News & Events
Quantitative understanding of factors driving yield increases of major food crops is essential for effective prioritization of research and development. Yet previous estimates had limitations in distinguishing among contributing factors such as changing climate and new agronomic and genetic technologies. Here, we distinguished the separate contribution of these factors to yield advance using an extensive database collected from the largest irrigated maize-production domain in the world located in Nebraska (United States) during the 2005-to-2018 period.
Scientists from the University of Hong Kong have identified the molecular mechanisms that activate salt-induced adaptive changes in soybeans, which could lead to finding solutions for saline agriculture. The research team examined soybean roots in salt solution and found Class II ACBP3 and ACBP4 variant proteins smaller than the native forms emerged during the first few hours of treatment. The researchers also found that the overexpression of the native and truncated ACBP4 rendered soybean hairy roots more salt-sensitive and salt-tolerant than the control plant.
Louisiana State University (LSU) researchers and partners received a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture - National Institute of Food and Agriculture to develop sweet potato varieties resistant to guava root-knot nematode. According to researchers at LSU College of Agriculture (AgCenter), guava root-knot nematode is one of the most damaging root-knot nematodes in the world. It can cause complete yield loss to important crops including tomatoes, cotton, soybeans, peppers, and sweet potatoes.
Rice blast seriously threatens rice production worldwide. Utilizing the rice blast resistance gene to breed rice blast-resistant varieties is one of the best ways to control rice blast disease. Using a map-based cloning strategy, we cloned a novel rice blast resistance gene, Pi65, from the resistant variety GangYu129 (abbreviated GY129, Oryza sativa japonica). Overexpression of Pi65 in the susceptible variety LiaoXing1 (abbreviated LX1, Oryza sativa japonica) enhanced rice blast resistance, while knockout of Pi65 in GY129 resulted in susceptibility to rice blast disease.
The newly discovered gene, called Anthracnose Resistance Gene1, or ARG1, confers broad protection from the fungal diseases anthracnose, rust, and target spot. Tesfaye Mengiste, a professor and interim head of Purdue's Department of Botany and Plant Pathology said it is remarkable that a single gene leads to resistance across a broad spectrum of fungi and multiple strains of the anthracnose fungus.
The CLASSY gene family (CLSY 1–4) essentially controls where the genome is marked by DNA methylation, the addition of methyl chemical groups to the DNA acting like tags saying, "turn off." The research team found that CLSY genes were expressed differently depending on plant tissue type. Using Arabidopsis, the Salk team discovered that the CLASSY gene family (CLSY 1–4) acts at different locations depending on the tissue, revealing how diverse patterns of methylation are generated during plant development.
Lateral branching is one of the most important traits, which directly determines plant architecture and crop productivity. Commercial watermelon has the characteristics of multiple lateral branches, and it is time-consuming and labor-costing to manually remove the lateral branches in traditional watermelon cultivation. In our present study, a lateral branchless trait was identified in watermelon material WCZ, and genetic analysis revealed that it was controlled by a single recessive gene, which named as Clbl (Citrullus lanatus branchless)
South African seed industry organizations led by the South African National Seed Organization (SANSOR) released a joint statement after the National Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) announced that products derived from new breeding technologies will be evaluated under the risk assessment framework used for genetically modified organisms. In the statement, the seed industry organizations highlighted the possible detrimental effects of the decision on the nation's agricultural industry.
Experts from Tata Institute for Genetics and Society (TIGS) developed a method to reverse insecticide resistance using CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing. The results of their study are published in Nature Communications. Insecticides are vital in the global efforts to stop the spread of mosquito-borne diseases as well as in controlling insect-driven crop damage that impacts food security.
A recurring target-site mutation identified in various pests and disease vectors alters the voltage gated sodium channel (vgsc) gene (often referred to as knockdown resistance or kdr) to confer resistance to commonly used insecticides, pyrethroids and DDT. The ubiquity of kdr mutations poses a major global threat to the continued use of insecticides as a means for vector control. In this study, we generate common kdr mutations in isogenic laboratory Drosophila strains using CRISPR/Cas9 editing
Livestock farmers in Kenya are staring at a bleak future following a dire shortage of livestock feeds, a situation that has exorbitantly pushed up livestock production costs in the country. Now, farmers are appealing to the Government to allow importation of genetically modified (GM) feed ingredients which are relatively cheap and readily available on the global market.
A community of experts held a series of virtual workshop sessions on regulatory approaches for agricultural applications of animal biotechnology. The key points of the discussions are summarized in an open-access review article released in Transgenic Research.