The Facts Series titled Cotton in Africa reviews the impact of Bt cotton on African agricultural systems. It highlights the importance for donors and governments that invest heavily in the hope that GM crops will bring significant improvements to the livelihoods of resource-poor farmers to first pay attention to the fundamental institutions that support broader agricultural development and technology generation (with or without GM crops).

To improve understanding of the dynamics of the cassava mosaic disease (CMD) pandemic front, geospatial approaches were applied to the analysis of 3 years' data obtained from a 2-by-2° (approximately 222-by-222 km) area of northwestern Tanzania. In total, 80 farmers' fields were assessed in each of 2009, 2010, and 2011, with 20 evenly distributed fields per 1-by-1° quadrant. CMD-associated variables (CMD incidence, CMD severity, vector-borne CMD infection, and vector abundance) increased in magnitude from 2009 to 2010 but showed little change from 2010 to 2011.

The Office of the Gene Technology Regulator (OGTR) has received a license application under the Gene Technology Act 2000 (the Act) for Dealings involving the Intentional Release (DIR) of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) into the Australian environment. The application (DIR 158) from GO Resources Pty Ltd proposes the commercial release of two lines of genetically modified (GM) safflower.

- Mr. Nguyễn Thế Nhuận leaving for Japan under sweet potato project (Konjac), Sept. 01-04, 2017. 

- Dr. Lê Quý Kha, Dr. Ngô Quang Vinh leaving for Belarus under “Nano application project in agriculture”, Sept 08-16, 2017.

- Mr. HTUN ZAW, Mr. TIN MAUNG KYAW, Mr. AUNG KHINE OO, Mr. THET SOE HLA SAING – Ministry of Agriculture, Myanmar paid a short visit of Dong Thap Muoi Centre, Sept. 15, 2017.

After the study on DNA structure (April 25, 1953) by James Watson, Francis Crick, Maurice Wilkins, and Rosalind Franklin; rice genome as well as crop species has been developed in term of a new era of green revolution with the emphasis on genomics, transcriptomics and proteomics.

Vietnam’s agriculture and overall food system are at a turning point. The country has emerged as one of the world’s leading exporters of agro-food commodities and is among the top five for aquatic products, rice, coffee, tea, cashews, black pepper, rubber, and cassava. However, the sector is experiencing a low quality of growth.