Research Results
1. Heat tolerance in rice: Gene interaction that contributes to it identified
Rice is one of the most important staple crops, on which more than half of the world’s population depends. But rice is getting more susceptible to stress as temperatures rise and the frequency of extreme weather occurrences rises. Few, if any, genetically engineered strains can survive the heat stress brought on by the occurrence of both high temperatures and drought. Genetically modified strains can endure minor flooding, but not heat. With the aid of a molecular map that describes the precise gene connections that regulate how heat-tolerant rice is, hardier crops may be developed in the future. “During its lifecycle, rice is easily influenced by heat stress, and it’s even more vulnerable under global warming,” said corresponding author Lin Hongxuan, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, China. Too much heat can damage a plant’s chloroplasts, driving the yield down when temperatures exceed a crop’s normal tolerance.
Hence, improving the thermal tolerance of rice must be investigated so that rice can be grown with high yield under high temperatures. Researchers discovered that a genetic module in rice connects heat signals from the cell’s plasma membrane to its interior chloroplasts to shield them from heat-stress damage and boost grain yield in hot weather. They also discovered that a quantitative trait locus, Thermo-tolerance 3 (TT3), consisting of two genes, TT3.1 and TT3.2, whether produced naturally or through genetic editing, improved heat tolerance and decreased yield loss related to heat stress. Scientists have carried out fine-mapping and cloned a newly identified rice module which is thermotolerant, containing two genes, and revealed a new plant thermotolerant mechanism. These findings show that a TT3.1-TT3.2 genetic module at one locus transduces heat signals from the plasma membrane to chloroplasts, and they thus provide a strategy for breeding highly thermotolerant crops.
For more, see https://phys.org/news/2022-06-gene-interaction-contributes-rice-tolerance.html
Access the abstract at https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abo5721
2. Altered gene helps plants absorb more carbon dioxide, and produce more useful compounds
Many plants transform CO2 into a range of aromatic compounds, which are often high-value chemicals with vast potential for carbon storage and are also remarkably stable. The mechanism by which plants regulate the biosynthesis of amino acids that make up chemicals and photosynthetic fixation of CO2 remains unknown. Normally, plants tightly control the production of aromatic amino acids by building natural brakes to the process. Scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, led by Hiroshi Maeda, identified a way to release the brakes on plants’ production of aromatic amino acids, by changing or mutating one set of genes. The genetic change also caused the plants to absorb 30% more carbon dioxide than normal, without any ill effect on the plants.
Using Arabidopsis thaliana, Maeda’s team discovered that the mutated plants had fewer sensitive brakes due to mutations in a gene called DHS, which starts the production of aromatic amino acids. They identified suppressors of tyra2 (sota) mutations that deregulate the first step in the plant shikimate pathway, by alleviating multiple effector-mediated feedback regulation in A. thaliana. This mutation also resulted in putting photosynthesis by plants into overdrive and absorbing significantly more CO2 to fuel this new production boom. The identified mutations can be used to enhance plant-based, sustainable conversion of atmospheric CO2 to high-energy and high-value aromatic compounds. The authors suggest carrying out tests of similar mutations in other crops which consume large amounts of carbon dioxide, and in plants that produce valuable aromatic chemicals. The study also demonstrates the need for efficient mineral nutrition to carry out the survival functions of plants.
Access the full paper at https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.abo3416
3. Artificial photosynthesis can produce food without sunshine
Photosynthesis has evolved in plants for millions of years to turn water, carbon dioxide, and the energy from sunlight into plant biomass and the foods we eat. This process, however, is very inefficient, with only about 1% of the energy found in sunlight ending up in the plant. In addition, as the demand for food is expected to grow and as there is little scope for bringing more land under cultivation, artificial photosynthesis, which can overcome the limitations of biological photosynthesis, could provide an alternative route for food production. Scientists at UC Riverside and the University of Delaware, led by Robert Jinkerson, have found 2-step artificial photosynthesis.
The researchers developed a CO2 electrolyser system that produces a highly concentrated acetate stream with a 57% carbon selectivity (i.e., CO2 to acetate). This allows its direct use for the heterotrophic cultivation of yeast, mushroom-producing fungus, and a photosynthetic green alga in the dark, without inputs from photosynthesis with sunlight. They evaluated nine crop plants and found that carbon from exogenously supplied acetate incorporates into biomass through major metabolic pathways (i.e., anabolic reactions build up-biosynthesize-new molecules). Linking this approach to existing photovoltaic systems was found to increase solar-to-food energy conversion efficiency by about fourfold over biological photosynthesis, reducing the solar footprint required. Researchers conclude that this technology allows for a reimagination of how food can be produced in controlled environments. Widespread adoption of this approach, along with readily available solar energy, could allow for producing more food and/or feed for a given solar footprint, helping to meet the rising demand for food.
Access the full paper at https://www.nature.com/articles/s43016-022-00530-x
4. Copper makes seed pods explode
Plants have evolved numerous strategies to spread their seeds widely. Some scatter their seeds to the wind, while others tempt animals and birds to eat their seed-filled fruits. A few rare plants—such as the popping cress, Cardamine hirsuta—have evolved exploding seed pods that propel their seeds in all directions. This explosive mechanism relies on the polar deposition of the cell-wall polymer lignin. To investigate the genetic basis for polar lignin deposition, Angela Hay and colleagues from the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Cologne, Germany, conducted a mutant screen and identified the SQUAMOSA PROMOTER-BINDING PROTEIN-LIKE 7 (SPL7)—a transcriptional regulator of copper homeostasis. To create these hinged structures, lignin is deposited in a precise pattern in a single layer of seed pod cells, called the endocarp.
Hay explains that the mechanical design that allows these pods to explode depends on lignin being laid down in a precise pattern in this single layer of cells, and on three genes that are required to lignify the cell wall in exploding seed pods. These genes code for enzymes, called laccases, that polymerize lignin. When C. hirsuta plants lack all three laccase genes, they also lack lignin in this specific cell type and would not be able to explode and disperse seeds. SPL7 helps C. hirsuta plants to acquire enough copper to develop fully exploding seed pods, especially when copper levels are low. Since lignin is critical for the mechanics of exploding seed pods, and copper-requiring laccases regulate this lignification, it makes seed dispersal dependent on the control of copper levels by SPL7.
For more, see https://phys.org/news/2022-06-copper-seed-pods.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter
Access the full paper at https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2202287119
5. Climate-associated genetic switches found in plants
Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) aim to correlate phenotypic changes with a genotypic variation. However, plant genomes have not been assessed for the presence of these structure-altering polymorphisms or “riboSNitches.” For the first time in plants, genetic variants that can act as switches to control structural changes in RNA molecules that encode plant proteins have been experimentally validated by Ángel Ferrero-Serrano and colleagues at the Pennsylvania State University, USA.
Genetic variants, riboSNitches, found among varieties of Arabidopsis, can act as environmentally induced switches, changing the 3D structure of the RNA molecules that code for proteins. These genetic switches could be an important genetic mechanism that allowed plants to adapt to their microclimates in the past, and they could be vital for future adaptation and the development of resilient crops as climates continue to change. This folded structure of an RNA molecule can, therefore, be altered by variants that show single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Researchers developed and used computational tools, such as CLIMtools, which allow determining associations between the genetic variation in DNA across Arabidopsis varieties collected within their native range and a large set of climate variables that define the local environments of those varieties. The team took the set of SNPs associated with temperature changes and further narrowed it by looking for SNPs that were also associated with changes in RNA abundance, which often result from changes in RNA folding. The results facilitate in silico studies (i.e., studies performed on computer or via computer simulation) of natural genetic variation, its phenotypic consequences, and its role in local adaptation.
For more, see https://phys.org/news/2022-06-climate-associated-genetic.html
Access the full paper at https://genomebiology.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13059-022-02656-4
6. No photosynthetic improvement in ictB transformants in field-grown model crop
It is projected that by the year 2050, the global food supply will need to increase by 50-80% to keep up with the growing human population. Researchers all over the world have been working to find ways to meet this increased demand; improving photosynthesis in plants holds great promise for solving this issue. The inorganic carbon transporter B gene (ictB) is a highly conserved gene among cyanobacteria that was proposed to be involved in inorganic carbon accumulation in Synechococcus PCC 7942. Although the exact function of ictB is not yet known, several studies over the past have indicated that overexpressing ictB improves photosynthetic efficiency in C3 plants under greenhouse conditions. A team of researchers from Illinois, led by Ursula Ruiz-Vera at the University of Illinois, Urbana, USA, investigated this: four tobacco transformants overexpressing the ictB gene were screened for photosynthetic performance relative to the wild type (WT) in field-based conditions.
The results indicated that ictB overexpression may benefit only crops grown in controlled environments, such as greenhouses. So, if the benefits of the ictB overexpression can only be seen in plants grown in controlled environments, it is worth a deeper exploration of this method under these conditions, to benefit crops which use greenhouse-like environments, such as vegetable crops. There remains optimism that ictB still holds value in contributing to the improvement of crop yields, as results from previous studies had shown significant gains for biomass production with ictB overexpression.
Access the full paper at https://academic.oup.com/jxb/advance-article/doi/10.1093/jxb/erac193/6585634?login=false
Potential Crops/Technologies/Concepts
1. Green Revolution 2.0 is unfolding, driven by biotechnology innovation: Here is what you can expect
The first Green Revolution involved the introduction of high-yielding crop varieties of cereals, particularly wheat and rice, and the expanded use of fertilizers, agrochemicals, irrigation methods, pesticides, and mechanization. The world is looking for another such jump in agricultural productivity, albeit through sustainable production systems. One of the arguments is that such a jump is possible with the adoption of modern methods, such as genetic modification (GM) technology. A meta-analysis of 147 studies concluded that the adoption of GM technology led to a 37% reduction in chemical pesticide use, a 22% increase in crop yields, and a 68% boost in farmer profits. Despite protests, GM continues to be popular among farmers in several countries. For example, in 2018, GMO soybeans made up 94% of all soybeans planted, GMO cotton made up 94%, and GMO corn 92% of the respective crops grown in the US. Besides soybeans, cotton, corn, and sugar beets, there are also GMO potatoes, papaya, apples, summer squash, canola, and alfalfa grown in the US.
The situation in other countries is changing as well. As of 2020, there were 22 different crops in 41 countries which involved GMO crops or crops developed via new breeding techniques that were linked to genetic engineering of one form or another. Many developing nations are embracing GMO crops as a means of increasing food production and boosting economic activity and farm income. When the gene-edited crops become popular, GMOs will be considered ‘primitive’. Crops grown will require less water; can make their nitrogen; can ripen faster or slower (bananas, potatoes and avocados will not brown); have increased storage life; maybe sweeter or tarter, depending on taste preference; involve less insecticide, fungicides, and herbicides use; and be disease resistant, thus reducing spoilage and waste; new hybrid varieties will be created; and there may be edible vaccines (Editor’s note: several efforts to develop oral vaccines to for COVID 19, Vibrio cholera, etc., are underway; see https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/rice-based-cholera-vaccine-induces-antibodies-in-small-trial-68958?utm_campaign=TS_DAILY_NEW%E2%80%A6%201/3; https://www.isaaa.org/kc/cropbiotechupdate/article/default.asp?ID=19004)
2. Yellow peas show promising results as the basis for tomorrow’s cheese
Humans have used milk to make cheese for millennia. However, climate change and sustainability concerns are prompting us to look for plant-based animal products. One such example is looking at the plant kingdom for the cheeses of the future. New research from the University of Copenhagen by Carmen Masiá and colleagues points to the potential that the modest yellow pea (Pisum sativum), with its high nutritional content and sustainable cultivation attributes, offers to become tomorrow’s plant-based cheese of choice. Their results show promise that pea proteins can provide the basis for plant-based cheese production. Peas and other legumes are rich in proteins, and their production is sustainable. Researchers mixed pea protein powder with sucrose and glucose and olive oil; they fermented this base and produced a prototype of a plant cheese, providing a starting point to further develop flavour. The researchers focused on identifying and characterizing an optimal pea protein matrix that is suitable for fermentation-induced plant-based cheese. Stability and gel formation, along with emulsion stability, were evaluated.
The authors conclude that under the conditions applied in the present study, pea protein isolate (PPI) is a functional starting material for fermentation-induced pea protein gels. The high protein concentration in the PPI and the proper homogenization of PPI emulsions enable protein-protein interactions and the formation of a self-sustained protein network. Protein hydration and homogenization with two pressure stages are two main operations in the production process of a PPI matrix that ensures stability and avoids phase separation over fermentation. Olive oil levels of around 10% would be recommended for a PPI matrix with 10% protein content, and with fermentation-induced gelling properties for plant-based cheese production. The results indicate the potential of developing cheeses using yellow pea, and thus offer encouragement for developing products with higher quality and improved textural properties.
Access the full paper at https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/11/2/178/htm
3. Role of cover crops investigated
Interest in using cover crops for the benefit of both land crops has been on the increase in recent years; it has been covered frequently in this Newsletter (see, for example, AgriTech Nos 11, 12, 16, 32, etc.). Among the many advantages of cover crops is the fact that they cover the ground when farmers cannot grow economically beneficial crops, such as corn and soybean, during the winter months. When Heidi Reed at Pennsylvania State University investigated the effects of planting rye as a cover crop, followed by soybeans and corn, the results showed that rye sowing rates did not affect rye biomass or soil moisture, which in turn did not affect soybean. Vegetable planting that combined the lowest rye sowing rate with the lowest nitrogen rate was able to keep soybean yields stable, and it did not require as much rye sowing and fertilizer as the other options, showing that farmers can maintain the benefits of green planting, especially soil moisture management.
By analysing long-term experiments, Nakian Kim at the University of Illinois, USA, in collaboration with Argentinian researchers, found that short-term use of cover crops cannot undo decades of soil microbial dynamics in response to continuous corn and heavy use of nitrogen fertilizer. For example, he found both long-term fertilization and cover crops favoured microbes, which could increase the risk of nitrous oxide emissions. Cover crops were also found to enhance soil biodiversity because microbes with diverse niches and functions were associated with such a practice. In a second study, researchers found two years of cover crops had no impact on microbes’ rates of potential nitrification and denitrification, indirect indicators of nitrate leaching and nitrous oxide emission. That means, two years of cover cropping was not enough to undo the damage caused by 36 years of continuous corn cultivation and nitrogen fertilizer application. These results suggest that many cycles of cover crop will be necessary to correct the ill effects of continuous cropping.
For more, see https://phys.org/news/2022-05-uncovering-crops-optimize-crop-production.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily-%E2%80%A6%201/4 and https://phys.org/news/2022-06-crops-soil-decades-corn.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter
Access the abstract at https://acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/agj2.21030
Access the full paper at https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/12/4/954
4. Extracting high-value Rubisco protein from tomato leaves
Rubisco, or Ribulose-1,5-biphosphate carboxylase oxygenase, is a crucial enzyme in photosynthesis, and it is found in every green leaf in considerable quantities. In its pure form, it has a neutral aroma, colour and flavour, and a good balance of the essential amino acids with gelation properties. Hence, Rubisco is a very useful protein for making plant-based meat and dairy alternatives.
Wageningen University has recently published a report about extracting high-value Rubisco protein from tomato leaves, one of the major residue streams of greenhouse horticulture. The method filters out the components that are smaller than the protein, but this includes many toxins. The researchers also developed a method to remove the toxin hydroxytomatine from tomato leaves as well.
The method has been patented and is currently being tested on tomato and sugar beet.
Harvesting food crops results in the yearly production of around 40 tonnes (for sugar beet) to 50 tonnes (for tomatoes) of crop residues per hectare, mostly consisting of leaves and stems. Usually, crop residues, such as leaves and stems, are either ploughed back into the soil or composted. Although this is a useful practice, both are low-value uses compared to extracting protein for human consumption. Detoxifying leaves and extracting rubisco from them provides a high-value alternative. The authors hope that the private sector will further test the method with leaves of other crops, and then scale up toxin-free rubisco for the benefit of growers.
For more, see https://www.hortidaily.com/article/9430380/extracting-high-value-rubisco-protein-from-tomato-leaves/ and https://www.foodingredientsfirst.com/news/wur-researchers-examine-tomato-leaves-insects-and-fungi-as-protein-transition-options.html
Access the abstract at https://academic.oup.com/jxb/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/jxb/erac078/6537450
5. ‘Plasma Agriculture’–Plasma primed seeds for accelerated growth
The main motivation that drives the research on plasma treatment of seed is the importance of food quality in the context of sustainable, eco-friendly agriculture. Most food begins with planting seeds, and techniques such as seed priming or seed coatings are used to improve plant growth parameters. There is a constant interest in finding alternatives that can minimize the use of non-renewable resources. Alexandra Waskow and colleagues at the Swiss Plasma Center (SPC), Lausanne, Switzerland, examined the potential use of plasma treatment of seeds using different plasma sources: planar dielectric barrier discharges (DBDs) in various forms, followed by DBD plasma jets; low-pressure plasma in a vacuum chamber; and less common devices, such as gliding arcs and corona arrays.
Their study provides the parameters used within the seed treatment, the plasma treatment of the seed, and the seed post-treatment. Biological parameters such as germination rate, germination probability, numbers of leaves, flowers, or fruits, shoot length, root length, biomass, leaf area, and seed or leaf colour were used. The authors conclude that before any conclusions can be reached on the effect of plasma treatment on plant growth and production, there is a need for considerable standardization of treatment protocols via research collaboration before the treatment could be routinely employed. Their study marks a beginning in this regard.
For more, see https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ppap.202100152
Access related papers at https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ppap.202100152 and
https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/11/7/856
6. Scientists offer solutions to the global phosphorus crisis that threatens food and water security
Phosphorus is an important but often ignored resource, which is vital for humans. It is extracted from phosphate rock for use in crop fertilizers, livestock feeds, and food components. International food security is threatened, as many farmers find it difficult to afford adequate amounts of phosphorus fertilizer for their crops. About 70% of the global production of phosphate comes from just four countries. Also, the overuse of fertilizers causes sewage pollution and pumps tens of millions of heaps of phosphorus into lakes and rivers, which is detrimental to biodiversity and affects the water adversely.
More than 100 scientists and industry experts from around the world developed a report on “Our Phosphorus Future,” as the result of a project that ran from 2017 to 2021. The report identifies priority issues, possible solutions, and the capacity to address phosphorus sustainability from local to global levels. It calls on governments the world over to aim at a 50% reduction in global pollution by phosphorus, and a 50% growth in recycling of the nutrient by 2050. It also provides guidelines for integrating cattle and crop production, so that phosphorus in animal manure is applied to crops; reducing the use of chemical fertilizers; greater sustainable diets that would lessen the quantity of phosphorus needed; reducing worldwide food waste; and improving wastewater (including runoff from farms and feedlots) treatment to reuse phosphorus and thus reduce polluting lakes and rivers.
Access the full report at https://www.opfglobal.com/
News:
1. Land mass required for protecting global biodiversity, and crucial diversity required for ecosystem functioning and ecosystem services
For the last couple of years, there have been significant discussions at national and international levels on safeguarding biodiversity, including the one in June 2022 at the Fourth meeting of the Open-ended Working Group on the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework in Nairobi, Kenya, which will lead to the adoption of a biodiversity framework during the second phase of the UN Biodiversity Conference to be held in Montreal, Canada, from 5 to 17 December 2022. The negotiations are expected to result in actionable recommendations for the countries to implement.
While the policy and governance issues are being developed, researchers are focusing on the nitty-gritty of conservation at the ground level. For example, what is the extent of land that is required to conserve terrestrial biodiversity? An international team of researchers, led by James Allan at the Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), University of Amsterdam, Netherlands, examined the question in detail. They indicate that ambitious conservation efforts are needed to stop the global biodiversity crisis: they estimate that the minimum land area to secure important biodiversity areas, ecologically intact areas, and optimal locations for representation of species ranges and ecoregions would be at least 64 m km2 (44% of the terrestrial area).
A related question, that of above-ground tree biomass and the components of tree-species diversity, was examined by Jacqueline Reu and colleagues at the Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. Their study provided empirical evidence of the kind of biodiversity that underpins the scaling of relationships between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in naturally complex ecosystems.
Although it has been shown above 44% of the landmass is required for optimum conservation of global biodiversity, most efforts are focusing on 33%. Many areas included will have to be classified as Protected Areas (PAs) to safeguard biodiversity, ensure ecosystem functioning, and deliver ecosystem services to communities. However, only ~16% of the world’s land area is under some form of protection. In efforts to show policymakers the economic benefits of bringing more biodiversity-rich lands under PAs, Yiwen Zeng at the School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University, Princeton, USA, and colleagues examined the question of gains in biodiversity conservation and ecosystem services from the expansion of the planet’s protected areas. The results show that such an expansion, in addition to the conservation of biodiversity, also contributes to avoiding carbon emissions of carbon dioxide sequestration, increased ability to regulate water quality, and mitigates nutrient pollution.
For more, see https://phys.org/news/2022-06-earth-requires-safeguard-biodiversity-ecosystem.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign%E2%80%A6%201/3 and https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/06/220601111813.htm
Access the abstracts at https://phys.org/news/2022-06-earth-requires-safeguard-biodiversity-ecosystem.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign%E2%80%A6%201/3 and https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ecy.3774
Access the full paper at https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.abl9885
2. How do smallholders transform to sustainable production in North China?
Smallholders constitute the main body of China’s agricultural producers (like in most other developing countries). They often invest excess resources in the production process, often with low use efficiency of resources, resulting in serious air and water pollution, soil degradation, and resource scarcity. All these practices result in unsustainable agricultural production. Jie Yan and colleagues from the China Agricultural University, Beijing, carried out a county-level sustainability assessment of maize production in Hebei, China, by applying multiple data sources in combination with energy, carbon footprint, nitrogen footprint, and cost-benefit analyses.
The assessment indicates that there is a great potential to improve the environmental-economic sustainability of the smallholder maize production system. The authors suggest that, initially, the policy frameworks developed should cover the concerns about modernizing the basic rural operation system and technical innovations. Next, a green transition for agriculture can progress through three phases: optimizing, replacing, and redesigning. This should be followed by enhanced collaboration among scientists, extensionists, and farmers to ensure the implementation and promotion of green innovations. These findings provide an important reference for adopting variable strategies to achieve the environmental-economic sustainability of agricultural production systems in diverse landscapes in North China. Using a similar approach, a transition toward achieving sustainability in agriculture for smallholders worldwide may be possible.
Access the full paper(accepted) at https://journal.hep.com.cn/fase/EN/article/downloadArticleFile.do?attachType=PDF&id=31773
3. Soil quality is key to increasing crop production and resilience to climate change
Climate change (CC) and its impact on global food systems is a major current concern. Although there have been many studies on the impact of CC on crops and crop production, studies related to its effect on soils and their productivity are of more recent origin. Interactions between soil quality and climate change may influence the capacity of croplands to produce sufficient food. A 20% reduction in the climate change-related drop in crop production in China can be achieved by increasing soil quality, according to a study carried out by a multinational team of specialists (China, Germany, and the UK), led by Mingsheng Fan of the China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.
The team contends that soil quality—defined as the soil’s ability to supply nutrients and water—holds the key to future food security and climate change adaptation. Professor Fan says, “We discovered that high-quality soils lowered the susceptibility of agricultural production to climatic variability, leading to greater and more stable crop yields across crops and environmental situations”. This study also highlights that in climate change research, soils are often regarded as carbon pools. The importance of soil quality for land productivity and sequestering carbon in ecosystems has also to be considered to develop efficient soil management practices across the world.
Access the abstract at https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-022-01376-8
4. Global Alliance report highlights investment strategies for resilient food systems
A report published by the Global Alliance for the Future of Food and the Food Systems Transformative Investment Initiative (TIFS) shows that social and environmental investments create food systems that are sustainable, equitable, and resilient. It calls for investors to strengthen the food system by supporting entrepreneurs, farmers, activists, and social justice movements. The report builds on the Global Alliance’s Beacons of Hope project and highlights six global organizations that are transforming the food system through innovative investment strategies. Lauren Baker, deputy director of the Global Alliance for the Future of Food, said these organizations “represent the essence of investments that can create healthy and nutritious food systems that promote health of land and limit climate change”.
Rex Raimond, Director of TIFS, welcomed the progress but insisted “financial leaders must go further.” By adopting systems approaches that impact more diverse stakeholders, the entire food system can become more resilient. Using existing resources can help create stand-alone systems. These levers can serve as benchmarks to inspire food system action and funding guidance for policymakers, entrepreneurs, donors, investors, and charity groups. They urge donors to build processing infrastructure and improve sourcing practices to encourage better production of safe food.
For more, see https://foodtank.com/news/2022/05/global-alliance-report-highlights-investment-strategies-for-resilient-food-systems/
5. The past, present, and future of agrochemicals and environmental justice
Residents of rural, agricultural areas where pesticides are used experience increased potential for pesticide exposure. In the rural U.S. South, where communities are predominantly of colour, increased agricultural chemical use can constitute environmental injustice, which has been happening for decades, reported Matt Griffith and colleagues in 2007 (see PMID: 17665723 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17665723/). As per a recent study by Jayson Maurice Porter of the Organic Center, Northwestern University, USA, the situation has not changed. The report says that pesticide use in the United States has contributed to the legacy of environmental racism against communities of colour and rural poor. Through several historical case studies on agrochemicals, environmental racism, and environmental justice, the report examines the relationships between these themes at local and regional scales.
The report invites us to consider whether racism or environmental injustice has inspired any forms of grassroots environmental justice in their cities or communities. The ongoing activism of these communities presents opportunities for building a more equitable food system. To support this resistance, the Organic Center also released an accompanying lesson plan to help young activists improve the food system.
For more, see https://foodtank.com/news/2022/05/report-investigates-the-past-present-and-future-of-agrochemicals-and-environmental-justice/
Access the full report at https://organic-center.org/sites/default/files/agrochemicals_racism_and_justice_in_us_history.pdf
6. Are diploid varieties the future of potatoes?
Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is the world’s most important non-cereal food crop. While most of the commercially grown potato varieties are tetraploid, diploid varieties are easier to propagate and have the potential to revolutionize potato breeding. Diploid potatoes represent about 70% of wild and local potato species, and their high diversity has not been fully characterized or utilized in breeding programs thus far. Advances in diploid hybrid breeding, based on true seeds, have the potential to revolutionize future potato breeding and production. However, one disadvantage is that diploid potatoes are self-incompatible. There is a need to develop self-compatibility and inbred lines, and then develop potato hybrids to exploit heterosis.
A team of researchers led by Sanwen Huang at the Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China, investigated the complexity of the potato genome, in collaboration with the James Hutton Institute, Invergowrie, UK. They created a map of remarkable genetic traits that can help breeders speed the development of new varieties. This study will accelerate hybrid potato breeding and enrich our understanding of the evolution and biology of the potato as a global staple food crop.
For more, see https://seedworld.com/are-diploid-varieties-the-future-of-potatoes/
Access the full paper at https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-04822-x
7. High-throughput gene editing will accelerate crop improvement, but how acceptable are gene-edited foods?
Recent developments in molecular technology, like high-throughput DNA marker genotyping, have made the marker-assisted selection and genomic selection more effective plant breeding techniques. The knowledge of genes and genetic processes throughout plant genomes has also increased because of significant investments in plant genetics and genomics, particularly whole-genome sequencing. The use of forwarding genetics, which starts with a phenotype to map a mutant locus or QTL to clone the causal gene, and the use of reverse genetics, which begins with extensive sequencing data and works back to the gene function, are still at odds with one another. Michael Thomson and colleagues at the Texas A&M University, College Station, USA, review the current state of the art in crop genetics, genomics, and gene editing that promise to enable high-throughput genome editing for more powerful crop improvement strategies for the future.
The authors note that the recent success of CRISPR-Cas-based gene editing, which promised to provide a rapid method to functionally alter genes, could be the major development in modern plant breeding tools. Genes can be precisely altered through the base and prime editing, replaced alleles, or single or multiple genes can be knocked off using CRISPR-Cas procedures. These high-throughput technologies, including protoplast isolation, plant transformation, and the use of regulatory genes, hold considerable potential to facilitate the use of gene editing to accelerate crop improvement.
While there has been an increase in the use of gene editing for crop improvement, and a few countries have already released edited crop produce into markets, questions have been raised about its acceptance by consumers, especially in the light of public perceptions and backlash faced by previous generations of genetically modified crops. Christopher Cummings of the North Carolina State University, Raleigh, and David Peters of the Iowa State University, Ames, investigated the American public’s willingness to eat or avoid gene-edited foods. They report that the American public makes little difference between the willingness to eat processed or uncooked ingredients made with genetically edited plants. In a somewhat similar approach, Oswaldo Vasquez and colleagues at Agricultural & Resource Economics, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada, investigated Canadian consumer preferences regarding gene-edited food products. They concluded that Canadian consumers have a moderate to high level of trust in Canada’s food safety system, but this level of trust fails to carry over to food products produced through innovative technologies. However, they found consumers expressing a higher level of trust in gene-edited technology than in genetically modified technology. Similar investigations in other major countries may help in exploiting the full potential of gene-edited crops.
For more, see https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35743007/
Access the full papers at https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/23/12/6565 and https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frfst.2022.858277/full and https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgeed.2022.854334/full
And https://www.genengnews.com/topics/genome-editing/from-pharma-to-farm-can-crispr-feed-the-world/
Events: (January 2023)
1. IUPAC2023: International Congress of Crop Protection Chemistry
10-13 January 2023, National Agricultural Science Museum, New Delhi, India.
For more, see https://10times.com/iupac-international-congress-crop-protection
2. ICAEB 2023: International Conference on Agriculture and Environmental Biotechnology 11-12 January 2023, Singapore.
For more, see https://waset.org/agriculture-and-environmental-biotechnology-conference-in-january-2023-in-singapore
3. ICSACB 2023: International Conference on Sustainable Agriculture and Crop Breeding 14-15 January 2023, Zurich, Switzerland
.
For more, see https://waset.org/sustainable-agriculture-and-crop-breeding-conference-in-january-2023-in-zurich
4. ICPS 2023: International Conference on Plant Science
18-19 January 2023, Bangkok, Thailand
.
For more, see https://waset.org/plant-science-conference-in-january-2023-in-bangkok
5. ICEAB 2023: International Conference on Ecological Agriculture and Biotechnology 21-22 January 2023, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
.
For more, see https://waset.org/ecological-agriculture-and-biotechnology-conference-in-january-2023-in-amsterdam
6. ICAIF 2023: International Conference on Agricultural Intensification and Efficiency 28-29 January 2023, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
.
For more, see https://waset.org/agricultural-intensification-and-efficiency-conference-in-january-2023-in-dubai
Other Topics of Interest
1. Report shows the impact of the higher crop, input prices
For more, see https://phys.org/news/2022-05-impact-higher-crop-prices.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter
2. The history of tomatoes: How tropical became a global crop
For more, see https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/garden-scoop/2020-07-25-history-tomatoes-how-tropical-became-global-crop
3. Cash and action are needed to avert a biodiversity crisis
For more, see https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-01430-7
4. African scientists launch biodiversity genomics revolution
For more, see https://allianceforscience.cornell.edu/blog/2022/05/african-scientists-launch-biodiversity-genomics-revolution/
5. Innovation vs. ideology—How the US and Europe differ on the goal of ‘green’, sustainable farming
6. How to store more carbon in the soil during climate change
For more, see https://phys.org/news/2022-06-carbon-soil-climate.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter Access the abstract at https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0016703722002113?via%3Dihub
7. Global farming and its ‘50:50’ moment
For more, see https://www.devex.com/news/opinion-global-farming-and-its-50-50-moment-103418
8. Research finds tree plantations encroaching on essential ecosystems
Access the abstract at https://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-022-00904-w
9. Antagonistic interactions of plant defence compounds
10. Discovery paves way for more sustainable crop cultivation methods
For more, see https://seedworld.com/discovery-paves-way-for-more-sustainable-crop-cultivation-methods/
Access the related paper at https://projects.sare.org/wp-content/uploads/Seed-endophytes-1.pdf
11. Renewable energy, a new threat to biodiversity
For more, see http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2022/06/05/features/renewable-energy-new-threat-biodiversity
12. Biodiversity collapse: What’s foiling India’s conservation efforts?
For more, see https://www.indiaspend.com/earthcheck/biodiversity-collapse-whats-foiling-indias-conservation-efforts-820777
13. Inside development—Food systems-Crop diversification: A solution for food crisis, climate change
14. The trendy, spendy future of tech-enabled indoor farming
15. ‘Regenerative agriculture has replaced organic as the ‘green’ solution to farming and food. What does it mean?
16. Survival of the best: The past, present and future of plant breeding
For more, see https://www.yahoo.com/now/survival-best-past-present-future-135607941.html?guccounter=1
17. Understanding the genomic modifications in transgenic papaya
18. Machine learning helps determine the health of soybean fields
19. How do plants know how big to grow?
For more, see https://phys.org/news/2022-06-big.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter
20. Altered gene helps plants absorb more carbon dioxide, and produce more useful compounds
21. Report sums up the wealth of Sri Lanka’s biodiversity — and the threats it faces
For more, see https://news.mongabay.com/2022/06/report-sums-up-wealth-of-sri-lankas-biodiversity-and-the-threats-it-faces/
22. Is conventional ‘industrialized’, technology-driven farming ‘destroying biodiversity’ as critics claim—or saving it?
23. Gene hunting leads researchers to solve the mystery of inhibition of awn elongation in sorghum
24. How tree species adapt to climate change
For more, see https://phys.org/news/2022-06-tree-species-climate.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter
25. How plants’ threat-detection mechanisms raise the alarm
26. Bioplastic made with vanilla bean extract self-destructs under UV light
27. Pea and lentils invest in root system development differently
28. Sustainable irrigation can feed billions, and make agriculture resilient to climate change
29. Risks of using AI to grow our food are substantial and must not be ignored
Access the abstract at https://www.nature.com/articles/s42256-022-00440-4
30. Exotic tree plantations can disturb local wildlife, researchers find
Access the full paper at https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378112722002717?via%3Dihub
31. Genetically modified corn found to not damage non-target organisms
Access the full papers at https://environmentalevidencejournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13750-022-00272-0 and
https://bmcresnotes.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13104-022-06021-3
32. For conservation to truly work, we must view the natural world as more than just objects and resources
For more, see https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/06/conservation-science-still-too-anthropocentric/
32. Soil microbes return after replanting local native plants
Access the abstract at https://phys.org/news/2022-06-soil-microbes-replanting-local-native.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter
33. Farming communities around the world hold the key to food system resilience
For more, see https://foodtank.com/news/2021/10/farming-communities-around-the-world-hold-the-key-to-food-system-resilience/
34. Unveiling the mechanism by which light regulates rice flowering time
For more, see https://phys.org/news/2022-06-unveiling-mechanism-rice.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter
35. Worldwide biodiversity loss may push developing nations into default, says research
For more, see https://theprint.in/economy/worldwide-biodiversity-loss-may-push-developing-nations-into-default-says-research/1008457/
36. Enabling ecological change amid climate change is key to preserving biodiversity and ecosystem services
For more, see https://phys.org/news/2022-06-enabling-ecological-climate-key-biodiversity.html
37. This CRISPR pioneer wants to capture more carbon with crops
For more, see https://www.technologyreview.com/2022/06/14/1053843/carbon-capture-crispr-crops/
38. Can farms produce to the max and still reduce greenhouse gas emissions?
Access the full paper at https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S095965262201304X?via%3Dihub
39. Agriculture emissions pose risks to health and climate
Access the abstract at https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.1c08660
40. Grape growers are adapting to climate shifts early, and their knowledge can help other farmers
41. Why confronting invasive species is one of the best ways to prepare for climate change
Access the abstract at https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.2117389119
42. Long-standing systems for sustainable farming could feed people and the planet—if the industry is willing to step back
43. Tracking weeds to stop them in their tracks
For more, see https://phys.org/news/2022-06-tracking-weeds-tracks.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter
44. New theory looks at how biodiversity affects interspecies interaction
For more, see https://www.technologynetworks.com/genomics/news/new-theory-looks-at-how-biodiversity-affects-interspecies-interaction-362056
Access the full paper at https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2021.2690