PB_News_239_Sept_2012

PLANT BREEDING NEWS EDITION 239 September 2012 An Electronic Newsletter of Applied Plant Breeding Clair H Hershey Editor chh23cornelledu Sponsored by GIPB FAOAGP and Cornell Universityrsquos 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 Review of breeding programs

101 Nigerian DTMA Project working group meets at Ahmadu Bello University Zaria 102 The Caribbeanrsquos challenge to control Black Sigatoka 103 Syrian conflict forces ICARDA to relocate 104 Nigeriarsquos senators laud the efforts of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in improving crop productivity 105 Michigan State University to lead a national crop pollination research and extension project 106 Drought tolerant corn out in 2013 in western great plains 107 Cameroon releases improved cassava varieties to boost food security 108 Combating Gray Leaf Spot with high-yielding and QPM maize varieties in Bhutan 109 Africa Beats Killer Cereal 110 Nepal scores in fight against wheat rust

GM issues

111 GMO opponents are the climate skeptics of the left 112 lsquoMounting evidencersquo of bug-resistant corn seen by EPA 113 Pesticide use rises as herbicide-resistant weeds undermine performance of major GE crops new Washington State University study shows Genetic resources

114 Whitefly resistance gene found in Galapagos tomato

Trait selectionvariety traits applied breeding 115 New African cassava developed by ETH resists devastating viruses 116 Stem and stripe rusts on wheat double resistance breeding 117 Phosphorous uptake gene could boost rice yields by 20 118 Leaf wax may be key to drought and heat tolerance in wheat says Texas AampM researcher

119 Plant breeders say new drought-hardy corn testing well in US 120 Higher yield is conferred by root QTLs in upland rice

Molecularbasic genetic research

121 BGI and the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation sign memorandum of understanding on collaboration for global health and agricultural development 122 Seed chipper speeds up genetic progress for many crops

2 PUBLICATIONS 201 Manual on doubled haploid technology in maize 202 One Billion Hungry Can We Feed the World 203 Our Daily Bread The Essential Norman Borlaug available for e-readers 3 WEB AND NETWORKING RESOURCES

301 FAO Biotechnology Forum GMOs in the pipeline Looking to the next five years in the crop forestry livestock aquaculture and agro-industry sectors in developing countries

4 GRANTS AND AWARDS

401 The Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research Individual Grants for Future Research Leaders

5 POSITION ANNOUNCEMENTS 501 Research Associate in Molecular Marker Lab ndash Corn Genotyping 502 Research Associate in Molecular Marker Lab - GMO testing in Corn 503 Quantitative Statistical Geneticist ndash Research and Development 504 Research GeneticistLead Scientist USDAARS Tifton Georgia 505 Soybean Breeding Lead

506 Postdoctoral Research Associate ndash Development of conventional lettuce and spinach germplasm resistant to herbicides

6 MEETINGS COURSES AND WORKSHOPS 7 EDITORS NOTES

1 NEWS ANNOUNCEMENTS AND RESEARCH NOTES 101 Nigerian DTMA Project working group meets at Ahmadu Bello University Zaria The Nigerian Drought Tolerant Maize for Africa (DTMA) Project working group held a one day meeting in the Seminar Room Department of Plant Science in the Institute for Agricultural Research Ahmadu Bello University Zaria on Tuesday 28th August 2012 The meeting which was convened at the instance of the National coordinator Professor SG Ado was to discuss progress on the current activities of the project The DTMA National Coordinator Prof SGAdo in an opening remark welcomed the participants and wished them fruitful deliberations

Declaring the meeting open the Executive Director IAR Prof Balarabe Tanimu who was ably represented by the Assistant Director (Research) Prof EB Amans pledged IARrsquos continued support for maize research as well as all other crops in the Northwest Agro-ecological Farming Systems of Nigeria He also commended IITArsquos support especially in testing IAR materials in International trials He recalled the IITA Regional Uniform Variety Trials (RUVT) of 2009 which indicated that IAR maize variety SAMMAZ 18 ( tillering early DT maize) out yielded the reference entries in those trials across West and Central Africa Presentations on current activities and progress were made by the Team leaders of the various DTMA Projects after which four syndicate groups were formed namely Product development and testing DT Maize Seed Production Technology dissemination and Improved Maize Variety Profile These groups deliberated further on the subjects more critically The need for technology delivery to farmers was emphasized while private seed companies were also enjoined to support delivery activities and work in collaboration with breeders A five member committee was also constituted to draft a concept note for funding of technology delivery and sustainability through the Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA) of the Federal Government A plan for monitoring visit to DTMA trial sites was agreed upon with Team Leaders from different sites visiting other multi-location trials in different zones Highlights of the meeting were presentation of awards for the Nigerian DTMA breeder team in form of Plagues and honoraria to deserving collaborating Institutions The meeting which was well attended drew participants from the National Rice and Maize Centre Ibadan University of Ilorin University of Maiduguri National Agricultural Extension and Research Liaison Services (NAERLS) Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR) Samaru National Agricultural Seeds Council (NASC) Private Seed Companies States Agricultural Development Progammes (ADPs) Scientists and other interested persons Director CIMMYT Global Maize Program and the Leader DTMA Project visit Nigeria On Thursday September 13 2012 the Director Global Maize Programme of the International Centre for Maize and Wheat (CIMMYT) Dr Boddupalli M Prasanna and the Leader of Drought Tolerant Maize for Africa (DTMA) Project Dr Abati Tsedeke along with Drs A Menkir B Badu-Apraku T Abdoulaye and G Malaku of International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) Ibadan came to the Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR) Samaru Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria to inspect the performance of the improved maize varieties in Nigeria On arriving at IAR the Deputy Director of the Institute Prof I Onu took the august visitors to the VicendashChancellor (VC) Ahmadu Bello University Zaria for courtesy call The National Coordinator of the DTMA in Nigeria Prof SG Ado introduced the visitors and informed the VicendashChancellor about the DTMA Project According to him the Project aims to develop germplasm materials with 1tha yield advantage over other varieties under drought in order to mitigate the food security problems of Africa Nigeria as one of the major maize producers in Africa with a large proportion of peasant farmers stands to gain from DTMA Project

He informed the VC that the Project started in 2007 and that Phases I and II of the Project had been successfully completed During Phase I the Institute for Agricultural Research maize breeders won the award of best DTMA breeding team in 2008 The Nigerian breeders team were also adjudged as the best in West Africa at the end of Phase II of the Project in 2011 Highlight of the success of IARABU in the DTMA Project included release of new maize varieties in 2009 and 2011 A total of more than 20 improved maize varieties have been registered and released by IARABU in collaboration with IITA Ibadan The Director of CIMMYT Global Maize Programme informed the VC that climate change was a reality and that in the next 40 years crop production must double in the phase of unproductive land limited water resources plants and diseases A major challenge facing the world is therefore how to double productivity in the next four decades This calls for a strong partnership and collaboration to bring quality seed to small holder farmers Main streaming heat tolerance in drought tolerance back ground and tolerance to a combination of stresses including Striga (witch weed) The current 30ndash35 thousand tons of seeds of drought tolerant maize should be doubled to 70 thousand tons to reach African farmers We have to replace old varieties with new varieties to achieve our objective Nigeria is a critical country to attain the seed scale up The support of the VC was therefore solicited as well as that of the scientists There is need for innovation in plant breeding using doubled haploid technology marker assisted selection and use of biotechnology tools including precision phenotyping The DTMA Project Leader in his contribution explained the dimension of agricultural development consisting of two issues science and technology The major concern he said was in the technology aspect There is need for unlimited support of national governments Government programmes are generally well focused but the implementation leaves much to be desired He implored the VC to speak for us to the government to enable us achieve our objectives Dr Menkir of IITA Ibadan on behalf of the team expressed condolences over the irreparable loss of the dedicated Director of IAR Prof Balarabe Tanimu He extolled some of the virtues of the late Director as one who will be remembered by his humility respect and simplicity He said the late Director offered tremendous support in collaboration with IITA and other organizations in agricultural research to improve livelihood of the populce In his response the VC Professor Abdullahi Mustapha expressed sincere appreciation for the courtesy call He assured the team that the University through its units in the Agricultural Complex comprising IAR National Animal Production Research Institute (NAPRI) and National Agricultural Extension and Research Liaison Services (NAERLS) would continue to support the program for successful implementation He recalled from the conference he attended in Ethiopia on food security how African countries were non responsive compared to the Asian counterpart Very limited research funds had been the bane of agricultural research in Nigeria Nigeria is blessed with unutilized fertile land which if properly harnessed would bring fortunes to the teaming population as well as improved livelihood of not only Nigerians but also Africans The university would continue to support and provide equipment for research activities He recalled his farming experience in Striga sick farm where he described the menace of the witch weed as a cancer to maize plant He was told that now there

were Striga resistant maize varieties and that already farmers had reclaimed abandoned farms infested with Striga After the courtesy call the visitors were taken to the IAR research farm The DTMA scientists of IAR conducted them round the trials established The visit was lead by Dr I S Usman the Head Department of Plant Science The visitors expressed satisfaction on the conduct of the trials Contributed by Shehu G Ado shehugagmailcom (Return to Contents) ++++++++++++++++++++++ 102 The Caribbeanrsquos challenge to control Black Sigatoka Trinidad and Tobago September 21 2012 The importance of bananas and plantains is based on two main factors firstly they are a primordial food source and secondly they are an export product from developing countries to meet the demand of developed countries (Europe 39 US 26 Japan 7 Russia 5 Canada 3) They are also consumer goods that generate employment and critical incomes for the social stability of producing countries The tropical nations of South America supply themselves and countries with temperate weather in the region such as Chile or Argentina Some countries in the Caribbean the Pacific and Africa (recent former European colonies) mainly direct their exports to Europe where they enjoy favorable access conditions American countries (Mexico Central America Colombia Ecuador and Peru) and Asia (above all the Philippines) supply the United States Europe China Japan Russia the Middle East and the former Soviet republics according to Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) statistics Although the Caribbean represents just 2 of global trade the income generated from exports is significant reaching 22 in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 197 in Saint Lucia 181 in Dominica and 68 in the Dominican Republic The sudden export losses caused by Black Sigatoka could become disastrous for these countries For all these reasons the situation unleashed on this area of the world by the disease Black Sigatoka that just affects these crops is an emergency and as such a challenge with many aspects to address This is where IICA the FAO and other cooperating international organizations are acting decisively to find solutions Black Sigatoka is caused by a fungus that attacks the majority of banana and plantain varieties The disease destroys the photosynthetic capacity of the leaves advancing quickly and preventing the accumulation of reserves devastating new leaves as they are formed The weight of bunches can be reduced by up to 57 and it spoils the fruit through premature ripening In the Antilles bananas and plantains are grown on small plots Because of insularity agricultural inputs and salaries are more costly compared to other regions This

combination of factors makes Black Sigatoka a more complex challenge Yield losses lead to an unfortunate reaction in the chain job losses that are difficult to replace due to the size of the countries a fall in fiscal revenues and eventually a shortage for the popular diet that has to be replaced by imports that were unnecessary before This in addition to the fact the food import cost per capita in the Caribbean is one of the highest in the world Honduras was the first American country to detect Sigatoka in 1972 and from there it expanded to all growing areas In the Antilles it was reported in Cuba and Jamaica in the 90s and in the rest of the Caribbean from the start of 2003 Currently the disease covers almost all of the Caribbean and in the American hemisphere from Mexico to the southern Brazilian coast on the frontier with northern Argentina Thanks to the efforts of breeding varieties have been developed with good tolerance providing food security for growing countries However these varieties donrsquot meet the demands of export markets Initially the control of Sigatoka with fungicides yielded positive results but the pathogen developed resistance obliging new fungicides to be drawn upon which also lost efficacy This demanded the development of control strategies based on a logic of coexistence with the disease as eradication was not possible These new measures are more efficient and consist of controlling soil humidity well (irrigation and drainage) providing optimal nutrition to plantations pruning injured leaves applying fungicides in accordance with climatic conditions and utilizing different types of fungicides in rotation In the case of Costa Rica under conditions favorable for the disease (high humidity and temperature all year) it is estimated the

control of Sigatoka costs US$2100 per hectare each year

The Caribbean requires these types of controls but before that it is necessary to raise the capacity of growers to be able to apply them and that implies additional cost and time The FAO ordered the inspection of several countries an analysis of their conditions and recommendations based on the findings For its part IICA was in charge of virtual seminars for countries in the Americas where experts from EARTH University FAO and IICA instructed growers about control methods and the current state of Black Sigatoka

The goal to reach is optimizing the capacity response of these countries attend to food security increase training for integrated disease management in addition to other ongoing initiatives where countries have committed their efforts All of this is in order not to give up the battle that they are not willing to lose The following challenge in the fight with Black Sigatoka is in locating the timely necessary economic assistance to introduce tolerant germplasm to growers and to be able to transfer and validate technology for the integrated control of the disease In this way the production of bananas and plantains will continue generating food employment and incomes that are essential for social and economic stability in the Caribbean

Source Portal Frutiacutecola httpwwwportalfruticolacom20120910el-control-de-la-sigatoka-negra-en-platanos-y-bananos-desafio-en-el-caribepais=costarica

Contributed by Humberto Goacutemez Paniagua humbertogomeziicaint Trinidad and Tobago office Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture httpiicaintEngPagesdefaultaspx (Return to Contents) ++++++++++++++++++++++++ 103 Syrian conflict forces ICARDA to relocate Amman Jordan September 6 2012 As the fighting in Syria intensifies the entire international staff of a major agricultural research institute based in Syria has left the country SciDevNet can reveal The International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) has relocated its international staff experts facilities and much of its equipment from the organisations headquarters and principle research station in northern Syria to other offices in the region mainly Jordan and Lebanon according to an ICARDA official In April SciDevNet reported that although the Syrian conflict had not affected the progress of ICARDAs global research programme it had forced the organisation to reorganise its work in certain parts of the country With the security situation deteriorating by the day ICARDA has now had to take further action Nasri Haddad regional coordinator for ICARDAs West Asia Regional Program based in Amman Jordan told SciDevNet The main station in Aleppo Syria has been looted and the centre has lost vehicles and computers even some of the sheep unit facilities have been damaged ICARDAs last related public announcement on 6 July said that the headquarters had been subjected to frequent night raids by armed gangs who had stolen vehicles computers farm machinery and other equipment Fortunately ICARDA stated all email financial systems databases and its gene bank had been safely relocated According to Haddad no damage had been done to the gene bank and the genetic material of the different crops are all safe The ICARDA gene bank is one of the worlds leading seed banks The centre took action earlier this year to duplicate genetic material from its central bank and deposit it in gene banks across the regions it works in to ensure their protection ICARDA has developed a short term plan to deal with the coming growing seasons in the countries to which experts have been relocated Haddad said There is also a medium term plan for the future aimed at mitigating the impact of the recent interruptions to ICARDAs work

The regional headquarters and country offices provided critical support to the international headquarters helping them to relocate international staff to country offices relevant to their specialisms or to the regional projects they had been helping to implement ICARDA manages around 200 projects outside Syria It has six regional programmes involving more than fifty developing countries in Asia the Middle East and North Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa with numerous country offices in these regions Fawzi Al-Sheyab director general of Jordans National Center for Agricultural Research and Extension told SciDevNet The research projects in collaboration with ICARDA are ongoing and are not affected by the relocation of the headquarters He suggested that the relocation may even impact positively on the Jordanian regional office and others as they could benefit from the expertise of the international experts relocated to them Meanwhile with a peaceful resolution to the conflict remaining elusive the UN reports that 235000 people have been forced to flee their homes since the start of the conflict in March 2011 Link to ICARDA July 6 statement httpwwwseedquestcomnewsphptype=newsampid_article=29694ampid_region=ampid_category=ampid_crop= Source SeedQuestcom (Return to Contents) ++++++++++++++++++++++ 104 Nigeriarsquos senators laud the efforts of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in improving crop productivity Ibadan Nigeria September 29 2012 Nigeriarsquos senators have commended the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) for excellent scientific research which has resulted in increase in agricultural productivity and improved livelihoods for farmers Also the National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI) Umudike wants stronger ties with IITA to help serve Nigeria in particular and Africa in general Members of the Senate Committee on Agriculture who paid a courtesy visit to IITA were unanimous that research and development efforts by IITA were major factors that have made Nigeria a global leader in cassava cowpea and yam production ldquoI must commend the work that you are doing to improve agriculturehellip We are impressed and glad with the role you are playingmdash not just in Nigeria but also in Africardquo the Chairman of the Committee on Agriculture Senator Emmanuel Bwacha said

Senator Bwacha who was received by the Deputy Director General (Partnerships and Capacity Development) Dr Kenton Dashiell on Tuesday called for more support and attention to international agricultural research adding that such efforts were needed to further advance the dissemination of technological innovations at the research centre to farmers Dr Dashiell thanked the senate delegation for the visit to IITA He pledged that IITA would continue to play the role of improving food security in tropical nations with the aim of increasing agricultural productivity creating wealth and more importantly reducing poverty In another related development the Executive Director of NRCRI Dr Julius Okonkwo has said that a stronger partnership between IITA and NRCRI is necessary to boost agriculture Dr Okonkwo said that past experiences underscored the necessity for more collaboration between the two institutions citing that joint efforts between IITA and NRCRI led to the release of 41 improved cassava varieties ldquoThese varieties have contributed in making Nigeria the worldrsquos largest producer of cassavardquo Dr Okonkwo said during a courtesy visit to IITA in Ibadan ldquoBesides cassava another milestone the two institutes have achieved over the years is the development of and release of 17 improved yam varietiesrdquo he added Collaboration between IITA and NRCRI began as far back as the 1970rsquos Dr Okonkwo who met with the Director General of IITA Dr Nteranya Sanginga and Dr Dashiell said NRCRI was proud to be associated with IITA He noted that scientists from NRCRI had benefited a lot from IITArsquos capacity building programs As a global leader in crop improvement IITA devotes its resources to crop research natural resource management partnerships and capacity building Traditionally IITArsquos work was concentrated on cassava yam cowpea soybean banana and plantain maize and cocoa However the refined strategy of the Institute offers the opportunity to expand to other crops with the ultimate aim of reducing poverty in tropical nations httpwwwseedquestcomnewsphptype=newsampid_article=30209ampid_region=ampid_category=ampid_crop= SourceQuestcom (Return to Contents) +++++++++++++++++++++++ 105 Michigan State University to lead a national crop pollination research and extension project East Lansing Michigan USA October 3 2012 The United States Department of Agriculture has awarded Michigan State University (MSU) $16 million to lead a national crop pollination research and extension project

The five-year program will focus on improving pollination and attracting bees to specialty farms and crops It is part of the USDArsquos $101 million initiative to support the nationrsquos specialty crop producers Rufus Isaacs a professor in the Department of Entomology and AgBioResearch scientist and his team will look at specialty crop pollination and develop region- and crop-specific Integrated Crop Pollination management approaches to diversify pollination sources and maintain consistent crop yields These may include honey bees wild bees and alternative managed bees such as bumble bees They will also examine adding habitat for bees to provide food for the bees when crops are not in bloom Inclusion of economics and social science components will help make the results more relevant to real-world farming situations There are many variables when it comes to growing specialty crops in Michigan and around the country and the weather isnrsquot the only one Specialty fruit tree and nut growers also need the help of some small workers ndash pollinators or bees Isaacs said ldquoWe are excited to receive this funding and to start this project that we hope will benefit the production of these crops that support the health of our nationrdquo he said ldquoIncreasingly people are consuming more fruits vegetables and nuts and these all depend on pollination As demand increases it will be essential that growers have the tools needed to ensure they can continue to supply this demandrdquo This project will help design farms and management systems so farmers can maximize crop yields added Isaacs who also works with MSU Extension as a specialist The teamrsquos findings will support long-term sustainability of US specialty crops by increasing growersrsquo ability to better manage pollinators for improved crop yield They will develop recommendations on how to manipulate farm landscapes to support native bee and honey bee populations by working with almonds in California cherries in Michigan pumpkins in Pennsylvania blueberries in Florida and others httpwwwseedquestcomnewsphptype=newsampid_article=30289ampid_region=ampid_category=ampid_crop= Source SeedQuestcom (Return to Contents) ++++++++++++++++++++++++ 106 Drought tolerant corn out in 2013 in western great plains Corn farmers in Western Great Plains will have a new tool for addressing drought in the 2013 planting season with the introduction of drought tolerant corn Monsantos Genuityreg DroughtGardtrade Hybrids developed by Monsanto The drought tolerant corn was developed through selection of germplasm combined with drought tolerant biotechnology trait and agronomic recommendations Aside from the ability to survive in drought the corn plant also exhibits improved hydro-efficiency to ensures conservation of soil moisture and reduces yield loss from drought conditions

Some 250 farmers participated in the large scale testing program for the product to get the first-hand experience of DroughtGard hybrids Early results from our Ground Breakers trials this year are encouraging said Mark Edge from Monsanto Harvest is just getting started in many areas throughout the Western Great Plains and Ground Breakers farmers in Central Texas and Eastern Kansas are seeing an up to 6 bushel advantage over competitor hybrids We believe DroughtGard Hybrids will become an important tool for farmers to help mitigate yield loss caused by drought stress Read the media release at httpmonsantomediaroomcomgenuity-droughtgard-hybrids-2013 Source Crop Biotech Update September 19 2012 Contributed by Margaret Smith Department of Plant Breeding amp Genetics Cornell University Mes25cornelledu (Return to Contents) +++++++++++++++++++++++ 107 Cameroon releases improved cassava varieties to boost food security The Cameroonian government has released five new improved cassava varieties to help improve the food security of millions of people in the country The varieties which were developed through conventional breeding by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and partners are recognized as IITA genotypes TMS 920326 TMS 961414 TMS 960023 TMS 920057 and TMS 920067 The improved varieties were formally released by the Cameroonian Minister for Agriculture Mr Essimi Menye and the Permanent Secretary Ms Ebelle Etame Rebecca who represented the Minister of Research and Scientific Innovations With an estimated yield of between 20 tons and 35 tons per hectare the improved varieties have improved nutritional qualities and are rich in caratenoids iron and zinc For information contact Godwin Atser gatsercgiarorg

Source Crop Biotech Update September 19 2012 Contributed by Margaret Smith Department of Plant Breeding amp Genetics Cornell University Mes25cornelledu (Return to Contents) +++++++++++++++++++++++ 108 Combating Gray Leaf Spot with high-yielding and QPM maize varieties in Bhutan Several years of multi-location nationally-coordinated evaluation trials resulted in provisional release of two new gray leaf spot resistant maize varieties for Bhutan Shafangma Ashom and Chaskarpa

The new varieties have shown 10 percent yield advantage and much higher tolerance to GLS than traditional varieties The yield is comparable to the popular improved variety Yangtsipa (Suwan 1) grown in lower elevations The new varieties are recommended particularly for GLS-affected areas above 1500 masl and for subtropical maize production zones at 600-700 masl Both varieties have yellow flint grains which are highly preferred by maize farmers and are open-pollinated Shafangma Ashom is a Quality Protein Maize (QPM) which is more nutritious than

the traditional maize varieties This is the first QPM variety released in Bhutan and it is expected to contribute immensely to the nutritional requirements of the local population From CIMMYT Newsletter 2012

Source Crop Biotech Update September 19 2012 Contributed by Margaret Smith Department of Plant Breeding amp Genetics Cornell University Mes25cornelledu (Return to Contents) +++++++++++++++++++++++ 109 Africa Beats Killer Cereal Ug99 might sound like a rogue agent in the latest thriller but in fact it is the codename for a virulent strain of stem rust a fungal disease that attacks wheat Kenya was the first country to be attacked by Ug99 after its emergence in Uganda confirmed in 1999 There have been several epidemics as most of the varieties planted in Kenya were susceptible and wheat is grown continuously throughout the year so more mature crops can infect younger plants KARI has developed high-yielding Ug99-resistant wheats for the Kenyan market Two such varietiesmdashRobin and Eagle 10mdashhave already been released and KARI has produced and sold more than 200 tons of their seed For more information see httpwwwcimmytorgenabout-usmedia-resourcesnewsletter1401-africa-beats-cereal-killer From SciDevNet 30 September 2012

Source Crop Biotech Update September 19 2012 Contributed by Margaret Smith Department of Plant Breeding amp Genetics Cornell University Mes25cornelledu (Return to Contents) +++++++++++++++++++++++

110 Nepal scores in fight against wheat rust Wheat breeders in Nepal have won a global award for their efforts to control the spread of wheat rust a potentially crippling fungal disease The Borlaug Global Rust Initiative (BGRI) honoured five researchers from the Nepal Agricultural Research Council (NARC) at a ceremony in Beijing on 2 September They received the first gene stewardship award for speedy development and dissemination of rust-resistant wheat strains Nepalrsquos National Wheat Research Program (NWRP) received support from the International Wheat and Maize Improvement Center (CIMMYT) Mexico BGRI and several international academic institutions and released the first Ug99-resistant variety of high-yielding wheat named Vijay in 2010 NWRP has since produced enough seed to cover 54 per cent of the crop area in the country By protecting itself Nepal prevents the spread of airborne spores across national boundaries and thus protects the whole region For the full story see httpwwwscidevnetensouth-asianewsnepal-scores-in-fight-against-wheat-rusthtml

Source Crop Biotech Update September 19 2012 Contributed by Margaret Smith Department of Plant Breeding amp Genetics Cornell University Mes25cornelledu (Return to Contents) +++++++++++++++++++++++ 111 GMO opponents are the climate skeptics of the left Donrsquot worry Genetically modified corn isnrsquot going to give you cancer Sept 26 2012

By Keith Kloor| I used to think that nothing rivaled the misinformation spewed by climate change skeptics and spinmeisters Then I started paying attention to how anti-GMO campaigners have distorted the science on genetically modified foods You might be surprised at how successful theyve been and who has helped them pull it off Irsquove found that fears are stoked by prominent environmental groups supposed food-safety watchdogs and influential food columnists that dodgy science is laundered by well-respected scholars and propaganda is treated credulously by legendary journalists and that progressive media outlets which often decry the scurrilous rhetoric that warps the climate debate serve up a comparable agitprop when it comes to GMOs In short Irsquove learned that the emotionally charged politicized discourse on GMOs is mired in the kind of fever swamps that have polluted climate science beyond recognition

The latest audacious example of scientific distortion came last week in the form of a controversial (but peer reviewed) study that generated worldwide headlines A French research team purportedly found that GMO corn fed to rats caused them to develop giant tumors and die prematurely Within 24 hours the studys credibility was shredded by scores of scientists The consensus judgment was swift and damning The study was riddled with errorsmdashserious blatantly obvious flaws that should have been caught by peer reviewers Many critics pointed out that the researchers chose a strain of rodents extremely prone to tumors Other key aspects of the study such as its sample size and statistical analysis have also been highly criticized One University of Florida scientist suggests the study was designed to frighten the public Thats no stretch of the imagination considering the history of the lead author Gilles-Eric Seralini who as NPR reports has been campaigning against GM crops since 1997 and whose research methods have been questioned before according to the New York Times The circumstances surrounding Seralinis GMO rat-tumor study range from bizarre (as a French magazine breathlessly reports it was conducted in clandestine conditions) to dubious (funding was provided by an anti-biotechnology organization whose scientific board Seralini heads) Another big red flag Seralini and his co-authors manipulated some members of the media to prevent outside scrutiny of their study (The strategy appears to have worked like a charm in Europe) Some reporters allowed themselves to be stenographers by signing nondisclosure agreements stipulating they not solicit independent expert opinion before the paper was released That has riled up science journalists such as Carl Zimmer who wrote on his Discover magazine blog This is a rancid corrupt way to report about science It speaks badly for the scientists involved but we journalists have to grant that it speaks badly to our profession too If someone hands you confidentiality agreements to sign so that you will have no choice but to produce a one-sided article WALK AWAY Otherwise you are being played Speaking of being played have I mentioned yet that Seralinis book on GMOs All Guinea Pigs is being published (in French) this week Oh and theres also a documentary based on his book coming out simultaneously You can get details on both at the website of the anti-biotetch organization that sponsored his study The site features gross-out pictures of those GMO corn-fed rats with ping-pong-ball-size

tumors Its all very convenient isnt it

None of this seems to bother Tom Philpott the popular food blogger for Mother Jones who writes that Seralinis results shine a harsh light on the ag-biotech industrys mantra that GMOs have indisputably proven safe to eat Philpott often trumpets the ecological and public-health dangers posed by genetically modified crops But such concerns about GMOs which are regularly echoed at other left-leaning media outlets have little merit As Pamela Ronald a UC-Davis plant geneticist pointed out last year in Scientific American There is broad scientific consensus that genetically engineered crops currently on the market are safe to eat After 14 years of cultivation and a cumulative total of 2 billion acres planted no

adverse health or environmental effects have resulted from commercialization of genetically engineered crops So what explains the lingering suspicions that some people (even those who arenrsquot Monsanto-hating organic-food-only eaters) still harbor Some of these folks are worried about new genes being introduced into plant and animal species But humans have been selectively breeding plants and animals pretty much since we moved out of caves manipulating their genes all the while The process was just slower before biotechnology came along Still being uneasy about a powerful new technology doesnrsquot make you a wild-eyed paranoid The precautionary principle is a worthy one to live by But people should know that GMOs are tightly regulated (some scientists say in an overly burdensome manner) Many environmentalists are concerned that genetically modified animals such as ldquoFranken-salmonrdquo could get loose in the wild and out-compete their nonengineered cousins or lead to breeding problems for the wild members of the species But even the scientist on whose research the ldquoTrojan generdquo hypothesis is based says the risk to wild salmon is ldquolowrdquo and that his work has been misrepresented by GMO opponents Another big concern that has been widely reported is the ldquorapid growth of tenacious super weedsrdquo that now defy Monsantorsquos trademark Roundup herbicide That has led farmers to spray their fields with an increasing amount of the chemical weed-killer Additionally some research suggests that other pests are evolving a resistance to GMO crops But these problems are not unique to genetic engineering The history of agriculture is one of a never-ending battle between humans and pests On balance the positives of GM crops seem to vastly outweigh the negatives A recent 20-year study published in Nature found that GM crops helped a beneficial insect ecosystem to thrive and migrate into surrounding fields For an overview of the benefits (and enduring concerns) of GM crops see this recent post by Pamela Ronald The bottom line for people worried about GMO ingredients in their food is that there is no credible scientific evidence that GMOs pose a health risk Even Philpott in his charitable take on the Seralini study admits that no one has ever dropped dead from drinking say a Coke sweetened with high-fructose syrup from GMO corn In the next breath though he wonders But what about chronic effects ones that come on gradually and cant be easily tied to any one thing Here we are eating in the dark Despite the study being a train wreck Philpotts takeaway is that it provides a disturbing hint that all might not be right with our foodmdashand shows beyond a doubt that further study is needed Whats beyond a doubt here is Philpotts unwillingness to call bullshit when its staring him in the face I single out Philpott not to pick on him but because he represents the most reasonable level-headed voice of the anti-GMO brigade (whose most extreme adherents don white hazmat suits and destroy research plots) The same goes for Grist which calls the French study important and says its worth paying attention to what Seralini has donerdquo

Such acceptance by lefties of what everyone else in the reality-based science community derides as patently bad science is ldquojust plain depressingrdquo writes a medical researcher who blogs under the name Orac He compares the misuse of science and scare tactics by GMO opponents to the behavior of the anti-vaccine movement The anti-GM bias also reveals a glaring intellectual inconsistency of the eco-concerned media When it comes to climate science for example Grist and Mother Jones are quick to call out the denialism of pundits and politicians But when it comes to the science of genetic engineering writers at these same outlets are quick to seize on pseudoscientific claims based on the flimsiest of evidence of cancer-causing endocrine-disrupting ecosystem-killing GMOs This brand of fear-mongering is what Ive come to expect from environmental groups anti-GMO activists and their most shamelessly exploitive soul travelers This is what agenda-driven ideologues do The Seralini study has already been seized on by supporters of Californias Proposition 37 a voter initiative that if successful in November would require most foods containing genetically modified ingredients to be labeled as such in the state Whats disconcerting is when big media outlets and influential thought leaders legitimize pseudoscience and perpetuate some of the most outrageous tabloid myths which have been given fresh currency by a slanted 2011 documentary that is taken at face value at places like the Huffington Post In a recent commentary for Nature Yale Universitys Dan Kahan lamented the polluted science communication environment that has deeply polarized the climate debate He writes ldquoPeople acquire their scientific knowledge by consulting others who share their values and whom they therefore trust and understandrdquo This means that lefties in the media and prominent scholars and food advocates who truly care about the planet are information brokers So they have a choice to make On the GMO issue they can be scrupulous in their analysis of facts and risks or they can continue to pollute the science communication environment Correction Sept 26 2012 This article originally misidentified the affiliation of the scientist who suggests that the study was ldquodesigned to frightenrdquo the public He is with the University of Florida not UC-Berkley httpwwwslatecomarticleshealth_and_sciencescience201209are_gmo_foods_safe_opponents_are_skewing_the_science_to_scare_people_singlehtml (Return to Contents) ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 112 lsquoMounting evidencersquo of bug-resistant corn seen by EPA

September 05 2012

By Jack Kaskey

Therersquos ldquomounting evidencerdquo that Monsanto Co (MON) corn thatrsquos genetically modified to control insects is losing its effectiveness in the Midwest the US Environmental Protection Agency said The EPA commented in response to questions about a scientific study last month that found western corn rootworms on two Illinois farms had developed resistance to insecticide produced by Monsantorsquos corn Rootworms affect cornrsquos ability to draw water and nutrients from the soil and were responsible for about $1 billion a year in damages and pesticide bills until seeds with built-in insecticide were developed a decade ago The agencyrsquos latest statement on rootworm resistance comes a year after the problem was first documented and just as US corn yields are forecast to be the lowest in 17 years amid drought in the Corn Belt Corn is St Louis-based Monsantorsquos biggest business line accounting for $481 billion of sales (MON) or 41 percent of total revenue in its 2011 fiscal year ldquoThere is mounting evidence raising concerns that insect resistance is developing in parts of the corn beltrdquo the EPA said Aug 31 in an e-mail The studies of rootworms in Illinois and Iowa donrsquot confirm resistance in the field Kelly J Clauss a spokeswoman for St Louis-based Monsanto said in an e-mail More data is needed to prove resistance and the company is working with the EPA to investigate and respond to fields where rootworms causeldquogreater-than-expected damagerdquo Clauss said YieldGard Corn The hottest driest summer since 1936 in the Midwest has damaged crops and helped send corn prices to a record Corn production may total 10779 billion bushels 13 percent smaller than last year even after farmers planted the most acres since 1937 the US Department of Agriculture said Aug 10 Corn acreage is estimated by the USDA to rise 5 percent to 964 million acres this year Monsantorsquos rootworm-killing corn was planted on more than 37 million acres last year according to the company Corn futures for delivery in December dropped 11 percent to $796 a bushel as of 855 am local time on the Chicago Board of Trade They have gained 57 percent in the past three months and traded at a record $849 on Aug 10 The EPArsquos focus is Monsantorsquos YieldGard corn which is engineered to produce the Cry3Bb1 protein from Bacillus thuringiensis or Bt a natural insecticide EPA Review The EPA expects to get data on the performance of YieldGard from Monsanto within two months and complete its analysis by year-end the agency said in its statement which was e-mailed by Stacy Kika an EPA spokeswoman The evaluation will include a review of scientific studies it said ldquoEPA is concerned about the reported resistance to Cry3bB1 in corn rootworm populations in some parts of the country as are others in the agricultural communityrdquo the agency said

The agency may implement ldquostrategiesrdquo to reduce the threat of resistance to Cry3Bb1 it said Kika said she couldnrsquot comment on what those strategies may include The EPA may ban sales of the seed in affected counties as part of a remedial action plan if resistance is confirmed the agency said in its 2010 registration of YieldGard lsquoSuperweedsrsquo Problem Monsanto the worldrsquos largest seed company introduced its rootworm-killing corn technology in 2003 The corn-seed and traits unitrsquos gross profit rose 16 percent to $286 billion in the year ended Aug 31 2011 Shares of Monsanto rose 11 percent to $8755 at the close in New York They have climbed 25 percent this year Syngenta AG (SYNN) the worldrsquos largest producer of agrochemicals has increased 19 percent in the period Monsantorsquos worst resistance problem is with crops engineered to tolerate its Roundup herbicide ldquoSuperweedsrdquothat Roundup no longer kills have invaded as many as 20 million acres (81 million hectares) of corn and soybeans according to a Dow study As many as 28 million acres of cotton soybean and corn may host Roundup-resistant weeds by 2015 according to Basel Switzerland-based Syngenta The EPA requires farmers of Bt corn to plant a so-called refuge an area of non-modified corn that grows near the modified crop The agency reasons that bugs not exposed to the toxin will then mate with any resistant rootworms creating a new generation of insects that is once again susceptible to the insecticide November Memo Corn fields in four states -- Iowa Illinois Minnesota and Nebraska -- were overrun by rootworm last year prompting the EPA to say in a November memo that Monsantorsquos bug-killing corn may be losing its effectiveness The agency also said at the time that Monsantorsquos program for monitoring suspected cases of resistance was ldquoinadequaterdquoMonsanto said in December in response to the EPArsquos comments that it believed there was no scientific confirmation of resistance and that it was increasing efforts to teach farmers about how to respond to unexpected crop damage The Illinois and Iowa studies into insect resistance were conducted by Aaron Gassmann an entomologist at Iowa State University The Illinois study looked at the progeny of rootworms collected last year at farms in Whiteside and Henry counties where the bugs had devoured the roots of corn plants said Michael Gray an agricultural entomologist at the University of Illinois in Urbana who collected the bugs in their adult beetle phase To contact the reporter on this story Jack Kaskey in Houston at jkaskeybloombergnet To contact the editor responsible for this story Simon Casey at scasey4bloombergnet httpwwwbusinessweekcomnews2012-09-04mounting-evidence-of-bug-resistant-corn-seen-by-epa Source SeedQuestcom

(Return to Contents) ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 113 Pesticide use rises as herbicide-resistant weeds undermine performance of major GE crops new Washington State University study shows Pullman Washington USA October 1 2012 A study published this week by Washington State University research professor Charles Benbrook finds that the use of herbicides in the production of three genetically modified herbicide-tolerant crops mdash cotton soybeans and corn mdash has actually increased This counterintuitive finding is based on an exhaustive analysis of publicly available data from the US Department of Agriculturersquos National Agriculture Statistics Service Benbrookrsquos analysis is the first peer-reviewed published estimate of the impacts of genetically engineered (GE) herbicide-resistant (HT) crops on pesticide use In the study which appeared in the the open-access peer-reviewed journal ldquoEnvironmental Sciences Europerdquo Benbrook writes that the emergence and spread of glyphosate-resistant weeds is strongly correlated with the upward trajectory in herbicide use Marketed as Roundup and other trade names glyphosate is a broad-spectrum systemic herbicide used to kill weeds Approximately 95 percent of soybean and cotton acres and over 85 percent of corn are planted to varieties genetically modified to be herbicide resistant ldquoResistant weeds have become a major problem for many farmers reliant on GE crops and are now driving up the volume of herbicide needed each year by about 25 percentrdquo Benbrook said The annual increase in the herbicides required to deal with tougher-to-control weeds on cropland planted to GE cultivars has grown from 15 million pounds in 1999 to about 90 million pounds in 2011 Herbicide-tolerant crops worked extremely well in the first few years of use Benbrookrsquos analysis shows but over-reliance may have led to shifts in weed communities and the spread of resistant weeds that force farmers to increase herbicide application rates (especially glyphosate) spray more often and add new herbicides that work through an alternate mode of action into their spray programs A detailed summary of the studyrsquos major findings along with important definitions of terms used in the study are available online at httpbitlyesebenbrookmajor Benbrookrsquos study ldquoImpacts of genetically engineered crops on pesticide use in the US mdash the first sixteen yearsrdquo is available online at httpbitlyesebenbrook2012 httpwwwseedquestcomnewsphptype=newsampid_article=30263ampid_region=ampid_category=ampid_crop= Source SeedQuestcom

(Return to Contents) +++++++++++++++++++++++ 114 Whitefly resistance gene found in Galapagos tomato Scientists from Wageningen University in the Netherlands together with its partners have identified the genes for whitefly resistance in a wild relative of cultivated tomato known as the Galaacutepagos tomato Whitefly causes major damage to the plant and its fruit and is an important vector of plant virus dissemination Scientists tested different seeds of crossable varieties of tomato from various gene banks and measured their resistance to whitefly The 30 varieties underwent whitefly infestation and were observed for the number of eggs laid to them over five days The said process revealed one crossable variety fully resistant to the whitefly ndash a wild tomato from the Galaacutepagos Islands The scientists then identified two resistance genes in the wild tomato using DNA research With this discovery a plant breeding company hopes to introduce these genes into cultivated tomatoes and bring a resistant tomato to market within two years See the original article at httpwwwwurnlUKnewsagendanewsgalC3A1pagostomato12092012htm Source Crop Biotech Update September 19 2012 Contributed by Margaret Smith Department of Plant Breeding amp Genetics Cornell University Mes25cornelledu (Return to Contents) ++++++++++++++++++++ 115 New African cassava developed by ETH resists devastating viruses Plant scientists at ETH Zurich have developed a new African cassava preferred by consumers and farmers that is resistant to the two major virus diseases in Africa Now they want to test the resistant cassava in Africa Cassava is one of the most important crops in tropical countries particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa However plant viruses are threatening cassava production and with it the staple food of hundreds of millions of people Researchers at ETH Zurich led by Wilhelm Gruissem Professor of Plant Biotechnology and his senior scientist Dr Herveacute Vanderschuren have used gene technology to develop a new cassava variety that is resistant to the feared cassava brown streak virus The virus infects the edible starchy roots and turns them brown which makes the roots unpalatable for consumers The virus originated in East Africa and is threatening to spread to Central and West Africa Developing immune cassava using small RNAs

In order to make cassava resistant to the brown streak virus the researchers modified the genetic make-up of one variety of cassava to produce small interfering RNA molecules (siRNA) The plant produces the siRNA naturally after virus infection but the researchers have now tricked cassava to produce the siRNA in all of its parts before the virus can infect it As soon as the virus attacks the plant the short siRNA stops the virus by attaching to the genome of the virus that is also made of RNA This prevents the virus from multiplying and spreading throughout the plant Glasshouse trials have shown that the new gene producing the siRNA protects cassava effectively from the virus Even several months after infection of the transgenic cassava plants with the brown streak virus the scientists did not find any evidence that the virus could multiply The production of the siRNA does not affect cassava itself It grows normally and produces healthy roots The researchers targeted a part of the virus RNA genome that has been highly conserved during evolution and thus only very rarely changes This should make it more difficult for the virus to adapt to the siRNA-mediated immunity Resistance to another cassava virus remains The researchers used the Nigerian TME 7 cassava variety also known as Oko-iyawo This variety is naturally resistant to cassava mosaic disease which is caused by another virus that is severely impacting cassava production all of Africa Prof Wilhelm Gruissem explains that this resistance is not changed by the new resistance to the brown streak virus The brown streak virus is most likely transmitted by the same silverleaf whitefly (Latin Bemisia tabaci) that also spreads cassava mosaic disease This tiny insect sucks on plant juices and in doing so transmits the viruses into the cassava plant laquoThe silverleaf whitefly population has hugely increased in recent decadesraquo emphasises Prof Willhelm Gruissem laquoand is posing a greater threat than ever to the growth of cassavaraquo He adds that it is difficult to control the whitefly even if African farmers can afford to buy insecticides This is why it is much more efficient and more environmentally friendly to protect cassava against viruses using genetic modification Preferred variety extended The ETH Zurich scientists chose TME 7 from dozens of potential varieties because TME 7 is popular among consumers and farmers and has the best prerequisites for successful cultivation As the next step Prof Gruissem and Dr Vanderschuren together with colleagues in Africa want to test if the improved cassava variety in the field remains resistant to both viruses under natural conditions The Fiat Panis Foundation in Germany which has supported cassava research at ETH has already reserved funding for field experiments The ETH Zurich scientists are also actively engaged in transferring the technology to interested research institutes in Africa to develop virus resistance in local varieties preferred by consumers in their countries httpbulletinsciencebusinessnetnews75880New-African-cassava-developed-by-ETH-resists-devastating-viruses (Return to Contents) +++++++++++++++++++++++

116 Stem and stripe rusts on wheat double resistance breeding August 2012 International Society for Infectious Diseases lthttpwwwisidorggt The title of public enemy number one is a close-run competition in the wheat-growing world While Ug99 [group of stem rust strains] poses a huge potential threat its cousin stripe rust (also known as yellow rust) currently causes the most damage Just like stem rust in recent years it has got tougher New highly-aggressive strains have emerged able to overcome a key resistance gene Yr27 that many widely-grown varieties rely on In many locations resistance to one disease simply is not enough [In Africa] stem rust is the chief problem in the short-season (February-May) whereas in the main season (June-November) stripe rust is the biggest menace causing a major epidemic in 2010 and serious losses in 2011 The tide is turning A significant proportion of farmers is shifting to new varieties that are resistant or moderately resistant to yellow rust Crucially these new varieties are also resistant to Ug99 and give high yields Around 5000 advanced wheat lines are screened for both rusts each year with a special focus on durum wheat The next challenge for breeders is septoria blotch a different fungal disease that is causing infections in CIMMYT lines In the race to protect the worlds wheat yields from ever-evolving disease theres no time to sit back and relax Wheat stem rust is caused by the fungus Puccinia graminis f sp tritici Overall yield losses of up to 80 percent are reported but some fields are totally destroyed Stem rust spores are spread by wind and with infected straw Some grasses or volunteer wheat may generate a green bridge providing inoculum for the next cropping season Disease management may include fungicide applications control of volunteer wheat and resistant varieties if available New races are emerging and the most dangerous at present is strain Ug99 (see ProMED-mail post 199905190812) which has overcome the major resistance gene Sr31 used in our current wheat varieties Since then Ug99 strains have spread and were reported from southern Africa for the 1st time in 2009 opening up routes of transmission for the southern hemisphere (ProMED-mail post 201006021834) Stripe rust (also called yellow rust) of cereals is caused by the fungus _Puccinia striiformis_ var _striiformis_ The disease affects wheat some barley varieties triticale (wheatrye hybrids) and a number of wild grasses It causes yellow leaf stripes and stunting of plants with yield losses of 40 to 100 percent in wheat Spores are wind dispersed in several cycles during the cropping season Between seasons the fungus survives on living host plants generating a green bridge Disease management includes the use of resistant varieties fungicide applications and control of volunteer crops

New more virulent stripe and stem rust strains overcoming additional host resistance genes andor with added fungicide resistances are emerging worldwide Such strains are even more difficult to control and counteract traditional resistance breeding efforts Development of crop varieties with stable resistance to multiple pathogens is particularly difficult since the pathogens can be expected to mutate independently resulting in a range of changing combinations of strains Septoria leaf blotch diseases of wheat and some other cereals are caused by the fungi _Mycosphaerella graminicola_ and _Phaeosphaeria nodorum_ Up to 50 percent yield losses have been reported on susceptible varieties (for more information see links below) Hard (durum) wheats (_Triticum turgidum_ used for example for pasta) and winter (soft) wheats (_T aestivum_ used mostly for bread) are different species and may therefore show different levels of susceptibility to pathogen strains httpwwwcimmytorgennewsletter598-20121401-africa-beats-cereal-killer Source CIMMYT (International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre) via SeedQuestcom (Return to Contents) +++++++++++++++++++++++ 117 Phosphorous uptake gene could boost rice yields by 20 A team of international researchers have discovered a rice gene that could significantly raise the rate of phosphorus uptake in rice varieties The gene is called PSTOL1 or Phosphorous-Starvation Tolerance 1 it regulates root growth More roots would lead to greater phosphorous uptake which could boost rice yields by 20 Sigrid Heurer of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in the Philippines and one of the authors on the Nature paper says that low phosphorous bioavailability affects more than half the worldrsquos farmlands This shortcoming is met by application of fertilisers with attendant increases in fertiliser prices Kasalath rice PSTOL1 gene was found in Kasalath a traditional rice variety from India Kasalath belongs to the aus-type rice group that is also the source of the submergence tolerance gene which IRRI has used to breed varieties suitable for growth under water that are being widely adopted in Asia Sigrid Heurer credited Matthias Wissuwa a senior scientist at the Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences with initially discovering Kasalaths superior performance under poor soil conditions IRRI has yet to incorporate the gene into commercial varieties but says it has enough seeds to act as breeding lines for use in trials

According to Heuer the most advanced breeding lines have been developed in Indonesia by IRRIs partners at the Indonesian Center for Agricultural Biotechnology and Genetic Resources Research and Development IRRIs own breeding lines are now being tested in India and if they perform well they can be given to farmers within the next two or three years Heuer says Corn could benefit from PSTOL1 Emil Q Javier president of the National Academy of Science and Technology said that because phosphorus is a mineral nutrient required by all plants other crops like corn could also benefit from the rice gene This should be possible now with genetic engineering Javier said as the desired gene could in principle be inserted into corn and other crops httpwwwallaboutfeednetNutritionFeed-Additives20129Phosphorous-uptake-gene-could-boost-rice-yields-by-20-1062577Wcmpid=NLC|AllAboutFeednet|07-sep-2012|Phosphorous20uptake20gene20could20boost20rice20yields20by2020 Source SeedQuestcom (Return to Contents) ++++++++++++++++++++++++ 118 Leaf wax may be key to drought and heat tolerance in wheat says Texas AampM researcher College Station Texas USA September 7 2012 Wax build-up is not always a bad thing according to a Texas AampM University soil and crop scientist Dr Dirk Hays associate professor of cereal grain developmental genetics has been researching leaf wax itrsquos variability in different genetic wheat lines and what difference the wax can make in heat and drought tolerance of the crop Hays recently returned from seven months of traveling on a Fulbright Regional Research Scholarship to India and Bangladesh ldquoThey have a similar problem to ours with terminal heat stress in wheatrdquo Hays said ldquoTheir problem is chronic steady increases in heat which impairs wheat development and decreases yield and quality ldquoOur problem is sporadic where the stress occurs with spiked temperatures Under both cases wheat as in most crops is extremely sensitive to flower and early seed abortion due to high temperature stressrdquo ldquoWhat I have been looking at is a wheat mapping population trying to find genes that are regulating heat and drought tolerancerdquo he said ldquoThe main goal was to define the genes that regulate leaf and glume wax and how increased wax content improves heat and drought tolerancerdquo Hays said his research has found big genetic variations in the amount of leaf wax on leaves and glumes between different genetic wheat lines This variation can be as

high as 10- to 20-fold in the amount of leaf wax between cultivars ldquoBut you canrsquot visually score that you have to chemically quantify itrdquo he said ldquoWersquove found if leaf wax is quantified and mapped it can result in up to a 25 percent increase in yield The higher wax keeps the plant cooler and reduces the amount of water the plant uses to keep itself coolrdquo Hays said during his seven months overseas he was working with the local scientists to convey how to measure the wax content in different lines and then how to use that as an improved selection tool for drought-tolerant wheat ldquoWhile I have done extensive work on leaf wax here this was another environment where I could verify these characteristics make a difference in improving heat and drought tolerancerdquo Bangladesh and India are potential hot spots for global warming he said and both have grown wheat for more than 1000 years In India the farmers grow primarily a spring wheat crop under both dryland and irrigated conditions But they are facing dropping water tables and more sporadic monsoon seasons Hays said Crop yield trends have shown a plateau indicative of the negative impact of global warming ldquoItrsquos imperative that we stay ahead of global climate change and improve the adaptation of wheat and other crops to increased high temperature stress especially during the vulnerable reproductive stages (flowering and early seed development)rdquo ldquoTheir crops are probably better adapted to heat stress than ours are so the learning was definitely a two-way collaborationrdquo he said In India he worked at Banarus Hindu University with Dr V K Mishra and in Bangladesh he was at the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute working with Dr Naresh Barma ldquoBangladesh has a population of 160 million in a country the size of Louisianardquo Hays said ldquoThey are self-sufficient with their rice and a dynamic vegetable market India is on the margin of being able to feed itself They have the highest amount of arable land and it is very productiverdquo Hays said the Fulbright scholarship offered him a good chance to build on this collaboration and make use of the two countries and their tremendous sources of environmental tolerance ldquoWe are working to improve the selection processrdquo he said ldquoWe are looking at what they are already selecting for and what phenotypic traits are there ldquoNo one has analyzed the detail of leaf wax and the chemical compositionrdquo Hays said ldquoBut the growing interest now in genetic plant breeding is to package together traits ndash find optimal root or leaf structures and patch those into a cultivar that gives you ideal performancerdquo Finding these optimal traits can be done by using genetic marker-assisted breeding to track the genes that regulate wax and root leaf structure for optimal performance under heat and drought stress he said httpwwwseedquestcomnewsphptype=newsampid_article=29736ampid_region=ampid_category=ampid_crop=

Source SeedQuestcom

(Return to Contents) +++++++++++++++++++++++ 119 Plant breeders say new drought-hardy corn testing well in US Sep 18 2012 Developers of drought-hardy corn see broad expansion More research needed on high heat impact on plants Results still early but encouraging developers say By Carey Gillam Corn seed developers who have been racing to build better varieties for low rainfall and high heat say results have been encouraging despite the worst US drought in half a century Triple-digit temperatures (Fahrenheit) coupled with historically dry conditions ravaged farm fields across the nation with some of the most severe conditions gripping the top US corn growing states in the Midwest and Plains states In some of the driest growing areas virtually all of the corn crops failed drought-tolerant or not Still those companies rolling out corn designed specifically to grow well in drought have been reporting better-than-expected results This is a really great year to validate that research work said Jeff Schussler senior research manager in maize stress product development at Pioneer Hi-Bred International a unit of DuPont and a top global corn seed producer He said Pioneers Optimum Aquamax corn was inhibited by the extent of this years drought but confirmed expectations It has to have water to grow But were showing some stability Schussler said We dont have nearly all the data in yet So far seen everything weve seen has been very positive Duan Martin Syngenta AGs product lead for its version of a drought-hardy corn Agrisure Artesian echoed that assessment A percentage of our fields did not make an acceptable crop but in most cases where water was enough to make a crop we saw it out-perform those hybrids without the trait said Martin The US Department of Agriculture estimates US farmers will harvest 107 billion bushels of corn this year the smallest crop in six years Farmers are expected to see an average yield of only 1228 bushels per acre the lowest since 1995 and the third straight year of falling corn yields largely tied to drought Plant breeders say final data will be in within the next six weeks as harvest wraps up But so far test plot yields and farmer harvest reports are encouraging enough that seed sales for next season should expand dramatically both in the western corn belt and into eastern areas of the Midwest where drought tolerance once was not seen as a big need

No technology will replace all the yield lost to drought But at $8 per bushel this is very significant money to a grower Martin said Syngentas corn introduced in 2010 has been engineered - though not through transgenic modification - to deliver 15 percent yield preservation under drought stress This year the corn met or exceeded those expectations said Martin The company sold seed for about 15000 acres (6070 hectares) to growers for this season Seed sales are kicking off now for spring planting in 2013 and Syngenta is pegging sales of seed for 400000 acres Sales will be expanded east in Ohio and north into Minnesota not typically areas where drought is considered a significant problem This is not technology that is limited to the western corn belt where drought occurs regularly This is technology that applies across the corn belt This is something weve believed quite some time and the 2012 drought confirmed it for us Martin said Pioneer provided seed for about 25 million acres in 2012 and plans for an aggressive expansion of seed sales for the 2013 planting season The company is currently identifying which hybrids can be expanded in central and eastern corn belt and into the deep south Schussler said Pioneer is also establishing additional research sites in the southern US to intensify its research on how to improve corn performance in persistent high heat like seen this summer One of the things weve learned this year is the additional value of heat tolerance in addition to drought tolerance Heat definitely makes the stress much worse Schussler said We need to be prepared for more extreme weather years Global biotech seed developer Monsanto is launching commercial sales of its licensed genetically modified Genuity DroughtGard hybrids for the 2013 growing season after testing the corn with 250 farmers this summer Some farmers were finding a 6 bushel per acre advantage over other hybrids Monsanto officials said For Kansas farmer Clay Scott one of the farmers testing Monsantos corn the experimental varieties yielded about 10-15 bushels above the plot average Those are not huge amounts but still pretty exciting said Scott who also grows wheat and raises cattle This was a tough year httpwwwreuterscomarticle20120918usa-drought-corn idUSL1E8KEAX420120918 Source SeedQuestcom (Return to Contents) +++++++++++++++++++++ 120 Higher yield is conferred by root QTLs in upland rice

Researchers at Bangor University UK Birsa Agricultural University India and Aberdeen University UK have shown that root improvement alleles detected as quantitative trait loci (QTLs) contribute to higher grain yields in upland rice ecosystems The QTLs increased yield by 1 t ha-1 in water-limited environments These alleles are present in Birsa Vikas Dhan 111 (PY 84) the first cultivar bred by a combination of marker-assisted selection for multiple root QTLs and client-oriented breeding It was released in Jharkhand India in 2009 Rice lines containing combinations of four root QTLs were tested over six years by resource-poor farmers in drought-prone upland sites in Eastern India Both longer roots and increased grain yield can be attributed to the transferred QTLs This is the first demonstration that marker-assisted breeding for a secondary trait is an effective strategy to improve farmersrsquo yields of upland rice There is demand for seed of Birsa Vikas Dhan 111 (PY 84) in Eastern India and small scale seed dissemination started in 2011 however funding from the UK governmentrsquos Department for International Development ended in 2012 Without further financial input for seed production the seed of PY 84 may not reach the many resource-poor farmers who could benefit from it The authorsrsquo findings are published in Theoretical Applied Genetics Link to the article at httpwwwspringerlinkcomopenurlaspgenre=articleampid=doi101007s00122-012-1963-y Contributed by Katherine Steele College of Natural SciencesColeg Gwyddorau Naturiol Bangor UniversityPrifysgol Bangor LL57 2UW UK Azs002bangoracuk (Return to Contents) +++++++++++++++++++++++ 121 BGI and the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation sign memorandum of understanding on collaboration for global health and agricultural development Seattle Washington USA Shenzhen China September 25 2012 BGI the worldrsquos largest genomics organization announced today that it and the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to form a collaboration on global health and agricultural development with the goal of achieving common objectives in health and agricultural development and meaningfully contributing to the achievement of one or more of the Millennium Development Goals The signing ceremony attended by Dr Jian Wang Director and Co-founder of BGI Dr Jun Wang Executive Director BGI and Bill Gates of the Gates Foundation was conducted yesterday outside of Seattle Washington

Pursuant to the MOU BGI and the Gates Foundation will collaborate on both a strategic level and a specific project level Collaboration on specific projects will leverage the Gates Foundationrsquos agriculture and global health program knowledge and networks with BGIrsquos sequencing and genomics capabilities to achieve the goal of significantly reducing poverty andor improving health outcomes in the developing world Strategic objectives include identifying a program of work and collaboration across global health and agricultural development and to conduct work together on initial projects with near-term potential to further develop the working relationship between BGI and the Gates Foundation The agreement supports the prompt and broad dissemination of information from collaboration projects It also supports broad access to any technology arising from a project These technologies will be required to be made available at a reasonable cost to the poor ldquoBGI greatly welcomes this opportunity to partner with the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation to bring the benefit of genomics research to our global societyrdquo stated Dr Huanming Yang Chairman and Co-Founder of BGI ldquoWe are confident that the combination of our respective capabilities expertise and experience will yield important scientific breakthroughs in the areas of human plant and animal genomics that will contribute to the advancement of sustainable health and agriculture development especially in the developing worldrdquo ldquoHaving contributed to the Human Genome Project as well as sequencing the genomes of many critical plant and animal species and human diseases including the initial sequencing of the rice genome as well as our involvement in the Rice 10000 Genome Project the 1000 Plants and Animals Genome Project the International 1000 genomes project the 1000 Rare Diseases Project the International Cancer Genome Project Autism Genome 10K among others BGI looks forward to partnering with the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation in this significant collaboration to apply genomics research to benefit global human healthrdquo stated Dr Jian Wang We work closely with partners like BGI to enable breakthroughs in science that will prevent disease and improve agriculture so that farm families can become self-sufficient reducing hunger and povertyrdquo said Dr Trevor Mundel president of the Global Health Program at the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation This partnership will be operationalized immediately with the establishment of a management committee that will support identification and implementation of collaborations on global health and agricultural development projects httpwwwseedquestcomnewsphptype=newsampid_article=30085ampid_region=ampid_category=ampid_crop= Source SeedQuestcom (Return to Contents) +++++++++++++++++++++++ 122 Seed chipper speeds up genetic progress for many crops September 26 2012

By Dale Hildebran Usually the items featured in this column are something a farmer or rancher uses directly in his operation But this time the featured technology actually is housed in a Monsanto seed research facility in Ankeny Iowa in the form of a computer controlled seed chipper that allows seed breeders to know the exact DNA makeup of a seed before its planted By knowing the DNA before planting those seeds that dont have the desired genetic makeup are never planted but discarded Before Monsanto started seed chipping on soybeans in the early 2000s each seed had to be planted and the DNA of that particular seed wasnt discovered until a tissue analysis was made of the growing plant However by making use of seed chipping technology two years can be knocked off the time it takes to develop a new variety according to Cindy Ludwig the chipper tour program manager for Monsanto An average soybean plant may have as many as 200 beans at harvest time and usually there are over 600 kernels on an ear of corn Ludwig noted And each of those kernels of corn or soybeans even though they came from the same ear or plant has its own genetic makeup But by taking a small chip from each seed totaling 5 milligrams which amounts to no more than a tiny flake the DNA of each seed is determined and yet the embryo in the seed remains intact and readily germinates when placed in the soil Seed chipping allows a plant breeder to list a group of characteristics he would like to see in the genetic line he is developing The DNA analysis of the seed chip details the genetic pattern of that particular seed and if it meets the genetic list of the researcher its planted but if the seed fails to meet the requested genetic makeup it is discarded A separate chipping machine is needed for each of the crops - soybeans corn cotton melon cucumber and wheat - Monsanto is now putting through the seed chipper The first chipper was developed for soybeans since the embryo of the soybean seed always lies around the equator position on a soybean seed that is dropped Because of that each soybean is firmly held in the chipper and a small almost dust-like particle is chipped from the top of the soybean leaving the embryo untouched Corn however was a different story When a kernel of corn enters the chipping chamber an image is taken of the seed and that image is sent to a computer that determines how the seed needs to be rotated in the chipping chamber so the growing point end is undamaged and the chip is taken from the opposite end of the kernel Developing this mechanism took a little additional time causing corn chipping to be delayed for a few years according to Ludwig The concept of the seed chipper actually came from an electrical engineer on the Monsanto staff Seed researchers were gathered with some of the people from the technical department of the company requesting that they come up with a faster way of doing tissue sampling for DNA from the plants they were using to develop new plant lines Kevin Deppermann an electrical engineer suggested they instead analyze the seed since that would be faster than waiting for the plants to grow before they were checked for their DNA therefore making the process more efficient The plant breeders said that would never work Ludwig related but Kevin picked up a finger nail file and filed off a little bit of the soybean seed away from the embryo and

put it in a planter in his office He poured diet Coke on it because that was the only liquid source that was available at the moment and sure enough it sprouted That was back in the early 2000s and hence chipping was formed because an electrical engineer didnt know better At this time because of the many patents obtained in the development of the seed chipping process Monsanto is the only seed company employing this procedure in their plant breeding program In the case of corn and soybeans the chippers are used in both the traditional and genetically modified plant breeding programs she said and with the aid of chippers growers should see new crop varieties come out at a more rapid pace and with more stacked traits Some of our lines now have eight stacked genes she said but some of our breeders are expecting some lines in the not too distance future to have up to 20 stacked genes I dont see how that would be possible without this technology and innovation You need to know a lot about the DNA when you are stacking 20 genes into the genotype Its all about giving better support to the plant breeders so they can get better products out to the farmers Last year Ludwig noted over 14000 people toured the plant research facility in Ankeny and over half of those visitors were farmers Almost everyone admits to being surprised at how much work goes into developing new lines of plants and they have a better understanding of why a bag of seed costs what it does today and it performs much better than those seeds that were being used just a few years ago she said Monsantos public display of the seed chipper was part of the activities of the recent Peterson Farm SeedOtildes annual field day that was held on Aug 6 near Prosper ND httpwwwminnesotafarmguidecomnewsagri-techseed-chipper-speeds-up-genetic-progress-for-many-cropsarticle_ce7a743e-0809-11e2-a638-0019bb2963f4html Source SeedQuestcom (Return to Contents) ========================= 2 PUBLICATIONS 201 Manual on doubled haploid technology in maize The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) recently published Doubled haploid technology in maize breeding Theory and practice edited by BM Prasanna V Chaikam and G Mahuku This 51-page manual is primarily intended for maize breeders in the national agricultural research systems and small and medium enterprise seed companies in developing countries who would like to better understand and use the doubled haploid (DH) technology in breeding programs It is a compilation and consolidation of knowledge accumulated through scientific contributions of several maize geneticists and breeders worldwide as well as protocols successfully developed (in collaboration with the University of Hohenheim

Germany) and used by the CIMMYT Global Maize Program in DH line development especially in Mexico See httprepositorycimmytorgxmluibitstreamhandle10883135197066pdfsequence=1 (24 MB) or contact bmprasannacgiarorg for further details (Return to Contents) +++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 202 One Billion Hungry Can We Feed the World By Gordon Conway Foreword by Rajiv Shah Cornell University Press Hunger is a daily reality for a billion people More than six decades after the technological discoveries that led to the Green Revolution aimed at ending world hunger regular food shortages malnutrition and poverty still plague vast swaths of the world And with increasing food prices climate change resource inequality and an ever-increasing global population the future holds further challenges In One Billion Hungry Sir Gordon Conway one of the worlds foremost experts on global food needs explains the many interrelated issues critical to our global food supply from the science of agricultural advances to the politics of food security He expands the discussion begun in his influential The Doubly Green Revolution Food for All in the Twenty-First Century emphasizing the essential combination of increased food production environmental stability and poverty reduction necessary to end endemic hunger on our planet Conway addresses a series of urgent questions about global hunger bull How we will feed a growing global population in the face of a wide range of adverse factors including climate change bull What contributions can the social and natural sciences make in finding solutions bull And how can we engage both government and the private sector to apply these solutions and achieve significant impact in the lives of the poor Conway succeeds in sharing his informed optimism about our collective ability to address these fundamental challenges if we use technology paired with sustainable practices and strategic planning Beginning with a definition of hunger and how it is calculated and moving through issues topically both detailed and comprehensive each chapter focuses on specific challenges and solutions ranging in scope from the farmerrsquos daily life to the global movement of food money and ideas Drawing on the latest scientific research and the results of projects around the world Conway addresses the concepts and realities of our global food needs the legacy of the Green Revolution the impact of market forces on food availability the promise and perils of genetically modified foods agricultural innovation in regard to crops livestock pest control soil and water and

the need to both adapt to and slow the rate of climate change One Billion Hungry will be welcomed by all readers seeking a multifacted understanding of our global food supply food security international agricultural development and sustainability httpwwwcornellpresscornelledubookGCOI=80140100695530UGJZh34ykZItwitter (Return to Contents) +++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 203 Our Daily Bread The Essential Norman Borlaug available for e-readers (Excerpted from a message from Noel Vietmeyer to the Borlaug Global Rust Initiative) A year ago I published the 300-page hardback called Our Daily Bread The Essential Norman Borlaug Readers rave over it and have bought more than 2000 copies A month ago I released a digital version and to create more awareness for Norm Borlaug and his uplifting story Irsquove sold in on Amazon for 99 cents Already 150 copies have been downloaded This is a chance to start spreading the word of a great agriculturist whom few people know but almost everyone on earth benefits from every day This book will put readers ahead of the curve Soon the US House of Representatives will install a statue to Norm And hopefully more new recognitions will follow We shouldnrsquot let Norm fade away into history During his life he received the highest honors from the Congress and the White House as well as the Nobel Prize for Peace That trifecta of public esteem has been achieved by only five other persons Martin Luther King Jr Nelson Mandela Mother Teresa Elie Wiesel and Aung San Suu Kyi Now itrsquos time to get the humble agriculturist who made it possible to feed todayrsquos 7 billion people when formerly we could barely feed 3 billion as beloved as those five almost beatified figures whose status in the forefront of public consciousness is secure Our Daily Bread the Essential Norman Borlaug can help kick start that process It has been dubbed ldquoThe Worldrsquos First Cereal Thrillerrdquo httpwwwamazoncomDaily-Essential-Norman-Borlaug-ebookdpB0092RA0PCref=tmm_kin_title_0ie=UTF8ampqid=1346420218ampsr=1-2 On that webpage you can ldquoLook Insiderdquo this romp through an American farm boyrsquos struggles adventures heartbreaks and eventual success at feeding a huge portion of humanity As a Hunger Fighter Norm proved a real-life Indiana Jones and his life story potentially can captivate uplift and inspire millions the way Martin Luther King Jr and the others do Please note that essentially everyone can access this e-book which works on Kindles computers tablets and smartphones

By the way I can also provide the paper-and-glue version at a discount Noel Vietmeyer Lorton Virginia noelvicoxnet Contributed by Cally Arthur Durable Rust Resistance in Wheat International Programs CALS Cornell University Ithaca NY 14853 USA callyarthurcornelledu (Return to Contents)

3 WEB AND NETWORKING RESOURCES 301 FAO Biotechnology Forum GMOs in the pipeline Looking to the next five years in the crop forestry livestock aquaculture and agro-industry sectors in developing countries Rome Italy September 28 2012 From 5 November to 2 December 2012 the FAO Biotechnology Forum is hosting its next e-mail conference which has the provisional title GMOs in the pipeline Looking to the next five years in the crop forestry livestock aquaculture and agro-industry sectors in developing countries Its goal is to inform the debate about genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in the pipeline considering the specific kind of GMOs that are likely to be commercialised in developing countries over the next five years and to discuss their potential implications The conference is open to everyone is free and will be moderated To subscribe to the conference send an e-mail to listservlistservfaoorg with the following one line in the body of the message (leave the subject line blank) subscribe biotech-room2-L firstname lastname Where firstname and lastname refer to the persons first and last name For example if the subscribers name is John Smith then the line should be subscribe biotech-room2-L John Smith A background document is being prepared and will be sent to Forum members before the conference begins and placed on the Forum website at httpwwwfaoorgbiotechbiotech-forumen For more information contact biotech-mod2faoorg Source SeedQuestcom (Return to Contents)

4 GRANTS AND AWARDS 401 The Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research Individual Grants for Future Research Leaders Submission of proposals The proposal shall be written in English and submitted via the Foundationrsquos electronic application portal httpapplystratresearchse by no later than 2 pm on November 20 2012 Individual Grants for Future Research Leaders The Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research (SSF) has allocated up to 20 grants of a total of SEK 10 million each (incl overhead) covering a period of five years Vision The aim of the Foundation in launching this programme is to support and promote young scientists who have the potential and the ambition to become future leaders of academic andor industrial research in Sweden The Foundation prioritises research within the following areas bull Life Sciences bull Life Science Technologies and Bioengineering bull ICST including Electronics and Photonics bull Materials Sciences bull Computational Sciences and Applied Mathematics as well as interdisciplinary research integrating these areas This programme is open to young scientists from Sweden as well as from other countries The grant is intended for innovative research at a Swedish research organization ndash university or public or private non-profit research institute ndash of the choice of the grantee The grant is primarily intended for building a research group and maximum 20 of the grant may be used to cover the recipients own salary To promote academic mobility Swedish applicants are encouraged to locate their research at a Swedish department or group other than the one where their PhD was earned Eligibility bull Applicants must be born in 1973 or later (with adjustment for documented parental leave andor for clinical internshipresidency period (AT)) bull Applicants must have obtained their PhD degree within the period 1 January 2006 ndash 31 December 2008 (with adjustment for documented post-doctoral parental leave andor for post-doctoral clinical internshipresidency period (AT)) bull Applicants currently working outside Sweden must be prepared to work full-time at a Swedish research organization Contributed by Rodomiro Ortiz Professor of Genetics and Plant Breeding Dept of Plant Breeding and Biotechnology Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences rodomiroortizgmailcom

(Return to Contents)

5 POSITION ANNOUNCEMENTS 501 Research Associate in Molecular Marker Lab ndash Corn Genotyping Description Reporting to the Molecular Marker Lab Manager the incumbent takes responsibilities in planning organizing and conducting lab experiments involving molecular marker genotyping assays data collection and reporting Responsibilities

Implementing flanking SNP marker analyses for our transgenic conversion and native traits programs Coordinating lab assay needs as well as sample-processing logistics with our MAB (Marker Assisted Backcross) MAS (Marker Assisted Selection) and GMO-testing teams

Supervising and participating in sample preparation DNA extraction and quantificationnormalization

Planning conducting and supervising simplex marker assay experiments and troubleshooting

Data collection data quality control and analysis using generally available programs and proprietary software

Interpreting results to the MAB and MAS teams

Maintaining seed and leaf sample inventory as well as implementing a long-term sample storage system

Routine lab duties such as purchasing and organizing chemicals chemical stock preparation safety labeling of hazardous materials and lab waste disposal Keeping accurate lab notes and organization of files for equipment chemical MSDS and protocols as required

Providing assistance in training new lab associates as required

Assisting in the technical evaluation and implementation of new genotyping platforms

Educational backgroundexperience and skills required

BSc or MSc in the field of agricultural biotechnology

Knowledge of genotyping technologies for both multiplex and simplex strategies

Understanding of diverse molecular-marker applications in corn breeding

Experience in high throughput genotyping such as in simplex assay is desirable

Common DNA lab skills such as DNA extraction quantification purification PCR setup and operation of general lab equipment Skills for real-time PCR analysis and data production are an added advantage when required for assistance in our GMO lab

Experience with liquid handlers and other lab automation tools are beneficial

Computer skills with common software are required

Good observation and troubleshooting as well as good record keeping and organizational skills are necessary

Strong bases in genetics and breeding (especially MAB theory) are advantageous

Positive attitude towards heavy workloads under tight deadlines and ability to concurrently work on multiple tasks Demonstrated ability to work independently and in a team environment

Ability to work required hours To apply for a position with AgReliant Genetics please complete an application in the Careers section at wwwAgReliantGeneticscom Contact person Jialiang Chen jialiangchenagreliantcom Contributed by Jose Osorio Quantitative Geneticist AgReliant Genetics joseosorioagreliantcom (Return to Contents) +++++++++++++++++++++ 502 Research Associate in Molecular Marker Lab - GMO testing in Corn Description Under the supervision of the Molecular Marker Lab Manager the incumbent takes initiatives and responsibilities in planning organizing and conducting GMO tests in corn for transgene purity adventitious presence (AP) and zygosity analyses Responsibilities

Coordinating transgenic purity AP and event zygosity test requirements with our breeding and MAB (Marker Assisted Backcross) teams

Organizing and conducting projects including the implementation of appropriate methodologies depending on the assay target(s)

Coordinating sample taking preparation and shipment (within and outside our GMO lab) depending on the required test


Conducting end-point fluorescence and real time PCR for the detection of transgenic events zygosity assays and monitoring transgenic contamination in company seed lots

Data collection and analysis Compiling GMO reports and interpreting results to the analysis requesters

Maintaining a seed and leaf sample inventory as well as implementing a long-term sample storage system

Working cohesively with the marker genotyping team for integrated projects involving flanking marker analyses

Routine lab duties such as purchasing and organizing chemicals chemical stock preparation safety labeling of hazardous materials and lab waste disposal


Assisting in the development technical evaluation and implementation of new GMO assays partly in collaboration with external GMO labs



Knowledge in commercial corn transgenic events and practical experience in event purity and AP testing

Ability to design cross-checking schemes for genetic elements in a given transgenic event

Experience in high throughput genotyping using simplex assays is advantageous

Common DNA lab skills such as DNA extraction routine PCR setup for end-point fluorescence detection and real-time PCR analysis for quantitative measurements

Experiences with liquid handlers and other lab automation tools are advantageous


Good observation and troubleshooting as well as accurate record keeping

Strong bases in genetics and breeding are advantageous


Ability to work required hours To apply for a position with AgReliant Genetics please complete an application in the Careers section at wwwAgReliantGeneticscom Contact person Jialiang Chen jialiangchenagreliantcom Contributed by Jose Osorio Quantitative Geneticist AgReliant Genetics joseosorioagreliantcom (Return to Contents) +++++++++++++++++++++ 503 Quantitative Statistical Geneticist ndash Research and Development Location Lebanon IN Responsibilities

Design and implementation of strategies to develop genetic material and to apply marker-assisted selection (MAS) This includes coordinating genomic selection and marker-assisted backcrossing logistics in collaboration with the molecular-marker laboratory conversion department and breeding stations

Development of statistical and biotechnological tools to optimize breeding procedures

Design analysis and interpretation of breeding experiments and marker-trait association studies

Development of scripts ndash preferably in SAS andor R ndash and tools to perform phenotypic genetic and marker-trait association analyses

Implementation of company-own scripts and software packages for routine MAS

Support for users of AgReliant Geneticsrsquo databases and software packages for phenotypic and genetic data analyses as well as MAS

Oral and written communication of results and interpretation of experiments and studies

Occasional travel to Europe and South America may be required Qualifications

PhD in plant breeding or statistics or related discipline

Strong bases in biostatistics quantitative genetics and selection theory

Experience with the design analysis and interpretation of breeding experiments and marker-trait association studies marker-based genome analysis marker-assisted selection and introgression is highly desired

Familiarity with standard general-purpose statistical software and databases

Experience with procedural programming ndash preferably in SAS andor R ndash to develop scripts for phenotypic genetic and marker-trait association analyses

Understanding of principles of plant propagation fertilization and integrated pest management is advantageous

Excellent oral and written communication skills and ability to collaborate with laboratory scientists and breeders

To apply for a position with AgReliant Genetics please complete an application in the Careers section at wwwAgReliantGeneticscom Contact person Andres Gordillo andresgordilloagreliantcom Contributed by Jose Osorio Quantitative Geneticist AgReliant Genetics joseosorioagreliantcom (Return to Contents) +++++++++++++++++++++ 504 Research GeneticistLead Scientist USDAARS Tifton Georgia The USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Crop Genetics and Breeding Research Unit (CGBRU) in Tifton Georgia is seeking a Research GeneticistLead Scientist for a permanent full-time position Salary is commensurate with experience and can range between $68809 to $106369 (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 warm-season grasses maize and peanut of regional and national interest The Research Geneticistrsquos 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 independent- and 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 httpwwwafmarsusdagovdivisionshrdindexhtml for detailed information regarding qualification requirements and for complete application information and instructions Applications must be received by October 31 2012 US Citizenship is required USDAARS 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 CorleyHolbrookARSUSDAGOV (Return to Contents) +++++++++++++++++++++ 505 Soybean Breeding Lead The Department of Crop and Soil Environmental Sciences at Virginia Tech seeks qualified applicants for a 12-month non-tenure-track research (100) faculty position The candidate will build upon a successful soybean breeding program utilizing adapted and introduced germplasm and is expected to lead research and development focused on producing commercial cultivars adapted to Virginia and the mid-Atlantic region for both conventional and food-grade markets These cultivars may contain various specialty traits The soybean breeding program should be supported by extramural funding garnered by the breeder and royalties resulting from cultivar releases The individual will be expected to collaborate with discipline-related faculty and appropriate soybean and seed industry groups Candidates holding an PhD in plant breeding and genetics and relevant crop breeding experience or MS in plant breeding and genetics with significant relevant experience Interested candidates must complete the on-line application at httpwwwhrvteduemployment (posting 0122388) Inquiries may be directed to Dr Thomas L Thompson Department Head thomasthompsonvtedu 540-231-9775 Review of applications will start December 1 2012 and will continue until a suitable candidate is selected Virginia Tech is an equal opportunityaffirmative action employer Contributed by Judy M Keister Admin Asst to Head amp Office Mgr Virginia Tech

Crop amp Soil Environmental Sciences Blacksburg VA 24061 jkeistervtedu (Return to Contents) +++++++++++++++++++++ 506 Postdoctoral Research Associate ndash Development of conventional lettuce and spinach germplasm resistant to herbicides University of California Davis at Salinas CA This position ($39264 per annum) is located at the UC DavisUSDA ARS field station at Salinas CA which is about 25 miles east of Monterey CA The incumbent will manage a field and laboratory program to develop screen and evaluate lettuce and spinach germplasm and breeding lines for increased tolerance to several herbicides Responsibilities include generating herbicide-tolerant germplasm through mutagenesis conducting greenhouse and field screening of lettuce and spinach lines for herbicide tolerance and studying the inheritance of herbicide-tolerant traits in lettuce and spinach Additional duties include data recording data analysis report writing and manuscript preparation Qualifications PhD in a related agricultural or biological science Experience or training in horticulture plant breeding andor weed science is required Strong written and oral communication skills are a must Contact for more information or send a cover letter describing qualifications a resume with names addresses and phone numbersemail addresses of three references and college transcripts to Steven Fennimore Extension Weed Specialist University of California Davis 1636 East Alisal St Salinas CA 93905 Email safennimoreucdavisedu Phone 831-755-2896 Contributed by Beiquan Mou Research Geneticist Agricultural Research Service US Dept of Agriculture beiquanmouarsusdagov (Return to Contents)

6 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 LEARNINGONLINE COURSES

B COURSES OF THE SEED BIOTECHNOLOGY CENTER AT UC DAVIS C OTHER MEETINGS COURSES AND WORKSHOPS

A DISTANCE LEARNINGONLINE COURSES Distance Education in Plant Breeding at Texas AampM As the global population increases providing food fiber and fuel to meet growing demand has become a significant challenge We are one of the top tier US universities training future plant breeders to meet this challenge and have expanded our effort through our Distance Education Program in Plant Breeding We seek to alleviate hunger and poverty through the genetic improvement of plants while

educating and developing plant breeders worldwide Overview This program is an extension of the existing Plant Breeding programs offered by the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences and the Department of Horticultural Science at Texas AampM University We offer a non-thesis option MS and thesis option MS in Plant Breeding completely at a distance to students unable to study on-campus in a traditional setting This program is designed for individuals employed in private industry CGIAR centers government agencies non-government organizations and other agriculture professionals who need and desire additional knowledge and training in plant breeding but cannot relocate to a university campus Distance Education students will take advantage of the same curriculum available to on-campus students with identical course content and professors Our unique program is designed to

deliver a high quality plant breeding education to students across the globe Available Degrees Master of Science in Plant Breeding (Non-Thesis Option) Description The non-thesis option MS in Plant Breeding requires 36 hours of coursework four of which are an internship activity at the studentrsquos present company or locale This is considered a terminal degree for students who do not wish to pursue their education beyond the MS level Courses will vary depending upon the studentrsquos career goals and current situation Students will work with a graduate advisor to determine which courses best suit their needs A typical degree plan will include a variety of course work in plant breeding molecular and environmental plant sciences statistics plant pathology entomology agricultural economics and education and human development Time for Completion Since this program is designed for industry professionals who will continue to be employed full time during their graduate studies typical course load will be 1 to 2 classes per semester Many factors will effect completion time but most students can expect to finish within 3-5 years Master of Science in Plant Breeding (Thesis Option)

Description

The thesis option MS in Plant Breeding requires 32 semester credit hours of course work and a thesis on original research Student research can be completed at the studentrsquos location An on-site PhD scientist educator or supervisor who qualifies as an adjunct member of the Texas AampM graduate faculty must be available to serve as co-chair of the studentrsquos graduate advisory committee and be able to direct thesis research locally Students will have an on-campus co-chair to oversee the academic aspect of their degree Communication with committee members examinations and

thesis defense will be conducted via the internet Requirements Leading to the Master of Science Degree

1 32 graduate credit hours beyond the BS degree general requirements are a 23 course hours approved by the studentrsquos advisory committee and the Office of Graduate Studies b Statistics 651 or equivalent c An exit seminar discussing research findings (SCCS 681) d No more than 8 hours of SCSC 691 (Research) or SCSC 685 (Directed Studies) e No more than 9 hours of upper level (300 or 400) undergraduate courses and no graduate credit for the following courses required for a BS degree SCSC 101 SCSC 105 SCSC 301 f See Graduate Catalog for additional requirements httptamueduadmissionscatalogs 2 A thesis written on original research as directed by studentrsquos advisory committee

Time for Completion Time for completion will vary depending on number of courses taken per semester and the studentrsquos original research project Typical completion time will be 3-5 years Course Delivery Each course has been uniquely designed by the instructor to provide course content in an accessible understandable format All courses will be delivered on-line completely at a distance via Texas AampM Universityrsquos E-learning system This system utilizes the Blackboard Vista learning platform to allow students to view instructional materials interact with other students and faculty and complete assignments and examinations (To check your computerrsquos compatibility with this system visit Texas AampMrsquos E-Learning and perform the E-Learning Browser Check) The web based

nature of course delivery allows students to access and complete course material at a time convenient to them For thesis option MS students graduate advisory committee meetings examinations and research defense will be handled through electronic communication including video and teleconferencing No campus visit will be required Admission Procedure Applicants should follow all of the guidelines and procedures to apply for graduate studies in a department offering a plant breeding degree at Texas AampM University at College Station using the Texas AampM on-line admission process On-line application to graduate studies at Texas AampM University can be found at admissionstamuedu

The Department of Soil amp Crop Sciences and the Department of Horticultural

Sciences confer graduate degrees in plant breeding

Additional items to be provided by the applicant Non-Thesis Option - A letter of application directed to Wayne Smith David Byrne or LeAnn Hague providing sufficient background information to demonstrate the studentrsquos commitment and ability to complete an on-line Master of Science (NTO) program and internship including prospective internship location or activity Thesis-Option - A letter of application directed to Wayne Smith David Byrne or LeAnn Hague providing sufficient background information to demonstrate the studentrsquos aptitude to conduct plant breeding research - Identification of the area of plant breeding research to be pursued and its importance to the agricultural industry - A one or two-page letter of support from the perspective distance co-chair indicating commitment of facilities and time for the conduct of the proposed research Students applying to the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences must send these additional items to the attention of Wayne Smith Department of Soil and Crop Sciences 2474 Texas AampM University college Station TX 77843-2474 (cwsmithtamuedu) Students applying to the Department of Horticultural Sciences must send the additional items to the attention of David Byrne Department of Horticultural Sciences 2133 TAMU College Station TX 77843-2133 (dbyrnetamuedu) Some of the Available Courses The following courses are currently available and included in the distance program Course Name Credit Hours SCSC 304 Undergraduate Plant Breeding 3 SCSC 306 Crop Production 3 SCSC 422 Soil Fertility 3 SCSC 641 Plant Breeding 3 SCSC 642 Quantitative Plant Breeding 3 SCSC 643 Quantitative Genetics 3 SCSC 654 Genomic Analysis 3 SCSC 660 Experimental Designs 3 STAT 651 Statistics I 3 STAT 652 Statistics II 3 STAT 653 Statistics III 3 AGEC 314 Marketing Agriculture Production 3 EHRD 602 Human Resource Development 3 EHRD 605 Leadership 3 The above information is available in a downloadable format at httpsoilcroptamuedugraduateprogramhtml Contact Information

For more information contact Wayne Smith Department of Soil and Crop Sciences 2474 TAMU College Station TX 77843-2474 Tel 9798453450 Fax 9794580533 cwsmithtamuedu David Byrne Department of Horticultural Sciences 2133 TAMU College Station TX 77843-2133 Tel 9798623072 dbyrnetamuedu LeAnn Hague Distance Education Coordinator Department of Soil and Crop Sciences 2474 TAMU College Station TX 77843-2474 Tel 9798456148 Fax 9794580533 Leannhaguetamuedu Additional Website eLearning at Texas AampM University httpelearningtamuedu +++++++++++ University of Nebraska-Lincoln launches online plant breeding and genetics certificate program httpwwwseedquestcomnewsphptype=newsampid_article=27326ampid_region=ampid_category=ampid_crop= Source SeedQuestcom ++++++++++++ Plant Breeding Methods - Distance Education version CS HS 541-section 601 DE 3 credits lecture only For more information httpdistancencsueducoursesfall-coursesHSphp For more information on distance education at NC State University see httpdistancencsuedu For more information on Todd Wehner see httpcucurbitbreedingncsuedu Plant Breeding Overview - Distance Education version HS 590-801601 1 credit lecture only

For more information on HS httpdistancencsueducoursesfall-coursesHSphp Dr Todd C Wehner Professor and Cucurbit Breeder Department of Horticultural Science North Carolina State University Raleigh NC 27695-7609 919-741-8929 tcwehnergmailcom +++++++++++ Master of Science in Plant Breeding at Iowa State University (distance program) Contact information is msagroniastateedu toll-free 800-747-4478 phone 515-294-2999 httpmastersagroniastateedu Maria Salas-Fernandez Assistant Professor Department of Agronomy Iowa State Univ msagroniastateedu +++++++++++ Online Graduate Program in Seed Technology amp Business Iowa State University httpclickicptrackcomicprelayphpr=48323218ampmsgid=597705ampact=BDP Contact us today for more information about how you can apply Paul Christensen Seed Technology and Business Program Manager Ph 515-294-8745 seedgradiastateedu +++++++++++ (Return to Contents) +++++++++++++ B COURSES OF THE SEED BIOTECHNOLOGY CENTER AT UC DAVIS 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 101ndashHorticulture Registration is open for the Davis course +++++++++++ European Plant Breeding Classes For more information and application process visit httppbaucdaviseduPBA_in_EuropePBA_in_Europe_Class_II ++++++++++++ (NEW) January 28-February 1 2013 Seed Business 101-Seed Biology Production and Quality Davis CA A one week course designed to expose participants to the five functional areas of a seed company (RampD production operations sales and marketing and administration) By creating a virtual seed company and case studies for each functional area the course content is delivered in a very interactive way During each of the 4 case studies participants assume a different functional responsibility within the company The course gives employees that are new to the seed industry a broad understanding of the major aspects of a seed companyrsquos operations and cross-departmental knowledge of best practices for profitability The course is taught by widely respected seed business executives with additional help of industry experts participating as guest speakers For more information registration and all courses details please visit httpsbcucdavisedu the PBA website You may also contact Jeannette Martins at jmartinsucdavisedu or Joy Patterson at jpattersonucdavisedu Contributed by Susan DiTomaso sbc-enews scditomasoucdavisedu +++++++++++ Seed Central series of monthly events The program for the next several months can be viewed at httpwwwseedcentralorgcalendarofeventshtm To learn more about Seed Central please visit wwwseedcentralorg C OTHER MEETINGS COURSES AND WORKSHOPS 9-10 October 2012 The Scramble for Natural Resources More Food Less Land Crawford fund 2012 Parliamentary conferenceCanberra Australia The full program and biographies for speakers and online registration can be found on our website at wwwcrawfordfundorg

Register online today The Crawford Funds mission is to increase Australias engagement in international agricultural research development and education for the benefit of developing countries and Australia wwwcrawfordfundorg Contributed by Cathy Reade Director Public Affairs and Communication Crawford Fund creadesquirrelcomau ++++++++++++ 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 +++++++++++++ 19ndash 22 November 2012Training opportunity to learn about wheat genetics Norwich United Kingdom Registration and application submission dateline is closed Further course details WISP Landrace Pillar website Website httpwwwjicbbsrcacuk httpwwwseedquestcomnewsphptype=newsampid_article=29316ampid_region=ampid_category=ampid_crop= Source SeedQuestcom ++++++++++ 7-11 January 2013 Tucson Winter Institute in Plant Breeding University of Arizona Tucson This years Institute is comprised of the following four Modules Monday - Wednesday (1200pm) - January 7th - 9th 2013 Module 1 Introduction to Plant Quantitative Genetics (WalshGoreGutierrez) Module 2 Introduction to Plant Genomics (Wing) Wednesday (130pm) - Friday January 9th - 11th 2013 Module 3 Advanced statistical plant breeding (WalshGoreGutierrez) Module 4 Bioinformatics for breeders (GoffRagot) Additional details including a more detailed description of each module can be found at wwwPlantBreedingInstitutebio5org Contributed by Bruce Walsh University of Arizona

jbwalshemailarizonaedu +++++++++++ 28 January to 1 February 2013 International Plant Virus Epidemiology Symposium Arusha Tanzania For further details visit wwwiitaorgIPVE or contact Lava Kumar (Lkumarcgiarorg) ++++++++++ 2-5 June 2013 Annual Meeting of the National Association of Plant BreedersTampa Florida More information will be posted on the website soon wwwplantbreedingorgnapb Contributed by Barry Tillman UFIFAS btillmanufledu +++++++++++ 19ndash22 August 2013 Next years BGRI Taj Palace Hotel New Delhi India Technical Workshop to recognize the 50th anniversary of Norman Borlaugs work in South Asia will be held at the BGRI South Asia program center in New Delhi (Note these dates are different from those announced at the meeting in Beijing) Details will follow in the coming weeks Watch for them in the BGRI newsletter +++++++++ 14-17 October 2013 11th African Crop Science Society Conference Yaoundeacute 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 lekwatyahoocom Contributed by Kasem Zaki Ahmed Faculty of Agriculture Minia University El-Minia Egypt ahmed_kzyahoocom ++++++++++++

7 EDITORS 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 (chikelumbafaoorg) Elcio Guimaraes (eguimaraescgiarorg) Margaret Smith (mes25cornelledu) and Ann Marie Thro (athroreeusdagov) Oriana Muriel is the Associate Editor (orianamurielalumnipittedu) 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-lmailservfaoorg 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 chh23cornelledu 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 httpwwwfaoorgWAICENTFAOINFOAGRICULTAGPAGPCdocservicespbnhtml 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 chh23cornelledu To subscribe to PBN-L Send an e-mail message to mailservmailservfaoorg 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

119 Plant breeders say new drought-hardy corn testing well in US 120 Higher yield is conferred by root QTLs in upland rice

Molecularbasic genetic research

121 BGI and the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation sign memorandum of understanding on collaboration for global health and agricultural development 122 Seed chipper speeds up genetic progress for many crops

2 PUBLICATIONS 201 Manual on doubled haploid technology in maize 202 One Billion Hungry Can We Feed the World 203 Our Daily Bread The Essential Norman Borlaug available for e-readers 3 WEB AND NETWORKING RESOURCES

301 FAO Biotechnology Forum GMOs in the pipeline Looking to the next five years in the crop forestry livestock aquaculture and agro-industry sectors in developing countries

4 GRANTS AND AWARDS

401 The Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research Individual Grants for Future Research Leaders

5 POSITION ANNOUNCEMENTS 501 Research Associate in Molecular Marker Lab ndash Corn Genotyping 502 Research Associate in Molecular Marker Lab - GMO testing in Corn 503 Quantitative Statistical Geneticist ndash Research and Development 504 Research GeneticistLead Scientist USDAARS Tifton Georgia 505 Soybean Breeding Lead

506 Postdoctoral Research Associate ndash Development of conventional lettuce and spinach germplasm resistant to herbicides

6 MEETINGS COURSES AND WORKSHOPS 7 EDITORS NOTES

1 NEWS ANNOUNCEMENTS AND RESEARCH NOTES 101 Nigerian DTMA Project working group meets at Ahmadu Bello University Zaria The Nigerian Drought Tolerant Maize for Africa (DTMA) Project working group held a one day meeting in the Seminar Room Department of Plant Science in the Institute for Agricultural Research Ahmadu Bello University Zaria on Tuesday 28th August 2012 The meeting which was convened at the instance of the National coordinator Professor SG Ado was to discuss progress on the current activities of the project The DTMA National Coordinator Prof SGAdo in an opening remark welcomed the participants and wished them fruitful deliberations



























September 05 2012

By Jack Kaskey










Source SeedQuestcom

















































































Description














7 EDITORS NOTES




























September 05 2012

By Jack Kaskey










Source SeedQuestcom

















































































Description














7 EDITORS NOTES











Source SeedQuestcom

















































































Description














7 EDITORS NOTES


















































































Description














7 EDITORS NOTES















7 EDITORS NOTES


PB_News_239_Sept_2012

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Transcript of PB_News_239_Sept_2012