Research conducted by scientists from the University of Illinois and the Latin American Fund for Irrigated Rice (FLAR) will now allow Latin American rice breeders to select regionally relevant eating-quality traits from the outset of a breeding program, saving time, effort, and money. Rice qualities are extremely important to rice sales and consumption worldwide. Rice preferences also vary across regions and cultures.

Urgent action and innovative strategies in agri-food systems are needed to eliminate hunger by the end of the decade. This is according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Director-General, QU Dongyu, during the Sustainable Innovation Forum at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) running from October 31 to November 12, 2021, in Glasgow, Scotland.

Researchers from the University of California San Diego have created a rapid diagnostic technology that detects SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. The new SENSR (sensitive enzymatic nucleic acid sequence reporter) was developed using CRISPR gene editing technology that allows speedy detection of pathogens by identifying genetic sequences in their DNA or RNA.

Using CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing technique, researchers from the John Innes Centre have identified a gene in wheat that has a key role in the production of seeds. The discovery may help breeders in developing wheat varieties resilient to climate change. The gene in wheat ZIP4 is responsible for maintaining 50% of the crop's yield. Wheat has a polyploid genome that evolved as a combination of wild grasses which cross-fertilized some 10,000 years ago in the Middle East

The 100^th meeting of the ICRISAT Governing Board,  which was recently convened, has endorsed the initiatives designed to progress the Institute’s strategic vision. The annual budget for 2022 was also approved in the meeting. This was the fifth Board meeting convened virtually since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.Prof Prabhu Pingali, Chair, ICRISAT Governing Board (GB), expressed his delight at his recent visit to the HQ in Hyderabad.

Researchers from Jiangsu University and Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences found a hydrothermal approach that is effective in improving a novel rice with potential benefits to patients with diabetes and kidney diseases. The results are reported in Foods journal. The researchers used heat-moisture treatment (HMT) as a simple and effective method in reinforcing the nutritional benefits of sbeIIb/Lgc1 rice, which has grains rich in resistant starch but low in glutelin.

A combined team of researchers from the private sector has teamed up with the intention of launching the first commercially available, gene-edited strawberry in the near future. The product is expected to reduce fresh strawberry waste by consumers due to poor storage.The venture will use gene editing technologies like CRISPR-Cas9 and other tools in strawberry development to improve the fruit's shelf life.

Most Filipino farmers think that implementing a ban on biotech crops is incorrect due to their long history of safe use. This is according to the results of a survey on the perception of Filipino farmers on the banning of biotech crops implemented by the Philippine Supreme Court in 2015. The study used a standardized questionnaire, which was administered through face-to-face interviews with 111 biotech corn farmers in Pampanga.

Scientists at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) have worked with NASA to develop a continuous flowering plum plant to help astronauts maintain healthy diets during those extended voyages. According to Chris Dardick, lead scientist and plant molecular biologist at the ARS Appalachian Fruit Research Station, most fruits that are key components of our diet.

An international research team has identified genes associated with plant survival in Chile's Atacama Desert, one of the harshest environments on Earth. The discovery will help scientists breed resilient crops that will thrive in drier climates. The Atacama Desert in northern Chile, sandwiched between the Pacific Ocean and Andes Mountains, is the driest place on the planet, excluding the poles.