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72 SEEDWORLD.COM JUNE 2015 STATUS CHINA Chinese scientists have succeeded in isolating and cloning heat-tolerant genes from African rice strains which could help develop rice varieties that can withstand climate change. Lin Hongxuan an academic with the Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences says that high heat normally temperatures above 35 degrees Celsius 95 degrees Fahrenheit reduces rice production. Heat stress can strain rice proteins causing the plant to wither. Lins team found that a gene isolated from the African rice strain can automatically activate when heat strikes. It removes toxic proteins that accumulate and leads to plant death. Lin says his team has con- ducted field studies growing Asian rice strains with the transplanted gene that show the genes dominant traits enable the plant to withstand high temperatures. He explains the cloned gene can be transplanted to develop new varieties of rice wheat and cruciferous vegetables such as Chinese cabbage. Source Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. STATUS GHANA The Convention Peoples Party CPP and some Concerned Organizations went on a peaceful march world STATUS A look at seed industry developments around the globe. The Chinese seed industry achieves breakthroughs in plant research and Mozambique makes progress on policy with the approval of confined field trials. Additionally the Irish seed industry welcomes its new president. Meanwhile the Plant Breeders Bill faces opposition in Ghana. to press home their demand against Monsanto and the GMO Plant Breeders Bill in Ghana. The protest on May 23 was to demand the withdrawal of the Plant Breeders Bill from Parliament. The groups argued that the passage of the bill into law would nega- tively impact the growth of agriculture in Ghana. A leading member of the CPP professor Agyemang Badu Akosa bemoaned the use of technology to endanger the safety of crops and conse- quently human lives. He says that this kind of technology might end up doing great disservice to us. You have to buy seeds every year. In addi- tion to the seeds you have to buy pesticides from the same company. And these pesti- cides will blight everything else except that seed. Is that the kind of agriculture that we want he asked. The general secretary of the CPP Ivor Greenstreet says the party will continue to push for the withdrawal of the Plant Breeders Bill from Parliament. We have been fighting for the independence of this nation and now we are fighting for the sovereignty of our seeds and our foods and also to allow the farmers to use the right seeds to feed our citizens he said. The communications direc- tor of the Food Sovereignty Ghana Kweku Andoh Baffour repeated the groups pledge to fight against the passage of the Plant Breeders Bill. However he denied that the protest was contemptuous to an ongoing case in court where they are seeking an order to prevent govern- ment or any state institution to create and promote the usage of genetically modi- fied seeds. Source Ghana Broadcasting Corporation. STATUS IRELAND John Dalton has been appointed as the new president of the Irish Seed Trade Association ISTA following its recent Annual General Meeting. Dalton of Daltons will serve a two-year term as the ISTA president. The incoming president will replace Tom Bryan of Boortmalt. Dalton is a former president of the Irish Grain and Feed Association and a current committee member. He is also a board member of the Cereal Association of Ireland and he has been managing director of John Dalton and Sons Ltd. Chancellors Mills for more than 25 years. According to ISTA the incoming president is keen to promote the role of ISTA for the gain of tillage farmers and growers across the country. In representing the commer- cial organizations within the seed industry we are ensur- ing that the best varieties and standards are adhered to for the good of Irish tillage farmers Dalton says. We strongly promote the use of only certified seed varieties