Researchers from the University of California, Davis reported that DNA sequences that were known to be vital for gene activity can be dispensable and the "junk DNA" or introns sometimes are in control. The results of their study are published in The Plant Cell. UC Davis professor, Alan Rose, has been studying the mechanism known as "intron-mediated enhancement" for over 20 years.

The international body that oversees plant health has taken a big step forward with the adoption of a new global standard to help ensure that the international trade in plants and seeds, while very profitable, is also safer. The International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC)'s governing body, the Commission on Phytosanitary Measures (CPM) adopted the standard during its 12th session in Incheon, South Korea, which wrapped up today.
 

Farmers from different areas of Kenya have reported infestation of armyworms, mostly attacking maize crops. Scientists are saying that genetic engineering could be the key solution to such attacks. Armyworms are considered as deleterious pests because they usually occur in large populations causing havoc to vast areas of farms, which makes them difficult to control.

Researchers at the Aalto University in Finland have, for the first time, shown a broad connection between resource scarcity, population pressure, and food imports. In a study published in the journal Earth's Future, the researchers found that even less wealthy regions relied on imports, but not always successfully.

We launched the new global coordinating office of CCAFS in Wageningen and discussed partnerships to enhance our impact.In 2009, the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) began its life as a CGIAR Challenge Program, before transforming into a CGIAR Research Program (CRP) in 2011.

International plant health body adopts new global standards.FAO 13 April 2017, Incheon, Republic of Korea/Rome - The international body that oversees plant health has taken a big step forward with the adoption of a new global standard to help ensure that the international trade in plants and seeds, while very profitable, is also safer.

International guidelines on catch documentation schemes approach the finish line.FAO 12 April 2017, Rome - An FAO-led push to establish internationally agreed standards that can guide the development of catch documentation schemes aimed at keeping illegally caught fish off store-shelves and consumers' plates has taken an important step forward.

The European Food Safety Authority's (EFSA) Panel on Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO Panel) released  their assessment of the three-event stack oilseed rape (OSR) MON 88302 × MS8 × RF3 and its three subcombinations, independently of their origin. The opinion is for authorization of genetically modified glufosinate-ammonium- and glyphosate-tolerant oilseed rape for food and feed uses

FAO 13 April 2017, Incheon, Republic of Korea/Rome - The international body that oversees plant health has taken a big step forward with the adoption of a new global standard to help ensure that the international trade in plants and seeds, while very profitable, is also safer. The International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC)'s governing body, the Commission on Phytosanitary Measures (CPM) adopted the standard during its 12th session in Incheon, South Korea, which wrapped up today.

For the first time, researchers from Iowa State University (ISU) have mapped the molecular components that govern how plants under environmental stress interrupt their normal growth pathways by tapping into an important energy recycling function. The research shows that autophagy -- a system used both by plants and animals to recycle energy and molecular components -- plays a key role in slowing plant growth during times of stress.