Biotech Updates

GM crops commercialization has occurred at a rapid rate since the mid 1990s, with important changes in both the overall level of adoption and impact in 2016. This is according to the research paper on farm income and production impacts of using GM crop technology in 1996–2016 authored by PG Economics' Graham Brookes and Peter Barfoot. The annual updated analysis estimates the value of using GM technology in agriculture at the farm level, including impacts on yields, key variable costs of production, direct farm (gross) income, and impacts on the production base of the four main crops of soybeans, corn, cotton, and canola.

High-protein Maize Shows Resistance to Parasitic Weed

A study by researchers from Africa identified four varieties of high-protein maize, which are resistant to, or tolerant of semi-parasitic weed, Striga.

HarvXtra^® Alfalfa Trait Deregulated in Argentina

HarvXtra^® Alfalfa, the forage industry's first genetically enhanced, reduced-lignin alfalfa trait, developed to maximize quality by reducing the amount of lignin in the plant, has been deregulated by authorities in Argentina, making it the third country to deregulate the product following the United States and Canada.

Researchers Use CRISPR to Improve Nutrient Use Efficiency of Rice

Rice is one of the most important targets for plant breeders to secure enough food for a growing population. Producing nutrient efficient crops has become essential to secure enough food as well as to eliminate environmental consequences of using fertilizers. The team of Nahed Mohammed from the University of York in the UK aims to explore the genetic diversity of rice to identify genotypes with high efficiency under Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), and Potassium (K) deficient conditions.