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Agriculture & Environment: Agri-biotech

News

Here is a list of the latest articles

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Biosafety back on the agenda in Pakistan

Pakistan's Biological Safety Association has been reinvigorated with new powers in a drive to enhance biosafety regulations in the country.

30 October 2009 | EN

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War may have spread hybrid rice

Against expectations, West African rice varieties have interbred in the field and war may have helped these improved hybrids spread.

27 October 2009 | EN

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Technical fixes needed to stem crop losses

Pests, disease and post-harvest problems are drastically reducing crop yields, a summit has heard, and quick technical fixes are a priority.

23 October 2009 | EN

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Indian regulator endorses first GM vegetable

The Indian government will now consult the public before deciding whether to agree with regulators and approve GM aubergine.

Source: The Hindu/The Independent

16 October 2009 | EN

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Peru and Ethiopia team up to defend biodiversity

Scientists and farmers from Peru and Ethiopia will defend agrobiodiversity through the exchange of scientific and traditional knowledge.

16 October 2009 | ES

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Grant bolsters African biosafety capacity

The African Biosafety Network of Expertise can now begin building African countries' biosafety knowhow in earnest.

15 October 2009 | EN

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African food production on the rise

Africa is starting to produce more food for its people by embracing farming technology, according to a new UN report.

12 October 2009 | EN | FR

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Drought-hardy maize ready for field trials

South African researchers will soon begin field trials of a variety of maize capable of withstanding extreme dehydration.

6 October 2009 | EN

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Cassava virus dealt a blow in southern Africa

A cassava virus rampant in southern Africa could be facing annihilation, thanks to genetic research in South Africa.

1 October 2009 | EN | FR

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Climate change 'will leave 25 million more children hungry'

Crop yields will plummet and millions more children will go hungry unless agricultural practices adapt to climate change, warns a report.

30 September 2009 | EN | 中文

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Hunger crusader Norman Borlaug dies

Norman Borlaug, the scientist and humanitarian credited with leading the Green Revolution, which boosted food supplies in Asia, has died.

14 September 2009 | EN | 中文

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Fungus-resistant gene found in rice

The devastating effect of blast fungus on rice paddies worldwide could be dampened by the discovery of a gene that makes plants resistant.

24 August 2009 | EN

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'Snorkel' genes help stop rice drowning

Researchers have found two genes which help rice survive long-term flooding, raising the possibility of higher yields in flood-prone areas.

20 August 2009 | EN

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Nigeria to roll out fungus-resistant soybean crops

Soybean farmers in Central and West Africa will soon have a variety resistant to an Asian fungal rust that can devastate their crops.

11 August 2009 | EN | FR

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Genetic change could make crops thrive on salty soils

GM plants that are more salt tolerant could be good news for farmers in many regions of the world struggling with high salinity.

22 July 2009 | EN

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Sahel nations may lose maize by 2050

As African nations heat up, many could use maize varieties cultivated in hotter nations. Not so for a band of countries in the Sahel.

8 July 2009 | EN | FR

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Field trials offer hope of conquering food toxin

Studies in maize show that benign strains of the fungus Aspergillus can outcompete toxic forms that contaminate African crops.

26 June 2009 | EN

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Promising microbicide can be produced by plants

A microbicide has shown promise in the lab and can be produced in plants — a double blow toHIV in the developing world, scientists say.

11 June 2009 | EN | FR

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South Asia News in brief: 28 May–10 June 2009

The WHO calls for rotavirus immunisation, the Narmada River harbours dysentery-causing bacteria, Jatropha eradicates toxic metals, and more.

10 June 2009 | EN

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Scientists produce GM crops without foreign genes

A new GM technique can produce desired crop traits without transferring genes between species.

8 June 2009 | EN