$FILE/dir114ebnotific_1.rtf and http://www.ogtr.gov.au/internet/ogtr/publishing.nsf/Content/dir113-4/$FILE/dir113ebnotific.rtf for the details of the field trials.
Vietnam will host and chair two Association of Southeast Asian (ASEAN) science and technology meetings in November 2011 according to the Ministry of Science and Technology. The 14th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Science and Technology (AMMST-14) and the 62nd meeting of the ASEAN Committee on Science and Technology (COST-62) will take place in Ho Chi Minh City.
The two events will discuss measures to strengthen scientific and technological cooperation in the region. The meetings will also discuss the implementation of scientific and technological cooperation program and the ASEAN Plan of Action on Science and Technology (APAST) during 2012-2017.
Up for discussion are food security till 2013, the ASEAN early warning system for natural disasters, biofuel, the application and development of open resources, and climate change.
The full story is at http://en.vietnamplus.vn/Home/Vietnam-to-host-ASEAN-scitech-meetings/201111/22311.vnplus
Policies on genetic modification (GM) should be based on science and consider public concerns. There is a need to highlight GMO regulation and management as well as increasing public acceptance. Participants shared these insights during the USTDA-MOA Biosafety Administration Cooperation Workshop held in Beijing on November 17 to 18, 2011. Stakeholders from government, agricultural industry, institutes, and colleges took part in the meeting which is held annually.
Mr. Ynquan Shi, the department deputy head of science and technology development of the Ministry of Agriculture gave the opening address. Topics discussed included the role of biotechnology in agriculture, experiences of the private sector in research and product development, and market-consumer oriented research.
For more information, contact Prof. Hongxiang Zhang from the China Biotechnology Information Center at zhanghx@mail.las.ac.cn.
The European Red List, a part of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, reports that a considerable portion of Europe's native fauna and flora is showing an alarming decline. A large proportion of vascular plants, molluscs, and freshwater fish fall into the threatened category.
European Commissioner for the Environment Janez Potočnik said: "The well-being of people in Europe and all over the world depends on goods and services that nature provides. If we don't address the reasons behind this decline and act urgently to stop it, we could pay a very heavy price indeed."
Wild relatives of crop plants which are vital for food security are included in the vascular plant category. Crop plants that show levels of threat are sugar beet, wheat, oat and lettuce which are economically important crops in Europe.
The EU is responding to the threats to fauna and flora with a new Biodiversity Strategy which aims to halt the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services in the EU by 2020.
For full details, see http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/conservation/species/redlistand http://www.iucnredlist.org/europe. A news article is at http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/11/1387&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
Tatjana Papić-Brankov from the European University and Koviljko Lovre of the University of Novi Sad published an article about the economic impact of the first generation of GM crops. They said that biotechnology has been one of the key determinatives for global processes in economy. Private producers have achieved economic benefits in the developed countries.
According to the report, "one third of global gain in average (37%) belongs to the innovators (technology creators and seed distributors) while two thirds (63%) belong to farmers and small consumers." They said that GM plants can have more impact at the farm level if the problems in production are solved and farmers would have free access to new technologies.
Read more at http://www.eknfak.ni.ac.rs/Ekonomske-teme/et2011-2en.pdf#page=118
GM Maize 1507 is unlikely to raise a safety concern for the environment as long as appropriate management measures are implemented during cultivation. This was the updated scientific advice of the Panel on Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Maize 1507 is a genetically modified plant developed to express an insecticidal protein that protects it from certain Lepidoptera pests.
A new mathematical model was developed to simulate and assess potential adverse effects related to exposure of non-target Lepidoptera insects to GM maize pollen. It enabled the Panel to show that in certain cultivation conditions, some species of highly sensitive non-target butterflies and moths may be at risk when exposed to maize 1507 pollen.
The GMO Panel recommended management measures to address possible resistance in target pests to the insecticidal protein found in maize 1507 and to reduce the risk of exposure to the plant's pollen for certain highly sensitive species of non-target butterflies and moths.
The EFSA press release is at http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/press/news/111118.htm.
Scientists are anticipating new and more virulent crop diseases due to climate change. Thus, researchers at the John Innes Centre and The Sainsbury Laboratory (TSL) in United Kingdom are conducting scientific investigations about the impact of temperature on pathogens, plants, and the interaction between the two. Their goal is to find new sources of resistance from the relatives of important crops.
"Wild plants can harbor powerful resistance to crop diseases," said Dr. Brande Wulff from TSL.
One of the interesting yet insignificant-looking wild plants that they are studying is called Sharon goatgrass (Aegilops sharonensis). It thrives on coastal plains in Israel and South Lebanon and many populations are nearing extinction. This grass captured the interest of the scientists because of its resistance to Ug99, a stem rust fungus that could infect 80-90 percent of wheat varieties globally.
"The ultimate step, four or five years from now, is to isolate these genes, take them out with the molecular tweezers and put them into locally-adapted high-yielding bread wheat We hope to create a formidable obstacle to the pathogen," explained Dr. Wulff.
Read more about this story at http://news.jic.ac.uk/2011/11/genetics-to-halt-spread-of-crop-diseases/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+NewsFromTheJohnInnesCentre+%28News+from+the+John+Innes+Centre%29.
Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) is an economically important oil crop in many tropical and subtropical areas of the world. However, only a few researchers have used genetic engineering to improve the crop due to regeneration and transformation difficulties.
Amal F. Al-Shafeay of the Agriculture Research Center (ARC) in Egypt and colleagues reported the successful production of transgenic fertile sesame plants (cultivar Sohag 1) through Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation. The expression of the inserted genes (phosphotransferase gene and beta glucuronidase gene) was confirmed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR), reverse transcriptase-PCR (RT-PCR), and GUS histochemical assay.
The researchers identified several factors that are important for successful regeneration and transformation in sesame. These include the addition of silver nitrate for successful recovery of shoots; and optimal co-cultivation time and optical density of Agrobacterium.
Read the abstract at http://www.landesbioscience.com/journals/gmcrops/article/18378/.
Banana Xanthomonas wilt is considered as one of the biggest problems in banana production especially in East and Central Africa. It is caused by bacterium Xanthomonas campestris pv. musacearum which can rapidly infect all varieties of banana causing withering and rotting of fruits.
With the goal of controlling this pathogen, B. Namukwaya of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture and colleagues used genetic engineering to produce bananas resistant to BXW. The biotech bananas expressed plant ferredoxin-like protein (Pflp) and were characterized by molecular analysis. High resistance to BXW were exhibited by the resulting lines, wherein 67 percent showed complete resistance to the pathogen.
Based on the findings, expression of Pflp in banana could cause improved resistance BXW.
Read the abstract at http://www.springerlink.com/content/k55613385752p34u/.
Grain produced from biotech corn with stacked traits of insect resistance and herbicide tolerance (507x59122xMON810xNK603) as evaluated by J. McNaughton and colleagues from AHPharma, Inc. in a 42-day feeding trial with broiler chickens. Broilers that fed on grain from unsprayed and sprayed with herbicide mixture performed as well as broilers that fed on nontransgenic near-isogenic control grain. No difference was also found in the organ, carcass, and parts yields of the broilers that fed on biotech corn and those that consumed non-GM grain.
All performance, organ and carcass measures from the control and GM group were within the range of values from broilers fed diets with non-GM commercially available hybrids. Thus, the grain with GM events was nutritionally equivalent to grain from non-GM near-isogenic corn.
Read the report at http://japr.fass.org/content/20/4/542.short.
Scientists at the Australian National University studied the breeding behavior of European bank voles, a small rodent found in Europe and Great Britain, and discovered that reproductive success does not run in the family.
The researchers observed that the males which have the genes for behavioral dominance were most likely to win mates but the female siblings also carrying the gene were less successful, producing smaller litter sizes. On the other hand, females which do not carry the genes had bigger litter sizes. This implies that even if genes that were maladaptive for one sex were to some extent carried through to the next generation by its more successful opposite-sex siblings, the difference in the genes' effects for the two sexes was so strong that this would be unlikely to maintain genetic variance by itself.
They also found that the dominant gene was only helpful for males when it was rare in the population. This process is called negative frequency dependence, which is important in maintaining genetic diversity. "Males with the dominant gene are quite aggressive, so when the gene gets more common in a population, dominant males are more likely to spend their time fighting, and the tame males get an advantage at that point," said Jussi Lehtonen, one of the authors of the study.
Read the complete story at http://news.anu.edu.au/?p=12331.
New opportunities to develop pest control and crop protection strategies against the spider mite are in the horizon through the efforts of an international team of scientists that have cracked the genome of the arachnid.
Spider mites can cause enormous damage to crops that span ornamental plants to cultivated crops such as tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, strawberries, corn, and soybean. They have shown resistance to different kinds of pesticides. The genome study will thus shed light on the mechanisms that allow spider mites to develop fast adaptation and resistance.
Details of The genome of Tetranychus urticae reveals herbivorous pest adaptations in available for subscribers of the journal Nature. A feature article is at http://www.vib.be/en/news/Pages/Genetic-code-of-first-arachnid-cracked.aspx.