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. mated at least 23,000 LGBTQ+ people are involved in U.S. farming; the actual number is likely higher. The research team surveyed 148 LGBTQ+ farmers from 36 states, focusing on sexual and gender identity, stress, anxiety, depression, resilient coping, suicide risk, and agricultural commodity type. The USDA-Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) study announced the development of new breeding lines of green leaf, red leaf and romaine lettuce with resistance to leafminer, corky root and downy mildew. The new breeding lines exhibited resistance to three major threats to lettuce crops: Leafminer infestation, Corky Root, and Downy Mildew.A team from the University of California, Berkeley's Innovative Genomics Institute has produced an The U.S. Department of Agricultures Nationalincrease in gene expression in a food crop by chang-Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) estimateding its upstream regulatory DNA. Other studies used CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing to knock out or decrease 91.5 million acres of corn planted in the Unitedgene expression, this new research however, is the States for 2024, a decrease of 3% from lastfirst unbiased gene editing approach to increase gene year, according to the latest Acreage report. Inexpression and downstream photosynthetic activity. contrast, soybean area planted is estimated at 86.1The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced million acres, an increase of 3% from last year. that is has joined with more than 20 federal agen-cies to release an updated Climate Adaptation Plan to enhance federal operations resilience to climate The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Foodchange impacts. These updated plans advance the and Agriculture (NIFA) has allocated $70 million to seven agriculturalNational Climate Resilience Framework, which aligns projects aimed at transforming the U.S. food and agricultural system andclimate resilience investments across the public and reducing its environmental impact. This 2023 investment is part of theprivate sectors to build a climate-resilient nation. Sustainable Agricultural Systems program within NIFAs Agriculture and Food Research Initiative. A comprehensive study has elucidated the genetic and molecular mechanisms influencing soybean seed The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a significanthardness, a key factor in consumer acceptance and investment of $30.8 million dedicated to all 19 of Americas historicallyvegetable soybean quality, by examining differen-black Land-grant Universities. This funding, part of the National Institutetial gene expression during seed development. The of Food and Agricultures (NIFA) 1890 Institution Teaching, Research, anddiscovery of the GmSWEET2 gene as a significant Extension Capacity Building Grants Program, aims to support scientificregulator of hardness offers a pathway to enhance research addressing the nations tough est agricultural challenges. soybean texture, potentially revolutionizing the market with customized varieties to suit diverse consumer The American Seed Trade Association elected its 2024-25 officers at thepreferences. 2024 ASTA Leadership Summit, which took place in Nashville, Tennessee June 15-19. The 2024-2025 officers who began official duties on July 1 areNorth Carolina State Universitys N.C. Plant Sciences Dan Foor, DLF North America (Chair), Dave Treinen, Syngenta (First ViceInitiative (PSI) introduced a robot named BenchBot Chair) and Bryan Gerard, JoMar Seeds (Second Vice Chair). 3.0 that will be tied to PSIs newly acquired supercom-puter, the NVIDIA Grace Hopper 200. Together, the LGBTQ+ farm workers are over three times more likely to experiencetwo tools will deliver enhanced AI-based data-collec-depression and suicidal intent and about two and a half times moretion and data analysis for agricultural applications. The likely to experience anxiety than the general population, accordinggoal is to lead efforts aimed to help producers use AI to a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign study. Studies have esti- to increase yields, efficiency and sustainability. 44/ SEEDWORLD.COMSEPTEMBER 2024"