b'I N D U S T R Y N E W S Delivering the news you need to know. Submissions welcomeemail us at news@seedworldgroup.com. In a transformative advance for agriculture, scientists have utilized CRISPR/Cas9 technology to develop a male-sterile line in rapeseed. This innovation simpli-fies the hybrid seed production process, overcoming traditional limitations and enhancing the crop\'s yield and sustainability. By targeting the BnDAD1 gene, the study disrupts the jasmonic acid pathway, essential for pollen development, leading to a controlled and effi-cient method for creating hybrids that can significantly boost vegetable oil output to meet global demands.Digital technologies enhance farm efficiency and prof-its, but many farmers underutilize them. University of Illinois researchers emphasize the role of communica-tion channels in farmers\' technology adoption. A study in Agriculture examines how traditional media, social New Zealands Ministry of Business, Innovation,media, and interpersonal meetings influence U.S. and and Employment (MBIE) announced thatBrazilian soybean farmers. Researchers surveyed 801 farmers and found that U.S. farmers, on average, use revisions in their gene technology rules aremore digital technologies than those in Brazil, likely being made to catch up with the advancementsdue to the longer availability of precision technolo-in science and technology, particularly genegies in the United States. Both groups recognized the benefits of these technologies for improving efficiency editing. The changes in regulation for geneand profitability.technologies will include support the research Venkatesan Sundaresan, Distinguished Professor at and development of fruit and vegetables withUC Davis, has been awarded the 2024 Wolf Prize in enhanced resistance to pests and diseases,Agriculture for key discoveries in plant developmental leading to more food supply and less food waste. biology relevant to crop improvement. The Wolf Prize, often called the "Nobel Prize for agriculture," includes a $100,000 award. Sundaresan shares the honor with Researchers at Australias Centre for Crop and DiseaseJoanne Chory and Elliot Meyerowitz for his ground-Management (CCDM) have developed a new methodbreaking research on plant reproduction, leading to a for detecting fungicide resistance enabling them tomethod for producing clonal seeds from hybrid plants, detect multiple mutations, both known and novel, inmimicking a natural process called "apomixis." This just one test. With co-investment by Curtin Universityallows for the perpetuation of high-yield hybrid crops and GRDC, CCDM researchers were able to rapidly andwithout costly crossbreeding.accurately detect fungicide resistance mutations using a portable DNA sequencing device called the MinIONA University of Kentucky study titled Productivity from Oxford Nanopore Technologies in the Unitedbenefits of cereal-legume cover crop mixtures under Kingdom, including unknown mutations that could failvariable soil nitrogen and termination times, pub-to be picked up by traditional methods. lished in the European Journal of Agronomy, suggests that mixing cover crops like cereal rye and crimson Ryan Dickson, assistant professor of horticulture, hasclover significantly boosts productivity and soil health. been researching soilless blackberry cultivation sinceLed by Patricia Moreno-Cadena and her team at the 2018 and recently secured a nearly $750,000 grant forUK Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and further study. The Packers Fresh Trends 2024 surveyEnvironment, research shows mixed cover crops offer shows 33.2% of consumers purchased fresh blackber- more benefits than planting them separately, making ries last year, up from 25% in 2023. Dickson\'s researchthem a valuable tool for farmers.focuses on improving yields, fruit quality, and extend-ing the growing season through innovative soillessResearchers from Aarhus University (Denmark), production techniques. Polytechnic University of Madrid (Spain), and the 52/ SEEDWORLD.COMOCTOBER 2024'