Agricultural experts continue to call for increased adoption of crop biotechnology citing it as one of the key tools required to address the growing food demand as well as other challenges that the world continues to face. During a webinar on biotechnology as a tenable solution to address hunger in Africa organized by the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF), the experts expressed concern that the more we delay adoption of the technology

A delegation of seed manufacturers visiting ICRISAT’s research station in Sadoré on 15 February was keen to adopt the hybrid, ICMH 177111, after learning about its performance. The hybrid was tested at more than 15 experimental sites from 2016-18. It has high resistance to downy mildew and produces grain yields between 2.5 and 2.8 tons per hectare. On over 2500 farmers’ fields across Niger, Nigeria, Mali, Burkina Faso, Senegal and Ghana, it outperformed control varieties (e.g. ICMH 147007).

IRRI and the Bureau of Agricultural and Fisheries Engineering of the Philippine Department of Agriculture (DA BAFE) concluded the project “Laser Land Leveling for Land Use Efficiency in the Philippines” during a presentation of the project’s terminal report in a virtual meeting. In 1997, IRRI in collaboration with Trimble (then Spectra Precision) introduced Laser Land Leveling (LLL) technology to stabilize rice production and improve efficiency in field operations. Today, LLL is used by thousands of farmers in rice-growing economies to reduce farm inputs and water usage, while improving their yields.

 Peter Rabbit has joined forces with the United Nations (UN), the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the UN Foundation to enlist more food heroes, like Peter, who see the value in fruits and vegetables for a balanced diet and a healthier planet. Peter and his friends from Sony Pictures' PETER RABBIT 2: THE RUNAWAY are joining the awareness-raising campaign that asks us all to be food heroes. That means each of us being mindful to eat plenty of fiber-rich fruits and vegetables, locally sourced and in season where possible, reducing food waste, and planting our own gardens, however small.

The Grain Growers of Canada (GGC) expressed its support for the advancement of plant breeding, particularly in gene-edited crops. Their latest statement highlighted the role of modern plant technology in driving the safe and sustainable growth of Canada's agriculture sector. Their statement came after the Canadian Food Inspection Agency announced the 120-day public consultation on May 2021 regarding the guidance to determine whether a plant is subject to the Seeds Regulation part V, which sets out the regulatory requirements for both the confined and unconfined environmental release of seed.

Researchers have discovered a variety of natural proteins called anti-CRISPRs, which can be used to control gene editing. Anti-CRISPRs can be used in gene therapy and gene drive systems. CRISPR-Cas9 is one of the gene-editing tools commonly used by researchers to cut DNA in a cell's genome at a highly targeted location. The longer the CRISPR system stays active in cells, there is higher the chance for unintended editing and other side effects. In an article published by the American Chemical Society, the emerging applications of anti-CRISPRs were discussed in detail.

Researchers from The University of Western Australia (UWA)'s Institute of Agriculture, in collaboration with the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) have identified genes and loci (the position of the genes) for chickpea root architecture and root traits that were associated with phosphorus acquisition and use efficiencies. The UWA and ICRISAT research teams used three statistical models to identify more than 100 marker-trait associations where they identified one single genetic variation that they associated with phosphorous uptake and use efficiency.

Microsoft's Azure FarmBeats is a platform consisting of a set of software layers that collect and process data from remote sensors, artificial intelligence (AI), and carbon emission from farms to help farmers make smart decisions and lower environmental impacts. Azure FarmBeats can support large and small-scale farms in plotting appropriate intervals for aerial imagery and in the placement of sensors. It can monitor the farms' crop production, and most importantly, the amount of carbon absorbed in the soil to grow quality crops with fewer fertilizer needs.

AquaBounty has announced that Brazil's National Biosafety Technical Commission (CTNBio) has approved their application for the sale of the company's genetically engineered (GE) Atlantic salmon in Brazil. With this approval, AquaBounty moves closer to realizing an exciting new market opportunity in South America. CTNBio assessed AquaBounty's application to ensure that it met the relevant standards and regulatory requirements and concluded that the sale and consumption of AquaBounty's GE salmon is safe for the environment and human health.

The FAO Director-General, QU Dongyu, and the Italian Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Marina Sereni, had a virtual meeting to exchange on areas of cooperation between FAO and Italy, including the G20 presidency of Italy, the Food Coalition, the G20 Green Garden (G20GG) project, as well as the UN Food Systems Pre-Summit event that will be organised by Italy from 26 to 28 July 2021 in Rome.