Weekly News of Global Agriculture XXXIV

1. The Philippine Government drafts 2023-2025 agriculture development program

According to the Philstar, the Philippine Ministry of Agriculture is formulating the agricultural development plan for 2023-2025 to achieve the goal of rice self-sufficiency in 2025. The main contents include: determine specific areas for inbred and hybrid rice production and to formulate strategies for developing newly irrigated areas, determine production areas for genetically modified and open-pollinated varieties, employ double cropping to increase corn production by 1.5 million metric by utilizing about 700,000 hectares of land and etc.

2. Russia allocated 4 billion rubles to support the transportation of agricultural products

According to the Russian PRIME news, the Russian Prime Minister said that more than 4 billion rubles (about 370 million yuan) would be allocated to support the transportation of agricultural products in 2023, aiming at reducing the operating costs of agricultural enterprises, providing raw materials for the food processing industry in a timely manner, promoting the formation of a new food supply chain, and ensuring that the people of the country can enjoy high-quality products throughout the year.

3. Argentina's government suspends all poultry exports amid bird flu scare

On March 1, according to the Buenos Aires Times, the National Agri-Food Health and Quality Service (Senasa) confirmed on February 28 its first positive case of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), or bird flu, in industrial birds at a broiler farm. According to the international quarantine requirements, the country temporarily loses its disease-free status and automatically suspends the export of poultry products in compliance with international standards, which will last for one month in principle.

4. USA Invests $59 Million to Strengthen Food Supply Chain and Rural Economies

According to the US Department of Agriculture, the US Secretary of Agriculture announced that USDA is providing the $59 million in grants to five independent processors under the Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program (MPPEP). The funding will help build new processing plants, create hundreds of jobs, give local producers and entrepreneurs more options and business opportunities, and give consumers more options at the grocery store.

5. CRISPR/Cas9-guided knockout of eIF4EimprovesWheat yellow mosaic virusresistance without yield penalty

Chinese researchers reported CRISPR/Cas9-guided genome editing of wheat orthologous of the barley susceptibility factor gene HveIF4E. The results demonstrate that CRISPR/Cas9-guided knockout of TaeIF4E improved WYMV resistance in hexaploid wheat. And they highlight the potential of engineering virus resistance via genome editing of eIF4E in polyploid species such as hexaploid wheat.

6. Additive fungal interactions drive biocontrol of Fusarium wilt disease

Chinese researchers amended banana Fusarium wilt disease-conducive soil with Trichoderma-amended biofertilizer or lacking this inoculum. the results demonstrate that fungal inoculants can modify the composition and functioning of the resident soil fungal microbiome to suppress soilborne disease.

7. Novel biosynthesis of MnO NPs using Mycoendophyte: industrial bioprocessing strategies and scaling-up production with its evaluation as anti-phytopathogenic agents

Egyptian researchers provides the first description of the myco-synthesis of rod-shaped MnO NPs, employing extracellular bioactive metabolites of endophytic Trichoderma virens strain EG92 as capping/reducing agents and MnCl2·4H2O as a parent component. The myco-synthesized MnO NPs exhibit faster and more precise antagonistic actions against phytopathogenic bacteria than fungi.

8. Metallochaperone OsHIPP9 is involved in the retention of cadmium and copper in rice

Chinese researchers investigated the physiological role of OsHIPP9 according to its expression pattern, tissue and subcellular localization, metal binding ability, and metal ion tolerance, and the mineral element contents of knockout and overexpression lines in rice. the results show that OsHIPP9 has dual metallochaperone roles, chelating Cd in the xylem region of EVB for Cd retention in the nodes and chelating Cu in rice roots to aid Cu uptake.

9. Quorum-sensing interference in vibrios

Belgian researchers provide an overview of quorum-sensing systems in vibrios belonging to the Harveyi clade and the Splendidus clade, as well as the virulence-related phenotypes controlled by these systems. This study identify knowledge gaps and propose some frontiers for further research in order to move this promising field forward.

10. Governments reach landmark agreement to strengthen Ontario’s agri-food sector

On March 1st, according to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the governments of Canada and Ontario have negotiated a Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP) for Ontarioand will sign an upcoming new, five-year agreement. According to the agreement, the province's agri-food sector will receive more than 1.77 billion dollars of investment support to improve productivity, competitiveness and resilience.

11. GENE-EDITED PIGS SHOW RESISTANCE TO PRRS

The Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) costs hog farmers $500 million in losses of reproduction productivity per year. A new breed of pigs developed by Acceligen, a precision breeding and genetic innovator, could change that. 

12. EPA ‘FOREVER CHEMICALS’ REGS COULD COST COMMUNITIES BILLIONS, EXPERTS SAY

The Environmental Protection Agency is due to announce enforceable regulations on the amount of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, a class of thousands of chemicals collectively known as PFAS, allowed in drinking water.Those rules, which could be announced as early as today, could end up costing communities around the country nearly $40 billion to implement, according to the Associated Press.

13. BRAZIL APPROVES GMO WHEAT AS FOOD SUPPLY FEARS HELP CONVINCE SKEPTICS

Brazil has approved the cultivation and sale of drought-tolerant genetically modified wheat, a major boost for the once taboo crop as global food supply fears and regional dry weather burnishes the lure of GMO.The approval, which biosecurity agency CTNbio posted, makes Brazil the second nation after Argentina to approve Bioceres' HB4 wheat strain for cultivation. Other markets have approved it for consumption.

14. Global indicators on the costs of healthy diets and how many people can’t afford them

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has made publicly available country-by-country indicators on healthy diets that show their cost - including by food group - and the number of individuals unable to afford them. The data serves as a reminder that even if the world has made progress towards providing enough calories to feed the global population, there remains a long road ahead to sustainably nourishing all people, everywhere.

15. Russia has a good opportunity to expand exports of agricultural and chemical products to China

Russian Ambassador to China Morgulov said in an interview with China Central Television that Russia has a good prospect in expanding the export of agricultural products, pulp and chemical products to China. At present, Russia's agricultural products account for about 2% of China's agricultural imports. Russia can provide more commodities, including oilseeds, grains, meat, aquatic products, etc