全球农业一周资讯 - XXXXI

1. Indonesia plans to increase rice imports to 3 milliontons

Recently, the National Grain Reserve Group of Indonesia publicly announced its plan to increase rice imports and order 3 million tons of rice from five countries with good grain production. Currently, it has obtained a license to purchase 2 million tons of rice and will gradually carry out work according to the plan, ordering rice from Myanmar, Vietnam, Thailand, Pakistan, and India.

2. Japan calls on G7 countries to contribute to the IFAD

On April 19, according to the Nihon Keizai Shimbun, the Japanese government plans to make food security a major topic at the G7 agricultural ministers' meeting held on April 22-23, and will contribute about 200 million yen (about 10 million yuan) to the United Nations Fund for International Agricultural Development (IFAD). It also calls on G7 countries to contribute to strengthen support for countries in the global South to establish a stable food supply system.

3.Serbian agricultural products are expected to enter the Chinese market duty-free soon

According to Serbian national radio and television, Serbia will officially start free trade negotiations with China, and it is expected that Serbian products will soon enter the Chinese market duty-free. The Minister of Internal and External Trade of Serbia, Tomislav MOMIROVIĆ, stated that this is an excellent opportunity for Serbian agricultural products and wine, and called on Serbian agricultural enterprises to invest and enter the Chinese market.

4.USDA Invests Over $46M in Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced an investment of more than $46 million in the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program, which has funded farmer-driven innovation and grassroots education programs, projects covering supporting producers with on-farm renewable energy, pest and weed management, crop rotations and etc., aiming to promote climate-smart practices, make sustainable producers more profitable, and improve local economies and the quality of life in rural communities.

5.The Committee on Food and Agriculture of the German Bundestag voted in favour of the draft Animal Husbandry Labeling Act.

On April 19, the Committee on Food and Agriculture of the German Bundestag voted in favour of the draft Animal Husbandry Labeling Act, which formulated a reliable target image for sustainable animal husbandry, with more animal and consumer protection as well as prospects for the farms and giving farms the opportunity to make more money with animal, climate and environmental protection.

6.The European Commission demands that countries that prohibit the import of Ukrainian food restore their permission to import

Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, and Bulgaria, which joined them, have decided to ban imports from April 22nd. The Vice President of the European Commission, Valdis Dombrovsky, stated that the decision of the four countries is illegal and violates the EU Ukraine alliance agreement. He demanded that the four countries cancel this decision, otherwise the proposal of the European Commission will not be adopted.

7.The Russian Ministry of Agriculture predicts that Russia's grain production can reach approximately 123 million tons by 2023

On April 19th, Dmitry Patrushchev, the Minister of Agriculture of Russia, stated that the total grain production in Russia is expected to reach around 123 million tons in 2023, including approximately 78 million tons of wheat production. Patrushchev emphasized that such production can fully guarantee Russia's domestic food security and also allow the Russian side to continue exporting the required amount of grain.

8.The miR156b-GmSPL2b module mediates male fertility regulation of cytoplasmic male sterility-based restorer line under high-temperature stress in soybean

Chinese researchers demonstrated that miR156b-GmSPL2b module involved in male fertility regulation of soybean cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS)-based restorer line under HT stress. This study not only provided important progress for understanding the molecular mechanism of miR156b-GmSPL2b regulating the male fertility of soybean CMS-based restorer line under HT stress, but also provided genetic resources and theoretical basis for creating HT-tolerant strong restorer lines.

9.CRISPR-Cas12a base editors confer efficient multiplexed genome editing in rice

Researchers at the University of Maryland developed highly efficient Cas12a CBEs and ABEs for multiplexed genome editing in plants. With less potential to generate DNA breaks, these T-rich PAM-targeting dCas12a base editors are very suitable for multiplexed promoter editing to fine-tune gene expression without generating indel mutations. These efficient DNA break-free Cas12a CBE and ABE constructs are promising tools for singular and multiplexed base editing in plants.

10.OsMYB7 determines leaf angle at the late developmental stage of lamina joints in rice

Researchers at Seoul University in South Korea found that the rice (Oryza sativaL.) R2R3-type MYB transcription factor OsMYB7 determines leaf angle in a developmental stage-specific manner. The results suggest that OsMYB7 promotes leaf inclination partially through decreasing free auxin levels and promoting cell elongation at the adaxial side of lamina joints.

11.Blue light promotes ascorbate synthesis by deactivating the PAS/LOV photoreceptor that inhibits GDP-L-galactose phosphorylase

French researchers identified the causal mutation by a mapping-by-sequencing strategy, corresponded to a knock-out recessive mutation in a class of photoreceptor named PAS/LOV protein (PLP), which acts as a negative regulator of ascorbate biosynthesis. The results provide a greater understanding of the light-dependent regulation of ascorbate metabolism in plants.

12.Rapid and highly efficient morphogenic gene-mediated hexaploid wheat transformation

Researchers of Corteva Agriscience reported two morphogenic gene-mediated wheat transformation methods. These methods yield independent-transformation efficiency up to 58% and 75%, respectively. The transformation process was significantly simplified to make the procedure less labor-intensive, higher-throughput, and more cost-effective.