JULY 2018 GERMINATION.CA 59 After extensive research, CFIA has confirmed that the material is not in the grain supply nor was it grown in any commercial fields, meaning it is not part of the food system. CFIA also confirmed that the plants do not pose any risk to human health or the environment. “For the plant science industry, good stewardship means making sure processes and practices are in place to ensure plant science innovations are safe, sustainable and effective — from initial research and development all the way to end-of-life product disposal. The ability of the Canadian system to identify an extremely small number of plants, conduct inspection activities, and respond appro- priately is a testament to the strength of this system,” said CropLife Canada in a statement. “While this glyphosate-tolerant wheat has not been approved for commercialization in Canada, the gene that makes it glyphosate tolerant has been approved by CFIA and Health Canada in corn, soy, cotton, canola, alfalfa and sugar beets and is safe for human consumption, animal feed and for the environment.” Furthermore, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) confirmed the food and feed safety of this gene in wheat more than a decade ago in 2004, CropLife added. In an email alert on June 15, the Canadian Seed Trade Association said the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries was temporarily suspending wheat shipments to allow them time to conduct internal reviews and assessments. South Korea followed suit a few days later. The Canadian government is in close talks with all trading partners, CSTA added. “Please know that we will continue to monitor this situation very closely and will update our members accordingly. Please do not hesitate to contact the CSTA office should you have any questions or concerns.” TUNISIA THE NEED FOR better technologies for smallholder farmers have long been recognized by the international commu- nity. Significant investments have been made over time to develop new technologies. “Mind the Gap” is a project implemented by ICARDA in Central Tunisia with the financial support of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development in Germany. By using the Randomized Control Trials approach, the project tries to find out which agricultural extension design favours the adoption of the new barley variety Kounouz among smallholder farmers. Kounouz is a spring barley six-rowed variety, devel- oped by the National Agricultural Research Institute of Tunisia (INRAT). It was officially registered in 2010 in the Tunisian catalog of plant varieties for commercial use by farmers. The new Kounouz variety was selected by INRAT in collaboration with ICARDA in line with the decentrali- zation strategy for germplasm development for the region. The study shows promising results. While the first barley cultivation season with the new climate smart variety is still ongoing and the results still have to be analyzed, the interest in the new barley variety among the participating farmers was very high. More than three out of four farmers participated in the field days and technical trainings, and an even larger number of the farmers who received additional management and gender training decided to purchase and cultivate the new barley variety. (ICARDA) UNITED KINGDOM U.K. UNIVERSITIES AND research centres which improve the resilience, sustainability and quality of major crops will benefit from a funding package worth around £5.3 mil- lion over five years, Environment Secretary Michael Gove announced. The funding will go to four leading agricultural research centres to help develop new technologies and environmen- tally friendly production for farmers and growers across the country. They will focus on boosting productivity for pulses, wheat, leafy vegetables and oilseed rape as part of Defra’s Crop Genetic Improvement Networks (GINs). The four recipients that will undertake the research are the John Innes Centre, Rothamsted Research, University of Warwick and University of York. The government has so far invested £160 million through the agri-tech strategy to harness the latest agricul- tural research and technologies. • Multi-purpose • Re-Useable • Waterproof Glues Used • Sift Resistance Built In • Rugged 100lb. Tag Stock Construction • Easy To Use: Fold-In Flaps, Fold-Down & Tuck-In 2802 Hedberg Drive, Hopkins, MN 55305-3405 Ph (952) 545-7124 Fax (952) 545-0196 With Spear, It’s In The Bag. Seed/Grain & Special Safety Envelopes For Sampling and Storage. Call or Send For Free Sample Kit & Prices Gummed and Ungummed Coin Envelopes Available