According to Euroseeds, recent months have brought major advancements in global gene-editing regulations. Here’s a top 5 roundup of key developments shaping the future of plant breeding!EU Advances with NGT ProposalIn February 2024, the European Parliament voted in favor of the European Commission’s
Seed World Europe wishes you happy holidays. And while you’re having a great time with your families and friends over the holidays, there may be moments, you’d like to take a break and escape with a bit of good reading. Check out our daily postings of content from the past year.Started in 2023, Crop
Scientists at the James Hutton Institute, world leaders in agricultural ecology research, seek farmers to participate in trials to measure legume-related benefits following easy-to-use monitoring methods.The project aims to provide evidence for the ecosystem benefits of legume crops – such as peas,
Naktuinbouw Laboratories has enhanced the dilution plating test for detecting Xanthomonas pathogens responsible for ‘bacterial spot’ in tomato, pepper, and eggplant seeds. Following dilution plating, all suspect colonies undergo confirmation using an improved real-time PCR assay. The updated markers
Researchers from the United States and Germany have identified a peptide that makes barley, grown in the U.S.’s key barley-producing region, more vulnerable to leaf blotch disease. The fungus responsible for the disease uses this peptide to activate an immune receptor in the plant, causing affected
Bayer’s Crop Science division has partnered with the Cambridge-based plant science organization Niab to launch a series of groundbreaking research projects. These initiatives will focus on harnessing genetic diversity in wheat, controlling flowering in strawberries, exploring root symbiosis in wheat
A £5.9M study led by The James Hutton Institute and partners will uncover how pathogens cause crop diseases like potato blight. Pests and diseases threaten approximately 25% of global food production annually. This 5-year project aims to tackle an invisible war threatening global food production.Thi
A cutting-edge Artificial Intelligence (AI) model capable of deciphering the sequences and structural patterns that form the genetic “language” of plants has been introduced by a research collaboration.PlantRNA-FM, considered the first AI model of its kind, has been developed through a collaboration
Agroecology and sustainable intensification, two key fields in agricultural sustainability, have extensive research but seldom acknowledge their limitations or engage with each other. This gap may slow progress in the field. A research group from SLU has analyzed both approaches from an interdiscipl
Adding wheat bran to bread boosts its nutritional value but often results in a dense, less appealing texture. New research from SLU is set to change that by modifying the fiber structure, improving the quality of bread made with wheat bran extracts.Wheat is one of the world’s most important crops, w
The impacts of climate change, such as failed harvests, are becoming increasingly evident. Addressing these challenges requires diverse strategies, including enhancing plant resilience. An international research team, led by scientists at VIB-UGent, has uncovered the mechanisms regulating the openin
Scientists have discovered previously unexplored genetic variations in the DNA of Arabidopsis plants’ photosynthetic and energy centers, revealing key factors influencing photosynthesis efficiency. Published Nov. 28 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), these groundbreaking find
Most in the seed industry are well-familiar with the concept of biologicals: a broad category of microorganisms, plant extracts, biochemical compounds and other products derived from natural sources that are used to protect plants, enhance growth or combat pests. Biological additives, whether in the
The Borlaug Global Rust Initiative (BGRI) and the European and Mediterranean Cereal Rust Foundation (EMCRF) have announced a new partnership to strengthen global efforts against cereal diseases. This collaboration aims to improve food security by fostering research, sharing knowledge, and developing
Seventeen European Technology Platforms (ETPs) have released a Joint Statement addressing the European Commission, calling on “the European Commission to reaffirm their support for the strategic role of ETPs in the next EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation succeeding Horizon Europe (FP
When different varieties of a plant species are crossbred, their hybrid offspring often exhibit greater vigor and faster growth than the parent plants. However, this effect typically fades in subsequent generations. New methods now allow scientists to retain these beneficial traits in hybrid plants
New research that could increase the natural resistance of wheat to a devastating fungal disease has begun at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh.The research will examine why some wheat varieties are more resistant than others to this disease, according to a press release. Dr Angela Feechan, a plan
Asked to pinpoint the top two skills young plant breeders need, the consensus is clear as far as Corteva’s Global Talent Development Lead Klaus Koehler is concerned. He sat down with Seed World at the recent meeting of the National Association for Plant Breeding (NAPB) in St. Louis, MO.“Tenacity mig
Researchers from the University of Nottingham are part of a team awarded £2.2 million to trial a precision-bred wheat variety that could lead to more sustainable farming systems. The team is involved in the PROBITY project—A Platform to Rate Organisms Bred for Improved Traits and Yield—led by the Br
The team used data from five experimental fields representing global wheat producing regions with particularly high yields.Senthold Asseng, a professor of digital agriculture at TUM, along with Pierre Martre (INRAE) and a team of researchers, have studied experimental wheat cultivars. Their findings
Projects include medical cannabis standardisation, vertical farming light technology and genetic optimisation of lettuce.Pioneering medicinal cannabis research is set to take place in Dundee after the James Hutton Institute secured £350k funding from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Researc
For Amanda Hulse-Kemp, computational biologist at the USDA-ARS in North Carolina, computational biology wasn’t always the obvious career path. Her journey toward becoming a leader in predictive breeding strategies began in the hot fields of Texas, where a combination of circumstance and curiosity le
Lantmännen joins PAN Sweden research center, which secured new Formas funding for plant-based protein research until 2028, shortly after starting construction of a SEK 1.2 billion plant in Lidköping.PAN Sweden is a national interdisciplinary research center, led by Örebro University, focused on tran
How a unique public-private consortium is transforming sustainable agriculture and crop development.Why it Matters:Started in 2023, CropXR is an initiative of four Dutch knowledge institutions (Utrecht University, Wageningen University and Research, the University of Amsterdam, and Delft University
