Last week, US president Donald Trump signed an order to undo the Obama administration’s climate policies, making clear that the United States has no intention to meet former pledges to cut carbon emissions. While this reversal is aimed at protecting coal-based energy within the country, its effects are far reaching, …
World Water Day took place on 22 March this year, and while much of its focus is on sanitation, this year’s theme of Wastewater touches on the role of water in agriculture. A piece in BizCommunity “Thinking of wastewater as a resource & not a problem to maximise its potential …
This week, maize takes center stage in headlines. First, a story in Newsweek (“A genetically modified corn could stop a deadly fungal poison – if we let it”) recaps last week’s news that scientists at the University of Arizona have developed a strain of genetically modified corn that may prevent …
There’s been a report of a breakthrough this week from scientists at the University of Arizona, who are using transgenic maize plants to produce RNA molecules that stop fungi from producing aflatoxin. A report published in Science Advances showed that the transgenic maize infected with the fungus suppressed the toxin …
Sorghum features in biotech news this week as in Albuquerque, New Mexico, researchers are reworking a sensing technology that monitors root function to help develop improved sorghum crops. Using a newly modified microneedle-based fluidic sensor – originally developed for national security applications such as detection of chemical agents – scientists …
At the top of the news is a UN warning of impending famine in four countries: South Sudan, Somalia, the northeastern part of Nigeria and Yemen – and famine has already been declared in two counties in South Sudan. “We are facing a tragedy; we must avoid it becoming a catastrophe,” says United …
Several interesting biotech developments around the world this week. First, Washington State University scientists have introduced a new perennial grain dubbed Salish Blue – a cross between wheat and wild wheat grass. The goal of this breeding project was to create a wheat-like grain that regrows every year, so that farmers don’t …
This week, reports confirm that scientists from the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia have cracked the genetic code for quinoa, the ancient South American “superfood” has recently become prized in the United States and Europe for its highly nutritious seeds – and the FAO is …
This week, we carry four stories on the continuing controversy surrounding genetically-modified organisms (GMOs). In an interview with Rose Gidado, Nigeria’s Coordinator of the Open Forum for Agricultural Biotechnology, dispels some of the common myths for farmers and consumers alike. Then, Fred Gould, chair of U.S. National Academies of Sciences GMO report, reaffirms safety of …
This week, we feature two stories about burgeoning research into microbes and how they might be harnessed to safeguard and improve crops. In “Why microbes are key to solving Africa’s food security crisis“, the Conversation, Africa, describes a few initiatives across the continent that may help farmers take advantage of the latest …
Sign up for our Week in Review
Get news alerts from our RSS Feed
Follow us on Twitter