News & Events
When discussion about genetically modified (GM) crops is brought up, their benefits often highlight their impact on the environment, animal welfare, human health, and food security. However, their economic impact is often less understood by people who have little knowledge of economics. Two researchers from Canada explain the potential economic losses caused by the delay in GM crop commercialization and the factors that promote them.
Seed coat color is an important characteristic of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) associated with the marketability of dry bean cultivars, quality and nutritional characteristics of seed, as well as response to pathogens. In this study, the genetic control of seed coat color in a recombinant inbred line population (175 lines) obtained from the cross ‘TU’ × ‘Musica’ was investigated. Phenotypic segregation fitted 1:1 for white vs. nonwhite, and 3:1 for brown versus black, indicating the involvement of three independent genes, one controlling white color and two (with epistatic interaction) controlling black color.
Urgent action and innovative strategies in agri-food systems are needed to eliminate hunger by the end of the decade. This is according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Director-General, QU Dongyu, during the Sustainable Innovation Forum at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) running from October 31 to November 12, 2021, in Glasgow, Scotland.
In a unique milestone, Serbia and Latvia have made the first-ever deposits of their local varieties into the Svalbard Global Seed Vault in October 2021. Serbia deposited 96 accessions while Latvia had 153 seed samples of 30 different species. The first Serbian deposit made by the Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops (IFVCNS) was supported by the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture and included varieties of wheat, rye, barley, and oats.
Sugar-mediated osmotic acclimation and a strong antioxidative response reduce drought-induced biomass loss at the vegetative stage in rice. A clear understanding of the physiological and biochemical adaptations to water limitation in upland and aerobic rice can help to identify the mechanisms underlying their tolerance to low water availability. In this study, three indica rice varieties-IR64 (lowland), Apo (aerobic), and UPL Ri-7 (upland)-, that are characterized by contrasting levels of drought tolerance, were exposed to drought at the vegetative stage.
Researchers from the University of California San Diego have created a rapid diagnostic technology that detects SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. The new SENSR (sensitive enzymatic nucleic acid sequence reporter) was developed using CRISPR gene editing technology that allows speedy detection of pathogens by identifying genetic sequences in their DNA or RNA.
A study conducted in the Saskatchewan province of Canada confirmed how cultivating genetically modified (GM) crops, particularly herbicide tolerant (HT) crops, and the complementary use of glyphosate increased carbon sequestration. In their publication, the authors stated that countries that ban GM crops and restrict glyphosate use are implementing policies that will not contribute to agricultural sustainability.
The hypersensitive response (HR) is a form of programmed cell death of plant cells occurring in the local region surrounding pathogen infection site to prevent the spread of infection by pathogens. Bax, a mammalian pro-apoptotic member of Bcl-2 family, triggers HR-like cell death when expressed in plants. However, constitutive expression of the Bax gene negatively affects plant growth and development. The Xa10 gene in rice (Oryza sativa) is an executor resistance (R) gene that confers race-specific disease resistance to Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae strains harboring TAL effector gene AvrXa10.
Using CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing technique, researchers from the John Innes Centre have identified a gene in wheat that has a key role in the production of seeds. The discovery may help breeders in developing wheat varieties resilient to climate change. The gene in wheat ZIP4 is responsible for maintaining 50% of the crop's yield. Wheat has a polyploid genome that evolved as a combination of wild grasses which cross-fertilized some 10,000 years ago in the Middle East
When discussion about genetically modified (GM) crops is brought up, their benefits often highlight their impact on the environment, animal welfare, human health, and food security. However, their economic impact is often less understood by people who have little knowledge of economics. Two researchers from Canada explain the potential economic losses caused by the delay in GM crop commercialization and the factors that promote them.
Improvement of drought tolerance of crops is a great challenge in conditions of increasing climate change. This report describes that the silencing of the synaptotagmin-5 (OsSYT-5) gene encoding the rice Ca2+ sensing protein with a C2 domain led to a significant improvement of rice tolerance to water deficit stress. Transgenic lines with suppressed expression of the OsSYT-5 gene exhibited an enhanced photosynthetic rate but reduced stomatal conductance and transpiration during water deficit stress. The abscisic acid (ABA) content under both normal and drought conditions was elevated in the leaves of the transgenic rice as compared to the wild type.
The 100th meeting of the ICRISAT Governing Board, which was recently convened, has endorsed the initiatives designed to progress the Institute’s strategic vision. The annual budget for 2022 was also approved in the meeting. This was the fifth Board meeting convened virtually since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.Prof Prabhu Pingali, Chair, ICRISAT Governing Board (GB), expressed his delight at his recent visit to the HQ in Hyderabad.