Research Results
1. Researchers map late blight strains in potato on Java, Indonesia
Potato late blight disease is credited as the cause of the great Irish potato famine of 1845. Farmers ever since have hoped for effective and durable solutions to late blight as researchers continue to study and understand Phytophthora infestans, the fungus-like microorganism that causes the disease. A pathologist from the Indonesian Vegetable Research Center, Ineu Sulastrini, and colleagues collected late blight isolates in a potato field in the highlands of Java. Then, microsatellite analysis was carried out, in collaboration with Michigan State University, USA.
The results showed that late blight outbreaks in these regencies were caused by EU 2 A1, a European genotype, and other genotypes that are closely related to EU 2 A1 but unique to Indonesia. These results also suggest that there is an ongoing evolution in these populations due to a high mutation rate, and there is no selection pressure from the susceptible potato hosts that are currently being grown in Indonesia. Ongoing work now aims to bring genetically engineered, late blight resistant, potato cultivars to smallholder farmers in Bangladesh and Indonesia, by inserting three genes from wild potato species that are known to provide natural resistance to late blight disease into the genome of the potato variety preferred by farmers and consumers. The protein expression of the gene(s) in the plant can result in changes in the way the plant reacts to stressors such as infection by a pathogen. Benefits of the late blight resistant potato include reduction in exposure to chemical fungicides.
For more, see https://www.potatopro.com/news/2020/researchers-map-late-blight-strains-potato-java-indonesia?region=1843&taxonomy=1001
Access the full paper at (read-only) https://bsppjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/ppa.13269
2. Microbes and plants: A dynamic duo
Drought stress has been a major roadblock in crop success, and this obstacle will not disappear anytime soon. However, certain root-associated microbes and the plants they inhabit can help. Plants and animals have a close connection to the microbes (like bacteria) living on them. Coleman-Derr, a scientist at the University of California, Berkeley, studies how drought impacts the microbiome of sorghum. “Plants have hormones, which help plants decide how to spend their energy,” says Coleman-Derr. Virtually all aspects of the plant’s life are connected to the microbes present. These microbes can influence the plant’s hormones to encourage more root growth, which will help the plant reach more water. Coleman-Derr observed that these microbes can influence the plant’s hormones to encourage more root growth, which helps the plant reach more water.
Through 16S ribosomal RNA, a component of the prokaryotic ribosome 30S subunit (16S rRNA) amplicon and metatranscriptome sequencing, as well as root metabolomics, Coleman-Derr and colleagues demonstrate that drought delays the development of the early root microbiome that causes increased abundance and activity of monoderm bacteria. Data thus generated suggest that altered plant metabolism and increased activity of bacterial ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter genes are correlated with these shifts in community composition. Inoculation experiments with monoderm isolates of bacteria indicate that increased colonization of the root during drought can positively impact plant growth. The next step in this quest is to determine if microbiomes can be manipulated and used as a solution for drought in crop production systems.
For more, see https://phys.org/news/2020-12-microbes-dynamic-duo.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter
Access the abstract and view the presentation at https://scisoc.confex.com/scisoc/2020am/prelim.cgi/Paper/128788
3. Cracking the code on growing vanilla: DNA mystery uncovered
Vanilla is a spice derived from orchids of the genus Vanilla, primarily obtained from pods of the Mexican species, flat-leaved vanilla (Vanilla planifolia). Vanilla growers and processors struggle to meet global demand for vanilla extract and are challenged by inefficient and unsustainable production practices. But there is promise for the future: as part of their breeding programme, scientists with the University of Florida (UF) Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, led by Alan Chambers, worked on what they believe is an essential tool to grow vanilla as a successful South Florida crop for commercial and home growers. In collaboration with a team at Elo Life Systems, led by Toams Hasings, Chambers co-led the generation of a “Chromosome-scale” sequencing of Vanilla DNA. Four vanilla species were sequenced from a 300-plus Vanilla species collection established at the Homestead research facility.
Researchers report a chromosome-scale phased V. planifolia genome, which reveals sequence variants for genes that may impact the vanillin pathway and thus influence bean quality. Resequencing of related vanilla species, including the minor commercial species Vanilla × tahitensis, identified genes that could impact productivity and postharvest losses through pod dehiscence, flower anatomy, and disease resistance. The vanilla genome reported in this study is expected to enable accelerated breeding of vanilla to improve high-value traits. For developing the genomic sequence, Chambers relied on diverse cultivars from the Tropical Research and Education Center (TREC) collection of species such as V. planifolia, V. tahitensis, V. mexicana, and V. pompona. While all commercial vanilla plants are vulnerable to a fungal pathogen, related species such as V. pompona are resistant to the pathogen and could provide a genetic route to creating a disease-resistant V. planifolia.
Access the abstract at https://www.nature.com/articles/s43016-020-00197-2
4. Rapeseed research challenges previous thinking on flowering time
Determining the proper time to flower, important if a plant is to reproduce successfully, involves a sequence of molecular events, a plant’s circadian clock, and sunlight. Research has shed new light on the molecular mechanisms that allow crops to synchronize flowering with favourable conditions. In the polyploid crop, oilseed rape (OSR), there are nine copies of FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC). Distinct OSR crop types, known as spring, semi-winter, and winter varieties, have been bred for different environments and are associated with differences in flowering behaviour and vernalisation requirement—the period of cool/cold temperature some plants must undergo before flowering. Previous studies have related these crop types to specific FLC copies, but it was unclear how FLC regulates flowering behaviour.
Alexander Calderwood, John Innes Centre, UK, and colleagues studied how multiple FLC paralogues determine vernalization requirement as a system. They collected transcriptome time series for Brassica napus spring, winter, semi-winter, and Siberian kale crop types. Modelling was used to link FLC expression dynamics to floral response following vernalization. They found that a model based on total FLC dynamics provides a better fit to existing data, and it can nicely explain vernalisation requirements even within a large diversity panel. These findings suggest a strategy for how to combine different FLC copies to control total FLC dynamics. “As FLC is a major determinant of flowering, what this implies is that it should be possible to design crops with any desired flowering behaviour,” says Dr Judith Irwin, a co-author.
For more, see https://phys.org/news/2020-12-rapeseed-previous.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter
Access the full paper at https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/nph.17131
5. Study finds large-scale expansion of stem rust resistance gene in barley and oat lineages
In the last couple of decades, severe wheat stem rust outbreaks, caused by the fungus Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici, have been recorded in Africa, Europe, and Central Asia. This previously well-controlled disease has re-emerged as a major threat to wheat cultivation. Scientists have identified a resistance gene, Sr22, as one of the few characterized genes that protect against a large array of stem rust races. The present study by Asyraf Md. Hatta of John Innes Centre, Norwich, UK, and colleagues from different institutes, found that the gene is conserved among grasses in the Triticeae and Poeae lineages. Three of the alleles were functionally characterized in transgenic wheat and two of these were found to confer resistance to the notorious Ug99 isolate of the wheat stem rust pathogen.
“To our knowledge, this is the first study to comprehensively explore the evolution of a resistance gene across a broad range of monocot lineages in addition to exploring allelic variation between accessions of monocot species,” said Asyraf Md. Hatta, the first author. “This is when we discovered the surprising large-scale expansion of the Sr22 locus in the barley and oat lineages,” Guru Radhakrishnan, a corresponding author from the John Innes Center, added. Their study contributes valuable knowledge on gene function and the evolution of plant disease resistance, which can facilitate the improvement of crops against agriculturally important diseases, such as stem rust.
Access the full paper at https://apsjournals.apsnet.org/doi/10.1094/MPMI-01-20-0018-R
6. How global warming affects greenhouse gas emissions in paddy soils
Agriculture has been blamed for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to some extent. According to estimates in 2019, agriculture accounted for about 10% of GHG emissions coming from livestock such as cows, agricultural soils, and rice production. Climate warming can lead to more GHG emissions, as soil temperature could affect such emissions considerably. Yakov Kuzyakov, a soil scientist from the Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia (RUDN) University, in collaboration with Laing Wei and others from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, studied the decomposition of organic matter in rice paddies as sources of CO2 and methane emissions.
To clarify the response of organic matter decomposition to warming, flooded paddy soil was incubated at four temperatures (5, 15, 25, and 35 °C) for 75 days. On the 75th day, methane emissions from primed soils turned out to have increased 153 times compared to the samples without sodium acetate. It was found that soil with acetate had higher C availability to microorganisms, leading to 2-2.7 times and 2-153 times higher emission, respectively, of carbon dioxide and CH4, on day 75 than from soil without acetate. The priming effects measured as CH4 emissions were especially sensitive to temperatures from 5 to 15 °C. The high Q10 value of primed CH4 at low temperature indicates that flooded paddy fields will contribute greatly to the greenhouse effect in warm winters, which have become common from the 1970s.
For more, see https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/717727
Access the abstract at https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0929139320306818?via%3Dihub#!
7. Flag leaves could help top off photosynthetic performance in rice
Flag leaves play an important role in the synthesis and translocation of photosynthates in cereals, affecting grain yield; similarly, it is believed to be a major source of remobilizing micronutrients (Fe and Zn) for the seeds. The flag leaf is the last to emerge, indicating the transition from crop growth to grain production, including in rice plants. A team from the University of Illinois and the International Rice Research Institute, led by Liana G. Acevedo-Siaca, found that some flag leaves of different varieties of rice transform light and carbon dioxide into carbohydrates better than others.
For the first time, these researchers revealed considerable differences between rice varieties in the ability of flag leaves to adjust to fluctuating light. It was found that water-use efficiency in flag leaves correlated with water-use efficiency earlier in the development of these rice varieties, suggesting that water-use efficiency in dynamic conditions could be screened for at younger stages of rice development. “What’s more, we found no correlation between the flag leaf and other leaves on the plant, aside from water-use efficiency, which indicates that both kinds of leaves may need to be optimized for induction,” said Stephen Long, Illinois’ Ikenberry Endowed University Chair of Crop Sciences and Plant Biology.
For more, see https://phys.org/news/2020-12-flag-photosynthetic-rice.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter
Access the full paper at https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/nph.16634
https://academic.oup.com/jxb/article/72/4/1282/5960139
Potential Crops/Technologies/Concepts
1. Prebiotic carbohydrates key to lentil plant breeding efforts
Nathan Johnson, a doctoral student at Clemson University, USA, says that prebiotic carbohydrates (PBC) found in lentils (Lens culinaris Medikus) are beneficial for both human and plant health, which implies that the variation found for this trait in Lens spp. can be used to breed for varieties with higher nutritional values. PBC has been defined as the non-digestible food ingredient that beneficially affects the host by selectively stimulating the growth and/or activity of one or a limited number of bacteria already resident in the colon. The researchers believe that enhancing PBC could lead to developing new lentil varieties. One of the beneficial effects of these Lens carbohydrates is helping combat obesity, Johnson’s focus of work. “Lentils have been associated with prevention of chronic illnesses, including Type 2 diabetes, obesity, and cancer. The development of lentil varieties containing enhanced PBC could help improve health benefits for humans, as well as help improve crop sustainability and production.”
Lentils are high in fibre and fermentable carbohydrates known as FODMAPs, or fermentable oligo-, di-, monosaccharides and polyols. In addition to breeding for lentils that are easier to digest, the team is also researching to determine lentil genetic traits associated with growing. Identifying genetic markers associated with high levels of prebiotic carbohydrates could help accelerate breeding for growing lentils in different climates, as well as help meet consumer preference for lentils. The authors propose breeding of PBC-rich lentils as a target that will require extensive screening of lentil germplasm.
For more, see https://news.clemson.edu/clemson-lentils-study/
Access an earlier paper on the topic at https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ppp3.10103
2. Tepary beans—a versatile and sustainable native crop
Richard Pratt, Director of the Cropping Systems Research Innovation Program at New Mexico State University, studies native crops that can enhance food security while reducing water use. He has been studying the tepary beans, Phaseolus acutifolius, native to the southwestern United States and Mexico, which has been grown there by the native peoples. It has also been used (as a member of the tertiary gene pool) as a donor species for the improvement of the common bean (P. vulgaris). Pratt and his colleagues are investigating the use of tepary germplasm as a multipurpose crop for the western region of the USA, to include its use as a cover/forage crop. Preliminary investigations show that it has high forage quality and good weed suppression in irrigated summer production systems. Research is in progress to investigate its broader adaptation in the West and its suitability in multi-species cover/forage mixtures. Breeding has been initiated in cultivated parent crosses and crosses to wild teparies are considered as a possible route to increase biomass and ground cover.
Since teparies need less water than many other bean crops, they can be one solution to dwindling water resources. Heirloom crop varieties from the Southwest, like teparies and their wild relatives, can be used as breeding resources. In their place, farmers could grow crops like pistachios, sorghum, and teparies. Selecting of tepary bean varieties could also focus on those that have nutritional profiles comparable to that of alfalfa, a popular forage crop. “We now have the confidence to go forward with teparies as a prospective forage and cover crop,” says Pratt. Future work will focus on finding ways to improve teparies as a crop.
Listen to the full presentation at https://scisoc.confex.com/scisoc/2020am/prelim.cgi/Paper/128004
3. Protecting soil biodiversity essential in adapting to climate change
All field crops need soil, water, air, and light (sunshine) to grow, apart from good seed. Maintaining soil nutrition is thus essential in efforts to adapt to a rapidly changing climate. Professor Brajesh Singh and colleagues at the Global Centre for Land-Based Innovation at Western Sydney University, Australia, have linked diverse soil flora and fauna, and a dramatically changing global climate, to the sustainability of human civilization and our natural world. “Soil biodiversity drives the processes that humankind almost takes for granted—high-quality food, fresh clean water, and healthy economies. There is extensive evidence that the world could make significant progress towards the United National Sustainable Development Goals just by protecting the life and health of our soils,” Professor Singh said.
Rapid advances in DNA and genetic sequencing technologies are driving massive global research efforts to identify and adopt the most promising soil biodiversity practices. Techniques that are products of the adoption of science and research—such as no-till agriculture, carbon farming, and satellite mapping—are used to grow food and fibre, with much more emphasis on keeping soils healthy and biologically active. The authors suggest that the government around the world must immediately include soil biodiversity as one of the main priorities to address climate change and ensure that agriculture can sustain the future needs of humankind. “We cannot keep treating our soils like dirt,” said Professor Singh.
For more, see https://phys.org/news/2020-12-soil-biodiversity-essential-climate.html
Access the full report http://www.fao.org/documents/card/en/c/CB1928EN/
4. A way to boost vegetable oil production in plant leaves
Since ancient times, people in different regions of the world have been extracting vegetable oil from plants to use as food and fuel. However, vegetable oils are traditionally extracted from fruits or seeds, and the extraction process often leads to the rest of the plant being discarded, at least in some crops. Now, Jay Thelen, a professor of biochemistry at the University of Missouri, and her colleagues have found a way to boost the production of the triacylglycerol—the main component of vegetable oil—in plant leaves, a technique that could allow producers to harvest oil from large, leafy plants that also have other uses.
Yajin Ye, a postdoctoral fellow in Thelen’s lab at MU, along with a few other researchers, identified a gene family encoding for three small plastidial proteins of the envelope membrane, which interact with the α-carboxyltransferase (α-CT) subunit of acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACCase) and participate in an original mechanism restraining fatty acid synthesis in the light. They used the gene-editing tool, Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR), to “knock out” a family of genes they have found to be responsible for regulating fatty acid production in the leaves of Arabidopsis, a plant regularly used by researchers to study plant biochemistry. Thelen said this method could lead to greater and cheaper production of vegetable oils, and the possibility of dual uses for leafy crops like sorghum and soybeans could place less of a burden on making seeds yield a higher oil content.
Access the full paper at https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-20014-5
5. Small millets for enduring food security amidst pandemics
A bit of background is in order. About 820 million people in the world experience chronic hunger, who include some 135 million surviving in acute food insecurity zones across 55 countries. It has been predicted that the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic will increase this number as developing countries are double-hit by disease and hunger owing to disruptions in global supply chains, economic consequences (i.e., loss of jobs and incomes), the ban on the export of agricultural commodities, and price increases. Over-reliance on a small number of major cereals impacts the food and nutritional security of the global population, particularly during abnormal situations, which highlights the role small/minor millets can play in this scenario.
An investigation, led by Mehanathan Muthamilarasan, University of Hyderabad, and Manoj Prasad, National Institute of Plant Genome Research, New Delhi, India, indicates that, compared to the major cereals, small millets can meet the immediate need for food security sustainably in at least five important ways: (1) they provide better returns in marginal areas, as yield loss or the influence of other external factors is minimal; (2) they improve the sustainability of agriculture by reducing dependence on inputs; (3) they decrease the over-reliance on limited supplies of major cereals; (4) they provide functional and nutritious food; and (5) they contribute to diversity in food (essential for gut microbial diversity). The pertinent role of small millets is not limited to addressing food and nutritional well-being; it also potentially extends to boosting immunity, providing fodder for cattle, improving biodiversity, and protecting the livelihood of farmers. The authors caution that, while underscoring the importance of small millets in solving hunger and related issues, the collective role of tubers and legumes, as well as millets, in ensuring food and nutritional security, should not be overlooked.
For more, see the full paper at https://www.cell.com/trends/plant-science/fulltext/S1360-1385(20)30255-7?dgcid=raven_jbs_etoc_email
6. Research on sweet potato’s wild relatives reveals options for dealing with drought
Scientists at the International Potato Center and the Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina in Peru, led by Shilpi Gupta, grew 55 samples of 10 species of sweet potato wild relatives and four of cultivated sweet potatoes in a greenhouse, where they were irrigated regularly or exposed to a series of water shortages for three increasingly longer periods. Sweet potato wild relatives were used because some of them are native to areas where drought and other environmental challenges are common, so they have evolved physiological mechanisms that help them cope with stress, which could be transferred to cultivated sweet potatoes.
The researchers identified two species in the study that tolerated drought well and have good potential for use in breeding drought-tolerant sweet potato varieties. In addition to generating information that could facilitate the development of more drought-tolerant sweet potato varieties, the study’s use of short-term water stress memory induction sheds light on an approach that could enhance the drought tolerance of existing varieties. “This study sets a precedent in research on stress memory in sweet potato crop wild relatives, and it demonstrates that this group constitutes a potential and untapped source of valuable physiological traits for sweet potato breeding programs,” said Bettina Heider, an associate scientist at CIP and one of the article’s co-authors. “Water-stress memory induction has potential for use in breeding drought-tolerant varieties, designing more efficient irrigation schemes, and possibly for producing more resilient sweet potato planting material for drought-prone areas,” Heider said.
For more, see https://cipotato.org/blog/research-on-sweetpotatos-wild-relatives-reveals-options-dealing-with-drought/
Access the abstract at https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-020-00924-4
7. Researchers design a portable device for fast detection of plant stress
Researchers at the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART) and Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, led by Shilpi Gupta, have designed a portable optical sensor that can monitor whether a plant is under stress. The device offers farmers and plant scientists a new tool for early diagnosis and real-time monitoring of plant health in field conditions. SMART’s new portable Raman leaf-clip sensor is a useful tool in precision agriculture, allowing early diagnosis of nitrogen deficiency in plants, which can be linked to premature leaf deterioration and loss of yield.
“Our findings showed that in vivo measurements using the portable leaf-clip Raman sensor under full-light growth conditions were consistent with measurements obtained with a benchtop Raman spectrometer on leaf sections under laboratory conditions,” says MIT professor of electrical engineering and computer science, Rajeev Ram, who is also the co-lead author of the paper. They used the leaf-clip Raman sensor for early diagnosis of nitrogen deficiency of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, as well as two important vegetable crops, Pak Choi (Brassica rapa chinensis) and Choy Sum (Brassica rapa var. parachinensis). “We demonstrated that early diagnosis of nitrogen deficiency—a critical nutrient, and the most important component of fertilizers—in living plants is possible with the portable sensor.” While the study looked mainly to measure nitrogen levels in plants, the device can also be used to detect levels of other plant stress phenotypes, such as drought, heat and cold stress, saline stress, and light stress. The wide range of plant stressors that can be detected by these leaf-clip Raman probes, and the simplicity and speed of the process, makes them ideal for field use by farmers to ensure crop health.
For more, see https://news.mit.edu/2021/portable-device-quickly-detects-plant-stress-0104
Access the full paper at https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-76485-5
News:
1. Male weeds may hold key to their demise
Identifying the genes that enable new ‘genetic control’ methods for the weeds, which, in many places, no longer respond to herbicides. Amaranthus tuberculatus (water hemp) and A. palmeri (Palmer amaranth) are agronomically important weed species, both with stable dioecious reproductive systems. An understanding of the genetic basis of sex determination may lead to new methods of managing these troublesome weeds. Male-specific sequences were used to identify genomic regions in both species that are believed to contain sex-determining genes, i.e., the male-specific Y (MSY) region. A contiguously assembled candidate MSY region was identified in A. palmeri. In A. tuberculatus, several contigs were identified as belonging to the MSY region. Synteny was not detected between the two species’ candidate MSY regions, but they shared two predicted genes. With lists of candidate genes for sex determination containing fewer than 200 in each species, future research can address whether sex determination is controlled via similar physiological pathways and whether dioecy has indeed evolved independently in these species.
For more, see https://phys.org/news/2020-12-male-weeds-key-demise.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter
Access the abstract at https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/nph.17108
2. Researcher investigates how to make the global food supply more resilient
The world is increasingly being globalized, and many countries depend on others through an intricate and interconnected food supply chain. Food produced in one country is often consumed in another. Although such food chains have their advantages, environmental variability and shock events (such as the present pandemic) can adversely affect even the most stable food chains. Understanding these processes is central to reducing the risks associated with periodic food shortages, price spikes, and reductions in food quality.
Kyle Frankel Davis and his colleagues from the University of Delaware, USA, carried out a scoping review of the literature to examine entry points for environmental variability along the food supply chain, the evidence of propagation or weakening of this variability, and the food items and types of shock that have been studied. They focused on maize, rice, and wheat (crops) and agricultural production and extreme rainfall and temperatures (environment). The study indicated the need to expand research into the full food basket, diverse sources of environmental variability, and the links connecting food production to consumption and nutrition. Insights from this new knowledge can inform key responses—at the level of an individual (for example, substituting foods), a company (for example, switching sources) or a government (for example, strategic reserves)—for coping with disruptions.
For more, see https://phys.org/news/2020-12-global-food-resilient.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter
Access the full paper at https://www.nature.com/articles/s43016-020-00196-3
3. Nanotechnology for plant genetic engineering
Increased emphasis is being placed on rapid, yet effective and precise, placement of genetic material in plant cells to use biotechnology more effectively to improve plants. There have been problems with techniques used in the last few decades, such as gene delivery through Agrobacterium (necrosis and random integration of DNA), biolistic particle delivery or gene gun (cells are severely injured and can no longer be cultured, and the throughput of this technique is extremely low) and viral vectors (transfect limited size and manufacturing regulation limitations). So, researchers have turned to emerging nanotechnologies that have proved effective in other biological fields. One such technique is the use of magnetic iron-oxide nanoparticles conjugated with DNA, which has been extensively used for mammalian cell transfection, and efforts are under way to adapt it for plants. Adapting this technique to plants is a bit more challenging than for use in mammalian cell transfection, due to the presence of the plant cell wall which, unlike the cell membrane, does not undergo endocytosis (i.e., substances from outside of the cell are taken in by engulfing them in a vesicle), caused by the rigid walls of plant cells. Several hurdles yet need to be crossed for this to become a working application in plant biotechnology. Another technique that is being explored is the use of carbon nanotubes for plant transfection. Hurdles that need to be overcome include rigid cell walls, size of the cargo, cytotoxicity, and gene expression. Future developments in this area will require increased collaboration between nanotechnologists and plant biologists.
For more, see https://www.genengnews.com/insights/nanotechnology-for-plant-genetic-engineering/
See the full paper at https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/tpj.14973
4. Powerhouse plants that bolster the food web
Food webs are complex, highly interconnected systems of feeding relationships that are essential for our planet’s health. The Earth and its many species, including humans, depend on them. Some species eat plants directly; others obtain this energy by eating an animal that eats plants. University of Delaware Professor of Entomology Doug Tallamy systematically identifies the most critical plants needed to sustain food webs across the United States. Ninety per cent of what caterpillars eat is created by only 14% of native plant species, with only 5% of the powerhouse (or the Keystone species, which can be any organism, from animals and plants to bacteria and fungi, that holds a habitat together) plants taking credit for 75% of the food. “So, if you build landscapes without these powerhouse plants that support caterpillars, the food web is doomed,” says Tallamy, a veteran of conservation research. He says he was surprised by just how significant the difference was between powerhouse plants and other native species. “It’s important to plant trees, but we need to have the right line-up of powerhouse plants native to each region,” he adds.
Access the full paper at https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-19565-4
5. Development of integrated techniques for induced genetic diversity and improvement of vegetatively propagated and horticultural tree crops
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), in cooperation with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), has launched a coordinated research project (CRP) to develop novel genetic resources, methodologies, and tools for accelerated breeding for productivity improvement in root and tuber crops and olives through mutation breeding and associated biotechnologies. Genetic improvement of these important crops will help to directly meet some of the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly those related to health and nutrition, and the reduction of poverty and hunger. By developing and/or optimizing protocols for tissue culture-based induced mutagenesis, the project is expected to provide outcomes that can guide National Agricultural Research Systems (NARS) in the member states to accelerate the development of new varieties of vegetatively propagated crops and horticultural tree crops.
6. Wind-powered vertical veggie farm harvests first crops
The first phase of construction on one of Europe’s largest vertical farm projects is now complete, and the first crop of organic salads and herbs is reportedly ready for delivery to local businesses. The YesHealth Group and Nordic Harvest company started building the vertical farm in April, at northern Europe’s largest wholesale market in Grønttorvet, near Copenhagen in Denmark. Nordic Harvest says that the first harvest has been reserved for use in commercial kitchens, but it expects commercially available crops to appear in supermarkets early next year. Meanwhile, YesHealth will use data gathered by smart software to inform the designs of future vertical farm installations across Europe, Asia, and the Middle East and North Africa.
For more, see https://newatlas.com/environment/yeshealth-nordic-harvest-copenhagen-vertical-farm/
7. Climate change and coffee: combatting coffee rust through nuclear techniques
The coffee industry generates approximately US$ 100 billion per year. With changing weather patterns, mainly due to climate change, the conditions suitable for growing coffee are deteriorating fast. Added to it, coffee leaf rust, a disease that kills coffee trees, is on the rise, maybe due to changed conditions. The arabica coffee is mostly grown in cooler climates, on the slopes of mountains in shaded areas, but now as temperature increases as one goes up the mountain, it has enhanced the spread of diseases like coffee leaf rust. Changing rainfall patterns and rising temperatures have also been found to shorten the time it takes for a coffee plant with leaf rust to become infectious, increasing the rate of infection and the spread. Working with the IAEA and FAO, the Coffee Institute of Costa Rica has been researching the impact of coffee leaf rust throughout the country and how to manage it. There is an urgency to find and characterize new varieties of coffee plants that are resistant to coffee leaf rust, which can then be extended to other areas of coffee cultivation.
For more, see https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/news/climate-change-and-coffee-combatting-coffee-rust-through-nuclear-techniques
8. Some droughts during the Indian monsoon are due to unique North Atlantic disturbances
The Indian monsoon is a critical source of water for hundreds of millions of people, and when it fails to deliver its normal quantity of rain, enormous human, economic, and ecological costs can be incurred. A team of researchers from the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, and Cotton University, Guwahati, led by PJ Borah, has found that some droughts during monsoon season in India are due to unique North Atlantic disturbances. In their paper published in the journal Science, the group describes their study of weather patterns in South Asia over the past century, and what it showed about monsoon season droughts. Previous research has shown that El Niño events almost always lead to dry monsoon seasons, but not all dry seasons are due to El Niño events. They also found that in years when there were droughts unrelated to El Niño, there were unique atmospheric disturbances in the North Atlantic Ocean. The researchers found that the North Atlantic Ocean disturbances tend to coincide with a sudden drop in rainfall in India in mid-August.
Access the abstract at https://www.science.org/doi/abs/10.1126/science.aay6043
Events (February 2022)
1. ICMATFM: International Conference on Modern Agricultural Technologies and Farming Methods, 01-02 Feb 2022, Melbourne, Australia.
For more, see https://waset.org/modern-agricultural-technologies-and-farming-methods-conference-in-february-2022-in-melbourne
2. ICAGS: International Conference on Agricultural Genomics and Sustainability, 01-02 Feb 2022, Melbourne, Australia.
For more, see https://waset.org/agricultural-genomics-and-sustainability-conference-in-february-2022-in-melbourne
3. ICSAF: International Conference on Sensors in Agriculture and Forestry, 04-05 Feb 2022, Bangkok, Thailand.
For more, see https://waset.org/sensors-in-agriculture-and-forestry-conference-in-february-2022-in-bangkok
4. ICCAS: International Conference on Conservation Agriculture and Sustainability, 04-05 Feb 2022, Bangkok, Thailand.
For more, see https://waset.org/conservation-agriculture-and-sustainability-conference-in-february-2022-in-bangkok
5. ICAPDT: International Conference on Agricultural Policies, Developments and Technologies, 15-16 Feb 2022, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
For more, see https://waset.org/agricultural-policies-developments-and-technologies-conference-in-february-2022-in-dubai
6. ICAMFM: International Conference on Agricultural Modernization and Farming Methods, 15-26 Feb 2022, Sydney, Australia.
For more, see https://waset.org/agricultural-modernization-and-farming-methods-conference-in-february-2022-in-sydney
Other Topics of Interest
1. How invasive species change during biological invasion
Access the full paper at https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/eva.13159
2. EU project will SHOWCASE the path to biodiversity-friendly farming
For more, see https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/753305
3. Scientists breed new a rice variety with ion beam technology
4. Top 10 Agricultural Mobile Apps for farmers in 2021: 15 emerging agriculture technologies that will change the world
For more, see https://krishijagran.com/agripedia/top-10-agricultural-mobile-apps-for-farmers-in-2021/
And
5. Climate change ravages Kashmir’s ‘red gold’ saffron crop
6. Human rights-based conservation is key to protecting biodiversity: Study
For more, see https://news.mongabay.com/2020/12/human-rights-based-conservation-is-key-to-protecting-biodiversity-study/
Access the full report at https://rightsandresources.org/wp-content/uploads/Final_Rights_Conservation_RRI_07-21-2021.pdf
7. Doubling of farm income unrealistic: How agriculture fared in Covid-19 era
For more, see https://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/doubling-of-farm-income-unrealistic-how-agriculture-fared-in-covid-19-era-120122800109_1.html (need a subscription to read full article)
8. Crops grown in Bangalore high on toxic heavy metals
9. Natural selection plays a major role in an organism’s capacity to evolve and adapt
Access the abstract at https://science.sciencemag.org/content/370/6521/eabb5962
10. Understanding bacteria’s metabolism could improve biofuel production
Access the full paper at https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rsif.2020.0656
11. Rhizobium adapts lifestyles from rhizosphere to symbiosis
Access the full paper at https://www.pnas.org/content/117/38/23823
12. Advancing gene editing with new CRISPR/Cas9 variant
Access the full paper at https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-19842-2
13. Ancient DNA continues to rewrite corn’s 9,000-year society-shaping history
Access the full paper at https://www.pnas.org/content/117/52/33124
14. New ginger species found in Yunnan
For more, see https://phys.org/news/2020-12-ginger-species-yunnan.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter
15. Plant diversity in Germany on the decline
For more, see https://phys.org/news/2020-12-diversity-germany-decline.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter
16. Plants can be larks or night owls just like us
For more, see https://phys.org/news/2020-12-larks-night-owls.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter
Access the full paper at https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/pce.13941
17. How do desert plants respond to variations of nitrogen and water in arid regions?
Read the article at https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/plb.13190
18. Finding the best crop traits just got easier
For more, see https://phys.org/news/2020-12-crop-traits-easier.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter
Access the abstract at https://academic.oup.com/jxb/article-abstract/72/4/1271/6012721?redirectedFrom=fulltext
19. UF scientists help thwart disease that can ravage the popular Gerbera Daisies
For more, see https://southeastagnet.com/2020/12/16/uf-scientists-help-thwart-disease-ravage-popular-gerbera-daisy/
20. America’s crop cousins are numerous, imperilled, and more needed than ever
Access the full paper at https://www.pnas.org/content/117/52/33351
21. Bermudagrass versus the armyworm: Striving for a better understanding of pest resistance in experimental lines
Access the full paper at https://journals.ashs.org/hortsci/view/journals/hortsci/55/11/article-p1811.xml
22. Florida researchers develop corn that can weather warming planet
For more, see https://seedworld.com/florida-researchers-develop-corn-that-can-weather-warming-planet/
Access the abstract at https://www.pnas.org/content/117/52/33177.short
23. Plant science in a new light
For more, see https://msutoday.msu.edu/news/2020/plant-science-in-a-new-light
24. Natural selection helps maintain plant diversity, research finds
For more, see https://phys.org/news/2020-12-natural-diversity.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter
Access the full paper at https://www.pnas.org/content/117/52/33373
26. Hunger rising in mountain regions due to biodiversity loss, climate change
For more, see https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/12/1079812
27. Blossom-end rot and calcium nutrition of pepper and tomato
28. ‘Mobilizing agricultural advice: technology adoption, diffusion, and sustainability
For more, see https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2179008
29. Plant breeding sector split over the potential of patenting to spur innovation
Access the abstract at
30. Fruity energy, spidery lenses: Nature-inspired solutions in 2020
Access the abstract at https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2352152X19309077?via%3Dihub
Also, see https://techxplore.com/news/2020-03-world-smelliest-fruit-mobile.html
31. Improving sustainability through innovation
For more, see https://www.gov.scot/news/improving-sustainability-through-innovation/
32. Delicious and disease-free: scientists attempting new citrus varieties
33. Indian State and the future of agriculture
For more, see (needs subscription or purchase) https://www.epw.in/journal/2020/49/editorials/indian-state-and-future-agriculture.html?utm_source=sendinblue&utm_campaign=Weekly_Newsletter__%E2%80%A6%201/5