Food loss and waste (FLW) can be a reservoir and even an accelerator for anti-microbial resistance (AMR), highlighting that it should be integrated into AMR surveillance and management strategies, according to experts at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Discarding FLW into landfills or open dumps intensify AMR risks, while some food waste processes such as composting can if done properly reduce antimicrobial resistance genes, according to “Risk of antimicrobial resistance spreading via food loss and waste,” a new scientific review paper published in Infectious Diseases of Poverty, an open access, peer-reviewed journal.

Sheath blight (ShB), caused by Rhizoctonia solani, is one of the most destructive diseases of rice, causing substantial yield losses worldwide. Effective management remains challenging due to the absence of resistant genetic sources and the ability of the pathogen to persist under diverse environmental conditions. The sugar transporter OsSWEET11 acts as a susceptibility factor by facilitating pathogen-induced sucrose efflux, but complete loss-of-function mutations compromise grain filling and yield.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) has announced that it is seeking public comment on a petition to deregulate a variety of African marigolds developed using genetic engineering. This variety has been modified to produce red flowers, a trait not typically found in traditional African marigolds.