Biologist Steve Jacobsen from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is conducting a  research that has a potential to have a significant impact on the improvement of crops. Jacobsen specializes in plant epigenetics, and is a cofounder of  the company Inari, which has licensed plant breeding patents he developed at UCLA.

Flowering time control is critically important for the reproductive accomplishment of higher plants as floral transition can be affected by both environmental and endogenous signals. Flowering Locus T-like (FTL) genes are major genetic determinants of flowering in plants. In rice, 13 OsFTL genes have been annotated in the genome and amongst them, Hd3a (OsFTL2) and RFT1 (OsFTL3) have been studied extensively and their functions are confirmed as central florigens that control rice flowering under short day and long day environment, respectively.

A new report published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service (USDA ERS) and authored by Jonathan McFadden, David Smith, Seth Wechsler, and Steven Wallander discusses the adoption and use of drought tolerant (DT) corn in the United States. Droughts have been among the significant causes of yield reductions and losses for centuries.

- Dr. Trần Thanh Hùng leaving for the Philippines as a team member of the IAS; 03-07 December 2018.

- Dr. Lê Quý Kha, Mr. Bùi Xuân Mạnh leaving for China to join the agricultural cooperation workshop; 18-20 December  2018.

- Dr. Kuptsov Vladislav Nilolaevich, Institute of Microbiology of Belarus, paid a short visit to discuss about microbiology research situation in Vietnam, 04 December 2018.

- Mr. Abe Masahiro (Sapporo Tourist and Economics Bureau); Mr. Kobayyashi Shinichi (Director, ITP & Creasia Inc.); Mr. Phạm Minh Tuấn (Assistant) paid a short visit of Agric. Science, Technology and Environment in Vietnam and Hokkaido; 06 December 2018.

October 8-10, 201 8

Ludhiana, India

The GDP growth of 7.08 per cent in 2018 is an impressive figure ($US 2,587 per capita); despite slowing global trade due to geopolitical tensions and the US-China trade war. The Vietnamese economy continued to record a variety of notable achievements. Vietnam’s macroeconomic foundations were maintained, with inflation contained at 3.6% and core inflation remaining stable below 1.5%, while major balances of the economy were guaranteed.