PLANT BREEDING NEWS EDITION 238 August 2012 An Electronic Newsletter of Applied Plant Breeding Clair H.

Hershey, Editor chh23@cornell.edu Sponsored by GIPB, FAO/AGP and Cornell Universitys Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics -To subscribe, see instructions here -Archived issues available at: FAO Plant Breeding Newsletter 1. NEWS, ANNOUNCEMENTS AND RESEARCH NOTES Feature article: Results of a subscriber survey 1.01 Key drivers of successful plant breeding programs: results of a PBN-L survey Reviews of broad issues in research and development 1.02 National Association of Plant Breeders and Plant Breeding Coordinating Committee meet in Indianapolis to discuss advances and challenges People in the news 1.03 Plant scientists lauded for outstanding Ph.D. dissertations 1.04 U.S. National Association of Plant Breeders honours industry leaders at annual meeting Review of breeding programs 1.05 Clemson University develops new oat variety 1.06 Discovery may lead to new tomato varieties with vintage flavor 1.07 Maize diversity discoveries may help ease hunger worldwide 1.08 Kenyan farmers benefit from customized maize seeds for dryland areas 1.09 Improved lentil varieties boost production in south Asia and Africa 1.10 Witch weed resistant seeds introduced in Tanzania 1.11 Biofortification program reduces vitamin A deficiency in Uganda 1.12 Taiwan develops soft rice for the elderly 1.13 Bangladesh to benefit from wheat variety tolerant to UG99 1.14 Louisiana State University researchers develop wheat to grow in wet southern climate 1.15 Tanzania: Tanseed produces Witch Weed resistant seeds 1.16 Michigan State University to lead new global food security effort 1.17 Expansion of global breeding excellence: Bayer CropScience to invest EUR 12 million in Australian breeding center for wheat and oilseeds 1.18 The seed chain: producing better seed for small farmers

1.19 Cultivares de batata para aumentar a produtividade da agricultura familiar 1.20 Sowing the seeds for a new generation of organic plant breeders GM issues (socio-political) 1.21 Spread of genes from GM rice 'unavoidable but slow 1.22 Experts drum up support for Rambo crop 1.23 Brazilian court orders food companies to label GM food Genetic resources 1.24 Potato gene bank stores world's varieties 1.25 A national plan to consolidate and upgrade Australias crop genebanks Trait selection/variety traits; applied breeding 1.26 IFPRI Modeling study shows which technologies provide significant yield improvement 1.27 Bright possibility for flood tolerant soybeans 1.28 Molecular markers for nematode resistance breeding 1.29 Waterproof cotton not far away 1.30 Breeding rice varieties with reduced phosphorus content 1.31 International plant research could reduce our reliance on pesticides and fertilizers 1.32 Breakthrough in the resistance to rice yellow mottle virus 1.33 IRRI Scientists develop phosphorus efficient rice 1.34 Researcher looks at armyworm resistance in Bt corn Molecular/basic genetic research 1.35 Epigenetics vital in disease resistance 1.36 Planting the seeds of defense - Salk Institute study finds stress triggers widespread epigenetic changes that aid in disease resistance 1.37 Ethylene of no effect why peppers do not mature after picking 1.38 Chinese scientists successfully crack the genome of diploid cotton 2. PUBLICATIONS 2.01 Agronomix Software releases version 35 of the AGROBASE Generation II plant breeding software 2.02 Molecular Breeding celebrates increased impact factor 2.03 High and Dry: Why genetic engineering is not solving agricultures drought problem in a thirsty world 3. WEB AND NETWORKING RESOURCES 3.01 New plant databases and models developed by the University of Florida could lead to more nutritious foods 3.02 CIMMYT and partners launch RustTracker.org, new global wheat rust monitoring web site 3.03 Lettuce genome sequence now available through the Lettuce Genome Resource website

4. POSITION ANNOUNCEMENTS 4.01 Research Geneticist/Lead Scientist USDA/ARS Tifton, Georgia 4.02 Monsanto plant breeding and related scientist positions 5. MEETINGS, COURSES AND WORKSHOPS 6. EDITOR'S NOTES

1 NEWS, ANNOUNCEMENTS AND RESEARCH NOTES 1.01 Key drivers of successful plant breeding programs: results of a PBN-L survey On 4 August the editor of Plant Breeding News asked subscribers to respond to the following question: "What do you consider to be the top ten key drivers of a successful plant breeding program?" Sixty-two people responded. Of those who gave background information, nearly all were current or former plant breeders or students of plant breeding. Two-thirds were from the private sector and one-third from the public sector. Half were from developing and half from developed countries. Most respondents listed ten key drivers while some listed fewer. Associate editor Oriana Muriel compiled the results that are summarized in the tables below. There was remarkable agreement among responses for several of the most important factors in plant breeding success. We classified results into 15 categories and indicate importance of each category by the frequency that an element of that category was cited (Table 1). The top four categories of responses were cited by half or more of respondents. Of course the answers were not always clearly in a specific category, and there is some overlap among categories. We made a judgement about the best assignment toward a given category. Table 2 illustrates a few specific responses that seem to capture the essence of that category. For the category of Personal traits and working habits suited to success, we give every answer provided in the survey. This is the category where answers varied most widely, and perhaps best reflect the personal perspectives of those who answered the survey. This section provides an illuminating mosaic of the personal traits that make a breeding program successful in the view of this sample of respondents. It seems noteworthy that no respondents cited the ability to contribute to protecting the environment as a driver of a successful breeding program. We may provide additional information in a future edtion. It should be noted that this was not a scientific sampling, and the results may not represent the universe of plant breeders. Comments on the results presented will be welcomed by the editor.

Table 1. Response categories and percent of respondents who cited each category as a key driver of success of a plant breeding program.1 Ranking Category description 1 2 3 4 5 Facilities and sites for phenotyping, and the capacity to manage large populations Appropriate vision, mission, goals, strategy Access to and knowledge of a broad and well-characterized germplasm base Adequate and balanced financial support and good working conditions Good knowledge about and communication with clients and stakeholders, including seed companies, farmers and consumers Personal traits and working habits suited to success A support team with good level of education, knowledge, expertise and skills Effective partnerships and collaborations Solid formal preparation in theory and practice of plant breeding Effective design of the breeding program Variety release, increase and diffusion system (public and/or private) Good level of genetic information and general crop knowledge available Access to and integration of advanced technologies Good data analysis and management system Effective policy, IP and regulatory environments Capacity for impact assessment Frequency 98% 74% 65% 50% 47%

6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
1

45% 35% 31% 27% 23% 23% 21% 21% 18% 8% 2%

Sample size of 62 respondents.

Table 2. Selected responses for each category of key drivers of success in a plant breeding program. Ranking in ( ).
(1) Facilities and sites for phenotyping, and the (2) Appropriate vision, mission, goals, strategy capacity to manage large populations (3) Access to and knowledge of a broad and well-characterized germplasm base (4) Adequate and balanced financial support and good working conditions

A clearly defined target environment. Access Clear goal and flexibility in ways to reach it to testing site(s) relevant to this target environment Ability to accurately phenotype traits of Have a focused set of priorities in mind, that importance are practically achievable and anchored by the market needs you established in the beginning of your program.

A good germplasm pool that has the desired Adequate and long-term availability of levels of key traits financial support Ability to mine the gene(s) from genetic resources Guaranteed access to financial resources over sufficient time to achieve success

(5) Personal traits and working habits suited to success (all responses) A competent, well-trained, hard-working, plant breeder who has common sense A willingness to accept small improvements, while keeping an eye out for big leaps Ability to look ahead and act accordingly Attitude of breeder- that she wants to make a Honesty about your self and about you difference material Be willing to work long hours, in unpleasant weather and travel a lot Independent People Patience and observation sense

Risk taking ability of breeder with some wild ideas Ruthlessness in throwing away (aggressive in developing segregating populations and generations and you have stuff to throw away) Self belief and strength of conviction and dividing the time given to breeding program into 90% routine where products are assured and 10% to exploring new ideas The ability to recognize high potential in genotypes that are not initially "bell ringers"

Ability to manage people and budgets

Breeder that has the ability to combine Motivation science and art (of the plant) into novel plant variety better adapted to the intended environment Camaraderie within the breeding team Motivation

Ability to work in a team setting but also to work alone

Creativity, unique ideas

Organizational ability to get things done when they need to get done in order to efficiently implement annual workplans, not miss planting windows, etc. Passion for the crops of interest and the opportunity to work on them on long-term basis Patience

Aggressiveness; you will not be successful if Dedication and hard work you're lazy. Agility and ability to change constantly Enthusiasm it keeps everything going

Understanding that you'll never develop perfection

(6) Good knowledge about and communication (7) A support team with good level of with clients and stakeholders, including seed education, knowledge, expertise and skills companies, farmers and consumers (training and experience-based traits)

(8) Effective partnerships and collaborations

(9) Solid formal preparation in theory and practice of plant breeding

Close involvement of the end-users into the Dedicated and capable staff definition and the implementation of the plant breeding program Know the market requirements and needs for Attractive and stable working conditions for the future of the crop and industry that you people engaged in plant breeding are in

Interaction or support from other breeding programs to exchange germplasm and experiences (network) Support or collaboration from other experts such as pathologists, physiologists, statisticians, entomologists, etc

Adequate conventional and molecular breeding skills Knowledge on basics of agriculture or crop science

(10) Effective design of the breeding program

(11) Variety release, increase and diffusion system (public and/or private)

(12) Good level of genetic information and general crop knowledge available

(13) Access to and integration of advanced technologies

Real world advanced trials of sufficient A good variety release, seed increase and scale (number of plants) and scope (number diffusion system of traits) to get a real idea of the strengths and weaknesses of a selection Extensive, efficient, and high quality testing program

Information on inheritance of important traits, Adopt new technologies cautiously and integrate as new tools, not as replacements genetic correlations, and appropriate for current breeding procedures hybridization design

Strong demand for new varieties, and strong Knowledge and understanding of the crop, seed systems to deliver them to growers its uses and needs

Efficient integration of new technologies Biotechnology and Bioinformatics-- in order to reduce time to relase a useful variety

(14) Good data analysis and management system Data capture, management and archiving systems

(15) Effective policy, IP and regulatory environments Government policies supportive of seed industry

(16) Capacity for impact assessment Make a socioeconomic study of the impact of the existing varieties on farm and learn from the past

Solid experimental design

Strong IP/Regulatory structure and support

(Return to Contents) ++++++++++++++++++++++

1.02 National Association of Plant Breeders and Plant Breeding Coordinating Committee meet in Indianapolis to discuss advances and challenges USA August 20, 2012 Sustaining Life Through Plant Improvement formed the theme of this years joint annual meeting of the National Association of Plant Breeders and Plant Breeding Coordinating Committee held in Indianapolis, IN. from August 6 to 8. In keeping with their pattern of alternating public/commercial annual meeting hosts, this year's host was Dow AgroSciences. Nearly 200 public and commercial professionals and student attendees presented and discussed innovations, progress and the challenges now facing the industry. David Stelly, incoming president of NAPB and professor at Texas A&M University, summed it up this way: How can we adequately provide food, feed, clothing, structural materials, fiber, fuel and many other plant-derived items for 2,000,000,000 more people (9,000,000,000 overall) in 40 years, with less high-quality land, less water, less fertilizer, less predictable weather and a domestic infrastructure for plant breeding research and education that has been seriously weakened by decades of breeding program eliminations and repeated reductions in base support? A sense of urgency, challenge and opportunity permeated the meeting and discussions. Baseline resources for remaining plant breeding research and education programs need to be shored up immediately, as decades are required to rebuild programs once they shut down, said Stelly. New technologies empower breeders to be more effective, but years will nevertheless be required to breed well-adapted new crops. Adequate resources must be infused into public breeding to assimilate new technologies, and re-invigorate the plant breeding education and research infrastructure to the levels needed to face future challenges. This year's meeting reflected the organizations' reach across diverse plants, from hardwoods to corn. Topics cut across all aspects of plant breeding research, technologies, education and public relations, from in-the-field operations, to molecular genetics, intense computational analyses and public relations videos. Education was a focus in several sessions, as there exists a strong need for welleducated and field capable plant breeders. One of the main things that came out of the discussion was that hands-on experience is essential for plant breeders, says Allen Van Deynze, chair of PBCC and researcher at the UC Davis College of Biological Sciences. People coming out of PhDs arent necessarily job-readythey might not have the soft skills that are necessary for plant breeders working in a global industry. Other sessions showcased members new and ongoing research projects. Past NAPB/PBCC career award winner Dr. James Brewbaker gave a talk on tropical plant breeding of corn and tropical legumes in a Hawaiian context. Dr. Tom Gradziel of UC Davis addressed marker-assisted selection in perennial crops. Dr. Leah McHale (Ohio State University) gave a talk on soybean breeding and genetics, addressing the question of how the public breeder should work in a privately-driven crop, and leveraging genomic sequence.

Key to the meeting was a focus on the future and goals to be met in the coming year. According to Van Deynze, an important goal of the NAPB is to continually improve the messaging around plant breeding. One NAPB goal is to get the message out to the USDA and to Washington [that they should] invest more into plant breeding, and the importance of plant breeding to food security. This years conference was hosted by Dow AgroSciences in Indianapolis. The Plant Breeding Coordinating Committee serves as a forum regarding issues and opportunities of national and global importance to the public and private sectors of the U.S. national plant breeding effort. The National Association of Plant Breeders was begun as an initiative of the Plant Breeding Coordinating Committee and is the advocacy group that represents plant breeders in federal, state, commercial and non-government organizations. More news from: NAPB - National Association of Plant Breeders Website: http://www.plantbreeding.org Source: SeedQuest.com (Return to Contents) ++++++++++++ 1.03 Plant scientists lauded for outstanding Ph.D. dissertations Two postdoctoral researchers who received their Ph.D. from the UC Davis Department of Plant Sciences - Leslie Roche and Shelby Repinski - have recently received the 2012 Shapiro Family Award for Excellence in Science, honored for the quality of their dissertations and their outstanding academic and research records. And in a recent, belated announcement, Sergio Tonetto de Freitas received the 2011 Shapiro Family Award for the dissertation he completed in 2010. The Shapiro Family Award for Excellence in Science was established by Howard and Nancy Shapiro to recognize the most outstanding Ph.D. graduates from four UC Davis programs - the Department of Plant Sciences, the Graduate Group in Nutritional Biology, the Graduate Group in Ecology and Agroecology. Awardees receive $1,000. Roche was selected in Agroecology, applauded for her dissertation, Cattle Grazing and Provisioning of Ecosystem Services in Sierra Nevada Mountain Meadows.Working with Cooperative Extension Rangeland Watershed Specialist Ken Tate, Roches dissertation explores the intersection of livestock grazing on U.S. Forest Service public lands and the conservation of the Yosemite toad, a sensitive species proposed for listing as endangered. Yosemite toads rely on high elevation mountain meadows for breeding and rearing habitat. These same meadows supply critical forage for the states rangeland livestock herd, which is part of a $2 billion annual agricultural industry. There is intense disagreement over the sustainability of livestock grazing on public lands throughout the western U.S.

and in the Sierra Nevada in particular. Yosemite toad has become a symbol of these conflicting opinions about wise management of public land. Dr. Roches research was conducted in this charged political environment, filling a crucial gap in our basic understanding of toad-livestock interactions and providing direct translation for conservation of the Yosemite toad, said Tate, Russell L. Rustici endowed chair in rangeland watershed science. Roche hypothesized that a reduction in grazing intensity would stop or even reverse the decline of Yosemite toad, but, in fact, she and her team found no evidence to support that premise. Instead, studies showed the presence of toads was driven more by meadow wetness rather than by cattle use. Results of Roches extensive research have been published in several journals and have affected U.S. Forest Service policy on grazing management and toad conservation. Clientele such as ranchers, range managers and conservationists appreciate and greatly respect Dr. Roches contributions to the science and management of public lands, Tate said. Leslies absolute professionalism, commitment to true integration of science and application and dedication to objective solution-based research has been exceptional. Roche is now a postdoctoral researcher in the UC Davis California Rangeland Watershed Laboratory, completing research and publications from additional projects she pursued during her doctoral program. You can read more about Roches doctoral research here and here. Repinski was selected in Plant Sciences for her dissertation, Diversity and Functional Analysis of the Common Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) Determinacy Gene (PvTFL1y). Working with Professor Paul Gepts, Repinski linked basic genomic sciences and applied research in plant breeding and confirmed the identity of the gene controlling the trait called determinacy in the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). This trait has an important agronomic role in beans, and also in other crops such as soybean and tomato, as it leads to plants that are more compact and flower earlier, Gepts said. Repinskis research has immediate applications to bean breeding in California, as she was able to devise a test for marker-assisted selection of determinacy in lima bean (Phaseolus lunatus), a species different from common bean and the most important grain legume produced in California. Shelbys thesis stands out because of her ability to master and apply basic genomic information to accelerate the pace of plant breeding, said Gepts. She illustrates the new generation of plant breeders who are being educated currently. The first article from Repinskis has been published here and she has other articles in the works. She is currently a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Working with Cooperative Extension Specialist Elizabeth Mitcham, Tonetto de Freitas received the 2011 Shapiro Family Award in Excellent in the area of Plant Sciences for

his dissertation, Understanding the Mechanisms Involved in Calcium Deficiency Disorders in Tomato and Apple Fruit. Tonetto de Freitass dissertation looked at the mechanisms involved in calcium deficiency disorders in tomato and apple, which ruins the fruits taste, appearance and marketability. With creativity, intelligence and dedication to science, Sergio conducted experiments which provide very strong support for our hypothesis that the concentration of calcium in the apoplast of fruit cells was critical to the fruits susceptibility to develop calcium disorders, Mitcham said. He designed projects that achieved answers to difficult questions. He sleuthed out tomato germplasm of great importance and helped me forge successful collaborations with colleagues around the country. Tonetto de Freitas work will surely spawn additional studies in other plant species which could lead to identification of key genes that can be targeted to reduce calcium deficiency disorders, which can bring huge economic loses, especially to the apple industry. Tonetto de Freitass is currently working for EMBRAPA, the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation, focusing on postharvest quality of grapes and mangoes. http://www.plantsciences.ucdavis.edu/plantsciences/features/recent_news/spring2012 /phd.htm Contributed by Allen van Deynze UC Davis Plant Breeding Academy avandeynze@ucdavis.edu (Return to Contents) ++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.04 U.S. National Association of Plant Breeders honours industry leaders at annual meeting USA August 20, 2012 This years joint annual meeting of the National Association of Plant Breeders and Plant Breeding Coordinating Committee was held in Indianapolis, IN. from August 6 to 8. Nearly 200 public and commercial professionals and student attendees presented and discussed innovations and needs for tackling the biggest questions facing the industry. The meeting also showcased the achievements of industry leaders. This years NAPB Lifetime Achievement Award went to Dr. Charles Stuber, professor of genetics at North Carolina State University. During his long career Dr. Stuber has received a number of awards for his pioneering research accomplishments in the development of DNA marker-based selection technology. In the United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service, he was named an Outstanding Scientist of the Year in 1989, and was inducted into the USDA-ARS Science Hall of Fame in 1999. He has been invited to speak at professional events around the globe.

The NAPB Early Career Award, which recognizes outstanding young scientists active in the plant breeding field, was awarded to Dr. Michael Gore for his innovative work developing genetic tools for the improvement of cotton and other crops. Dr. Gore earned his PhD in Plant Breeding from Cornell University in 2009, and is now a research geneticist with the ARS in Maricopa, AZ. He is also an adjunct assistant research professor at the University of Arizona and serves on the editorial boards of Crop Science and Theoretical and Applied Genetics. Dr. Marvin Boerboom was awarded the Plant Breeding Impact Award, which annually recognizes an individual who has made exceptional advancements and contributions in the field of plant breeding. Dr. Boerboom is a Monsanto Line Development Breeder at the Olivia, MN Corn Research Station, and has over 35 years of corn breeding experience. He received the Monsanto Science and Technology Career Award in 2005 and the Edgar M. Queeny Award, Monsantos highest award for science and technology, in 2008. The Plant Breeding Coordinating Committee serves as a forum regarding issues and opportunities of national and global importance to the public and private sectors of the U.S. national plant breeding effort. http://www.seedquest.com/news.php?type=news&id_article=29286&id_region=&id_ca tegory=&id_crop= Source: SeedQuest.com (Return to Contents) +++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.05 Clemson University develops new oat variety Plant breeders from Clemson University announced a new high-yielding oat variety that grows to medium height, withstands lodging, matures earlier, and produces more seeds than comparable varieties. The new variety, named Graham, will be available in limited quantities for growers to plant during the fall planting season, according to Chris Ray, director of the South Carolina Crop Improvement Association. Ray said that Graham has "excellent yield potential and produces a 32.2-pound bushel compared to 31.9-pound bushel for Rodgers." It has produced slightly higher test weights (pounds per bushel) and consistently 20 bushels per acre more yield than the most commonly used oat varieties planted in the Carolinas. Clemson University Public Service and Agriculture oversees the S.C. Crop Improvement Association, which runs the foundation seed program to provide growers with the highest-quality planting stock available. The seed is produced at Clemson University Experiment Station research centers and made available to producers and seedsmen. The new oat variety is named after W. Doyce Graham, the small-grains breeder at Clemson University from 1966 to 2003. More information about the Graham oat variety can be read at http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/07/120723151149.htm?utm_source=feed

burner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily+%28ScienceDail y%3A+Latest+Science+News%29. Source: Crop Biotech Update 27 July 2012: Contributed by Margaret Smith Department of Plant Breeding & Genetics, Cornell University Mes25@cornell.edu (Return to Contents) ++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.06 Discovery may lead to new tomato varieties with vintage flavor A new discovery could make more tomatoes taste like heirlooms, reports an international research team headed by a UC Davis Department of Plant Sciences Biochemist Ann Powell. The finding, has significant implications for the U.S. tomato industry, which annually harvests more than 15 million tons of the fruit for processing and fresh-market sales. This information about the gene responsible for the trait in wild and traditional varieties provides a strategy to recapture quality characteristics that had been unknowingly bred out of modern cultivated tomatoes, said Powell, one of the lead authors of the study. Now that we know that some of the qualities that people value in heirloom tomatoes can be made available in other types of tomatoes, farmers can have access to more varieties of tomatoes that produce well and also have desirable color and flavor traits, she said. For decades, plant breeders in the tomato industry have selected varieties that are uniformly light green before they ripen, in order to produce tomatoes that can be harvested at the same time. However, this characteristic is accompanied by an unintended reduction in sugars that compromises the flavor of the fresh fruit and its desirability for processing. Powells UC Davis research team began studying the genes influencing tomato fruit development and ripening after spending two summers screening tomato plants for transcription factors that might play a role in both fruit color and quality. Transcription factors are proteins that regulate genes, or turn them on and off. These factors themselves are manufactured or expressed by genes. The UC Davis researchers were particularly interested in tomatoes they observed in the field that were unusually dark green before they ripened. Partnering with researchers at Cornell University and in Spain, who were mapping regions of the tomato genome, the scientists discovered two transcription factors, called GLK1 and GLK2, that control the development of chloroplasts. Chloroplasts are the structures in the plant cells that enable plants to photosynthesize, converting the energy of sunlight into sugars and other compounds that influence flavor and color.

The researchers scoured a collection of mutant and wild species of tomatoes at UC Davis established at UC Davis by the late Professor Charles Rick beginning in the 1950s. They discovered that dark green tomatoes that naturally express GLK2 produced ripe fruit with increased levels of sugars or soluble solids, important for processing tomatoes, as well as higher levels of the health-promoting compound lycopene. Nature presents numerous important genes and their variants, like uniform ripening, that breeders employ to facilitate the needs of growers, processors and consumers, said Jim Giovannoni, a USDA plant molecular biologist with the Boyce Thompson Institute at Cornell University. Understanding the genes responsible for these characteristics facilitates the challenging process of breeding crops that meet the needs of all components of the food-supply chain. Cuong Nguyen, a Cornell graduate student in Giovannonis laboratory co-authored the paper with Powell. Other members of the research team included: Theresa Hill, KaLai Lam Cheng, Rosa Figueroa-Balderas, Hakan Aktas, Hamid Ashrafi, Ariel Vicente, Javier Lopez-Baltazar, Roger Chetelat, Allen Van Deynze and Alan Bennett, all of UC Davis; Yongsheng Liu and Cornelius Barry of Cornell University and the Boyce Thompson Institute of the USDA; Clara Pons and Antonio Granell, of the Universidad Politcnica de Valencia, Spain; Rafael Fernndez-Muoz of the Universidad de Mlaga, Spain. Funding for the study was provided by The University of California Discovery program, the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service, the National Science Foundation, the Viet Nam Education Foundation, the Fundacin Genoma Espaa, and the Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnologa and the Instituto Tecnlogico de Costa Rica. UC Davis is an international leader in agricultural research and is ranked as the most frequently cited university in the world in the area of plant and animal sciences, according to ISI Essential Science Indicators. The universitys Department of Plant Sciences is internationally known for its Plant Breeding Academy, which provides professional training for plant breeders around the world. http://www.plantsciences.ucdavis.edu/plantsciences/features/recent_news/spring2012 /powell.htm Contributed by Allen van Deynze UC Davis Plant Breeding Academy avandeynze@ucdavis.edu (Return to Contents) +++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.07 Maize diversity discoveries may help ease hunger worldwide UC Davis researchers report that ancient farmers had a stronger impact on the evolution of maize, or corn, than modern plant breeders have had on the grain now one of the worlds top production crops. The findings, together with a companion study on maize diversity, appear in the online edition of the journal Nature Genetics.

These two studies provide a new and more comprehensive understanding of genomic variation in maize, which will be critically important to plant breeders as they work to increase corn yield in the face of global population growth and climate change, said Associate Professor Jeffrey Ross-Ibarra with the Department of Plant Sciences, the lead researcher on the UC Davis-directed study. The research was funded by the National Science Foundation and conducted by scientists from 17 international institutions, including BGI, the worlds largest genomics organization. Professor Bart Weimer, co-director of BGI@UCDavis, a research partnership established last year between UC Davis and BGI, noted that the studies are excellent examples of the critically important work that can be accomplished through multiinstitution partnerships, particularly with the sequencing capabilities contributed by BGI. "UC Davis values our longstanding relationship with BGI China, and we are moving quickly to expand this collaboration with BGI@UCDavis," Weimer said. The worlds population is expected to climb from 7 billion people this year to an estimated 9 billion by 2050. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations predicts that food production will need to increase by 70 percent over the next four decades to meet anticipated demand. Globally, 90 percent of these production increases will need to come from increasing crop yield on existing farmland rather than by bringing new land into agricultural production. The new UC Davis-led study analyzed the evolution of maize during the period when it was domesticated 10,000 years ago, as well as during subsequent breeding. The study was based on the resequencing of 75 genomes of maize and its relatives, including wild strains, traditional cultivated varieties and improved modern inbred lines. (The first sequencing of the reference maize genome was announced by a U.S.based consortium of researchers in 2009.) The new maize genome study showed that: - Though a substantial amount of diversity was lost during domestication, new diversity has arisen since domestication in the form of novel mutations; - Hundreds of identified genes appear to have played a role in domestication of maize from the wild, and many of these genes also appear to have been important for modern breeding; - Selection applied during initial domestication appears to have been much stronger than selection applied more recently during maize breeding; and Modern strategies of breeding for hybrid vigor have been accompanied by marked changes in gene expression in maize. The companion study was led by Doreen Ware, a U.S. Department of AgricultureAgricultural Research Service computational biologist at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, New York. That study used a sophisticated population genetics-based scoring model to untangle the complexity of the maize genome. Through the study, the researchers: - Identified more than 55 million genetic markers in the maize genome and demonstrated that the genome is continuously changing;

- Discovered that it is common for genes to be present or absent -- or to occur in varying numbers --in both wild and domesticated maize, and these variations are associated with important agricultural traits; and - Found that there is substantial continuity of gene content between maize relatives, suggesting that environmental adaptations such as perennialism, and frost and drought tolerance might be transferred from wild relatives into domesticated maize. The international collaboration that produced the two studies was coordinated by Edward Buckler, a U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service research geneticist at Cornell University. You can read the full study here and access the companion study here. A longer story is available from UC Davis News & Information here. http://www.plantsciences.ucdavis.edu/plantsciences/features/recent_news/spring2012 /maize_diversity.htm Contributed by Allen van Deynze UC Davis Plant Breeding Academy avandeynze@ucdavis.edu (Return to Contents) +++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.08 Kenyan farmers benefit from customized maize seeds for dryland areas As a way of supporting smallholder farmers to cope with drought conditions and climate change, scientists from the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT) and the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI) developed maize seed varieties that yield well with minimum soil moisture. The project, known as Program for Africa's Seed Systems (PASS) and implemented by the Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), also trains the farmers on pure seed production and processing using locally available resources within local conditions. KDV, one of the varieties developed for the project and is also known as Kenya Dryland Variety, gave Kenyan farmers the opportunity to harvest grains despite planting them in lands that are dry and contain low amount of moisture. KDV is a nonhybridized drought tolerant maize variety which was developed, trialled and multiplied particularly within the Kenya's Eastern Province, and is being adopted by people within the same region. Dr. George Birigwa, Senior Programme Officer of the PASS program explained that for the period that they have been trialling and developing the variety in the region, they already saw indications that KDV is fully accustomed to the dry-land climatic conditions, especially within the Eastern Kenya's ecological zone.

See the original article at http://www.trust.org/trustmedia/blogs/trustmedia-alumniblog/customising-seed-to-dryland-conditions-for-climate-adaptation/. Source: Crop Biotech Update (August 10, 2012) Contributed by Margaret Smith Department of Plant Breeding & Genetics, Cornell University Mes25@cornell.edu (Return to Contents) +++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.09 Improved lentil varieties boost production in south Asia and Africa The International Center for Agricultural Research in Dry Areas (ICARDA), along with its local collaborators in South Asia and Africa have produced new lentil varieties that helped increase its yields in regions where the crop is a crucial food staple like North Africa and South Asia. Lentil is a crop that belongs to the legume family. In South Asia, ICARDA has collaborated with the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) which resulted to the development of short-duration, high-yielding and disease-resistant lentil varieties. They are grown in the post-rainy season; usually about half as a sole crop and half intercropped with other crops. Increased lentil yields also allow many Bangladeshi farmers to turn part of their land over to other crops and eliminate the need to find new growing areas. It is estimated that around 5.5 million people, including about 1.1 million smallholder farmers, are directly benefiting from improved BARI/ICARDA lentil technologies. In Africa, ICARDA has partnered with the Ethiopian Institute for Agricultural Research and their joint legumes program has delivered lentils that yield six times the harvest of its conventional counterpart. An IFPRI 2010 impact study, Pulses Value Chain in Ethiopia, shows that the high-yielding, rust- and wilt-resistant lentil varieties in Ethiopia led to an increase in lentil production of 23,777 tonnes in the 2009/2010 cropping season. The study also shows that lentils contribute significantly to Ethiopia's balance of payments, with the legume now sitting amongst the top export crops, alongside coffee and sesame. For more information, visit http://www.cgiar.org/consortium-news/the-magic-of-thehumble-lentil/ Source: Crop Biotech Update (August 10, 2012) Contributed by Margaret Smith Department of Plant Breeding & Genetics, Cornell University Mes25@cornell.edu (Return to Contents) +++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.10 Witch weed resistant seeds introduced in Tanzania

A new set of maize seed varieties that can help destroy witch weeds were introduced in Tanzania by the seed company Tanseed. Witch weeds have been affecting the production of more than 1.7 tons of maize throughout Tanzania every year. Isaka Mashauri, director of Tanseed, said that the company has been working hard in conducting research to come up with seeds that will suit the Tanzanian environment. He said that the problem of witch weeds has already affected more than 11 regions in the country particularly the production of maize but if farmers will use maize seeds developed by the company like Komesha kiduha (TAN 222-Imazapyr resistant), it will be able to destroy the weeds. Tanseed produces different maize, sunflower, beans, sesame and paddy (rice) seeds that suits different soil types and diverse weather conditions and can grow in a very short period of time. For more information, visit http://allafrica.com/stories/201208070279.html Source: Crop Biotech Update (August 10, 2012) Contributed by Margaret Smith Department of Plant Breeding & Genetics, Cornell University Mes25@cornell.edu (Return to Contents) +++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.11 Biofortification program reduces vitamin A deficiency in Uganda From 2007-2009, HarvestPlus, a component project of CGIAR Research Program on Agriculture for Nutrition and Health (A4NH), along with its partners, have disseminated orange sweet potato-to see if Vitamin A Deficiency (VAD) could be reduced-to more than 24,000 households in Mozambique and Uganda. After three years, a study published this month at the Journal of Nutrition gave conclusive evidence that orange sweet potato (OSP) provided significant amounts of vitamin A to malnourished Ugandan children and women and that a modest improvement in vitamin A levels in the body was measurable in some cases. Uganda is among the African countries reported to be at high risk, with 28% of children and 23% of women estimated to be vitamin A deficient. VAD can impair immunity and cause eye damage that can lead to blindness and even death. View HarvestPlus' news release at http://www.harvestplus.org/content/orange-sweetpotato-makes-case-biofortification-works. For more information, contact Yassir Islam at y.islam@cgiar.org Source: Crop Biotech Update (August 10, 2012) Contributed by Margaret Smith Department of Plant Breeding & Genetics, Cornell University Mes25@cornell.edu (Return to Contents)

++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.12 Taiwan develops soft rice for the elderly Researchers in Taiwan's Miaoli District Agricultural Research and Extension Station have developed a new strain of rice that cooks soft particularly for elderly people. The new strain was developed after a decade-long process and is expected to be in the market in 2013. Chang Su-jeing, a researcher from the Station said that "We've developed the rice with the elderly consumers in mind to make the rice taste very soft and a little sweet. It also gives a stable yield and can be stored for a long time." The news release is available at http://phys.org/news/2012-08-taiwan-soft-riceelderly.html Source: Crop Biotech Update (August 29, 2012) Contributed by Margaret Smith Department of Plant Breeding & Genetics, Cornell University Mes25@cornell.edu (Return to Contents) ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.13 Bangladesh to benefit from wheat variety tolerant to UG99 The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) has introduced a wheat variety known as Francolin in Bangladesh which is tolerant to the Ug99 strain of stem-rust fungus. CIMMYT was assisted by the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute and supported in part by a United States Agency for International Development seed-multiplication program. The new seed variety will be combined with another seed variety called Hashi to cover around 5% of the country's total area harvested by 2013. The article is available at http://globalrust.org/traction/permalink/newsroom678. Source: Crop Biotech Update (August 3, 2012): Contributed by Margaret Smith Department of Plant Breeding & Genetics, Cornell University Mes25@cornell.edu (Return to Contents) +++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.14 Louisiana State University researchers develop wheat to grow in wet southern climate Louisiana, USA August 2, 2012

Wheat growers have a saying that wheat doesnt like wet feet. With winters often damp and dreary, Louisiana is not conducive for growing this crop, which has its origins in dry climates. But LSU AgCenter wheat breeder Steve Harrison has developed lines that can tolerate local conditions and allow farmers to grow wheat profitably. Harrison has enlisted help of other universities to make this possible. The LSU AgCenter is a partner in SUNGRAINS, a consortium of six southeastern universities cooperating on wheat and oat research and variety development. They include the universities of Florida, Georgia, Arkansas, North Carolina State and Texas A&M. Sungrains provides the majority of wheat and all of the oat varieties grown in the Southeast, Harrison said. Varieties developed at the AgCenter used to be tested at just three locations within the state. Now they are tested multiple places across the Southeast, allowing for collection of better data more quickly. Looking at how varieties perform across the Southeast region helps make the breeding program much more efficient, Harrison said. Through its work with Sungrains, the LSU AgCenters wheat and oat breeding program will release several varieties this year, the most significant being the wheat breeding line named LA01110D-150. This release adds another high-yielding and adapted variety for farmers to plant. Harrison said the breeding program partnered with the Georgia Seed Development Commission in Plains, Ga., to produce 1,200 bushels of this variety this year. This line has done extremely well across the region for the past three years, he said. Harrison also is planning to release another line called LA02015E-201. Although it is a good variety for the Deep South, it is not as broadly adapted as LA01110D-150, Harrison said. The wheat breeding team focuses on developing high-yielding, disease-resistant varieties adapted to the Gulf Coast region, Harrison said. Were bringing in new genes for stripe rust resistance and looking at a new disease, wheat blast, he said. Wheat blast recently showed up in the United States, and Harrison said it has a potential to be a major problem. He has been testing for blast resistance for several years through collaborative screening nurseries in Brazil. Harrison also is looking at resistance to the Hessian fly, the major insect pest of wheat. Any wheat grown in this region has to have a good defensive package in addition to high yields and high test weight, Harrison said. Test weight refers to the average weight of grain usually expressed in pounds per bushel. The AgCenter wheat breeding team includes plant pathologists Boyd Padgett and Don Groth, entomologist Fangneng Huang, and agronomist Rick Mascagni, who

focuses on characteristics such as plant height and test weight. Also on the team are research associates Kelly Arceneaux, Lucas Bissett, Katie McCarthy and Myra Purvis. The team has had a hard time collecting data because of warm and wet weather conditions that damaged the wheat or complicated its development. Warm temperatures caused the wheat to develop early, and in many areas the crop did not receive the required chilling hours needed to head. The wheat breeding team is working on a molecular marker project to help map genes that influence heading dates and other traits. We try to develop selectable markers that allow us to screen for and identify those lines that have the genes and traits we are looking for in terms of agronomic characteristics and disease resistance. Harrison and his team also work with oats. LSU AgCenters oat program is one of only a handful in the United States and is well-known around the world. We coordinate an international oat program for the exchange of breeding material. As a result we have a very broad genetic base and develop lines that work well in other parts of the world, Harrison said. He is releasing three oat varieties this year. One will be released in cooperation with a government institution in Uruguay. Another will be used in Californias dairy industry. And the third will be used in Germany for the fodder industry. These lines are offshoots of research aimed at producing oats for the southern United States, Harrison said. http://www.seedquest.com/news.php?type=news&id_article=28926&id_region=&id_ca tegory=&id_crop= Source: SeedQuest.com (Return to Contents) ++++++++++++++++++++ 1.15 Tanzania: Tanseed produces Witch Weed resistant seeds Morogoro 7 August 2012 By Amina Juma TANSEED International Limited has introduced maize seed varieties that can help in destroying witch weeds that have been affecting the production of more than 1.7 tonnes of maize throughout the country, every year. Tanseed Director, Mr Isaka Mashauri told 'Daily News' during Nanenane exhibition at Eastern Zone (J.K Nyerere Grounds) that his seed company is working hard in

conducting research which will enable them coming up with seeds that will suit the Tanzanian environment. He said the problem of witch weeds is in more than eleven regions in the country and it affects the production of maize but if farmers use maize seeds known as Komesha kiduha (TAN 222-Imazapyr resistant) it has power to destroy the weeds. "Tanseed possesses and offers unique maize technologies that provide solutions to farmers' serious constraints in production process because we want to make sure farmers in Tanzania are getting what is proper for their soil type so as to increase production," he said. Mr Mashauri said the company produces different maize, sunflower, beans, sesame and paddy (rice) seeds that suits in different soil types and diverse weather conditions and they can grow in a very short time. He said Tanseed has produced paddy seeds which cannot be affected by birds and they have different maize seeds including drought tolerant, nutrition enhanced and Imazapyr resistant (weeds resistance) whereby all those types grow up within 3 to 4 months. He said the company is aiming at contributing to modernization agriculture by producing high quality seeds of variety crops which will suit the climatic change and the soil situation. "Tanseed also undertakes seed promotion and provide training to farmers on the importance of using improved seeds instead of using local seeds and they will see the difference in production," he said. Mr Mashauri has called the government to cooperate with them in launching the national witch weeds campaign so as to increase maize production. http://allafrica.com/stories/201208070279.html Source: SeedQuest.com (Return to Contents) +++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.16 Michigan State University to lead new global food security effort East Lansing, Michigan, USA August 7, 2012 Michigan State University will use a $7.3 million federal grant to cultivate the next generation of agricultural scientists in Africa and Asia, in hopes of improving food security and nutrition there. The new Borlaug Higher Education Agricultural Research and Development program, named after Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Norman Borlaug, is funded by the U.S. Agency for International Developments Bureau for Food Security. Part of Feed the Future, the governments global hunger and food security initiative, the program will strengthen agricultural research institutions and support long-term training of agricultural researchers at the masters- and doctoral-degree levels. MSU has 50-plus years of engagement in Africa, and were currently managing several M.S. and Ph.D. training programs whose objectives and program design are

similar to those of this initiative, said Eric Crawford, professor of agricultural, food and resource economics. MSU faculty is well versed in planning, designing and managing training and human capacity-building programs, especially in plant breeding, food science and food security, which are key areas of Feed the Future. Crawford, who also serves as co-director of MSUs Food Security Group, and Frederik Derksen, chairperson of MSUs Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, housed in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, will lead the effort. The program will begin in Ghana, Uganda, Mali, Mozambique and Bangladesh with potential to expand to other Feed the Future countries, Crawford said. The five countries have similar priorities: increase agricultural productivity; reduce trade and transportation barriers; develop sound market-based principles for agriculture; accelerate rural growth and development; and improve nutrition. Starting in fall 2013, the first cohort of students will comprise 30 masters degree candidates and 10 doctoral degree candidates, Crawford said. Women remain underrepresented in agricultural research, so the MSU-designed program will be gender inclusive. Educational institutions havent yet been chosen, but will be those that focus on research, education and outreach in agriculture, Crawford said. MSU and USAID officials will search for strong local or regional degree programs, but most degrees will be awarded by U.S. universities. After studying at the colleges and universities, many of the students will return home to research and to write theses with visits from their research mentors. An important part of the project will be to help create a network of fellows that links them together across universities and disciplinary areas as the basis for sharing experiences and developing longer-term professional relationships, Crawford said. The program was developed by USAID along with the Association of Public and LandGrant Universities and the International Center for Maize and Wheat Improvement in Mexico. http://www.seedquest.com/news.php?type=news&id_article=28945&id_region=&id_ca tegory=&id_crop= Source: SeedQuest.com (Return to Contents) +++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.17 Expansion of global breeding excellence: Bayer CropScience to invest EUR 12 million in Australian breeding center for wheat and oilseeds Monheim, Germany August 8, 2012 Bayer CropScience plans to establish a new breeding center in the Wimmera region, near Horsham (Victoria, Australia), focused on wheat and oilseeds. The company

plans to invest around EUR 12 million (AUD 14 million) for the new station in Western Victoria. The target is the development of new varieties with higher yields and productivity improvements tailored to Australian conditions. Bayers breeding activities for wheat and oilseeds in Australia will also be coordinated from the new center. A long term rental agreement for land on which to build the laboratory and glasshouse facilities have been agreed with Longerenong College and Workco Ltd. Up to 20 fulltime employees will work at the center in the future. "With the demand for wheat and oilseeds growing worldwide, we drive our efforts towards producing new high-yielding varieties that are better able to withstand pests, diseases and able to thrive under environmental stresses like drought," said Dr. Mathias Kremer, Head of the BioScience business unit at Bayer CropScience. "We are convinced we can help make wheat and oilseeds farmers in Australia and beyond more productive and sustainable and thus contribute towards feeding this hungry planet." Australia is one of the largest exporters of agricultural products and ranks as the 3rd largest exporter for wheat and the 2nd largest for oilseeds. Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional and Rural Development in Victoria, Peter Ryan, announced that the Coalition Government would provide AUD 1.2 million to upgrade road access to the facility. The provision of safe all-weather access to the Longerenong site will consolidate the partnership between Bayer CropScience, Longerenong College, the Victorian Government and Horsham Rural City, which contributed AUD 100,000 to the project. Construction of the new breeding center will commence in the coming months with first local breeding programs expected to yield results for Australian farmers within the decade. Global network of breeding stations to develop solutions adapted to local needs The new breeding station contributes to Bayer CropScience's global network of wheat and oilseeds breeding stations situated in the heart of key markets through North America and Europe, with further expansion especially for wheat planned in Asia and Latin America in the medium term. In addition to extending its breeding excellence, Bayer CropScience is also proud of its network of alliances with leading international research institutions, especially CSIRO in Australia and Evogene in Israel. These partnerships accelerate the ability to develop new varieties by applying the latest advancements in plant biotechnology to research and breeding in Bayer CropSciences key crops. Important facts about wheat About 25 percent of the world's agricultural land is used to grow wheat, making wheat the most widely grown crop on the planet. In terms of cereal production volumes, wheat ranks second behind corn, with more than 650 million tons produced yearly. Wheat productivity is growing at a rate of less than one percent annually, while the global demand is increasing twice as fast. Main wheat producing regions are Australia, the Black Sea Region, China, the EU, India and North America. About Bayer CropScience Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the fields of health care, nutrition and high-tech materials. Bayer CropScience, a subgroup of Bayer AG with annual sales of EUR 7.255 billion (2011), is one of the worlds leading innovative crop science companies in the areas of crop protection, non-agricultural pest control, seeds and traits. The company offers an outstanding range of products and extensive

service backup for modern, sustainable agriculture and for non-agricultural applications. Bayer CropScience has a global workforce of 21,000 and is represented in more than 120 countries. About Longerenon College and Workco Ltd. Longerenong College was established in 1889 and has been providing Agricultural education since that time. Longerenong College is situated 13 kilometers north-east of Horsham in the Wimmera region of Victoria, Australia. Longerenong College operates a farm of approximately 1,070 hectares with cropping, sheep (merino and prime lambs) and beef cattle enterprises. Longerenong College is operated by Workco Ltd. Established in 1986, Workco Ltd. is the largest provider of employment and training services in the Wimmera and Grampians regions http://www.seedquest.com/news.php?type=news&id_article=28950&id_region=&id_ca tegory=&id_crop= Source: SeedQuest.com (Return to Contents) ++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.18 The seed chain: producing better seed for small farmers Mexico July 2012 Small and medium-sized seed companies are a crucial link between farmers and the researchers who develop better crops. As an agronomist I feel a duty to contribute something, and this is my contribution to Mexico, says Mara Esther Rivas, the director general of seed company Bidasem, based in the central Mexican plains region known as the Bajo. Bidasem produces approximately 10,000 bags of maize seed a year, each holding 22.5kg. Despite their small size, Bidasem and similar companies play an important role in improving farmers livelihoods. Our aim is to provide farmers with quality seed at accessible prices, that is adapted to the conditions we have here in the Bajo. Its a great satisfaction, when farmers achieve the yields they need. Cutting an attractive, rather elegant figure, Rivas at first glance seems an unlikely candidate for an agricultural career. However, agriculture is in her blood. As a child she was fascinated by insects and loved spending time outside with her agronomist father. For me it was normal to be in the field with farmers, trying to understand a little how they think and what they need, and how we could help them. Any doubts about Rivas career choice evaporate once you see her in action. She is full of questions for her close-knit team and is involved in every part of the business, from examining plants to helping sort seed to visiting distributors. Rivas is a woman on a mission: to produce the best seed she can. At CIMMYT, breeders and researchers are developing ever more productive maize, with the ultimate goal of improving global food security and reducing poverty.

However, this is only the first step in a chain stretching from scientists all the way to farmers and consumers. To have an impact on crop production, partnership with seed companies like Bidasem is vital. While CIMMYT may supply the improved seed that fuels their business, smaller seed companies provide a crucial link to seed distributors and farmers. For Rivas, her business depends on getting good seed to her customers. A big cake In Mexico, as in many countries throughout the developing world, most farmers do not plant the best available seed. More than three-quarters of the maize planted in Mexico is of traditional varieties with relatively low yields. The availability of improved seed is often a limiting factor, as seed production is a complex and challenging business, with long production lead-times and a perishable product that is vulnerable to losses both in the field and in storage. While small, regional seed companies are uniquely placed to reach local markets and smallholder farmers, they need support. We have huge untapped opportunities, says CIMMYT seed systems specialist John MacRobert. Seed businesses have the potential to transform farmers livelihoods and the economies of their countries. Improved seed gives farmers hope. Bidasems offices are surrounded by a strikingly agricultural landscape of neat green fields, food processing factories, grain silos, machinery vendors, and, unusually, several other seed companies of varying sizes. The Bajo was once known as Mexicos breadbasket, and has stayed true to its roots. Rivas is not intimidated by the competition. There is a lot of need, and we all have to be more productive because the amount of seed that is sold is very small, she says. Its a big cake, and were not going to finish it alltheres a lot more market. We could not exist without CIMMYT Although the company produces and markets seed of other crops, maize is Bidasems linchpin. Without CIMMYT, we couldnt exist, says Rivas. She sells four different maize hybrids, all formed from freely-available CIMMYT parent lines. Really the most important thing is to produce your own hybrids, and for us it wouldnt be possible if we didnt have the germplasm from CIMMYT. What were currently producing is 100% CIMMYT. The relationship between Bidasem and CIMMYT is now deepening through participation in the MasAgro initiative (see box, MasAgro: Better together). Different bicycles for different paths Between efficient transnational seed companies and time-proven traditional varieties, it is easy to wonder why small seed companies are really necessary. The sophisticated maize hybrids produced by larger companies are like a fine racing bicycle. On a smoothly-paved road it will give an unbeatable high-speed performance, just as on irrigated land with appropriate inputs these varieties produce outstanding yields. However, on rocks or mud a mountain bike is a much more stable choice, and this is where companies like Bidasem come intheir hybrids excel in rainfed areas (without irrigation) and under adverse conditions. We look for different niches, says Rivas. Our materials may not be very pretty, theyre not as uniform as others, but theyre really tough. They withstand drought well, and when excessive rains are a problem they stay on their feet and can still give a good yield. Small companies also seek to produce seed adapted to their regional microenvironments, and while farmers traditional varieties have the same toughness and suitability to local conditions, the problem is their low yield. Walking is very dependable, but a mountain bike is faster even on difficult ground. Climate change also means that many once perfectly-adapted varieties are struggling. Small and

medium-sized seed companies can reach poor farmers with varieties that can give higher, reliable yields, and so hugely improve their food security and incomes. A set of wheels does require some mechanical know-how, and improved seed too is no better than a rusty bicycle without the right management. Bidasem works closely with distributors to make sure they give the right recommendations, as well as directly with farmers. They hold frequent field days and tours to demonstrate their materials and provide technical support. When theres any doubt or any need, were with them, says Rivas. Whenever they ask were with them. Thinking of the future, Rivas thoughts turn to climate change, and the need for new varieties to face it. In agriculture the major limiting factor is climate. Our hybrids have to respond to the adverse conditions were facing, principally water stress and temperature. Together we can meet this challenge through strong partnerships that help the best seed flow through the chain from scientists to farmers. MasAgro: Better together Sustainable Modernization of Traditional Agriculture (MasAgro) is a Mexican initiative launched in 2011 to help smallholder farmers raise and stabilize their crop yields, increase their incomes, and reduce the effects of climate change on Mexicos agricultural output. It is a partnership among the Mexican Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food (SAGARPA); CIMMYT; and numerous public, private, and farmer organizations. Bidasem is just one of many companies already participating in regional field trials of hybrid varieties under rainfed conditions. Seed companies are invited to enter their own hybrids and see how they perform at different locations, and to compare them with the latest seed from CIMMYT and other research organizations. Our goal is to increase total maize production in Mexico by 85% in 10 years, says Marc Rojas, coordinator of the Maize Improvement Consortium for Latin America (IMIC-LA), one of MasAgros four components. I dont care who the product comes from, as long as the farmer gets more productive seed. Thats why were setting up a system where we can really evaluate all the different options. Bidasem and other seed companies are incredibly important partners for me. One of our biggest aims is to make that bridge much more efficient and get products out into farmers fields as quickly as possible. Were supplying much higher quantities of seed so that companies can deliver new varieties to farmers in just one year, whereas in the past it could take four or five years. Our vision is for seed companies and research organizations to work together as one team. Rivas and her production manager have also attended three MasAgro training courses between themtwo on seed production and one on seed company administration. Administration is not my area, so my new knowledge is really helping me, says Rivas. And when you go to training courses, you get to know who knows about a certain area, who you can turn to. Having MasAgro, and having CIMMYT, gives me a lot of strength, a lot of confidence in moving forward. I think well advance much more rapidly. http://www.seedquest.com/news.php?type=news&id_article=28822&id_region=&id_ca tegory=&id_crop= Source:CIMMYT newsletter via SeedQuest.com

(Return to Contents) +++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.19 Cultivares de batata para aumentar a produtividade da agricultura familiar Brazil August 1, 2012 Rusticidade, resistncia a doenas e pouca exigncia em insumos. Essas so as caractersticas das cultivares de batata Epagri 361 Catucha, Cristal e BRS Ana, que esto sendo comercializadas pelo Escritrio de Canoinhas, SC, da Embrapa Produtos e Mercado, Unidade Descentralizada da Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuria (Embrapa), vinculada ao Ministrio da Agricultura, Pecuria e Abastecimento. A cultivar Catucha destinada ao consumo de mesa e tem alto contedo de matria seca e de acares redutores. Pode ser usada para elaborao de purs e outros pratos preparados com batata cozida. Para a produo, suas caractersticas principais so a resistncia requeima e pinta preta. A cultivar tem ciclo mdio (90 a 100 dias), boa tolerncia seca, alm de alto potencial produtivo e estabilidade da produo. A Cristal destina-se ao consumo de mesa, tendo aptido fritura na forma de palitos e ao cozimento para elaborao de salada e outros pratos. Possui contedo mdio de matria seca e relativamente baixo de acares redutores. A cultivar possui alta resistncia de campo requeima e pinta preta, apresenta tolerncia moderada seca e resistncia a distrbios fisiolgicos. As plantas tm hbito de crescimento ereto. A batata BRS Ana uma cultivar mais adequada a fritura francesa, mas que pode ser utilizada tambm cozida para a elaborao de salada e pur. Face ao seu formato, tamanho dos tubrculos e ao alto teor de matria seca, esta cultivar tem possibilidades de utilizao no processamento industrial na forma de palitos pr-fritos congelados. Suas caractersticas agronmicas so ciclo mdio tardio (110 dias) e bom aspecto vegetativo, podendo atingir boa cobertura de solo. Tem elevado potencial produtivo, com alta percentagem de tubrculos grados. Apresenta, ainda, menores exigncias nutricionais e de gua do que as cultivares mais plantadas, possibilitando reduzir custos e riscos de produo. Por essas caractersticas, estas cultivares so excelentes opes de cultivo para a agricultura familiar e para a produo orgnica, segundo informou o gerente do Escritrio de Canoinhas da Embrapa Produtos e Mercado, Elcio Hirano. Para que os produtores estejam abastecidos com insumos para a produo de batata, a Embrapa Produtos e Mercado est disponibilizando, em seu Escritrio de Negcios de Canoinhas, SC, mais de mil caixas de 30 kg de sementes das trs cultivares, sendo 500 da Catucha, 130 da Cristal e 720 da BRS Ana para comercializao imediata. Para adquirir o produto, os interessados devem entrar em contato com Antonio Csar Bortoletto, responsvel pelas vendas no escritrio. Seus contatos so: Escritrio de Canoinhas da Embrapa Produtos e Mercado Telefone: (47) 3624-0127

E-mail: antonio.bortoletto http://www.seedquest.com/news.php?type=news&id_article=28782&id_region=&id_ca tegory=&id_crop= Source: SeedQuest.com (Return to Contents) +++++++++++++++++++++ 1.20 Sowing the seeds for a new generation of organic plant breeders August 13th, 2012 Plant breeders who develop new vegetable varieties for organic farming systems are far and few between. The same goes for graduate students who want to go into that line of work. They can feel rather isolatedeven at schools with large plant breeding programs. After last weeks Student Organic Seed Symposium, however, these distances may not feel quite so far. For three days last week, 20 graduate students from around the nationincluding five from CALSgathered in Greensboro, Vermont to meet and mingle, discuss their breeding projects and learn from experts and business owners in the field. The symposium, which was the first of its kind in the nation, was conceived and organized by three CALS graduate students affiliated with the plant breeding program: Claire Luby, Alex Lyon and Adrienne Shelton. It was really cool when we came up with our list of presenters and contacted them, and within four days wed heard back from every one of them with an enthusiastic Yes, Ill be there! These people are some of the rock stars in the field, says Shelton. Speakers with ties to the UW-Madison included agronomy chair Bill Tracy, a sweet corn breeder; horticulture chair Irwin Goldman, a beet and onion breeder; Jack Kloppenburg, professor of community and environmental sociology; CALS alum John Navazio, senior scientist for Organic Seed Alliance and extension specialist in plant breeding and seeds for Washington State University; and CALS alum Jared Zystro, a research and education specialist at the Organic Seed Alliance. Lecture topics ranged from how to collaborate with farmers on breeding projects to in-field experimental designs to job prospects for new PhDs. The symposium included tours of organic farms and organic seed production operations in the area, including a day-long tour of High Mowing Organic Seeds led by company owner Tom Stearns, an enthusiastic supporter of organic and local agriculture who is well known for championing agripreneurial efforts in the Hardwick, Vermont area. Click here to view the full symposium schedule, including tours and speakers. Throughout the symposium the students had ample time to interact amongst themselves, as well as with the speakers, and by the third day everybody had a strong sense that they had participated in something extremely valuablethe creation of a

new, nation-wide community to support the development of young organic plant breeders. By the end, plans had already been laid for a second annual Student Organic Seed Symposium in Washington state next summer Source: http://ecals.cals.wisc.edu/highlights/2012/08/13/a-community-of-organicplant-breeders-takes-root/ Contributed by Nicole E. Miller, Writer College of Agricultural and Life Sciences Communication Program Madison, WI nemiller2@wisc.edu (Return to Contents) +++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.21 Spread of genes from GM rice 'unavoidable but slow' Beijing, China August 22, 2012 The spread of genes from genetically modified (GM) crops to neighbouring wild plants, although inevitable, may not happen as quickly as feared, according to a study conducted in Chinese rice fields. GM crop genes, such as those designed for insect resistance, can spread through cross-pollination with wild plants surrounding farmers' fields an issue considered to be of major environmental concern, as little is known of the ecological consequences of such gene spread. But a study by Chinese scientists has found that gene flow of this type is unlikely to occur rapidly, as the transferred genes or 'transgenes' do not actually enhance the survival of wild plants. This is because the number of insect pests would have already been reduced in the local area due to the GM crops' insect-resistant genes. The researchers from Fudan University and the Fuijan Academy of Agricultural Sciences crossed a rice strain that had been genetically modified to carry an insectresistant gene with a wild, 'weedy rice' strain, and then tested the survival of their progeny four generations later in an experimental field setting in Fuzhou, in Fujian Province, China. The scientists compared survival rates of progeny containing the insect-resistant transgene with those not containing it, and with survival rates of the original wild rice plant, under conditions of low and high insect pest numbers. The results showed that when pressure from pests was high, the transgene gave the hybrid varieties a fitness advantage in all tested fitness traits, such as number of seeds produced. However, when the number of insect pests was lower as is the case in areas surrounding GM fields hybrids containing the transgene did no better than unmodified wild rice in most fitness traits. Bao-Rong Lu, chairman of the ecology and evolutionary biology department at Fudan University in China, and a lead author of the study, said that by tracing the fitness of

the first four generations of hybrids the researchers had shown that "GM rice will not cause serious environmental problems". Wei Wei, an ecologist from the Institute of Botany at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, welcomed the study, but said further evidence was needed to confirm the findings. Xue Dayuan, chief biodiversity scientist at the College of Life and Environmental Sciences at the Minzu University of China, told SciDev.Net the field tests were limited in what they can show. "It's totally different with the open field. Under the different climate and ecological environments, the risk from the potential transgene flow or transgene pollution may be more likely to happen," Xue said. And Bruce Tabashnik, a professor of zoology from the University of Michigan, United States, told SciDev.Net that the paper was correct in saying that it "is less likely that the transgenes will spread rapidly" when the pest population is slow. But he added that some key questions remain, including the extent to which GM rice will reduce the number of pest insects. The study was published in PLoS ONE last month (17 July). Link to full article in PLoS ONE http://www.seedquest.com/news.php?type=news&id_article=29371&id_region=&id_ca tegory=&id_crop= Source: SciDev.Net via SeedQuest.com (Return to Contents) +++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.22 Experts drum up support for Rambo crop Dar es Salaam 18 August 2012 By Catherine Njuguna Cassava is slowly but surely shading its image as a poor mans crop and is increasingly being seen now as the secret weapon for many small-holder farmers in the fight against hunger and poverty in the face of climate change. That fact and reality was proved by the number of experts and enthusiasts of the crop from all over the world, who attended the second Global Cassava Partnership (GCP21) for the 21st century conference in Kampala in June. Speaker after speaker, the crop was exalted for its diverse uses and unique characteristics such as its hardiness and ability to perform relatively well in harsh conditions such as drought and poor soils. The tuberous root crop that was brought to Africa from Mexico together with maize by the Portuguese, has for many years been considered a Plan B crop - the one farmers

turn to when all their other fancier crops such as maize and rice fail. But now, cassava is having the last laugh. Thriving where others are flagging A recent study has shown that as the world gets warmer and the climate harsher, there will be significant drops in the production of many of the important food staples such as maize, banana, potatoes, and beans, but not cassava. Instead, it will thrive and perform even better. It is therefore being seen as one of the best options for feeding an increasing population in a world that is getting warmer. Dr Andy Jarvis, a climate scientist at the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), speaking at the GCP conference said their research had shown that cassava will outperform all other staples such as maize, beans, sorghum, millet and potatoes thus earning its nickname the Rambo of crop. In our modeling exercise, we looked at cassava in Africa through the years to 2050. We found that its production increased in the different scenarios of anticipated future climatic conditions across the continent. Projections on other major food staples showed decreases in yields, the most affected being beans, potato, banana and sorghum, said Dr Jarvis. Africas new cash crop In addition to helping farmers cope with climate change, cassava is also source of industrial raw material such as high quality cassava flour, starch, sweeteners, dried chips/cassava grits (for animal feed), and ethanol and can therefore be a major driving force in rural development and poverty reduction, if well exploited. Dr Mpoko Bokanga, a food scientist from the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (Unido), noted that while Africa produces more than half of the worlds cassava, its participation in international trade of its raw material was insignificant. He said a lot of research was needed to support African entrepreneurs the small farmers, the middle men and the processors converting cassava to high value material- to tap into the crops potential. Farmers need support to increase their production to supply cassava to the industries through access to high-yielding improved varieties. They also need support on mechanization and labor saving equipment. The farmer will not gain from the increased yield if he is still using manual harvesters and rudimentary processing techniques, he said. The director general for the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Dr Nteranya Sanginga, also noted that the potential of high yielding cassava varieties would not be realized if they are grown on poor soils. Nutrient use in cassava has been very minimal as it is considered a poor mans crop. However, if we are talking about cassava transformation, about increasing cassava production not only for food but also for commercial use, we must change these wrong perceptions, he said. And just what impact can increasing cassava production in the continent have in the fight against hunger and poverty? According Dr Claude Fauquet of the Danforth Centre and co-chair of the GCP21, yields of less than 10t/ha means poverty, between 10 20 t/ha means that the farmers are self-sufficient in food while above

20t/ha, the farmers can make money out of cassava. Reaching 40t/ha, the benefits would be amazing. And its even possible to get to 80t/ha. The evil twins Another thorn in the flesh for cassava researchers are the two deadly viral diseases that are ravaging it in Sub-Saharan Africa and threatening the food and income of millions of small-scale farmers dependent on the crop. These are the Cassava Brown Streak Disease (CBSD) and the Cassava Mosaic Disease (CMD). Furthermore, it was noted that climate change will favour pests and diseases to thrive and spread to new areas. Dr James Legg, a virologist with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), said they have in the last couple of years made big strides in understanding the viruses transmitting the disease and developing improved diagnostics for detecting them. He also reported that close to 100 million farmers were now growing varieties released by research institutions that were tolerant to the disease. However, he noted, the two diseases are being reported in new areas every day calling for a redoubling of global efforts to control them. He added they were now taking research on whitefly - the vector spreading the two diseases - to a new level as studies have shown a corresponding increase in their population and the spread of the diseases. For all its handy traits, cassava is very poor nutritionally as it is mostly carbohydrates over 80 per cent. The GCP21 also focused on advances in research to improve the crops nutritional value by developing cassava varieties with high protein, vitamin A, iron, and zinc content. One of the success stories reported was from Nigeria where early this year, three yellow-fleshed cassava varieties with high beta carotene - a substance that is converted into Vitamin A by the body were released to farmers. They are a result of over 20 years of conventional breeding efforts funded by HarvestPlus and involved scientists from the Nigerias National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI), IITA, and CIAT. Vitamin A deficiency and its related diseases is one of the major health challenges in most developing countries affecting about 250 million people globally. It lowers the bodys immunity, causes impaired vision or even blindness and in severe cases, death. According to World Health Organization (WHO), this deficiency is the leading cause of preventable blindness in children. Therefore these varieties can play an important role towards reducing these statistics. The GCP 21 brought together nearly 400 cassava experts drawn from over 45 international, national organizations and the private sector to explore the way forward for transform the tuberous crop. The ultimate goal of the partnership is to improve cassava productivity through scientific research and development. The author is regional corporate communications officer, IITA http://thecitizen.co.tz/business/13-local-business/24987-experts-drum-up-support-forrambo-crop.html (Return to Contents)

++++++++++++++++++++ 1.23 Brazilian court orders food companies to label GM food Aug 27, 2012 While the battle against Genetically Modified food labeling rages on in the U.S. a definitive stand has been taken by Brazil. A court in Brazil has ruled that Nestle label all of its products with over 1 percent GMO. This ruling came about after Nestle's strawberry flavoured Bono Cookies were found to have transgenic material. In concordance with Brazilian law, all food manufacturers will now have to let the consumers know about the food products containing GM organism, reports GM Watch. The cookies were found to contain genetically modified soy. All food products containing GM content will now have to have a label: a yellow triangle with 'T' in the middle. This will be accompanied by the word "transgenic" to indicate that the food is genetically modified. With this ruling, Brazil has joined the ranks of the countries which require the labeling of GM food, including the European Union and Japan. This is not the first time a court in Brazil has ruled against a food company which uses GMO. Last week, Monsanto was fined heavily, for an advertisement which it released in 2004, when GM food was banned in Brazil, reports Mother Nature Network. The court fined Monsanto $250,000 for releasing a very "misleading" ad on GM soy. Brazil has always had a tenuous relationship with GM food. GM seeds were first smuggled into the country in the 90s from neighboring Argentina. Despite a government ban on the use of GM crops, many farmers began planting GM crops and today, Brazil is the second largest producer of GM soy. The ban has long since been lifted. Monsanto, the biotech giant, has been the company which gained the most from the lift of the ban. In the U.S., however, the battle for the legalization of Prop 37, which requires labeling of food containing GMO, is still raging on in California. Though, the "No on 37" coalition has more funds and the support of big food companies, prop 37 is very likely to win. http://www.foodworldnews.com/articles/2017/20120827/brazil-court-rule-food-nestlegm-monsanto.htm Source: SeedQuest.com (Return to Contents) ++++++++++++++++++++ 1.24 Potato gene bank stores world's varieties

Sturgeon Bay August 25, 2012 By Meg Jones Stored inside a nondescript building and greenhouse in Door County is the equivalent of much of the world's potato blueprints. Wisconsin is home to many things, but it's safe to say that few people know the globe's largest collection of wild and cultivated potato species are here. Most folks traveling past the Peninsular Agriculture Research Station just outside Sturgeon Bay have no idea that the potato chips or French fries they gobbled at lunch probably were developed through the efforts of the U.S. Potato Genebank. Potato germ plasm is sent from Sturgeon Bay to researchers throughout the world who are trying to figure out how to make potatoes more frost- and pest-resistant, easier to digest and even various colors. "Part of our business is to find things, characterize them as unusual, determine if there's interest, publish and see if anyone wants to run with it," said John Bamberg, director of the gene bank. The gene bank is a repository of thousands of seeds and cultivars collected throughout the U.S. and world over more than six decades. The oldest potato seeds at the facility, which was established by Wisconsin potato farmers in 1948, date to the early 1950s. The Sturgeon Bay site, part of the National Plant Germplasm System preserving the genetic diversity of plants, is the only gene bank based in Wisconsin. Gene banks are scattered across the country, including facilities for rice in Arkansas, soybeans and maize in Illinois, wheat in Idaho and tomatoes in California. The gene banks are used to acquire, preserve and evaluate plant varieties and then distribute them free to researchers. The potato facility houses about 5,000 seed populations and 1,000 clonal varieties. U.S. scientists and breeders outnumber international researchers seeking germ plasm 3 to 2. Plus horticulturists from companies such as Frito-Lay work with potato germ plasm from the gene bank. Scientists like Shelley Jansky need access to genetic diversity to develop varieties that are resistant to pests and extreme weather. She's working on solving the problem of verticillium wilt, a common fungus in the soil. To solve the problem, potato farmers must inject chemicals in their fields before planting. Through the potato gene bank, Jansky has found a wild species of potato from South America that's mostly immune to verticillium wilt. "It's a tremendous resource that's right at my fingertips. I call them and say, 'Can you send me this, this and this?' and they send me seeds in the mail," said Jansky, a U.S. Department of Agriculture research scientist and associate professor of horticulture at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Jansky also is looking at starch qualities of potatoes in an effort to combat the growing problem of obesity.

"What we're interested in doing is finding potato starch that's not as digestible, that acts more like a fiber than instant energy. It's more important for us to get fiber than instant glucose, and we're finding wild varieties that have different starches," Jansky said. Why go to all this trouble? Because potatoes are the most valuable vegetable in the U.S. $4 billion in potato chips alone. And potatoes are considered the fourth-most important crop worldwide, behind rice, wheat and corn. At the gene bank, seeds are stored in small paper sacks in a walk-in cooler kept at 40 degrees. One room has rows and rows of test tubes filled with green potato plants snaking up toward the artificial light. On a recent day, Bamberg checked test tubes labeled with names of potato varieties such as jasmine, iris, red Pontiac, majestic, golden flesh and yema de huevo. The yema de huevo Spanish for "egg yolk" features a bright yellow squash-like potato, which is in demand among consumers in South America, Bamberg said. South America, particularly an area straddling southern Peru and northwestern Bolivia, is where potatoes were first domesticated thousands of years ago. Scientists originally thought potatoes were farmed independently at many locations, but DNA research found that most of the wild species could be traced back to a single origin. David Spooner, a University of Wisconsin horticulture professor, has collected many of the potato varieties housed in the gene bank. He has been a potato collector and taxonomist for 27 years, making 14 potato-collecting expeditions in the United States and Latin America. Now some countries no longer allow germplasm collections, and that makes the Sturgeon Bay facility even more important because of its diverse stock. "The idea is to classify them so we can know more about them and can advise potato breeders to use them in their breeding work," Spooner said. The fungus known as late blight, which caused the Irish potato famine in the 1840s and 1850s, is still a problem throughout the world. Potatoes must be treated with fungicides to combat the disease, so if researchers can breed a potato resistant to late blight, it would mean farmers would no longer spend much of their budget on chemicals. And a solution to a disease called zebra chip because it causes dark stripes in potatoes might be found through the gene bank. Zebra chip has moved from potato fields in Mexico into the U.S., and so far researchers are trying to find a wild potato variety that might prove hardy enough to withstand the disease. "The only glimmer of hope so far is from things directly from us, including some tough hybrids with non-tuber-bearing potatoes," Bamberg said. Jones writes for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel/McClatchy. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-potato-genes-20120815,0,5591200.story Source: SeedQuest.com

(Return to Contents) ++++++++++++++++++++ 1.25 A national plan to consolidate and upgrade Australias crop genebanks A national plan to consolidate and upgrade Australias crop genebanks has been agreed to as part of a broader nationwide rationalisation of agricultural research, development and extension services By Gio Braidotti State and federal authorities have agreed to centralise crop genetic-resource services within a national genebank system. The proposal has the support of Australian curators, who have advocated for an upgraded, national genebank for many years. The restructuring sees both tropical and temperate grain, legumes and oilseed collections brought together within a new dedicated facility Australian Genebank Grains (AGG) to be built at the Grains Innovation Park in Horsham, Victoria. Co-funded by the GRDC and the Department of Primary Industries (DPI), Victoria, the new facility reflects the growing role of genebank curators in harnessing biodiversity to improve food production, especially in tracking down disease and stress tolerance traits. Overseeing the AGGs establishment is Dr Bob Redden of DPI, Victoria. He says the agreement will enable for the first time a single inventory of Australian crop genetic resources. In parallel, a new software platform is being adopted, GRIN-Global, along with a single web-based portal for researchers to access genetic material. This will include advanced search options that can, for instance, identify material resistant to a particular disease. Re-numbering and barcoding the collections is key to going forward and the curators have met to devise a way to do it in a fairly simple fashion, Dr Redden says. We will then be able to seamlessly move material to Horsham without disruption to the services we provide to breeders and researchers. Initially, the new facility aims to combine three collections currently scattered across three states: The Australian Winter Cereals Collection, Tamworth: 54,000 accessions of wheat, barley and oats. The Australian Temperate Field Crops Collection, Horsham: 34,000 accessions, including collections of Brassicas and legumes that are among the worlds largest. The Australian Tropical Crops Collection, Biloela: 39,000 accessions from more than 300 tropical crop species. There is then the option to include additional collections, especially the Australian wild Vigna collection and the internationally important Australian Indigenous Relatives of

Crops Collection, which is a potential source of heat and water stress tolerance and currently looked after by CSIRO Plant Industry. The new genebank is being designed to cope with future germplasm deposits, including the mapping populations developed by genomics researchers, Dr Redden says. We thought it prudent to plan for twice the current number of accessions some 450,000 entries. The plan is to use irrigated greenhouses and paddocks in Horsham to regenerate the temperate collection. Tropical and native plants, however, require different growing conditions and expertise so the AGG aims to maintain a branch in Queensland utilising the technical staff at the Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation (DEEDI) at Biloela. The Svalbard Global Seed Vault in Norway will be used to store a backup of the entire genetic resources collection as insurance against an act of God striking Horsham during the many decades of the genebanks operation. While in the Arctic Circle, the collection remains quarantine sealed and under Australian jurisdiction to facilitate repatriation of seed in case of an emergency. Seed held by the AGG will be available to public and private breeders and researchers both domestically and internationally. Movement of this genetic material is subject to the Standard Materials Transfer Agreement (SMTA), as mandated by the International Treaty for Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. This means that when material from a genebank makes a significant contribution in the development of a new variety, a small royalty is paid into a special fund, Dr Redden says. That money is then reserved to assist developing countries who are custodians of most of the worlds crop biodiversity to collect and conserve important resources like landraces and wild relatives. Locally, Dr Redden hopes the new facility and the proactive role genebanks now play in plant breeding will serve to attract a new generation of scientists to careers in genetic resources. This is a matter of some urgency as many Australian curators are overdue to retire but are reluctant to do so until the fate of the genetic material in their care has been secured. The establishment of the AGG is occurring under the broader rationalisation of agricultural science research underway through the National Primary Industries Research Development and Extension Framework developed by the Primary Industries Ministerial Council (PIMC) in conjunction with the Australian, state and Northern Territory governments, rural R&D corporations, CSIRO, and universities. More information: The RD&R framework can be viewed at www.daff.gov.au/agriculturefood/innovation/national-primary-industries Contributed by Bob Redden DPI Victoria Bob.Redden@dpi.vic.gov.au (Return to Contents) ++++++++++++++++++++

1.26 IFPRI Modeling study shows which technologies provide significant yield improvement Preliminary modeling by a research team of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) indicates that combination of using drought and heat tolerant crop varieties, as well as integrated soil fertility management (ISFM) provides the largest improvements in yields globally by 2050 and under climate change conditions. ISFM involves reducing tillage and retaining crop residues and using both fertilizers and manure. Its adoption is projected to significantly reduce price increases for maize, rice, and wheat. In addition, it also hopes to lower the risk of hunger from those in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. The study aims to provide information on risks and benefits of several technologies to facilitate long term investments and strategies in agriculture. Check out http://www.ifpri.org/blog/facilitating-long-term-investments-agriculturaltechnology for details of the article. Source: Crop Biotech Update (August 3, 2012): Contributed by Margaret Smith Department of Plant Breeding & Genetics, Cornell University Mes25@cornell.edu (Return to Contents) ++++++++++++++++++++ 1.27 Bright possibility for flood tolerant soybeans Farmers in the Mississippi Delta can lose as much as 25 percent when they plant soybean crops in rotation with paddy rice. But scientists led by U.S. Department Agricultural Research Service Tara Van Toai might just have the solution to this problem. They are incorporating genes from non-native soybean varieties to supplement the narrow genetic base of U.S. soybeans and improve their tolerance to wet soil and associated diseases. This opens up the possibility for flood tolerant soybeans. In screenhouses, the scientists identified the top three flood-tolerant lines: Nam Vang, which is native to Cambodia; VND2, native to China; and ATF15-1, which is native to Australia. Plants grew the tallest, produced the biggest seeds and highest yields. When planted in flooded experimental fields, they obtained similar results. Check out the ARS News Service report at NewsService@ars.usda.gov Source: Crop Biotech Update 27 July 2012: Contributed by Margaret Smith Department of Plant Breeding & Genetics, Cornell University Mes25@cornell.edu

(Return to Contents) ++++++++++++++++++++ 1.28 Molecular markers for nematode resistance breeding Using molecular markers, scientists of the U.S. Department of Agriculture would be able to expedite development of resistance to two important pests of cotton the root knot nematode and the reniform nematode. These cotton pests have been wreaking havoc for more than 100 years and breeding research has slowed down because resistance is governed by multiple genes, as well as being costly and time-consuming. At the agency's Genetic and Precision Agricultural Research Unit in Mississippi, plant geneticist Johnie Jenkins and colleagues developed genetic markers for the genes responsible for resistance to root-knot nematode in upland cotton. They were identified and found to be in chromosomes 11 and 14. The researchers also found resistance to reniform nematode in wild Gossypium barbadense that is governed by more than one gene. The markers linked to these genes were located in chromosomes 21 and 18. Read the original news at http://www.ars.usda.gov/News/docs.htm?docid=1261 Source: Crop Biotech Update 27 July 2012: Contributed by Margaret Smith Department of Plant Breeding & Genetics, Cornell University Mes25@cornell.edu (Return to Contents) ++++++++++++++++++++ 1.29 Waterproof cotton not far away August 16th, 2012 By Amy McCosker Cotton bred to be waterproof is not too far away, says one biotechnology scientist at the Australian Cotton Conference on the Queensland Gold Coast. CSIRO research scientist Dr Danny Llewellyn says agricultural scientists continue to push the boundaries in the search for maximum yield and quality, and amazing new traits are imminent. He says within months scientists will have mapped the cotton genome and then the breeding possibilities are endless. "Marker technology is changing, DNA sequencing technology is changing and everything is becoming more rapid... I think all of those new advancements will help us in our breeding," he said. Genetically modified plants have revolutionised the industry, but some pest experts say the new varieties also present issues.

Ninety per cent of Australia's cotton crop is genetically modified, and while the need for spraying has diminished greatly, some secondary pests have become more of an issue in recent times. CSIRO plant industry research scientist Dr Lewis Wilson says some pests have emerged as a problem after the introduction of GM cotton. "With the reduction of spraying that has occurred... what we are seeing now is that those pests are no longer being controlled and they have now developed into pests in their own right." Dr Lewis says most growers are seizing the opportunity that GM cotton gives them to utilise fewer chemicals. "It's been a great time to be involved in the industry," he said. "When I started 25 years ago, we were very reliant on older, broad spectrum insecticides. "Spraying has declined so much that we can now focus more carefully on the pests that remain." http://www.abc.net.au/rural/news/content/201208/s3569452.htm Source: SeedQuest.com Return to Contents) ++++++++++++++++++++ 1.30 Breeding rice varieties with reduced phosphorus content Australia August 8, 2012 Breeding rice plants that retain more phosphorus in the straw, which is returned to the soil after harvest, could reduce the use of phosphorus fertilizer and save farmers billions of dollars, according to Southern Cross University researcher Dr Terry Rose. Dr Rose, a research fellow with the Universitys Southern Cross Plant Science and Southern Cross Geoscience Research Centres, is part of an international consortium that has received around $750,000 over three years to investigate the prospect of breeding rice varieties with reduced phosphorus content in the grain. About $11 billion worth of phosphorus is taken off rice farms in harvested grain around the world every year, Dr Rose said. We are aiming to reduce the amount of phosphorus in rice grain by about 20 per cent which could save billions of dollars worldwide. In some countries, farmers dont have the money to maintain soil fertility by applying fertiliser, so as phosphorus is exported from their farms in harvested grain crop yields decline and their livelihood suffers.

In Australia, our farmers maintain soil fertility through fertiliser application but that comes at a cost to the farmer which will likely rise over the years. The idea is to breed varieties of rice so that the majority of the phosphorous is retained in the leaf and stem of the rice plant which is left in the ground after harvest and could return the phosphorus to the soil as it breaks down. At present, over two million tonnes of phosphorus (equivalent to around 22 million t of superphosphate) is removed from rice fields across the globe in rice grains at harvest time, Dr Rose said. A small proportion of this phosphorus is returned to the soil but most ends up in either landfill or waterways via sewage pathways. Over 70% of phosphorus taken up by rice plants from the soil ends up in the grains at harvest, and only the remaining 30% in the straw and roots is returned to the soil. In addition, 70-80% of phosphorus in cereal grains is stored as phytic acid, which is considered to be an anti-nutrient because it cannot be digested by humans (or other non-ruminant livestock) and binds cations such as calcium, zinc and iron hence, these nutrients are not digested by humans either. The project will look to minimise the amount of P transferred to the grains at maturity, resulting in more P being returned to the soil in residues, and lower levels of the antinutrient in the grains. The implications for Australian cereal farmers, particularly wheat producers, could be massive. Last year over 60,000 tonnes of phosphorus ($300 million worth of P fertiliser at the current price) was removed from paddocks in wheat grain harvested across the country, most of which will be exported overseas. Given that phosphorus fertiliser prices are likely to continue to increase, retaining phosphorus in wheat straw to be returned to the soil may be a sound strategy for minimising input costs, Dr Rose said. Dr Rose and SCU will work with researchers from AfricaRice, the Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Science, and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) located in the Philippines. The project is funded by the Global Rice Science Partnership (GRiSP). http://www.seedquest.com/news.php?type=news&id_article=28980&id_region=&id_c ategory=&id_crop= Source: SeedQuest.com (Return to Contents) ++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.31 International plant research could reduce our reliance on pesticides and fertilizers Queensland, Australia August 3, 2012

The findings of an international plant study, involving Queensland scientists, may help to end agricultural reliance on high pesticide and fertiliser application. The study sheds light on how microbial communities (microbiomes) living in and on plant roots can boost plant health, growth and defense against pests. Led by the University of North Carolina and the US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, the research studied the microbiome in soil around the roots of more than 600 Arabidopsis thaliana plants. The team, which included The University of Queensland Professor Philip Hugenholtz, investigated how the microbiome helps shuttle nutrients and information into and out of the roots within the soil matrix. The findings, published on the cover of international scientific journal Nature (August 2, 2012 issue), suggest that high resolution knowledge of the plant root microbiome could help develop a strategy of community-based plant probiotics to augment or even replace fertilisers and pesticides and improve plant health. Co-author Susannah Tringe, head of DOE JGI's Metagenome Program, said the microbiome can be viewed as an extension of the plant's genome. We can't really know a plant genome's full functional capacity until we also understand the functional capacity and the drivers governing assembly of its associated microbiome, she said. In the same way that microbes play critical roles in and around our own bodies, we are adopting this concept of host-associated metagenomics in plant genomics as well, as it will ultimately lead to predictive interventions that will increase plant health and productivity, disease resistance and carbon capture. Senior author Jeff Dangl of Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) said the study provided a deeper and more fine-tuned indication of how host plants and soil microbes shape the shared microbiome. We defined microbial taxa that are reproducibly attracted to plant roots, and which ones the plant allows to penetrate into the roots, presumably in exchange for nutritional or other benefits, he said. Co-author, Phil Hugenholtz from the Australian Centre for Ecogenomics at UQ added that the human microbiome had been the poster child for the application of genomic methods to host-associated ecosystems. "However plants have a long and impressive history in furthering our understanding of host-microbe interactions," Professor Hugenholtz said. I believe that this work and a sister publication in the same issue foreshadow tremendous advances in the study of plant-microbe interactions in the coming years. The researchers grew the tiny, weedy plant, Arabidopsis thaliana in two different soil types, then full plant root systems were removed from their pots and shaken to remove non-rhizosphere soil. Rhizosphere soil (the area of soil that surrounds the roots of a plant) was then washed off and collected, and finally the roots themselves were frozen and ground up to access the microbes deep inside. The researchers then isolated DNA from these three compartmentssoil, rhizosphere and endophytesand looked at the 16S rRNA gene, a diagnostic tag that can help distinguish between microbial species.

In a computational tour de force, the researchers sifted through massive amounts of sequence data from the soil, the root-soil interface and the root-cell compartment over 1,200 samples constituting some two billion bases of high quality DNA code. The team involved scientists from University of Bremen, Germany and Cornell University. It is also engaged in an even larger-scale, long-term study supported by the HHMI, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, the National Science Foundation and the DOE Office of Science to define the root-associated microbiomes of three important model plant species across a wide diversity of geographical locations and ecological conditions. The Nature article can be viewed here http://www.seedquest.com/news.php?type=news&id_article=28828&id_region=&id_ca tegory=&id_crop= Source: SeedQuest.com (Return to Contents) ++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.32 Breakthrough in the resistance to rice yellow mottle virus Cotonou, Benin August 23, 2012 NIL 130 was named best rice variety among seven being evaluated by a farmers cooperative in Gagnoa, Cte dIvoire. NIL 130 is a near-isogenic line derived from elite rice variety IR64 by the introduction of a gene for resistance to (RYMV) through a process known as marker-assisted breeding (MAB). Rice yellow mottle virus (RYMV) is probably the stress that benefits the most from molecular biology at the Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice), says AfricaRice molecular biologist Dr Marie-NolleNdjiondjop. RYMV is colloquially known as the AIDS of rice! The AfricaRice MAB work targeting RYMV is carried out in collaboration with the Institut de recherchepour le dveloppement (IRD), Montpellier, France, and various national (NARS) partners. AfricaRice has had fruitful collaboration on RYMV with IRD since 1994, shortly after the first devastating outbreaks of the disease occurred in various parts of West Africa. RYMV is a disease of intensified irrigated rice production where high-yielding varieties have been introduced, and the vast majority of irrigated varieties are extremely susceptible to it. It only occurs in Africa. In 1995, AfricaRice discovered that a variety from Mozambique (Gigante) was virtually immune to the disease. Gigantes resistance was confirmed by Dr Ndjiondjop against a whole spectrum of RYMV isolates from diverse locations. Determining the genetic basis of Gigantes resistance was given top priority. The resistance gene, rymv1-2, was identified and mapped in 1999 by Dr Ndjiondjop as part of her PhD studies at IRD.

We are now using molecular breeding to improve the RYMV resistance of West African elite rice cultivars, says Dr Ndjiondjop. In 2005, a USAID-funded project enabled AfricaRice to carry out MAB to introgress (i.e. incorporate) rymv1-2 into elite rice cultivars of four West African countries (Burkina Faso, Gambia, Guinea and Mali) and to introduce molecular-marker work into the breeding programs of the NARS. At least two elite varieties were proposed by each NARS and backcrossed three times to the donor Gigante. Resistant lines were identified by a combination of foreground and background markers. Foreground markers occur in the DNA close to the RYMV-resistance gene in Gigante and therefore show that any particular plant has the gene, while background markers are from the elite variety and show how similar the plant is to the elite variety. The resulting lines are near-isogenic lines, or NILs that is, they are very similar to the elite variety, except that they carry the RYMV-resistance gene from Gigante. The promising resistant NILs were then further screened under controlled conditions using a purified virus isolate. Trials were conducted at multiple locations in the target countries to confirm their resistance to diverse natural populations of RYMV. Fixed (pure-breeding) RYMV-resistant NILs were then sent to the NARS for complete evaluation and incorporation into resistance breeding programs. The best NIL from each elite parent was selected for further trials in the four project countries plus six more countries (Cte dIvoire, Ghana, Liberia, Niger, Nigeria and Sierra Leone). This activity was funded by USAID through the West and Central African Council for Research and Development(CORAF/WECARD). A number of these lines like NIL 130 are expected to be released in some of the countries in the near future. In 2010, AfricaRice and IRD discovered a second resistance gene, rymv2, and a new allelic form of the first gene in African rice (Oryza glaberrima) varieties. As an insurance policy against RYMV overcoming single-gene resistance, the AfricaRice breeding strategy is to pyramid two resistance genes in varieties for hot-spot areas. http://www.seedquest.com/news.php?type=news&id_article=29526&id_region=&id_ca tegory=&id_crop= Source: SeedQuest.com (Return to Contents) ++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.33 IRRI Scientists develop phosphorus efficient rice Scientists at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) have discovered a gene, PSTOL1, which enables rice to grow bigger and better roots to help absorb more phosphorus. Phosphorus is an important nutrient in the production of food crops, and thus it is necessary to develop phosphorus-efficient crops to achieve food security and reduce fertilizer use.

Dr. Matthyas Wissuwa from Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences identified a major quantitative trait locus associated with phosphorusdeficiency tolerance, Pup1, in conventional rice variety Kasalath. Then, in collaboration with a team of scientists at IRRI led by Dr. Sigrid Heuer, they found a Pup1-specific protein kinase gene, which they labeled as phosphorus-starvation tolerance 1 (PSTOL1). The team also found that the overexpression of PSTOL1 in modern rice varieties could increase grain yield when exposed to phosphorus-deficient soil. They conducted more analyses and found that the gene enhances root growth at early stages of development, thus allowing plants to get more phosphorus and other important nutrients. Read the abstract at http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v488/n7412/full/nature11346.html and the press release at http://irri.org/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=12275:underground-solutionto-starving-rice-plants&lang=en. Source: Crop Biotech Update (August 29, 2012) Contributed by Margaret Smith Department of Plant Breeding & Genetics, Cornell University Mes25@cornell.edu (Return to Contents) ++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.34 Researcher looks at armyworm resistance in Bt corn Louisiana, USA August 7, 2012 Farmers can plant Bt corn to get protection from an important pest of corn, the fall armyworm. But LSU AgCenter entomologist Fangneng Huang said populations of the pest in some areas have developed resistance to one type of Bt corn. Bt corn, a transgenic crop, gets its name because it contains genes from a bacterium, Bacillus thuringiensis, which is a naturally occurring insecticide. This trait helps farmers control pests including the fall armyworm. The fall armyworm is the first corn pest to develop resistance to Bt corn, Huang said. Resistance to one commonly used, first-generation Bt corn product, which contains the Cry1F protein, was first documented in Puerto Rico, where seed corn is planted. We plant seed corn in Puerto Rico because it can grow year-round, but that means the insect can develop year-round, Huang said. It developed resistance in just three years after commercially planting Bt corn in Puerto Rico.

The fall armyworm feeds on the vegetation and immature grains of corn. Huang is involved in a long-term study to evaluate the susceptibility of the fall armyworm to the second-generation Bt corn. Second-generation Bt corn contains multiple Bt genes and offers better protection from fall armyworms. He has collected armyworms from two sites in Louisiana, one in southern Florida and another in southern Texas. We suspect because the fall armyworm migrates, it moved from Puerto Rico to the eastern United States, and we could see some resistance in U.S. populations, especially in southern Florida, Huang said. The entomologist is looking at the frequency of Bt resistance in fall armyworms from each area. He said he is seeing a much higher frequency of resistance in the Florida population than in those from Louisiana and Texas. He is using the resistant armyworms to evaluate new varieties of Bt corn to identify products that can overcome the resistance. We evaluate the resistant population against our new Bt corn, Huang said. The resistant population cannot survive on some of the new-generation Bt corn products. http://www.seedquest.com/news.php?type=news&id_article=28925&id_region=&id_ca tegory=&id_crop= Source: SeedQuest.com (Return to Contents) +++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.35 Epigenetics vital in disease resistance A team of scientists at Salk Institute discovered that exposure to a pathogenic bacterium caused several alterations in a plant's epigenetic code, a layer of biochemical instructions in DNA that help control gene expression. These changes were due to the activity of genes involved in the plant's response to stress, and thus suggesting that the epigenome is important in developing resistance to biotic and abiotic stesses. "This means the epigenome may not just be a static set of instructions, but also a way of rewriting those instructions based on experience," says Joseph Ecker, leader of the research team in Salk's Genomic Analysis Laboratory. "Our findings, combined with other researchers' findings, build the case that life experiences leave an imprint on our DNA." The results of the study are published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Read the media release at http://www.salk.edu/news/pressrelease_details.php?press_id=575.

Source: Crop Biotech Update (August 24, 2012) Contributed by Margaret Smith Department of Plant Breeding & Genetics, Cornell University Mes25@cornell.edu (Return to Contents) +++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.36 Planting the seeds of defense - Salk Institute study finds stress triggers widespread epigenetic changes that aid in disease resistance La Jolla, California, USA August 7, 2012 It was long thought that methylation, a crucial part of normal organism development, was a static modification of DNA that could not be altered by environmental conditions. New findings by researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, however, suggest that the DNA of organisms exposed to stress undergo changes in DNA methylation patterns that alter how genes are regulated.

The Salk researchers infected two lines of plants with a bacteria to determine whether methylation, a type of epigenetic chemical modification to DNA, plays a role in a plant's response to stress. The leaf on the left, taken from a normal plant five days after infection, shows disease systems. The leaf on the right, taken from a mutant plant incapable of methylation, shows no signs of disease, suggesting that methylation functions in stress responses.Image: Courtesy of Robert H. Dowen

The scientists found that exposure to a pathogenic bacteria caused widespread changes in a plant's epigenetic code, an extra layer of biochemical instructions in DNA that help control gene expression. The epigenetic changes were linked to the activity of genes responsible for coordinating a plant's response to stress, suggesting that the epigenome may help organisms develop resistance to pathogens and other environmental stressors.

"This means the epigenome may not just be a static set of instructions, but also a way of rewriting those instructions based on experience," says Joseph Ecker, a professor in Salk's Genomic Analysis Laboratory, who led the research team. "Our findings, combined with other researchers' findings, build the case that life experiences leave an imprint on our DNA." In the study, published August 7 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Ecker and his colleagues studied how DNA methylation regulates the immune system of the Arabidopsis thaliana plant. Methylation is a biochemical process that, among other things, suppresses the expression of "jumping genes" called transposons that have been incorporated into the genome over time. Using genome-wide sequencing technologies, the researchers found a wide range of methylation changes in the plant's response to a bacterial infection and performed a variety of analyses to determine how these methylation changes alter gene expression. "From previous studies, we know that the expression of a few genes is coupled to methylation changes in response to stress," says first author Robert Dowen, who worked on the project at Salk with Ecker and is now with Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. "Our findings, however, show that exposing a plant to stress triggers a multitude of methylation changes that help the plant defend against invading pathogens." Plants use a sophisticated series of defense mechanisms to restrict the growth of parasitic bacteria upon infection by stimulating various hormonal signals that trigger alterations in gene expression networks. The Salk findings and other recent studies suggest that these cellular defense responses engage the DNA methylation machinery to impart control over gene expression networks. Epigenetic changes in the genetic material, including changes in DNA methylation patterns and modifications to histones (proteins which play a key role in gene regulation), can alter the expression of a gene without changing its DNA sequence. In addition, molecules called small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) are intimately connected with DNA methylation, especially at the jumping genes, where these siRNAs direct the methylation process. Surprisingly, the researchers found that the levels of these siRNAs also change during infection at specific transposons and correspond to activation of these mobile DNA fragments. These findings illustrate the dynamic nature of the epigenome in response to stress. The Salk findings may have broad implications for agriculture, including engineering the DNA methylation patterns of plants to generate pathogen-resistant crops and minimize pesticide exposure. These application technologies are of intense interest, as more than 30 to 40 percent of annual crops are lost to pathogens each year at a cost of some $500 billion. A recent study published in Plant Physiology suggests that memory of environmental conditions may be passed transgenerationally, as plant defenses are primed in the progeny of plants whose parents have already been exposed to pathogens. "While this phenomenon is poorly understood, it is of wide interest and is being intensively studied in the field," says Dowen. "We think our findings may provide a framework for directly testing whether the methylation changes that we observed are passed to the progeny or whether a similar mechanism may be occurring in human cells."

Other researchers on the study were Mattia Pelizzola, Robert J. Schmitz, Ryan Lister, and Joseph R. Nery, from the Salk Institute; and Jill M. Dowen and Jack E. Dixon of the University of California at San Diego. The work was supported by the National Institutes of Health (AI060662), the Catharina Foundation, the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, the Mary K. Chapman Foundation, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. The Salk Institute for Biological Studies is one of the world's preeminent basic research institutions, where internationally renowned faculty probe fundamental life science questions in a unique, collaborative, and creative environment. Focused both on discovery and on mentoring future generations of researchers, Salk scientists make groundbreaking contributions to our understanding of cancer, aging, Alzheimer's, diabetes and infectious diseases by studying neuroscience, genetics, cell and plant biology, and related disciplines. Faculty achievements have been recognized with numerous honors, including Nobel Prizes and memberships in the National Academy of Sciences. Founded in 1960 by polio vaccine pioneer Jonas Salk, M.D., the Institute is an independent nonprofit organization and architectural landmark. http://www.seedquest.com/news.php?type=news&id_article=28931&id_region=&id_ca tegory=&id_crop= Source: SeedQuest.com (Return to Contents) +++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.37 Ethylene of no effect why peppers do not mature after picking Germany August 3, 2012 Climacteric and non-climacteric fruits react differently to the plant hormone ethylene Tomato breeders scored a coup several years ago when they identified tomatoes with a genetic defect that made the fruits mature very slowly, even under the influence of the phytohormone ethylene. Traders and growers were delighted as it gave them more time to transport the crop, initially still green, from where it was harvested to where it would be sold. At the stores, the tomatoes could then be treated with ethylene to bring them to maturity. Other fruits, like peppers, grapes and strawberries, generally do not mature after picking; they need to be harvested when ripe and consumed as soon as possible. Scientists from the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology in Potsdam investigated why ethylene causes some plants to mature after picking and has absolutely no effect on others. The colour, aroma and nutrient content of tomato fruits change even after harvesting, which is why they are referred to as climacteric fruits. This process is triggered by the plant hormone ethylene, which appears to have no effect on peppers.

In order to make it easier to compare the metabolism and the gene expression level of climacteric and non-climacteric plants, the scientists concentrated their work on two closely related species: the climacteric tomato and the non-climacteric habanero chilli pepper, both of the nightshade family. The team studied the plant metabolism at different times of day, before and after the so-called breaker point, the day on which the fruit begins ripening, as evidenced by a visible change of colour. What happens with tomatoes is that on this very day they release huge quantities of ethylene, experiencing what is known as ethylene shock. The gaseous phytohormone ethylene activates its own synthesis as soon as the plant comes into external contact with ethylene. That is why green bananas turn yellow quicker when they are stored next to apples, as apples represent an excellent source of ethylene. Two enzymes are instrumental in the synthesis of ethylene. These are called ACC synthase and ACC oxidase. During the ripening process, climacteric tomato fruits produce much more of these enzymes, which causes ethylene levels to rise continuously. The ethylene then sets a cascade of signals in motion in the tomatoes, causing the fruits to ripen. Green chloroplasts convert to colourful chromoplasts, the hard cell wall components break down, sugars are formed and the nutrient content changes. This is not the case with the chillis. It looks like the ethylene has absolutely no influence on the gene expression or the metabolism of habenero chilli peppers, says group leader Alisdair Fernie, who studied the fruits metabolism and gene activity with his team. Surprisingly, though, genes lower down the ethylene signal chain showed heightened levels of activity. The genes for breaking down the plant cell wall or the carotenoid biosynthesis during the plants normal process of ripening were produced in greater quantities in the tomatoes and peppers alike, explains Fernie. The molecule that triggers the ripening process in peppers and other non-climacteric fruits is something that the scientists are still searching for. http://www.seedquest.com/news.php?type=news&id_article=28843&id_region=&id_ca tegory=&id_crop= Source: SeedQuest.com (Return to Contents) +++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.38 Chinese scientists successfully crack the genome of diploid cotton Shenzhen, China August 28, 2012 The international research team led by Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and BGI have completed the genome sequence and analysis of a diploid cotton-Gossypium raimondii. The cotton genome provides an invaluable resource for the study and genetic improvement of cotton quality and output, and sheds new lights on understanding the genetic characteristics and evolutionary mechanism underlying cotton and its close

relatives. The study was published online in Nature Genetics. (http://www.nature.com/ng/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/ng.2371.html). Cotton, also known as white gold, is an important cash crop worldwide. Its fiber is one of the oldest fibers under human cultivation, which traces over 7,000 years old recovered from archaeological sites. The cotton production provides income for approximately 100 million families, and approximately 150 countries are involved in cotton import and export. Additionally, in scientific research, cotton also serves as an excellent model system for studying polyploidization, cell elongation and cell wall biosynthesis. In this study, researchers sequenced the genome of G. raimondii by the nextgeneration sequencing technology, yielding a draft cotton genome with 103.6-fold genome coverage. Over 73% of the assembled sequences were anchored on 13 G. raimondii chromosomes. They identified 2,355 syntenic blocks in the G. raimondii genome, and found that approximately 40% of the paralogous genes were present in more than 1 block, which suggests that this cotton genome has undergone substantial chromosome rearrangement during its evolution. Through comprehensive comparison and analysis, researchers observed that one paleohexaploidization event occurred in the G. raimondii genome at approximately 130.8 million years ago, while the event is commonly found in eudicots. They also found the evidence to support a cottonspecific wholegenome duplication event occurred at approximately 13-20million years ago. Cotton is known to produce a unique group of terpenoids such as gossypol. The accumulated gossypol and related sesquiterpenoids produced by cotton in pigment glands can be as a resistance against pathogens and herbivores. The majority of cotton sesquiterpenoids are derived from a common precursor which is synthesized by (+)- -cadinene synthase (CDN) in gossypol biosynthesis. Through the phylogenetic analysis on G. raimondii and eight other sequenced plant genomes, they found that the cotton, and probably Theobroma cacao, were the only sequenced plant species that possess an authentic CDN1 gene family for gossypol biosynthesis. Furthermore, the transcriptomic comparison between the fiber-bearing G. hirsutum and the non-fibered G. raimondii demonstrated that three synthases are important for cotton fiber development, including sucrose synthase (Sus), 3-ketoacyl-CoA synthase (KCS) and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid oxidase (ACO). Meanwhile, the MYB and bHLH transcription factors preferentially expressed in fiber may be useful to explain the molecular mechanisms that are in charge of governing fiber initiation and early cell growth. Zhiwen Wang, Project Manager at BGI, said, The completed G.raimondii genome provides a good reference for accelerating the genomic research on tetraploid cotton species such as G. hirsutum and G. barbadense. It also will lay a solid foundation for researchers to further boost cotton quality and productivity by comprehensively exploring the genetic mechanisms underlying cotton fiber initiation, gossypol biosynthesis and resistance against pathogens and herbivores. http://www.seedquest.com/news.php?type=news&id_article=29521&id_region=&id_ca tegory=&id_crop= Source: SeedQuest.com

(Return to Contents) ========================= 2 PUBLICATIONS 2.01 Agronomix Software releases version 35 of the AGROBASE Generation II plant breeding software Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada August 9, 2012 Agronomix Software, based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, is pleased to announce the release of Version 35 of its plant breeding software, AGROBASE Generation II. This latest release includes requests from its users, now in 40 countries worldwide. Of particular interest for larger seed companies using the software is the ability to lock and hide experiments in the relational database on a per concurrent user basis across a network. This is an added security feature, especially when using the software with global access via virtualization technology such as Citrix. For hybrid crops breeders, line x tester and diallel experiments are now directly derived from lists of hybrids. Pollination nursery layouts have more advanced templates and controls, especially when common males pollinate a series of females for new or repeat hybrids in large nurseries. The ever more popular seed inventory module has added flexibility. With the highly relational database architecture developed in Microsoft SQL Server, some breeders have requested more ability to link and unlink genotypes across generations. Accordingly, a link-unlink tool has been developed in this Version, to give the users added flexibility. The main features are shown in a special on-line tutorial to help clients quickly realize the benefits for this new version. Contact Agronomix Software at info@agronomix.com for more information, or view a 3 minute video about the company and AGROBASE Generation II at http://www.agronomix.com/movie/. http://www.seedquest.com/news.php?type=news&id_article=28983&id_region=&id_ca tegory=&id_crop= Source: SeedQuest.com (Return to Contents) +++++++++++++++++++++++++++

2.02 Molecular Breeding celebrates increased impact factor IMPACT FACTOR 2011: 2.852 rank 7/79 in Agronomy rank 2/31 in Horticulture rank 38/190 in Plant Sciences Access Top Cited Articles for Free Find out which articles contributed to the increased Impact Factor of Molecular Breeding: New Strategies in Plant Improvement. Benefit from free access to a selection of most cited articles (time period 2010-2011) - free access valid until September 30, 2012.

High-throughput SNP genotyping with the GoldenGate assay in maize Jianbing Yan, Xiaohong Yang, Trushar Shah, Hctor Snchez-Villeda, Jiansheng Li, Marilyn Warburton, Yi Zhou, Jonathan H. Crouch, and Yunbi Xu Utilization of next-generation sequencing platforms in plant genomics and genetic variant discovery - Stphane Deschamps and Matthew A. Campbell Marker-assisted wheat breeding: present status and future possibilities - P. K. Gupta, Peter Langridge and R. R. Mir Genome-wide association mapping: a case study in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) - K. Neumann, B. Kobiljski, S. Deni, R. K. Varshney, and A. Brner Association mapping of spot blotch resistance in wild barley - Joy K. Roy, Kevin P. Smith, Gary J. Muehlbauer, Shiaoman Chao, Timothy J. Close, and Brian J. Steffenson CAPS-microsatellites: use of CAPS method to convert non-polymorphic microsatellites into useful markers - Ayse Gul Ince, Mehmet Karaca, and A. Naci Onus Your Forum Molecular Breeding is an international journal focused on applications of plant molecular biology: research most likely leading to practical applications with demonstrable benefits for farmers, the seed and processing industries, the environment and the consumer in both the industrialized and the developing world. Source: SeedQuest.com (Return to Contents) +++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 2.03 High and Dry: Why genetic engineering is not solving agricultures drought problem in a thirsty world Doug Gurian-Sherman Union of Concerned Scientists

June 2012 Executive Summary Droughtsperiods of abnormally dry weathercan be devastating to farmers and food production. The historic Texas drought of 2011 caused a record $5.2 billion in agricultural losses, for example, making it the most costly drought on record. Similar crippling droughts have recently occurred around the world, and climate scientists expect the frequency and severity of droughts to increase, sometimes unpredictably, in some regions as the global climate heats up. Although extreme droughts receive the most attention, mild to moderate droughts actually affect more acreage, and also cause substantial crop losses. Agriculture accounts for the lions share of all water extracted from rivers and wells about 70 percentsetting up conflicts between food production and other uses. And beyond competition for water among various human needs are the requirements of aquatic organisms, such as game fish prized by sportspeople, who bring dollars to local economies. Finding ways to protect food production and farmers livelihoods from devastation by droughtand also to reduce agricultures need for wateris therefore vital. The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) analyzed the prospects for improving crops in ways that can reduce water use overall, and losses during dry periods. We focused on crop genetic engineeringthe lab-based manipulation of genes from any source to alter plants. Practitioners and proponents have touted the potential of genetic engineering to address drought. Biotech companies, including Monsanto, have promised to deliver new crop varieties engineered with novel genes that enable them to thrive under drought conditions. The biotech industry has also suggested that genetic engineering can reduce demand for water from crops even under normal conditionsresulting in more crop per drop. However, we found little evidence of progress in making crops more water efficient. We also found that the overall prospects for genetic engineering to significantly address agricultures drought and water-use challenges are modest at best Genetic Engineering offers modest resultsat high cost The biotech industry has so far received regulatory approvalin December 2011for only one crop engineered for drought tolerance. Available data show that Monsantos so-called DroughtGard corn produces only modest results. And according to data supplied by Monsanto and analysis by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the variety does so under only moderate drought conditions. In fact, despite what the industry may have hoped, this productand this technologyare not a panacea for drought. Drought presents a particular challenge for genetic engineering because it can take many forms. Droughts vary in their severity and their timing in relation to crop growth. Related factors such as soil quality affect the ability of crops to withstand drought. These complications make it unlikely that any single approach or gene used to make a genetically engineered (GE) crop will be useful in allor even mosttypes of drought. Whats more, many genes control drought tolerance in plantsa particular challenge for genetic engineering, which so far can manipulate only a few genes at a time.Evidence is also scant that the technology will help crops and farmers use water more efficiently in the foreseeable future. Very few experimental GE crops have been designed to use water more efficiently, and none are approaching commercialization.

In an era of reduced government spending, the cost-effectiveness of different technologies for improving agricultureoften supported by public research funding is important. We found that although genetic engineering is beginning to have some success in enhancing the drought tolerance of crops such as corn, other technologies, such as classical and newer forms of breeding, continue to be more effective, at lower cost. Improved farming practices are also likely to be more effective in enhancing the ability of crops to withstand drought. Crop management practices complement genetic approaches such as breeding and genetic engineering, and should receive more public support in the form of government research and incentives. An excessive focus on genetic engineering at the expense of other approaches risks leaving farmers and the public high and dry when it comes to ensuring that the United States and other nations can produce enough food, and have enough clean freshwater, to meet everyones needs. Major findings: To produce this report, we analyzed scientific studies on GE drought tolerance and crop breeding, and the USDAs database on field trials of drought-tolerant GE crops. We also reviewed Monsantos 2009 petition for approval of DroughtGard, and the USDAs environmental assessment based on that petition. These sources showed that scientists engineered several types of genes, mostly from plants, for drought tolerance in the late 1990s and early 2000s. By the middle of that decade, researchers were using drought-specific gene switches, called promoters, to control when and how strongly the engineered genes are turned on. Other findings: The annual number of USDA-regulated field trials of crops engineered for drought tolerance remained below 20 from 1998 to 2003. That number spiked to 82 in 2005, and remained between 82 and 113 for seven years, including 90 trials as of late 2011. Developing a new GE trait typically takes about 10 to 15 years, including several years prior to field trials. Given the surge in field trials beginning in 2005, several drought-tolerance genes should be nearing approval and commercialization, if these crops have proved effective and reliable in field trials. However, as noted, the USDA has approved only one GE drought-tolerance gene and crop variety for commercial use, and no others have been submitted for approval. Monsantos DroughtGard corn contains a gene called cspB. According to the USDAs environmental assessment and available data, cspB corn is not expected to be of practical value in severe or extreme drought. Monsantos gene will confer only modest protection against moderate drought about 6 percent more than non-engineered varieties used in Monsantos test plots five or six years ago. This outcome, based on only two years of field trials with widely varying results, may not accurately predict the level of drought tolerance once the product is grown more widely. By comparison, classical breeding techniques and improved farming practices have increased drought tolerance in U.S. corn by an estimated 1 percent per year over the

past several decades, according to one recent study (due to the challenges of measuring drought tolerance, this value should be considered a rough estimate). That means traditional methods of improving drought tolerance may have been two to three times as effective as genetic engineering, considering the 10 to 15 years typically required to produce a genetically engineered crop. If traditional approaches have improved corns drought tolerance by just 0.3 percent to 0.4 percent per year, they have provided as much extra drought protection as Monsantos GE corn over the period required to develop it. Farmers are expected to plant cspB on only about 15 percent of corn acres in the United States. If this corn reduces the yield normally lost during drought by 6 percent on 15 percent of corn acres, it would increase corn productivity nationwide by about 1 percent. That improvement is about the same as the increase in drought tolerance in a single typical year achieved through conventional means, as determined by the study noted above, and only about half of the nearly 2 percent overall annual yield increase of corn in the United States. Although data are limited, Monsantos cspB corn does not appear to be superior to several recent classically bred varieties of drought-tolerant corn. Although Monsanto has said it has a goal of getting more crop per drop, its cspB corn does not appear to have improved water use efficiency (WUE): the ability of a crop to use less water to achieve normal yields. The company has not supplied any data measuring water use by cspB corn that would suggest that it has improved WUE. Drought-tolerant crops typically do not require less water to produce a normal amount of food or fiber. In all, the USDA has approved only nine field trials designed to evaluate the WUE of several different engineered crops since 1990. This strongly suggests that improved WUEindependent of drought toleranceis not a serious goal of the biotech industry. Several food and feed crops, such as sorghum or pearl millet, are naturally more drought tolerant than corn. These crops are often less productive than crops more familiar in the United Statesprobably partly because they have received more limited attention from crop breeders. Many have untapped potential for improved yields and other desirable traits, suggesting opportunities to use them more widely in dry regions around the world. The challenges of enabling crops to withstand drought In contrast to other GE crops now on the market, such as insect-resistant and herbicide-tolerant crops, drought tolerance requires the interaction of many genes. And genetic engineering can manipulate only a few genes at a time. Some individual genes can affect genetically complex traits such as drought tolerance. However, even if genetic engineering can improve the drought tolerance of crops somewhat, it may not be enoughsubstantially reduce crop losses in the real world, where drought can vary in severity and duration. Any given engineered gene is likely to address only some types of drought, and then only to a limited extent. And genetic approacheswhether genetic engineering or traditional breedingare unlikely to substantially mitigate losses from severe or extreme droughts in the

foreseeable future. That is because traits that provide substantial tolerance under extreme drought greatly reduce plant growth rates, limiting crop yields. Yet severe to extreme drought is a significant piece of the drought problem farmers are facing. According to the National Climatic Data Center, severe to extreme drought affected about 23 percent of the contiguous United States in October 2011. Furthermore, genes involved in drought tolerance often interact in complex and unexpected ways to alter more than one trait. Geneticists call this phenomenon pleiotropy. It can mean that engineered drought-tolerance genes produce additional, undesirable effects on crop growth. Scientists can reduce harmful pleiotropy by enabling engineered genes to turn on only during drought. However, because droughts are often prolonged, this approach is unlikely to eliminate these harmful effects. Limited field trials and greenhouse tests of GE drought-tolerant crops could miss such effects, which could arise after commercialization. The uncertain market for GE drought-tolerant crops The number of GE drought-tolerant crop varieties that appear on the market over the next five years should indicate whether the technology, at this stage of its development, can substantially improve this trait. The stalled number of GE field trials for drought-tolerant varieties since 2005 suggests that the pace of discovery of drought-tolerant genes may have slowed, although other explanations are possible. Several obstacles may limit the commercial success of Monsantos cspB corn. First, DroughtGard is likely to face competition from varieties of drought-tolerant corn produced through less expensive breeding methods. Markets for cspB corn and other drought-tolerant varieties will also depend on their other traits, such as overall yield and pest resistance. On the other hand, cross-licensing of the cspB trait by other companies, as has occurred with previous engineered genes, could expand its market by reducing competition from other varieties. Another challenge for cspB corn is that farmers buy their seeds well before they plant. Because drought is not reliably predictable, many farmers may not want to pay the higher price of DroughtGard seeds just in case drought occurs. This may restrict planting of cspB corn mainly to areas where moderate drought is frequent, such as the western regions of the Corn Belt, which account for about 15 percent of U.S. corn acres. Herbicide-tolerant or insect-resistant crops can save farmers time and money by reducing chemical pesticide applications, despite higher initial seed costs. However, these factors are unlikely to occur with GE drought-tolerant corn, and are therefore unlikely to drive its sales. For all these reasons, the markets for DroughtGard corn, and any other engineered drought tolerant crops, are uncertain. Recommendations Given the status of R&D on GE drought tolerance and challenging questions about its prospects, UCS recommends that: Congress and the USDA should substantially increase support for public cropbreeding programs to improve drought tolerance. Because large seed companies

focus mainly on engineered crops, this would give farmers better access to non-GE drought-tolerant varieties. Congress and the USDA should use conservation programs funded under the federal Farm Bill to expand the use of available methods for improving drought tolerance and WUE. These include the use of water-conserving irrigation equipment, which may require considerable investment on the part of farmers, and farming methods that increase soil organic matter, which farmers must consistently use over several years to see substantial benefits. The Farm Bill can offer incentives or subsidies to help farmers at risk of drought adopt such practices The USDA and public universities should increase research devoted to finding better ways to store and conserve soil, groundwater, and surface water, and better farming methods to withstand drought. Public and private research institutions should devote more funding and effort to crops that are important in drought-prone regions in the Southern Hemisphere. These crops, which include sorghum, pearl millet, cassava, and cowpeas, are inherently more drought-tolerant than crops familiar in the Northern Hemisphere. Researchers at the USDA and public universities should carefully monitor the efficacy and possible undesirable effects of cspB corn. Such monitoring is important because this variety is the first GE commercial drought-tolerant crop, and the resulting information would enhance our understanding of GE drought tolerance. Similar monitoring should occur for any other GE drought-tolerant crops. The USDA and public universities should expand their research on using plant breeding to improve water use efficiencya vital concern that has not attracted major efforts from the biotechnology industry. The public sector should also invest in improving water-saving irrigation methods and the water-holding capacity of soil, reducing water loss from soil, and developing better water storage facilities. This report is available on the UCS website http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/documents/food_and_agriculture/high-and-dryreport.pdf Contributed by John Miles CIAT j.miles@cgiar.org (Return to Contents)

3. WEB AND NETWORKING RESOURCES 3.01 New plant databases and models developed by the University of Florida could lead to more nutritious foods Gainsville, Florida, USA August 22, 2012

Creating virtual plants could solve real problems, such as reducing vitamin deficiencies in humans, according to University of Florida researchers. They are developing databases and computer models to show how and where B vitamins are made in plants, knowledge scientists believe they can use to guide plant breeding projects, such as increasing plants vitamin contents, leading to more nutritious foods. The research is detailed in the current issue of the Journal of Experimental Botany as part of the Darwin Review series. Vitamin B deficiencies are common the world over, including the U.S., and lack of B vitamins in the diet can cause serious health problems, such as cardiovascular disease and birth defects. These problems most often occur when one crop becomes a major dietary staple. Common sources of B vitamins which include thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and folate are whole, unprocessed foods such as whole grains, green leafy vegetables and legumes. The databases being developed are the foundation for models, or computer simulations, of the way B vitamins are created in plants. When complete, researchers can use the models to test ways to increase vitamin B in the system before experimenting on plants, said lead researcher Andrew Hanson, perhaps increasing the speed at which improved-nutrient crops can be produced. Hanson, an eminent scholar in UFs horticultural sciences department, part of the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, said the models could also allow researchers to speed up the creation of plants for use in biofuel and bioplastic production. B vitamin pathways are involved in everything, Hanson said. You cant make biofuels or polymer constituents without the involvement of the cofactors that come from B vitamins. Dean DellaPenna, a biochemistry and molecular biology professor at Michigan State University and an authority on plant micronutrient biosynthesis, said the research will help guide scientists as they work to improve crop varieties. Understanding the pathways leading to B vitamin synthesis in plants will give researchers knowledge, a map of sorts, for balancing the B vitamin content of major crops, DellaPenna said. This is especially important for developing countries where people depend on a single crop for the majority of their calories. The models show both what is and isnt known about the creation of B vitamins. Hanson said his team has begun filling in missing parts of the models, which are publicly available at http://pubseed.theseed.org/seedviewer.cgi?page=PlantGateway, and hopes others will contribute as well. These models define targets for discovery of B vitamin genes that are missing, and other mysteries that need to be addressed with the tools of comparative genomics, genetics, biochemistry, analytical chemistry and metabolic modeling, he said.

The models are part of the SEED database, which contains detailed information on the genes in thousands of sequenced genomes. A genome is the full set of genetic information of an organism. The research focuses on corn, a major food source for people and animals, as well as a biofuel source, and Arabidopsis, a small-genome plant often used to better understand other plants. Study authors also include Svetlana Gerdes of Argonne National Laboratory in Argonne, Ill.; Valrie de Crcy-Lagard and Claudia Lerma-Ortiz in UFs department of microbiology and cell science; Ocane Frelin in UFs horticultural sciences department; and Christopher S. Henry and Samuel M.D. Seaver with the Argonne National Laboratory and the Computation Institute at the University of Chicago. Project members who helped conceive the study include Jesse Gregory, a UF professor in food science and human nutrition, and Don McCarty, a UF professor in horticultural sciences. The National Science Foundation helped fund the research. http://www.seedquest.com/news.php?type=news&id_article=29337&id_region=&id_ca tegory=&id_crop= Source: SeedQuest.com (Return to Contents) ++++++++++++++++++++++++ 3.02 CIMMYT and partners launch RustTracker.org, new global wheat rust monitoring web site August 2012 Scientists battling the spread of new virulent wheat rust races now have a new tool at their disposal. CIMMYT and partners on the Durable Rust Resistance in Whea t(DRRW) project have just launched a new Global Wheat Rust Monitoring web site RustTracker.org. (http://rusttracker.cimmyt.org/)

RustTracker.org provides up to date information on the status of wheat rust diseases worldwide. The dynamic, content rich site provides a single source of information for all global wheat rust monitoring activities. The data content and tools of RustTracker.org are unique, nowhere else can such rich content about the actual status of major crop pathogens be found.

RustTracker.org is directly linked to a state of the art data management system - the Wheat Rust Toolbox, developed by collaborators at Aarhus University - this drives a range of interactive visualization tools. Users can pull up dynamic survey maps or graph race frequency changes over time at the click of a button. Data from 37 countries is currently included in the system, but expansion is likely. For each country, up to date rust information and tools are available. Wheat rusts are global travellers, not respecting any political boundaries, so effective control often depends on advanced knowledge of important changes in distant regions. Wheat scientists, particularly in developing countries, now have instant access to the status of rusts not only in their own country, but in neighbouring countries and across continents. Sharing knowledge in this way should improve preparedness and control of new virulent rust races. Initial development of RustTracker.org has focused on stem rust and the "Ug99" race group in particular. Current content reflects these efforts, but in the near future expanded content forboth stripe and leaf rust will be included. For more information. Please contact: Dave Hodson. CIMMYT-Ethiopia. Email: d.hodson@cgiar.org http://www.seedquest.com/news.php?type=news&id_article=29244&id_region=&id_ca tegory=&id_crop= Source: SeedQuest.com (Return to Contents) ++++++++++++++++++++ 3.03 Lettuce genome sequence now available through the Lettuce Genome Resource website Davis, California, USA August 29, 2012 The lettuce genome sequence is now available through the Lettuce Genome Resource website:

Link: https://lgr.genomecenter.ucdavis.edu/ More news from: University of California, Davis Website: http://www.ucdavis.edu http://www.seedquest.com/news.php?type=news&id_article=29505&id_region=&id_ca tegory=&id_crop= Source: SeedQuest.com (Return to Contents) +++++++++++++ 4. POSITION ANNOUNCEMENTS 4.01 Research Geneticist/Lead Scientist USDA/ARS Tifton, Georgia The USDA, Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Crop Genetics and Breeding Research Unit (CGBRU) in Tifton, Georgia, is seeking a Research Geneticist/Lead Scientist for a permanent full-time position. Salary is commensurate with experience and can range between $68,809 to $106,369 (GS 12 to GS 13) per annum, plus benefits. The mission of the CGBRU includes basic and applied research to solve agricultural and environmental problems of warmseason grasses, maize and peanut of regional and national interest. The Research Geneticists major research emphasis will be the incorporation of drought, insect and mycotoxin resistance into adapted maize lines.

A secondary emphasis will be germplasm enhancement of sweet sorghum for use in production of bioenergy. Incumbent will be responsible for conducting independentand team-related research and interpreting and publishing data from that research. Specific duties include: identification and characterization of traits important in developing germplasm suitable for hybrid production, use of marker assisted selection to accelerate development of improved maize and sweet sorghum germplasm, develop and evaluate new genetic resources, and contribute to technology transfer of research results to stakeholders, which includes other public and private industry researchers. Refer to announcement ARS-X12E-0090 at http://www.afm.ars.usda.gov/divisions/hrd/index.html for detailed information regarding qualification requirements and for complete application information and instructions. Applications must be received by October 31, 2012. U.S. Citizenship is required. USDA/ARS is an Equal Opportunity Employer and Provider. Original Signed by Lia Simmons August 21, 2012 Lia Simmons Supervisory Human Resources Specialist Contributed by Corley Holbrook USDA-ARS Corley.Holbrook@ARS.USDA.GOV (Return to Contents) +++++++++++++++++++++ 4.02 Monsanto plant breeding and related scientist positions: Requires a Ph.D. in plant breeding and genetics, or related fields: USA

DH Optimization Lead St. Louis - Job ID: 002CJ Automation Lead Engineer - Huxley IA - Job ID: 002CH Soybean Discovery Scientist Iowa - Job ID: 008IW Soybean Discovery Breeder - Galena, MD - Job ID: 008LP Development Team Lead - St. Louis, MO Job ID: 007QN DH System Improvement Lead (Vegetables Division) - Woodland, CA Job ID: 005ES Soy Pathology Lead St. Louis - Job ID: 007LR Senior Statistical Scientist St. Louis - Job ID: 008I8 Trait Integration Breeder - North America - Job ID: 009B0 Strategic Trait Breeder - Bozeman, MT - Job ID: 007B7 Field Research Conversion Manager - Juana Diaz, Puerto Rico - Job ID: 008L7 Cotton Breeding Purity Lab Manager - St. Louis - Job ID: 005ML DH Optimization Scientist St. Louis - St. Louis - Job ID: 009F2

 Asia

Bioinformatics, big data, statistical genetics, modeling, etc. Computational Engineering Lead - St. Louis - Job ID: 008ZJ Strategic Scientist - Computational Biologist/Bioinformaticist - St. Louis - Job ID: 006M5 Environmental Modeling Scientist - St. Louis - Job ID: 0086W Statistical Geneticist St. Louis - Job ID: 008EA Data Curator St. Louis - Job ID: 008EN Data Curator and Analyst - Ankeny IA- Job ID: 004ZI Scientific Business Analyst St. Louis - Job ID: 006P0

Commercial Breeder China - Job ID: 008OW Hot Pepper Breeder China - Job ID: 006NS Tomato Breeder China - Job ID: 006NQ Cucumber breeder China - Job ID: 006NY Asia Trait Integration Breeder India Job ID: 007TQ Hot Pepper Breeder - Maharashtra, India Job ID: 007E3 Tomato Breeder Maharashtra, India Job ID: 007E2 Research Scientist (Entomology) Bangalore, India - Job ID: 004RC Research Officer (Commercial Breeder) Udaipur, India - Job ID: 002LB

Latin America Research Entomologist Campinas, SP, Brazil Job ID: 008JM Breeder I (Commercial Breeder, Testing & Operations Manager) - Job ID: 007J0 Line Development Breeder Crdoba, Argentina - Job ID: 0082E For more information or apply online at: http://jobs.monsanto.com/ or www.monsanto.com/careers Contributed by Donn Cummins donn.cummings@monsanto.com (Return to Contents)

5. MEETINGS, COURSES AND WORKSHOPS New listings may include some program details, while repeat listings will include only basic information. Visit web sites for additional details. This section includes three subsections: A. DISTANCE LEARNING/ONLINE COURSES B. COURSES OF THE SEED BIOTECHNOLOGY CENTER AT UC DAVIS C. OTHER MEETINGS, COURSES AND WORKSHOPS A. DISTANCE LEARNING/ONLINE COURSES

We were notified recently that our proposal to deliver the Master of Science degree in Plant Breeding via distance technology was approved by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. All requirements for this degree are the same as those found in the Graduate Catalog at http://catalog.tamu.edu/, http://soilcrop.tamu.edu/graduatedegrees.html, or http://hortsciences.tamu.edu/graduate-programs/ The following information is available in a downloadable format at http://soilcrop.tamu.edu/graduateprogram.html ++++++++ Distance Education in Plant Breeding Texas A&M University For more information contact: Wayne Smith Department of Soil and Crop Sciences 2474 TAMU College Station, TX 77843-2474 cwsmith@tamu.edu David Byrne Department of Horticultural Sciences 2133 TAMU College Station, TX 77843-2133 dbyrne@tamu.edu LeAnn Hague Distance Education Coordinator Department of Soil and Crop Sciences 2474 TAMU College Station, TX 77843-2474 Leann.hague@tamu.edu ++++++++++ University of Nebraska-Lincoln launches online plant breeding and genetics certificate program http://www.seedquest.com/news.php?type=news&id_article=27326&id_region=&id_ca tegory=&id_crop= Source: SeedQuest.com ++++++++++++ Plant Breeding Methods - Distance Education version CS, HS 541-section 601 DE; 3 credits; lecture only

For more information http://distance.ncsu.edu/courses/fall-courses/HS.php For more information on distance education at NC State University, see: http://distance.ncsu.edu/ For more information on Todd Wehner, see: http://cucurbitbreeding.ncsu.edu/ Plant Breeding Overview - Distance Education version HS 590-801,601; 1 credit; lecture only For more information on HS http://distance.ncsu.edu/courses/fall-courses/HS.php Dr. Todd C. Wehner Professor and Cucurbit Breeder Department of Horticultural Science North Carolina State University Raleigh, NC 27695-7609 919-741-8929 tcwehner@gmail.com +++++++++++ Master of Science in Plant Breeding at Iowa State University (distance program) Contact information is: msagron@iastate.edu toll-free: 800-747-4478 phone: 515-294-2999 http://masters.agron.iastate.edu Maria Salas-Fernandez Assistant Professor Department of Agronomy Iowa State Univ. msagron@iastate.edu +++++++++++ Online Graduate Program in Seed Technology & Business Iowa State University http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=48323218&msgid=597705&act=BDP Contact us today for more information about how you can apply: Paul Christensen Seed Technology and Business Program Manager Ph 515-294-8745 seedgrad@iastate.edu +++++++++++

B. COURSES OF THE SEED BIOTECHNOLOGY CENTER AT UC DAVIS September 2012, Plant Breeding Academy in United States begins ++++++++++ September 17-21, 2012, Seed Business 101SM Field Crops, Indianapolis. Registrations are now being accepted for the next session +++++++++++++ November 2012, Plant Breeding Academy in Asia starts PBA in Asia begins with a session in Chiang Mai, Thailand. ++++++++++ December 3-7, 2012, Seed Business 101Horticulture Registration is open for the Davis course. +++++++++++ European Plant Breeding Classes For more information and application process visit http://pba.ucdavis.edu/PBA_in_Europe/PBA_in_Europe_Class_II/ ++++++++++++ (NEW) February 12-14, 2013, Seed Biology, Production and Quality Delivering improved varieties and crop protection through high quality seed is a vital component of modern agricultural production systems. It is critical that seed producers have an understanding of the biological factors that contribute to the development and maintenance of seed health, vigor and viability, and how those qualities are measured. This course presents the scientific background for production, handling, storage and quality control procedures in the seed industry. It updates participants on new information in these topics, including seed pathology and seed enhancement. The course targets professionals in the seed industry, new employees, consultants, and seed producers to extend and update their knowledge. The course has been expanded to include both hands-on exercises and detailed discussions of seed production and seed technology. Registrations are now being accepted for the Seed Biology, Production and Quality course in Davis, CA.

For more information, registration and all courses details please visit: http://sbc.ucdavis.edu/ the PBA website. You may also contact Jeannette Martins at jmartins@ucdavis.edu., or Joy Patterson at jpatterson@ucdavis.edu Contributed by Susan DiTomaso sbc-enews scditomaso@ucdavis.edu +++++++++++ Seed Central launches its series of monthly events The program for the next several months can be viewed at: http://www.seedcentral.org/calendarofevents.htm To learn more about Seed Central, please visit www.seedcentral.org C. OTHER MEETINGS, COURSES AND WORKSHOPS

10-12 September 2012 6th International Hybrid Rice Congress Hyderabad, India www.ricecongress.com Contributed by Laurient Yves Caisip Yves Caisip ycaisip@kenes.com ++++++++++++ 11-14 September 2012. The 9th International Phytotechnology Society (IPS) conference, Hasselt University in Belgium September 11th to 14th, 2012. For more information, www.phytotechnologies.be Contributed by Elena MAESTRI Universita' di Parma Dip. Scienze Ambientali Parma, ITALY elena.maestri@unipr.it +++++++++++ (NEW) 18-19 September 2012. Food for the Future: Meeting the Challenges with Nuclear Applications. Vienna International Centre during the annual IAEA General Conference. Vienna, Austria You may be interested in attending this event on 18-19 September (registration is free). The link below is for the Scientific Forum, held in Vienna International Centre during the annual IAEA General Conference. The theme for the forum this year is Food for the Future: Meeting the Challenges with Nuclear Applications. There will be sessions on Increasing Food production, Ensuring Food Protection and Enhancing Food Safety.

http://www-pub.iaea.org/iaeameetings/41984/Scientific-Forum-Food-for-the-FutureMeeting-the-Challenges-with-Nuclear-Applications A number of high profile and interesting speakers will participate. Contributed by Kakoli Ghosh FAO/AGPM Kakoli.Ghosh@fao.org +++++++++ 23-28 September 2012 16th International Symposium of ISTRC on Root Crops, Ogun State, Nigeria +++++++++++++ 24-28 September, 2012, 3rd RUFORUM Biennial Conference, Entebbe, Uganda, http://www.imperialhotels.co.ug/impresortbeachoverview.html Please register online by visiting this link: Online Registration Visit the RUFORUM website through: Download Conference Information Conference Coordination: Ms Nodumo Dhlamini; Email: n.dhlamini@ruforum.org or secretariat@ruforum.org Exhibitions: Dr Paul Nampala; Email: p.nampala@ruforum.org +++++++++ (NEW), 28 September 2012, The 2012 Plant Sciences Symposium: EmergingTrends and Paradigm Shifts in Plant Breeding. Varsity Room at Union South of UW-Madison 2012 Plant Sciences Symposium Announcement The 2012 Plant Sciences Symposium: EmergingTrends and Paradigm Shifts in Plant Breeding will be held on Friday, September 28 in the Varsity Room at Union South of UW-Madison. There will be several outstanding speakers and opportunities to engage in scientific discussion. Attendance to the Symposium is free and open to all, but due to limited space, registration is required. This year the Symposium will also be viewable via online streaming for those unable to attend in person. Registration is also required to access the webcast. Please note that this event is open to all in the plant sciences, including plant breeding, horticulture, agronomy, plant pathology, and related fields. We look forward to seeing you there!

More information at: http://psgsc.wisc.edu/annual-plant-science-symposium/2012symposium/event-registration/ Contributed by Jillian Foerster Vice President PSGSC jfoerster@wisc.edu ++++++++++ 1-4 October 2012, DTMA/WEMA/IMAS Maize Breeders Update Course, CIMMYT, Nairobi, Kenya http://www.cimmyt.org/en/about-us/partnerships/countries/doc_download/1544dtmawemaimas-maize-breeders-update-course Contact : Ms. Laura Ruiz, CIMMYT, Dr. Cosmos Magorokosho ( l.ruiz@cgiar.org ), ( c.magorokosho@cgiar.org ) For additional information see: http://www.cimmyt.org/en/services/training/coursecalendar/icalrepeat.detail/2012/10/01/150/243/dtmawemaimas-maize-breedersupdate-course +++++++++++++ 2-7 October 2012. VI International Congress on Legume Genetics and Genomics, Hyderabad, India. More details about VI ICLGG can be had from Rajeev Varshney (r.k.varshney@cgiar.org) +++++++++++++ 3-8 October 2012 The 6th International Congress on Legume Genetics and Genomics, Hyderabad, India. See http://www.icrisat.org/gt-bt/VI-ICLGG/homepage.htm or contact iclgg2012@gmail.com for more information. ++++++++++++ 8-12 October 2012, Wheat for Food Security in Africa, Venue: UN Conference Center Adds Ababa, Ethiopia Organized by EIAR, CIMMYT, ICARDA and partners Contributed by Kosina, Petr CIMMYT p.kosina@CGIAR.ORG ++++++++++++

9-10 October 2012. The Scramble for Natural Resources: More Food, Less Land?, Crawford fund 2012 Parliamentary conference,Canberra, Australia The Crawford Funds 2012 Parliamentary Conference is entitled The Scramble for Natural Resources: More Food, Less Land? at Parliament House in Canberra on 9 and 10 October. The conference - in the Fund's 25th anniversary year - tackles the core issue in global well-being, how to provide sufficient, nutritious food in the face of burgeoning competition for the globe's natural resources. Can agricultural research, development and policy change help to secure the future for the planet and its people? Speakers include: Sir John Beddington, UK Chief Scientist Prof Jonathon Foley, Institute on the Environment, University of Minnesota, USA Dr Frank Rijsberman, CEO, CGIAR Consortium Dr Shenggen Fan, Director General, IFPRI Dr Derek Byerlee, International Agricultural Policy Specialist The full program and biographies for speakers and online registration can be found on our website at www.crawfordfund.org Register online today! The Crawford Fund's mission is to increase Australia's engagement in international agricultural research, development and education for the benefit of developing countries and Australia. www.crawfordfund.org Contributed by Cathy Reade Director, Public Affairs and Communication Crawford Fund creade@squirrel.com.au +++++++++++ 14-17 October 2013, 11th African Crop Science Society Conference, Yaound, Cameroon For additional Information you can contact Dr. Leke Walter Nkeabeng, Vice-President ACSS Council, Chairman LOC Cameroon; P. O. Box 2123 Messa Yaounde, Cameroon; Tell: +237 79704342 (C),+237 94035711 (C), Email: lekwat@yahoo.com Contributed by Kasem Zaki AhmedFaculty of Agriculture Minia University, El-Minia, Egypt ahmed_kz@yahoo.com ++++++++++++ 21 24 October 2012, Annual Meeting of the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Cincinnati, OH +++++++++++++

(NEW) 19 22 November 2012,Training opportunity to learn about wheat genetics, Norwich, United Kingdom The BBSRC funded Wheat Improvement Strategic Programme (WISP) aims to identify new and useful genetic variation to support the vital contribution of wheat breeding to food security. The aim of this BBSRC funded course is to offer training in the genetic analysis methodologies employed in WISP at the John Innes Centre. The participants will gain the skills necessary to apply these methodologies in their own research. The course is aimed at anyone with an interest in cereals research and crop breeding and is an entry level introduction, giving a taste of wheat genetics, from field trials to QTL analysis. Applications are welcome from UK and international undergraduates, junior breeders, PhD students, and postdocs. The four day course, to be held in a purpose built training suite at the John Innes Centre, involves classroom lectures, hands-on lab exercises, and phenotyping methods appropriate for a wheat genetics programme. A guest speaker and a visit to a commercial breeding programme will expand the topics covered. Programme: Day 1 Monday 19 November Strategies for the identification of useful genes in wheat germplasm collections Day 2 Tuesday 20 November Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) genotyping and marker design Day 3 Wednesday 21 November Trip to wheat breeding station Guided tour of Norwich Main dinner Day 4 Thursday 22 November Guest speaker: Dr Richard W Summers, RAGT Seeds Ltd Genetic mapping and Quantitative Trait Locus (QTL) identification Marker Assisted Selection There is a registration fee of 150 and the deadline for submission of application is 5pm, 1 October 2012. Further course details together with an application form are available from the WISP Landrace Pillar website. More news from: John Innes Center Website: http://www.jic.bbsrc.ac.uk http://www.seedquest.com/news.php?type=news&id_article=29316&id_region=&id_ca tegory=&id_crop=

Source: SeedQuest.com ++++++++++ (NEW) 7-11 January 2013. Tucson Winter Institute in Plant Breeding, University of Arizona, Tucson. The BIO5 Institute at the University of Arizona is pleased to announce the 2013 Tucson Winter Institute in Plant Breeding. The goal of the Institute is to offer state-ofthe-art instruction and training in modern tools in plant breeding, be they statistical, molecular, or computational. This year's Institute is comprised of the following four Modules: Monday - Wednesday (12:00pm) January 7th - 9th, 2013 Module 1: Introduction to Plant Quantitative Genetics (Walsh/Gore/Gutierrez) Module 2: Introduction to Plant Genomics (Wing) Wednesday (1:30pm) - Friday January 9th - 11th, 2013 Module 3: Advanced statistical plant breeding (Walsh/Gore/Gutierrez) Module 4: Bioinformatics for breeders (Goff/Ragot) Additional details, including a more detailed description of each module, can be found at www.PlantBreedingInstitute.bio5.org Contributed by Bruce Walsh University of Arizona jbwalsh@email.arizona.edu +++++++++++ 28 January 1 February 2013, International Plant Virus Epidemiology Symposium, Arusha, Tanzania. For further details, visit: www.iita.org/IPVE or contact Lava Kumar (L.kumar@cgiar.org). ++++++++++ (NEW) 2-5 June 2013. Annual Meeting of the National Association of Plant Breeders.Tampa, Florida More information will be posted on the website soon: www.plantbreeding.org/napb/ Contributed by Barry Tillman UF/IFAS btillman@ufl.edu (Return to Contents)

6. EDITOR'S NOTES

Plant Breeding News is an electronic forum for the exchange of information and ideas about applied plant breeding and related fields. It is a component of the Global Partnership Initiative for Plant Breeding Capacity Building (GIPB), and is published monthly throughout the year. The newsletter is managed by the editor and an advisory group consisting of Chikelu Mba (chikelu.mba@fao.org), Elcio Guimaraes (e.guimaraes@cgiar.org), Margaret Smith (mes25@cornell.edu), and Ann Marie Thro (athro@reeusda.gov). Oriana Muriel is the Associate Editor (oriana.muriel@alumni.pitt.edu) The editor will advise subscribers one to two weeks ahead of each edition, in order to set deadlines for contributions. Subscribers are encouraged to take an active part in making the newsletter a useful communications tool. Contributions may be in such areas as: technical communications on key plant breeding issues; announcements of meetings, courses and electronic conferences; book announcements and reviews; web sites of special relevance to plant breeding; announcements of funding opportunities; requests to other readers for information and collaboration; and feature articles or discussion issues brought by subscribers. Suggestions on format and content are always welcome by the editor, at pbn-l@mailserv.fao.org. We would especially like to see a broad participation from developing country programs and from those working on species outside the major food crops. Messages with attached files are not distributed on PBN-L for two important reasons. The first is that computer viruses and worms can be distributed in this manner. The second reason is that attached files cause problems for some e-mail systems. PLEASE NOTE: Every month many newsletters are returned because they are undeliverable, for any one of a number of reasons. We try to keep the mailing list up to date, and also to avoid deleting addresses that are only temporarily inaccessible. If you miss a newsletter, write to me at chh23@cornell.edu and I will re-send it. REVIEW PAST NEWSLETTERS ON THE WEB: Past issues of the Plant Breeding Newsletter are now available on the web. The address is: http://www.fao.org/WAICENT/FAOINFO/AGRICULT/AGP/AGPC/doc/services/pbn.ht ml Please note that you may have to copy and paste this address to your web browser, since the link can be corrupted in some e-mail applications. We will continue to improve the organization of archival issues of the newsletter. Readers who have suggestions about features they wish to see should contact the editor at chh23@cornell.edu. To subscribe to PBN-L: Send an e-mail message to: mailserv@mailserv.fao.org. Leave the subject line blank and write SUBSCRIBE PBN-L (Important: use ALL CAPS). To unsubscribe: Send an e-mail message as above with the message UNSUBSCRIBE PBN-L. Lists of potential new subscribers are welcome. The editor will contact these persons; no one will be subscribed without their explicit permission.