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Tim Dumonceaux points at an air sampler that was used in the AAFC booth at Ag in Motion. Samples were collected so event attendees could test them for sclerotinia.
News

Hunt for disease pathogens goes even smaller-scale

AAFC scientists are developing biological assays that can be used to detect crop and livestock diseases

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Researchers at the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) research centre in Saskatoon are developing molecular diagnostic assays to detect significant pathogens associated with crops and livestock production. Biological assays are methods for assessing the presence or biological activity of a substance in living cells and biological matter. Tim Dumonceaux of AAFC said many pathogens are […] Read more
“Gene editing is the cherry on top of a sundae. It won’t replace traditional breeding.” Dr. Alison Van Eenennaam, Cooperative Extension Specialist in Animal Genomics & Biotechnology – University of California, Davis.
Livestock, News

Genetic editing in livestock faces strong headwinds

University of California, Davis professor says lack of acceptance of gene editing stifles potential gains in livestock sector

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Regulations on gene editing of animals are contributing to negative public perceptions of the technology and stifling innovation in the livestock sector, according to Alison Van Eenennaam of the University of California, Davis. A veteran science communicator and cooperative extension specialist in animal genomics and biotechnology, her professional and personal experience led her to believe […] Read more
File photo of equipment tracks over a field in England. (Georgeclerk/E+/Getty Images)
Crops

Regulations on gene-edited crops to be eased in England

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London | Reuters — Britain’s farming and environment minister George Eustice announced Wednesday that regulations related to gene editing in agricultural research would be eased in England following a public consultation. Rules will now largely be aligned with conventional breeding methods for research and development into plants although scientists will still be required to notify […] Read more
To develop the new guidelines, Health Canada experts reviewed the science around gene-edited crops and concluded that the technology is safe for human consumption and the environment.
News

Health Canada declares gene editing safe

The ruling is expected to give Canadian producers access to the same types of plant breeding available in other countries

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Glacier FarmMedia – Canadian farmers may soon be growing gene-edited crops. That’s because Health Canada has declared that gene-editing technology is safe. Health Canada recently proposed new rules to oversee plant breeding innovation, including gene editing. Why it matters: Canada has lagged other countries in its regulations surrounding gene editing, which could have put Canadian […] Read more
Chicks atop images from a genetic map of a chicken. (Peggy Greb photo courtesy ARS/USDA)
Livestock

Gene-edited chickens planned in bid to halt next pandemic

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London | Reuters — British scientists are developing gene-edited chickens designed to be totally resistant to flu in a new approach to trying to stop the next deadly human pandemic. The first of the transgenic chicks will be hatched later this year at the Roslin Institute at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, said Wendy […] Read more
Palmer amaranth. (United Soybean Board photo)
Crops

North Dakota still on lookout for Palmer amaranth

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CNS Canada –– Officials in North Dakota continue to hunt down suspicious plants in a bid to keep the aggressive weed Palmer amaranth from establishing there. Palmer amaranth, a pigweed species, made its first confirmed appearance in North Dakota last month, in a soybean field in McIntosh County, in the south-central area of the state. […] Read more
Crops

New GM technique promises to speed new crop development

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CNS Canada — Scientists in the United States say they have found a new method for inserting genes into crops that could speed up development of new varieties. “Making genetic improvements that were difficult or impossible before will be much easier because we can now insert not just one or two genes, but multiple genes […] Read more
(Jack Dykinga photo courtesy ARS/USDA)
Crops

U.S. patent agency to weigh rival claims on CRISPR

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Reuters — The U.S. patent agency on Tuesday will hear arguments in a heated dispute over who was first to invent a revolutionary gene-editing technology known as CRISPR. Hundreds of millions of dollars may be at stake, as the technology promises commercial applications in treating genetic diseases, engineering crops, and other areas. CRISPR works as […] Read more

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