82 / SEEDWORLD.COM SEPTEMBER 2017 INDUSTRY NEWS Delivering the people, industry, business and product news you need to know. Submissions are welcome. Email us at news@issuesink.com. Kansas State University researchers have identified a gene that will provide resistance to the wheat streak mosaic virus, a disease that causes economic losses. Bernd Friebe, a research professor with the Wheat Genetic Resources Center in the Department of Plant Pathology, says the Wsm3 gene is the third gene known to provide resistance to the virus — and the first that can do so at outdoor temperatures of 75 degrees Fahrenheit and higher. Chinese researchers have developed a genetic engineering approach capable of delivering many genes at once and used it to make rice endosperm produce high levels of antioxidant-boosting pig- ments called anthocyanins. The resulting purple endosperm rice holds potential for decreasing the risk of certain cancers, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and other chronic disorders. A new study published in Science provides no consistent results on the impact of neonicotinoid seed treat- ments in oilseed rape on the health of honeybee, bumble bee or solitary bee colonies. The three-country, large-scale field study was conducted by the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology in the United Kingdom and sponsored by Bayer and Syngenta. The study examined the impact of honeybee colo- nies foraging on oilseed rape treated or untreated with neoni- cotinoids under realistic field conditions. A bumble bee and a solitary bee species field trial ran alongside this study. Purdue University scientists released research that indicates corn management processes contributing to optimal levels of plant nitrogen uptake could result in fewer nitrous oxide emis- sions, long identified as one of the most potent greenhouse gases. The research, published in Frontiers in Plant Science, reveals a strong relationship between actual nitrogen recovery and nitrous oxide emissions. In a paper published in The Plant Cell, a team led by Pamela Ronald, a University of California, Davis, professor in the Genome Center and the Department of Plant Pathology, reported the first whole-genome sequenced fast-neutron induced mutant population of Kitaake, a model rice variety with a short life cycle. This novel collection will accelerate func- tional genetic research in rice and other monocots, a type of flowering plant species that includes grasses. The Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST) issued commentary surrounding the science around bee health. Led by Task Force Chair Marla Spivak, the authors examine the state of honeybee health, including recent declines in population. They also explain why the public should be con- cerned. This science-based paper looks at the stressors threat- ening colony health. To ensure its long-term food security, Australia will send more than 10,000 seed varieties to Norway’s Svalbard Global Seed Vault. The Australian Pastures Genebank has collected and processed more than 84,000 lots of pasture seed from around the country. The seed lots will be delivered to the seed vault in February to coincide with vault’s the 10-year anniversary. It will be one of the largest single deposits ever made. PEOPLE NEWS Lindsay Corporation appoints Tim Hassinger, president and CEO of Dow AgroSciences, as its president and CEO and member of its board of directors, effective Oct. 16. Hassinger will succeed Rick Parod, who announced his retirement. Akinwumi Adesina, president of the African Development Bank, was announced as the 2017 World Food Prize Laureate. Adesina was awarded the World Food Prize Foundation for his leading role during the past two decades in: significantly expand- ing food production in Nigeria; introducing initiatives to expo- nentially increase the availability of credit for smallholder farmers across the African continent; and galvanizing the political will to transform African agriculture.