Why is there show adoption of GM crops in Africa? Dr. Jennifer Thomson, Professor of Molecular Biology  from the University of Cape Town in South Africa provide reasons in an article published on The Conservation.

Scientists at Rothamsted Research have announced the first year results of the field-scale trial of Camelina oilseed plants genetically engineered (GE) to make omega-3 fish oils in their seeds. The new data demonstrate an important proof of concept that a plant can be engineered to synthesize beneficial fatty acids in seeds, providing hope for sustainable land-based sources of omega-3 fish oils, and decreasing pressure from the oceans.

Farmers from Kilifi County in the northern part of Kenya have voiced their support for agri-biotech and called on the government to lift the ban on GMOs so as to allow them access to products of modern biotechnology. In a communiqué developed at the end of a biotechnology and biosafety awareness seminar on July 9, 2015, farmers said that biotechnology could solve some of the agricultural challenges they face.

This year's World Food Prize goes to Sir Fazle Hasan Abed, founder and head of the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC). Sir Fazle was awarded by the WFP Foundation with US$250,000 and honored his excellent achievements through BRAC, which is known as the most effective anti-poverty organization in the world. BRAC's headquarters is in Bangladesh, but it also operates programs in 10 other countries around the globe.

Under standard laboratory conditions of rectangular light/dark cycles and constant warm temperature, Drosophila melanogaster show bursts of morning (M) and evening (E) locomotor activity and a “siesta” in the middle of the day. These M and E components have been critical for developing the neuronal dual oscillator model in which clock gene expression in key cells generates the circadian phenotype

As the World Congress on Root and Tuber Crops approaches in Nanning, China from October 5-10, a new CGIAR brief highlights cassava’s transformation from a humble to a prized, climate-resilient crop in Asia. The approaching Congress brings together scientists from Africa, Asia and Latin America and the Caribbean, to discuss the value of climate-resilient root and tuber crops, particularly since Asia is especially vulnerable to climate change.

The latest Global Agricultural Information Network (GAIN) Report for Germany reveals that despite being a major consumer of genetically engineered (GE) products,  there is little prospect of developing a German market for GE crops or foods. The report, produced by the USDA Foreign Agricultural Services (USDA FAS) states that public rejection of GE crops is widespread

Alison Testa, a PhD student from Curtin University's Centre for Crop and Disease Management (CCDM) in Western Australia has created CodingQuarry, a gene-prediction software that allows finding fungal genes a lot quicker and more reliable. Miss Testa said that CCDM is interested in finding important genes in fungi that allow fungal pathogens to infect their crops.

A group of Chinese researchers led by Shaokui Wang from South China Agricultural Science University discovered a new strategy that will help in improving rice. The researchers found out that allelic variations in GW7 influences the rice yield and grain quality. The upregulation of GW7 produces more slender grain. Furthermore, GW7 expression is regulated by OsSPL16 (GW8), a transcription factor that controls grain width.

 India's Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi calls for a second Green Revolution, saying it should start immediately as Indian agriculture has been lagging in several areas including inputs, irrigation, value addition and market linkages. The Prime Minister said his government is committed to modernizing the sector and making it more productive. He also emphasized the need in using the scientific method for farming to increase productivity.