Abstract

When the human genome was first sequenced, experts predicted they would find about 100,000 genes. The actual number has turned out to be closer to 20,000, just a few thousand more than fruit flies have. The question logically arose: how can a relatively small number of genes lay the blueprint for the complexities of the human body? The explanation is that genes are subject to many and varied forms of regulation that can alter the form of that protein and can determine whether and how much of a gene product is made. Much of this regulation occurs during and just after DNA is transcribed into RNA.

With hundreds of millions of smallholder farmers producing food and other agricultural products in the tropics, there is an urgent need to help them adapt to a changing climate, which is already impacting food production systems and farmer livelihoods. In this interview, Dr. Ruben Echeverría, Director General of CIAT, shares a vision of how cutting-edge research and focused programs make farming more resilient, sustainable, and profitable.

Engaging with rural women farmers for technology dissemination and value chain development was the focus of the United Nations’ regional “Sharefair for Rural Women’s Technologies” held in Nairobi, Kenya. ICRISAT was represented by Dr Esther Njuguna-Mungai, Scientist – Gender Research, CGIAR Research Program on Grain Legumes, and two women innovators of the ‘Harnessing Opportunities for Productivity Enhancement’ (HOPE) Project.

Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University signed a memorandum of understanding with the Nanotech Egypt Company on December 20, 2014. In attendance were Dr. Gaber Nassar, President of Cairo University, Dr. Hani Shimi, Dean of the Faculty and Dr. Ahmed Bahgat Honor of Nanotech Egypt.

The scarlet (S. aethiopicum L.) and Gboma (S. macrocarpon L.) eggplants are two cultivated eggplants, which are popular traditional vegetables in tropical Africa. Both species are grown for their leaves and fruits. The fruits are consumed fresh as well as boiled, steamed, pickled, or in stews with other vegetables or meats, while young leaves are often used in soups and with other vegetables.

More than 20,000 Monsanto employees focus on delivering innovative and sustainable products to farmers around the world that help to improve yields while using fewer inputs. These products get their start in our research and development pipeline, where our researchers look to bring the best seeds to farmers’ fields.

Kenya plans to introduce an improved variety of sorghum in 2016. According to David Karanja Principal Investigator for Sorghum at Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO), the proposed variety will be drought resistant and will yield 20 percent more than the current 1,800 kilograms per acre. Mr Karanja said that trials are being carried out under the Agricultural Productivity Research project and will be concluded by February 2015.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) cleared the regulatory status of planting genetically modified tall fescue developed by Scotts Miracle-Gro. The glyphosate resistant turfgrass variety has genes from other plants which were incorporated into the plant cell using a gene gun.

The Forum of Former Vice Chancellors of Karnataka State Universities (FVCK) and the Association of Biotechnology Led Enterprises Agricultural Group (ABLE-AG) released a new book titled GM Crops: Perception versus Reality written by Dr. T. M. Manjunath and Dr. K. S. Mohan. The authors have more than 40 years of research experience in plant protection and biotechnology.

The Indonesian Biotechnology Information Center (IndoBIC) held a seminar on Stewardship of Late Blight Resistant Potato for farmers, agricultural officers, and scientists on December 18, 2014 at SEAMEO BIOTROP headquarters. Some 32 participants and speakers comprised of agricultural officials, farmers, and representatives from research institutions attended this event through the support of the Agricultural Biotechnology Support Project (ABSP II) in collaboration with IndoBIC and ICABIOGRAD, ISAAA, and SEAMEO BIOTROP

Kansas State University scientists Dr. Harold Trick and Allan Fritz are developing biotech wheat that has the ability to tolerate warmer temperatures during the critical grain filling stage. During this stage, extreme temperatures can cause shrivelled kernels and significant yield losses.

The global agri-biotech market sustains growth reaching US$27.8 billion by the end of 2014, according to the report released by BCC Research, a market research company based in the U.S. The global market for agri-biotech was US$26.4 in 2013. With the projected compound annual rate of 11 percent over the next five years, it is expected that the global market for agri-biotech might reach US$46.8 billion by 2019.

Texas A&M University and Texas A&M AgriLife Research are set to use molecular tools to solve the global cotton market demand for longer, stronger fibers for spinning and weaving. One of the challenges that cotton breeders face in the improvement of fiber quality is low genetic diversity among elite, agronomically acceptable genotypes of upland cotton.

The National Zero Hunger Challenge (ZHC), a major initiative to eradicate hunger in Viet Nam, was launched today by the Government of Viet Nam in collaboration with the United Nations, including FAO. The launch, led by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dũng along with the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Cao Duc Phat, and other leaders of line ministries symbolized the Government of Viet Nam's commitment to achieving Zero Hunger by 2025.

16 January 2015, Berlin – Increasing competition for natural resource and emerging resource bottlenecks mean that global agriculture can no longer operate using a "business as usual" approach – the input-intensive agricultural development model used for the past 40 years is no longer sustainable, and a "paradigm shift" in food production is needed.

Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have passed a new law that will allow EU member states to restrict or ban the cultivation of genetically modified (GM) crops on their own territory, even if this is allowed at EU level. The legislation, originally tabled in 2010, but was then deadlocked for four years due to disagreement between pro- and anti-GMO member states, was informally agreed by Parliament and Council in December, and will come into force in spring of 2015.

Reducing poverty is one of IRRI’s primary goals. Through the coordinated efforts of IRRI and our more than 900 partners worldwide, we have made headway toward achieving this seemingly insurmountable objective.

This is the invitation from Ngonidzashe Chirinda, a soils researcher at CIAT that is more than interested in finding a concrete answer to a complex challenge in deeper layers of soils: how do we cost-effectively get the carbon to deeper soils layers? In order to store more of it and in that way contribute in reducing greenhouse gases emission that feed global warming and climate change.

Agricultural gene banks will cease from simply serving as storage of plant seeds, but will now be used to find traits that can be utilized to develop better crop varieties. The new initiative, called DivSeek aims to unlock the potential of crop diversity stored in gene banks around the world and make it available to all so that it can be used to improve productivity

Through the analysis of the data collected from the physical examination of Chinese farmers, a study shows that GM rice significantly decreases pesticide use and adverse effects on farmers' neurological, hematological, and electrolyte system. The study is published in Science China Life Sciences journal.