The benchmark for world food commodity prices fell further in January, albeit slightly, led by decreases in the prices of cereals and meat, which more than offset an increase in the sugar prices, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) reported today. The FAO Food Price Index, which tracks monthly changes in the international prices of a set of globally-traded food commodities, averaged 118 points in January, down 1 percent from December and 10.4 percent from its corresponding value a year ago. 

Do you have cutting-edge research, innovative solutions, or groundbreaking ideas in agricultural technology, fertilizer or soil health? If yes, you are invited to submit papers for the Fertilizer and Soil Health Conference in Africa: Emerging Lessons and Evidence for Policy Guidance – Research & Policy Conference happening on March 27, 2024, hosted by the CGIAR Research Initiatives on National Policies and Strategies (NPS) and Excellence in Agronomy (EiA).

A study published in Frontiers in Plant Science shows that the loss of TAC1 homeologous genes in cotton reduces branch angle and altered petiole angles. The results of this study provide significant insights into understanding optimal light interception in cotton, which can potentially improve crop yield. arious environmental factors, such as light capture, carbon assimilation, and photosynthetic efficiency, affect crop performance.

Scientists gene edited table grapes to produce a muscat flavor in the fruit. This will provide many beneficial properties to the grapes. Muscat flavor represents distinct aromatic attributes that can be found in certain grape varieties. Grapes with muscat flavor create high levels of monoterpenes, which have antioxidant, antidiabetic, and anticancer properties. Researchers from the USDA-Agricultural Research Service used prime editing on Scarlet Royal grapes to modify the VvDXS1 protein, which is the primary cause of making muscat flavor in grapes.

Using CRISPR technology, researchers from the School of Plant Sciences and Food Security at Tel Aviv University's Wise Faculty of Life Sciences were able to develop tomatoes that consume less water without affecting yield, quality, and taste. During transpiration, plants evaporate water from their leaves. At the same time, carbon dioxide enters the leaves and is assimilated into sugar by photosynthesis. Transpiration and carbon dioxide uptake occur simultaneously through the stomata, which open and close to regulate the plant's water status.

A study published in Neuron shows that deleting the Calmodulin-interacting peptide Pcp4a gene regulates the behavioral choice of zebrafish. This breakthrough is essential for understanding the influences on zebrafish's decision-making in response to various external stimuli and internal needs. Animals make fundamental behavioral decisions towards objects in their environment. To thrive and survive in complex environments, animals decide whether to approach or avoid potential danger.

Scientists from Singapore developed a novel approach to sequence single-cell RNA. This method will help examine the roles of RNA structure in single cells. RNA structure is essential for several stages of gene regulation. However, how transcript structures differ within and between different cells is unknown. That's why researchers from A*STAR's Genome Institute of Singapore produced Single Cell Structure Probing Of RNA Transcripts (Sc-SPORT) that simultaneously analyzes secondary structure and abundance at a single cell level.

Around 80% of India’s rice production is from the eastern Indian states of Odisha, West Bengal, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, and Assam. Rice is primarily cultivated in the kharif season; however, large areas remain fallow during the subsequent rabi season.  There is tremendous potential to boost the cropping intensity and crop productivity to increase farmer income by targeting the rabi rice-fallow areas.

China Agricultural University and its partners unveiled two genes that confer natural variation in maize pollen fertility. Their findings are published in the Plant Biotechnology Journal. Understanding the regulation of pollen fertility in natural populations has been a mystery for scientists. To dig deeper into this mystery, the researchers explored using a genome-wide association study and found two crucial genes in maize pollen fertility—ZmGEN1A and ZmMSH7.

On January 24, 2024, the European Parliament's Environment Committee (ENVI) approved the Proposal on New Genomic Techniques (NGTs). With 47 votes in favor to 31 against, and 4 abstentions, this marks a significant advancement in fostering plant breeding innovations in the region. The Proposal, released in July 2023, introduces a new regulatory framework, distinguishing NGTs like targeted mutagenesis and cis-genesis from transgenics. Under the proposed regime, NGT plants would be regulated more like the ones derived from traditional breeding methods.