Month: July 2018

Japan has announced that it has put an end to its ban of Canadian wheat imports, CBC news reports. Following the discovery of genetically modified wheat in Southern Alberta, the Asian country stopped all shipments. Ottawa confirmed that the decision to lift the suspension marked the end to all international trade actions following the finding… Continue reading Japan announces end of Canadian wheat imports suspension

We’re often told to eat our vegetables, and for good reason. But face it: They often kind of suck. Our supermarkets teem with towers of flawless looking squashes and tomatoes—but where’s the flavor? For generations, plant breeders have largely been taking their orders from the food industry, in pursuit of varieties that are high-yielding and… Continue reading Squash is a mediocre vegetable. It doesn’t have to be that way.

While the vast majority of soybeans produced in Brazil are GMO varieties, there remains a niche market for conventional soybeans (non-GMO) in the European and Asian markets. Of the three major soybean producing countries, Brazil, United States, and Argentina, Brazil has the largest capability of producing conventional soybeans. There is even an organization in Brazil… Continue reading Conventional Soybeans (non-GMO) continue to find a niche in Brazil

The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled on the so-called new plant breeding techniques (NPBTs). It said crops obtained by mutagenesis are GMOs as the techniques and methods of mutagenesis alter the genetic material of a plant in a way that does not occur naturally. FILE PHOTO: A general view shows the main courtroom… Continue reading Top EU court: GMO rules cover plant gene editing technique

Currently, over 90 percent of corn, cotton, and soybean acreage in the United States is planted with genetically engineered (GE) seeds. Most of these GE seeds are either herbicide tolerant (HT) or insect resistant (Bt). Seeds that have both HT and Bt traits are referred to as “stacked.” A decade ago, 40 percent of U.S.… Continue reading USDA: Most U.S. corn and cotton acreage in 2018 used GE seeds with stacked traits

Researchers from the Centre for Crop and Disease Management (CCDM), working closely with the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD), have discovered a new case of demethylation inhibitor (DMI) Group 3 fungicide resistance affecting barley crops in Western Australia’s southern grainbelt region. The resistance was found in the pathogen responsible for the disease… Continue reading Research uncovers new changes in fungicide resistance in barley in Western Australia

This figure shows a simplified cascade of some of the MYB-related events from environmental perception through to the diversity and quality of consumer traits in fruits and vegetables. – Credit: Allan and Espley/Trends in Plant Science Forget vegetables with dull colors and fuzzy skin or fruits that lack of flavor–the produce aisle of the future… Continue reading How plant breeding technologies could make fruits and vegetables more exciting to eat

Daniel Szymanski used the model plant Arabidopsis (in his hand) to map the complex pathways that control plant cell shape. The findings may be key to improving the quality of cotton (in the background) grown in the United States. (Purdue Ag Communication photo/Tom Campbell) A Purdue University study has mapped a complex series of pathways… Continue reading Purdue University study finds key to plant growth control mechanism

Farmers and plant breeders can now build their own automated field camera track system to collect data on dynamic plant traits, such as crop lodging and movement, as it’s happening in the field to help reduce losses in crop yield. A team of University of Minnesota researchers led by Alex Susko, doctoral candidate and member… Continue reading University of Minnesota researchers develop DIY field imaging system

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), in 2015, Vietnam had 12,500 hectares of GMM. The figure rose to 33,190 hectares in 2017, but it just accounted for 3 percent of the total maize growing area (1.15 million hectares). Initial results satisfactory Le Thanh Hai is one of the first farmers growing… Continue reading Vietnam: Farmers optimistic about genetically modified maize