MARCH 2019 GERMINATION.CA 69 “This is a landmark moment for India and IRRI. This state-of-the- art rice research center will catalyze South-South collaboration, strengthen the research expertise and capacity of rice-growing countries in the region, and contribute to the sustainable development goals,” said IRRI direc- tor general, Matthew Morell. —Source: International Rice Research Institute SOUTH AFRICA A BREAKTHROUGH BY the African Centre for Crop Improvement in the breed- ing of sorghum could have far-reach- ing implications for the biofuel and bioplastic industries in South Africa. For the last decade, ACCI director Professor Mark Laing has been work- ing on developing sorghum and sugar beet varieties, as part of an integrated package to provide crop material (feedstock) for these two industries. His interest in the project started about 15 years ago when the price of oil rose to $150 a barrel. “A large plastics company couldn’t get enough ethylene to make the quantities of polythene on order, so they wanted to start their own sugar- to-polythene plant and approached me about suitable sugar crops for the interior of South Africa,” he says. With funding from Technology Innovation Agency (TIA), which is based in South Africa’s Department of Science and Technology (DST), Laing has been working on how to produce year-round feedstock on an industrial scale, by rotating sorghum and sugar beet. Three primary sugar crops are used in the production of biofuel: sugar cane, sorghum and sugar beet. —Source: African Centre for Crop Improvement NETHERLANDS NINE PROJECTS ARE granted by NWO-WOTRO Science for Global Development to strengthen the Netherlands-CGIAR research part- nership on generating insights that contribute to improving seed systems in focus regions within Asia and Sub- Sahara Africa. The call on ‘Seed Systems Development: Enabling and Scaling Genetic Improvement and Propagation Materials’ was released by the Netherlands-CGIAR partner- ship. Specific seed systems addressed are cassava, maize, groundnut, vege- tables, cocoa, forage seed, tilapia and chicken, while some projects have a more general focus on improving the functioning and inclusiveness of seed systems. The call for proposals was built on the premise that development of the seed sector may benefit from research collaboration between practitioners and research institutions from CGIAR, the Netherlands and selected partner countries. With the funded projects, new insights and innovative solu- tions should evolve from synthesizing academic expertise, farmers’ experi- ences and knowledge, as well as the practical knowledge of companies and NGOs working within the seed sector and its value chains. Breeding Planning Quality Reporting Off-line apps Trial Production Inventory Processing Sales Software solutions for field crops, vegetables & flowers PANAMERICAN SEED HYBRO SAATZUCHT VAN WAVEREN SAATEN ENZA ZADEN Agro Business Solutions Het Voert 9 • 1613 KL Grootebroek • The Netherlands • www.agrosolutions.nl