b"INTERNATIONAL NEWSGLOBAL SEED WATCHARGENTINA CLEARS A REGULATORY HURDLE, NEW SOUTH WALES IS EXPERIENCING AN OUTBREAK OF VIRUSES IN FABA BEAN CROPS, AND CANADA'S FOUR SEED SECTOR ORGANIZATIONS MERGING TO BECOME SEEDS CANADA STATUS ARGENTINA was aggravated by co-infection of AMV, van Leur said. In com-bination, these two viruses can have a lethal effect on faba bean Argentinas Ministry of Agriculture has granted approval ofplants, but fortunately this situation has been limited to a few Bioceres Crop Solutions HB4 wheat event for growth and con- very severely affected paddocks.sumption. The HB4 trait increases wheat yields by up to 20%The Tamworth-based pathologists research is supported and is currently the only drought tolerance technology for wheatby investment under the Grains Agronomy and Pathology and soybean crops in the world. Argentina is Latin AmericasPartnership (GAPP) between NSW DPI and the Grains Research largest wheat producer and the world's first country to adoptand Development Corporation. As part of this work, van Leur HB4 drought tolerance technology for wheat. tested plant samples for multiple viruses, with BYMV detected Argentinas regulatory clearance follows the approval of HB4in plants showing symptoms such as stunting and tip and stem soybean which has been approved in the United States and Brazil.necrosis.Commercialization of HB4 wheat in Argentina is contingent uponHowever, these symptoms are not normally associated with import approval in Brazil, which purchases just over 85% of itsBYMV so we are doing pathogenicity tests to determine if we are wheat from Argentina. Currently, regulatory processes for HB4dealing with new, more severe pathotypes of this virus or a new wheat are advancing in the US, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Bolivia.virus, but this will take time to assess, van Leur said.Bioceres also intends to initiate regulatory processes in AustraliaSource: GRDC and Russia, as well as certain countries in Asia and Africa.Drought-tolerant HB4 Wheat is a patented seed technol-ogy developed by Trigall Genetics, Bioceres joint venture withSTATUS CANADAFlorimond Desprez, a global leader in wheat genetics. In field trials conducted during the last 10 years, HB4 seed varietiesFour seed sector organizations will proceed with amalgamation increased wheat yields by 20%, on average, during growing sea- to become one new, national organization, its been announced. sons impacted by droughts. HB4 is integrated with top-sellingPending board and membership approval, Seeds Canada will wheat germplasms and branded as EcoWheat. In preparationbecome a new entity in February 2021, according to a statement.for the commercial launch of EcoWheat, around 17,300 acresOver the past five years, five seed sector partners have (7,000 hectares) of different varieties have been planted by par- worked closely together towards the goal of amalgamation. The ticipating growers. five organizations are the Canadian Plant Technology Agency Federico Trucco, Chief Executive Officer of Bioceres, said,(CPTA); the Commercial Seed Analysts Association of Canada Our EcoWheat and EcoSoy products will enable food produc- (CSAAC); the Canadian Seed Growers Association (CSGA); the tion companies and retailers the opportunity to offer consumersCanadian Seed Institute (CSI); and the Canadian Seed Trade foods that are carbon-neutral, in addition to other environmentalAssociation (CSTA).benefits they increasingly desire. Importantly, our HB4 technol- In the summer of 2020, the five organizations put the Seeds ogy does not translate into higher costs for consumers, makingCanada amalgamation proposal to their respective memberships sustainable foods widely accessible. for a vote. Four out of five groups approved the amalgamation, Source: ISAAA with at least two-thirds of each membership voting in favour. CSGA members did not vote in favour and therefore will no longer be part of the amalgamation.STATUS AUSTRALIA While there may be one less amalgamating partner, the vision for Seeds Canada to become the voice of the seed sector, A combination of a wet start to the year and the perfect breed- including seed growers, analysts, and the seed trade, remains ing ground for aphids may have been responsible for unusuallythe same, the statement reads. The goal is for Seeds Canadas severe outbreaks of viruses in faba bean crops in northern Newmembership to include national and provincial seed associations, South Wales this season. as well as seed growers from across the country. Growers play an Joop van Leur, New South Wales Department of Primaryintegral role in the seed system, and Seeds Canada needs their Industries (NSW DPI) senior plant pathologist, said tests hadinvolvement to succeed.confirmed high infections of Bean yellow mosaic virus (BYMV)Building on the momentum from the successful votes, the throughout north-west NSW and particularly west of Moree withfour organizations will now update the Seeds Canada ratification co-infections of Alfalfa mosaic virus (AMV) in some of the mostpackage before undertaking a new membership vote. severely impacted paddocks.We tested more than 1800 plants and it was clear the main culprit was BYMV. In several paddocks the effect of this virus 32IEUROPEAN SEEDIEUROPEAN-SEED.COM"