News & Events

Southern corn rust (SCR), caused by Puccinia polysora Underw. (P. polysora), poses a significant threat to maize production, yet the cell-type-specific defense mechanisms remain insufficiently characterized. To address this, we integrated single-nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) and spatial transcriptomic sequencing (stRNA-seq) to elucidate the cell-type-specific transcriptional dynamics in maize leaves during early infection with P. polysora.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced today that it has officially extended deregulation to a genetically engineered corn variety developed by Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc.The corn variety, designated as DP51291, is modified to express insect resistance and tolerance to the herbicide glufosinate-ammonium. Because Pioneer had previously received approval for these identical genetic traits in an earlier corn variety (DP23211), the company was eligible to request an extension of that existing deregulation.

Countries around the world are facing a growing threat from transboundary animal diseases (TADs), including New World Screwworm, African Swine Fever, Avian Influenza, Foot-and-Mouth Disease, and Peste des Petits Ruminants, as well as other emerging zoonotic threats such as Andes hantavirus, Ebola, and Nipah. As diseases and pests move more rapidly across borders, countries are facing increasing pressure to strengthen prevention, preparedness and response systems.

Bacterial blight (BB), caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. Oryzae (Xoo), is one of the most devastating diseases in rice worldwide. Common wild rice (Oryza rufipogon Griff.) inhabiting the high-temperature and high-humidity environments of Hainan Island has evolved strong disease resistance through natural selection, representing a valuable genetic reservoir for resistance breeding. However, large-scale characterization of resistance phenotypes, resistance genes, and their combinations remains limited.

The DSI Scientific Network is inviting researchers worldwide to contribute their perspectives to an ongoing global policy dialogue on digital sequence information (DSI). The Network brings together experts from all regions of the world and research contexts to help ensure that emerging international governance frameworks on DSI access and benefit-sharing support scientific research and equitable participation.

At today’s launch of the Ghana AgriConnect Compact, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) reaffirmed its commitment to partner with the Government of Ghana, the World Bank, and other development partners to accelerate the transformation of the country’s agri-food systems and drive inclusive economic growth.

Jacalin-related lectins play crucial roles in plant adaptation to abiotic and biotic stresses. The rice genome encodes four putative jacalin-related lectin kinase genes (OsJacLKs), but their functions toward environmental stresses remain largely uncharacterized. This study demonstrates that a putative jacalin-related lectin kinase, OsJacLK1, conferred resistance to the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae rather than salt stress.

Chinese scientists have successfully isolated a key gene from teosinte, the wild ancestor of modern corn, that dramatically increases the protein content in maize seeds. Published in the journal Nature, the research was led by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), along with Shanghai Normal University and Sichuan Agricultural University. The discovery provides a powerful genetic tool to reverse a historical trend: over 9,000 years of domestication

The 2026 FAO Partnership Award was jointly awarded to HELP Logistics, the Jordan Youth Innovation Forum, and the Maasai Integrated Development Initiative, recognizing their strong results for people and communities across diverse contexts.The annual prize pays tribute to outstanding cooperation with FAO in advancing its mandate, including partnerships with Members, UN agencies, international institutions, academia, civil society, the private sector and media.

Conducting large-scale multi-environment trials (METs) is practically challenging to breeding programs in Sub-Saharan Africa due to limitations of land, seed, and associated costs of phenotyping. As a result, early-generation hybrid maize trials are usually planted in single-row plots. In trials with single-row plots, genotypes compete with their neighbors for resources, and this biases the prediction of the genotype value.

Japanese biotechnology firm Sanatech Life Science Co., Ltd. has secured regulatory clearance in Canada for its gene-edited Sicilian Rouge High GABA tomato. Following a thorough review by Health Canada's Novel Foods Section, the federal agency determined that the product meets all requirements under its plant breeding guidelines and does not meet the definition of a novel food.

Agricultural biotechnology holds immense potential to foster sustainable agriculture, but transforming lab breakthroughs into real-world solutions requires a seamless blend of robust R&D, science-based regulations, and effective communication. To ensure society reaps these benefits while minimizing risks, scientists, regulators, and policymakers must collaborate closely so that scientific advancements and regulatory practices evolve hand in hand.