Flower development is regulated by a broad range of stimuli. It is also well known that temperature plays a key role in controlling flowering time. However, the mechanisms of how temperature regulates flowering remain unknown. Nan Ma of China Agricultural University, together with colleagues, studied how low temperature significantly increases petal number in rose (Rosa hybrida).

Leading figures in the global fight against hunger gathered at the Milan Expo to celebrate World Food Day, marking the 70^th anniversary of the foundation of FAO with appeals to speed up efforts to eradicate hunger and improve the way food is produced and consumed.

Chinese scientists have completed sequencing the genome of adzuki bean, a legume crop known for its high starch (57.06%) and low fat (0.59%) content relative to soybean and other legumes. "The genome sequence of adzuki bean will facilitate the identification of agronomically important genes and accelerate the improvement of adzuki bean," said Professor Wan Ping from the Chinese Academy of Sciences who led the research team.

Wheat scientists from Kansas State University have completed the first study of a chromosome in a tertiary gene pool, a breakthrough in exploring wheat wild relatives for future crop improvement. A complete understanding of the tertiary gene makeup helps wheat breeders develop new varieties that are resistant to disease and more tolerant of heat and drought.

To help agricultural researchers and policy makers prioritize their efforts to sustainably intensify agricultural systems, the Global Yield Gap and Water Productivity Atlas (http://www.yieldgap.org/) that provides location specific information is a valuable tool. It helps breeders and agronomists evaluate the effectiveness of existing crop management practices and figure out agricultural inputs and management interventions that are needed to close the yield gaps for different crops in various countries.

Iron uptake in plants is limited due to its low solubility in neutral or alkaline soils. This is why plants rely on rhizosphere acidification to increase iron solubility. AtVIT1 gene from Arabidopsis thaliana was previously found to be involved in mediating vacuolar sequestration of iron.

FAO 12 October 2015, Rome-The Committee on World Food Security (CFS) opened its plenary today, marking the first international gathering on food security and nutrition since global leaders approved the Sustainable Development Agenda's goals.

As part of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation's (APEC) Food Security Week hosted this year by the Philippines in partnership with ISAAA, the High Level Policy Dialogue on Agricultural Biotechnology (HLPDAB) convened representatives of the APEC member economies to discuss agri-biotech developments in the region on September 30-October 1, 2015 at the Iloilo Convention Center in Iloilo City

Twenty years after its birth, FAO’s Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries shared a moment in the limelight with ministers, researchers and leaders in the fisheries industry at the first International Fisheries Stakeholders Forum that opened in Vigo, Spain, today.  "The Code of Conduct has been an unmitigated success, because it captures both the essence of nature conservation and the need for developing countries to grow and prosper," said Arni Mathiesen, FAO Assistant Director-General for Fisheries and Aquaculture speaking at the opening session.

Genome sequences of more than 3,000 rice varieties have been placed with the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) by the world’s leading rice research institute in a move boosting plans to set up a global data exchange system for crop genetic resources. The Philippines-based International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and the Treaty (ITPGRFA) made the announcement at the 6th session of the Governing Body of the FAO-based 136-member nation plant treaty that is being held in Rome this week.