News & Events

Epicuticular wax crystals are synthesized and secreted by the epidermal cells of aerial tissues in terrestrial plants and are transported to the outer surface, where they crystallize on the cuticle. The absence of these wax crystals conferred a glossy phenotype to plant leaves, which is beneficial for enhancing the commercial quality of leafy vegetables. Fourteen glossy leaf mutants were isolated from an EMS-mutagenized doubled haploid line ‘FT’ of Chinese cabbage

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is one of the world’s most widely cultivated and consumed vegetables, and its fruits are highly valued for its vibrant color, culinary versatility, and nutritional benefits (Yu et al. 2025). China leads global tomato production, with an output of approximately 70 million tons in 2023, contributing to a worldwide yield exceeding 192 million tons (FAO 2025). Fragrance significantly enhances the sensory appeal and flavor quality of food, thereby influencing the consumption and market price of agricultural products

In a powerful demonstration of scientific collaboration, the Director General of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) led a high-level delegation to the Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice) main research station in Mbé, reinforcing the partnership between these sister CGIAR centers. As food sovereignty emerges as Africa's defining challenge, AfricaRice and IITA are taking their collaboration to new heights—placing science at the heart of their strategy to transform agricultural challenges into engines of sustainable economic growth.

Specific flavour traits in papaya significantly influence consumer acceptance, with unfavourable flavours limiting marketability. However, limited evidence links metabolites to sensory characteristics in papaya. This study characterised flavour profiles of 27 papaya genotypes from Australia and South-east Asia (nine commercial cultivars, 18 breeding lines), using metabolomic and sensory data. Ten trained panellists performed descriptive analysis using 20-attribute descriptors, and 125 consumers evaluated flavour acceptance.

Pocket Ks are Pockets of Knowledge, peer-reviewed and packaged information on crop biotechnology products and related issues, which are available for download from the ISAAA website and optimized for printing or mobile use. This latest Pocket K discusses the development of durable genetic resistance in corn against fungal pathogens and mycotoxins using advanced plant immune system insights and gene discovery technologies.

Across the world’s rangelands, climate change is already reshaping how pastoral systems function. Droughts are becoming more frequent and severe, leading to reduced pasture, declining water availability, and increased livestock losses. These landscapes, which support billions of people, remain underrepresented in climate action. CGIAR is helping to address this by enabling earlier responses to climate risks, restoring degraded rangelands, and generating evidence that positions rangelands as climate-critical systems.

Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS) was employed to identify TFA metabolites. DLI mouse model was established by high-fat diet (HFD) feeding and streptozotocin (STZ) injection. The mice were randomly allocated into four groups (n = 8): Control, Model, TFA-L, and TFA-H. TFA was administered daily by oral gavage for 12 consecutive weeks

A study conducted by researchers from the University of Arkansas, Humboldt University of Berlin (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin), and the South African Agricultural Research Council (ARC) Small Grains Institute emphasizes that consumer support for genetically modified (GM) maize increases when people are informed about its benefits. The research focuses on drought tolerant maize developed under the Water Efficient Maize for Africa (WEMA) project.

Ministers from around Asia and the Pacific gathered in here to negotiate collaboration pathways with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). They aim to harness the region’s increasingly prosperous and dynamic agricultural capacities to bolster food security for all, while ensuring smallholders benefit from technology and trade.

Root-knot nematodes (RKN, Meloidogyne spp.) continue to challenge tomato production by disrupting root architecture, impairing nutrient uptake, and reducing yields. Recent advances in plant biotechnology provide multiple avenues to enhance nematode resistance beyond conventional resistance (R)-gene utilization. This review discusses molecular and transgenic strategies investigated for RKN resistance across diverse plant systems, including the transfer or engineering of R-genes, expression of anti-feedant proteins and nematotoxic peptides, host-induced gene silencing targeting essential nematode genes, and CRISPR/Cas-mediated modification of host susceptibility factors,

In a world-first achievement, researchers at the Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK) Gatersleben have successfully used CRISPR-Cas9 technology to significantly shrink or entirely remove specific chromosomes in wheat. By targeting satellite DNA, the team has demonstrated that even the massive, complex genome of wheat can be precision-engineered at a structural level. This breakthrough, published in Plant Communications, provides scientists with a powerful new toolkit to manipulate crop genetics with unprecedented accuracy.

The Tasmanian Government revised its gene technology policy to allow farmers to get access to products of site-directed nuclease-1 (SDN-1) technology. SDN-1 technology is a precision breeding technique that introduces traits such as abiotic stress tolerance and high yield. According to Minister for Primary Industries and Water, Gavin Pearce, SDN-1 products do not contain foreign genes, so they are not classified as genetically modified organisms (GMOs), which are in moratorium in Tasmania until 2029.