b'of a successful seed business, aimed at strengthening their capacitiesglobal leader in agricultural innovation, in line with countries such and helping them develop clear visions and strategies for viableas the United States, Japan, and Australia.business models. TheannouncementwasmadebyMr.Rapibhat Chandarasrivongs, Director-General of the Department of STATUS SAUDI ARABIA Agriculture on July 11, 2024. Mr. Chandarasrivongs emphasized that this development is aligned with Prime Minister Settha A new study led by KAUST researchers has discovered a key geneThavisin\'s "Ignite Agriculture Hub" initiative. "This technol-that impacts crop resistance to a parasitic weed that is one of theogy will help truly triple Thai farmers\' income in 4 years," Mr. worlds greatest threats to crops. Pearl millet, a cereal crop com- Chandarasrivongs said. He added that the new legislation will be a monly grown in Saudi Arabia and other dry and hot regions, isstep forward for new breeding techniques that are rapidly advanc-vulnerable to the weed Striga hermonthica (also known as purpleing, especially genome editing technology that has the potential to witchweed). The researchers found that strains of pearl millet lack- improve organisms for use in the agricultural sector.ing CLAMT1b, a gene that is responsible for the synthesis of spe- The legislation paves the way for the safe development and cific hormones were resistant to the weed, while those expressingcommercial use of genome-edited plants, animals, and microor-the gene were not. The findings provide new clues on breedingganisms in agriculture and is set to take effect 30 days after its strategies for food security. publication in the Royal Gazette.Pearl millet is a cereal of high nutritional value, and nearly 100 million people in Africa and Asia depend on it for their diets, especially those living in arid environments.The plants have aSTATUS U.S.remarkably high tolerance for heat and drought, and their impor-tance in food security is exemplified by the United Nations declaringOhio soybean farmers are dealing with compromised crop quality 2023 as the International Year of Millets. due to a combination of prolonged drought and recent heavy rainfall from Hurricane Helenes remnants. The severe drought weakened STATUS SYRIA soybean pods, and the rainfall that followed has led to unusual seed sprouting within the pods, marking an unprecedented situation in In a significant development for Syria\'s agricultural sector, theOhios agricultural history, according to Laura Lindsey, a field crops National Committee for New Varieties, chaired by the Ministerexpert at The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, of Agriculture, has officially released a new bread wheat varietyand Environmental Sciences (CFAES).named Cham 12, developed and tested by ICARDA in collabo- Farmers were already concerned about dry soybeans, Lindsey, ration with the General Commission for Scientific Agriculturala soybean and small grains specialist with OSU Extension, said in Research (GCSAR).an OSU news release. Many were facing pod shattering, where The Cham 12 variety (Code name: Douma 64453 by GCSAR)seeds break open and fall to the ground during harvest due to low originated from ICARDA germplasm and was shared withmoisture levels.GCSAR. It is specifically designed for rain-fed agriculture in theThe rainfall made the situation worse. Now, were seeing seeds country\'s Agroecological Zone 2, where average rainfall is limitedsprout out of the pods in affected counties, including Fairfield, to around 250-350 mm/season. Madison, Pickaway, Ross, and Fayette.Cham 12 has undergone rigorous testing over several years.Farmers like those in Pickaway County, represented by OSU Cham 12\'s outstanding performance, even during an extremelyExtension educator Mike Estadt, have observed preharvest sprout-dry season in 2017-2018, followed by high rainfall in 2018-2019,ing across many fields. Estadt explained that the drought had caused underscores its stability and resilience to adverse environmentalpod shatter when moisture levels fell below 8%. The sudden rehy-conditions. dration has now led to seed sprouting, leaving questions about crop Cham 12 has also shown moderate resistance to yellow rust (ainsurance coverage.serious disease that threatens crops throughout the region) underThis is also a huge negative to grain quality that buyers of natural infection conditions, tested across 11 locations. This balancesoybeans will heavily discount when these beans are delivered to of resilience and productivity makes Cham 12 a valuable additionelevators, Estadt noted.to Syria\'s agricultural arsenal, particularly in the face of droughtWith much of Ohio experiencing moderate to extreme drought and increased pests and disease due to accelerating climate change,conditions, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, the impacts sometimes even breaking. on crop yield and quality are a major concern. CFAES activated a The release of Cham 12 is a crucial step forward for agricultureDrought Rapid Response Team earlier this summer to assist with in Syria as well as global dryland regions. With its high yield, resil- crop health monitoring and to develop mitigation strategies in col-ience, and adaptability to extreme weather conditions, Cham 12 islaboration with the USDA and local agencies.set to play a pivotal role in ensuring food security and improving theWe saw widespread rainfall across much of Ohio, especially livelihoods of farmers in rainfed regions in the face of acceleratingwith the remnants of Hurricane Helene, said Aaron Wilson, state climate change.climatologist and field specialist with OSU Extension. While this rain helped improve soil moisture, river levels, and pastures in some STATUS THAILANDareas, it was almost too much, too fast in others.Lindsey emphasized that CFAES is actively monitoring the Thailand\'s Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives Captainsituation and offering guidance through its Drought Conditions and Thamanat Prompow has signed groundbreaking legislation forResources webpage, which provides resources on managing forage, genome-edited organisms. The new regulation, titled Certificationirrigation, and soil conservation. Research funded by the United of Organisms Developed from Genome Editing Technology forSoybean Board is also underway to better understand delayed har-Agricultural Use, B.E. 2567 (2024), aims to position Thailand as avest losses and seed quality issues. NOVEMBER 2024|SEEDWORLD.COM/EUROPEISEED WORLD EUROPE I 39'