Month: May 2018

Few of us would recognize a sorghum field in bloom and fewer still would be able to distinguish a corn seedling from a sorghum seedling. Yet, this old-world crop is slowly transforming our bioenergy economy. Sorghum is a member of the grass family and a close relative of maize. It traces its origins to Africa,… Continue reading Sorghum-based biofuels key to sustainable bioenergy economy

Farmers are curious people, and they are relentless in their conservation of natural resources and pursuit of improvement. Crop protection is one area in particular where they are always looking to learn how to be more effective, more precise, and more efficient. Customized crop protection The precision of modern crop protection applies to both planning… Continue reading Chemical, biological, digital technology integrated crop protection solution

Keywords:rice GR2E Golden Rice, a provitamin-A biofortified rice variety, completed its third positive food safety evaluation, this time from the United States Food and Drug Administration (US FDA). In an official response received by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) on 24 May (EST), the US FDA concurred with IRRI’s assessment regarding the safety and… Continue reading Golden Rice meets food safety standards in three global leading regulatory agencies

Keywords: tomato Controlled greenhouse environments and hours of testing have made growing this brand-new tomato variety in the UK possible A brand new type of tomato has been created in British soil to mirror the qualities of its sweet Mediterranean counterparts. The Goutini, to be made available in Asda stores this summer, has been created… Continue reading Growers create new tomato type following four-year trial

Keywords: GM crop The United States is seeking better access for imports of genetically modified crops into China as part of a trade deal currently under discussion between the two sides, said two people familiar with the matter. Genetically modified corn are seen cultivated at a greenhouse in Syngenta Biotech Center in Beijing, China, February… Continue reading U.S. wants China to approve more biotech crops under trade deal

Higher concentrations of carbon dioxide are associated with reductions in protein and multiple key nutrients in rice, according to a new field study by an international team of scientists. The study, published May 23 in Science Advances, showed for the first time that rice grown at concentrations of atmospheric CO2 expected by the end of… Continue reading Increasing CO2 levels reduce rice’s nutritional value

Keywords: soybean Soybeans are the number one agricultural product in Brazil and Brazilian scientists are constantly on the lookout for new potential soybean pests. Recently, Brazilian scientists have identified for the first time the presence of the Soybean Stem Fly in the cerrado regions of central Brazil. The Soybean Stem Fly (Melanagromyza sojae) is native… Continue reading Soybean stem fly found in central Brazil for the first time

Keywords: barley Crunchy kernels of barley tumble from Joel Williamson’s hands as he scoops them up, offering a taste. “This is a first: The inaugural batch of Lyon malt,” says Williamson, head maltster at Spokane-based craft malting company LINC Malt. “This is really good,” replies customer Heath Barnes, popping a few grains into his mouth.… Continue reading Washington State University bred barleys deliver unique Northwest beer flavors

Keywords: GM potato Teagasc have concluded their field study which investigated both the environmental and agronomic impact of a GM potato variety genetically engineered to resist late blight disease, caused by Phytophthora infestans. Potato late blight can rapidly destroy potato crops with growers commonly having to resort to spraying their crops with fungicides on a… Continue reading Research shows GM potato variety combined with new management techniques can cut fungicide use by up to 90%

Inhibiting the production of the ‘happiness’ hormone – serotonin – in rice plants, increases their resistance to two of the world’s most destructive and costly insect pests, new research has shown. The study, published this week in Nature Plants, shows that by suppressing the production of serotonin, rice plants become more resistant to their two… Continue reading Breakthrough in the search for insect-resistant plants