b"INTERNATIONAL NEWSGLOBAL SEED WATCHCHINESE SCIENTISTS USE GENE EDITING TO ENHANCE RICE VARIETIES, WHILE THE PHILIPPINES GIVES THUMBS-UP TO GOLDEN RICE.STATUS CHINA increase by about 70 per cent by 2050 to feed an estimated 9 billion people.Scientists from China National Rice Research Institute used CRISPR-Cas9 to edit Semi-Dwarf1 (SD1) in elite Chinese rice varieties, which has several desired agronomic traits. The resultsSTATUS FRANCEare published in Scientific Reports.Expanding genetic diversity among rice varieties is vitalA French court has ruled that organisms obtained by certain to prevent genetic erosion or loss of genetic variation in a crop.mutagenesis techniques must be subject to the regulations relat-Thus, the researchers edited SD1 in the elite landraces Kasalathing to genetically modified organisms (GMOs). In particular, it and TeTePu, which contain many desired agronomic traits suchencourages government to modify the environmental code in as tolerance to low phosphorous and broad-spectrum resistancethis sense, to identify within the catalog of varieties of agricul-to several diseases and insects. Mutations of SD1 led to shortertural plants those which have been obtained by mutagenesis and plant height for better resistance to lodging. Field trials showedwhich should have been subjected to the evaluations applicable that the yield of the mutant lines was improved compared toto GMOs and better assess the risks associated with varieties the wild-type progenitors, while maintaining the desirable agro- of plants made tolerant to herbicides (VRTH).nomic characteristics. Under a European directive, GMOs are subject to risk Based on the findings, the researchers concluded thatassessment and authorization procedures prior to any placing breeding using available landraces together with genome editingon the market or release into the environment and to information techniques can prevent genetic erosion in modern rice varieties. obligations on the public, labeling and tracking. As part of the decision, the court gives the French government six months to amend article D. 531-2 of the environmental code to this effect, STATUS EU which transposes the European directive.Government will also have to identify, within nine months, European wheat harvests could be increased by more than fivethe varieties of agricultural plants obtained by mutagenesis tons per hectare according to newly published research into thewhich have been registered in the official catalog of cultivated crops untapped genetic potential. plants without having been subject to the risk assessment pro-The first-of-its-kind study from Rothamsted Researchcedure applicable to GMOs, then that they should have been shows that in some European countries, the grain yield couldsubjected to it because of the technique used to obtain them. be increased by up to 90 per cent when compared to typicalThis may lead in practice to withdraw the varieties concerned harvests from todays commonly used varieties. from the catalog and to suspend their cultivation.Yields in the UK could be increased by half as much again. The court also considered that, under the precautionary The authors say, if achieved, such improvements would goprinciple, the prime minister could not refuse to take preven-a long way to feeding the growing world population and wouldtive measures for the use of varieties of plants made tolerant reduce pressure to convert wild habitats to farmland. Usingto herbicides. The court requests government take, within six existing data on the contribution of different genes to individ- months, the measures necessary for the implementation of the ual plant traits such as size, shape, metabolism and growth, therecommendations formulated by ANSES in 2019, in terms of researchers ran simulations to create perfect wheat plants thatassessment of the risks linked to VRTHs, or to take any other were tailored to each region. equivalent measure making it possible to respond to the agency's When compared to the performance of locally adapted culti- observations on the gaps in the data currently available.vars, in all cases they found wheat varieties were underperform-ing for grain yield, with an obvious genetic yield gap between reality and possibility. STATUS NIGERIAThe scientists behind the study define a crops genetic yield potential as the highest yield achievable by an idealised varietyNigeria has approved commercialization of a biotech cowpeain other words, a plant with a genome that allows it to capturevariety resistant to pod borers. This development places Nigeria water, sunlight and nutrients more efficiently than any other. as the first country ever to commercialize genetically improved Wheat is one of the key staple crops for global food security,cowpea.providing about 20 per cent of total dietary calories and protein,The National Committee on Naming, Registration and and Europe is a major wheat producer, contributing around 35Release of Crop Varieties approved registration and commercial per cent of global wheat production. release of the pod borer resistant (PBR) cowpea at a meeting It has been predicted that global food production needs toheld on Dec. 12, 2019 in Ibadan. The approval is a culmination 42IEUROPEAN SEEDIEUROPEAN-SEED.COM"