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58 STATUSGermany GERMAN RESEARCHERS at the company Boschs Deepfield Robotics developed Bonirob an autonomous robot that is able to determine which strains of a plant are most apt to survive insects and viruses and how much fertilizer they would need and then smash any weeds. Bonirob is now available as a research platform and Deepfield hopes that it will be available to farmers within 20 to 30 years. To determine which plants are good and which ones are not the robot uses decision-tree learning. Researchers show Bonirob pictures of healthy leaves that are tagged to be good and pictures of weeds that are tagged to be bad. Then Bonirob makes a series of choices based on observed data to determine if a plant in the field is good or bad. As the robot collects new images the algorithms are updated. Over time based on parameters such as leaf colour shape and size Bonirob learns how to differentiate more and more accurately between the plants we want and the plants we dont want says Amos Albert Deepfield general manager. The robots weeding mecha- nism is meant to structur- ally destroy weeds so that desired plants have a growth advantage. In carrot cultivation trials it was more than 90 per cent effective reports Birgit Schulz Deepfield communica- tions lead. Its also completely mechanical. Source Popular Science. STATUSGhana AT A biotechnology and biosafety sensitization workshop in Techiman Central Ghana farm leaders challenged their government and scientists to better educate farmers and stakeholders about the safety of geneticially-modified crops with the hopes of easing fears. The workshop organized by the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri- biotech Applications ISAAA introduced farmers to the basics of genetic engineering and shared information about the national regional and global status of biotechnology and biosafety. To help build participating farmers confidence in talking about biotechnology and biosafety issues they were trained in the principles of science communication and equipped with knowledge on where to look for credible information. Farm leaders shared that if workshops such as this one were organized at the grassroots level farmerswould not be holding placards and demonstrating over a technology that could possibly help them. At the end of the workshop the presidents of four key farm organizations represented at the forum signed a communiqu calling on the government to facilitate adoption of GM crops. The communiqu also asked scientists to strengthen their relationship with farmers as well as encouraged govern- ment to give science and tech- nology space to improve the quality accessibility affordabil- ity and sustainability of food production. Source ISAAA. STATUSIndia THE NATIONAL Seed Association of India NSAI has requested a refund of more than 1300 rupees paid as a royalty to Mahyco Monsanto Biotech MMBL in the past five years for using the Bollgard technology in cotton hybrids. The Hyderabad-based body reported the dispute between MMBL and seed companies over royalty payments should be resolved as soon as possible to ensure a smooth supply of cotton seeds to farmers. MMBL has taken eight seed companies to court for refusing to pay trait fees of 400 rupees for using its technology in cotton hybrids and for breach of contract. MMBL has sub- licensed the technology to 49 domestic seed firms. The seed companies are estimated to have paid more than 1300 rupees to MMBL over and above the government stipulated trait value and they Technology be it robots for improved plant breeding or biotech for improved crop production hits the spotlight and is the topic of conversation from Germany to the Philippines.