News & Events
The online event is the second of three webinars and aims to orient the public in contextualizing the need for additional guidance materials on risk assessment within ongoing debates about gene drives. It will feature Dr. Heidi Mitchell of the Office of the Gene Technology Regulator in Australia, Dr. Vibha Ahuja of the Biotech Consortium Ltd. in India, and Dr. Hector Quemada of the Western Michigan University. Dr. Saturnina C. Halos of the Biotechnology Coalition of the Philippines will moderate the discussions.
Using late blight resistance genes targeting conservative effectors of Phytophthora infestans and the constructing gene pyramids may lead to durable, broad-spectrum resistance, which could be accelerated through genetic engineering. Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is one of the most important food crops worldwide. In 2020, potato production was estimated to be more than 359 million tons according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
La Trobe University scientists analyzed the molecular characteristics of Arabidopis, rice, and barley and found varied responses to common abiotic stresses. The results are published in BMC Plant Biology. Selecting target genes and pathways to alter response to abiotic stresses requires information on the molecular similarities or differences between plants, such as model or crop species.
A team of researchers at Qinghai University analyzed the transcriptome of potatoes and revealed the multiple effects of nitrogen accumulation and metabolism in the roots, shoots, and leaves. The results are published in BMC Plant Biology. Nitrogen fertilizer plays an important role in the roots, shoots, and leaves of crop plants. The researchers obtained two N-sensitive potato cultivars, which were planted in pots using N-deficient and N-sufficient conditions.
The Asian corn borer, Ostrinia furnacalis, is a serious insect pest that can infest corn leaves and stems. Due to its internal feeding behavior, its larvae are not exposed to insecticides that are usually sprayed for pest control. To minimize crop damage caused by O. furnacalis, improving insect resistance trait of corn has been considered as an optimal control tactic. This study screened 27 corn varieties for their insect resistance trait and selected three varieties of Ilmichal (IM)
Researchers from West Virginia University (WVU) are working to better understand the impact of climate change on a bioenergy crop that flourishes on reclaimed mining lands. Ember Morrissey, associate professor of environmental microbiology at WVU is examining the symbiotic relationship between microbes and the perennial grass Miscanthus x giganteus. Jeff Skousen, professor of soil science, helped Morrissey establish miscanthus stands on marginal soil for research
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the UN World Food Programme (WFP) issued a blunt notice about multiple, looming food crises, driven by conflict, climate chocks, COVID-19 pandemic fallout, and massive public debt burdens, and further intensified by the war in Ukraine, pushing the food and fuel price to accelerate in many countries worldwide. A new report identified 20 hunger hotspots where immediate humanitarian action is necessary.
Stem borers are major insect pests of maize in Uganda. A study was conducted in 2014-2016 to assess the performance of Bt hybrids expressing Cry1Ab (event MON810) against the two major stem borer species in Uganda - the African stem borer (Busseola fusca) and the spotted stem borer (Chilo partellus) - under artificial infestation. The study comprised 14 non-commercialized hybrids, including seven pairs of Bt and non-Bt hybrids (isolines),
Steve Naranjo from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service (USDA ARS) and entomologists from Agrocscope in Switzerland have conducted the largest meta-analysis of the impact of genetically modified (GM) Bt corn on nontarget insect pests and other organisms. Bt corn is corn that has been genetically modified to produce proteins from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) to control corn borers, corn rootworms, and other major pests of corn.
National Technical Commission on Biosafety (CTNBio) President Paul Barroso calls the approval of genetically modified (GM) maize event 913 a “milestone for Brazilian science” because it is the result of a 100% national public-private partnership between the companies Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa) and Helix. EH913 event, which is comparable to the best Bt technology in the current market, was found to be effective to lepidopteran pests specifically on the cartridge caterpillar
From the domestication of wild soybean (Glycine soja Sieb. & Zucc.), over 3,000 years ago, to the modern soybean (Glycine max L. Merr) cultivars that provide much of the world’s oil and protein, soybean populations have undergone fundamental changes. We evaluated the molecular impact of breeding and selection using 391 soybean accessions including US cultivars and their progenitors from the USDA Soybean Germplasm Collection (CGP),
The BRS 437 B2RF and BRS 500 B2RF are transgenic cotton cultivars that feature multiple resistance to diseases and pests, and other favorable agronomic traits. Both were pre-launched on June 2, 2022, by the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa) and Fundação Bahia during the Bahia Farm Show, the largest agricultural fair in the north and northeastern parts of Brazil.