The Svalbard Global Seed Vault, storing food crop seeds from around the world in man-made caves on a remote Norwegian Arctic island will receive more than 14,000 new samples on Tuesday, a custodian of the facility said.
Tag Archives seeds

Arctic doomsday seed vault gets more than 14,000 new samples

Russia extends quota on ‘unfriendly’ country seed imports, Interfax reports
Russia on Monday extended quotas on the import of certain types of seed from countries designated as "unfriendly", the Interfax news agency reported, citing the Russian government's press service.

Snobelen Farms Ltd. increases capacity and efficiency at the Brantford facility
A $2 million technology and equipment upgrade on Snobelen Farms Ltd.’s Brantford grain facility is complete. “These upgrades reflect our ongoing commitment to innovation and customer satisfaction,” said Troy Tate, Brantford location manager. “We want our growers to be in, out and back in their combines as seamlessly as possible.” Why it matters: As a […] Read more

China approves seed firms for GMO corn and soybeans
The world's biggest buyer of soybeans and corn wants to reduce its reliance on imports
China has approved a first batch of seed companies to breed and sell genetically modified corn and soybean seeds, paving the way for commercial planting of GMO grains in a move that could cut its reliance on imports from the U.S. and Brazil.

Where has all the seed money gone?
Funding for new varieties has slowed to a trickle in Canada, particularly for cereal crops
Glacier FarmMedia – In 2017, people in Canada’s seed industry felt hopeful. Private money was flowing into wheat and pulse crops and investment in variety development was expected to increase in future years. But that projected investment didn’t pan out, particularly for wheat and other cereal crops. Private firms backed away from cereal crop innovation, […] Read more

Seed regulation consultation results released
CFIA 'anticipates' more consultations this winter
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is getting closer to updating its seed regulations. On Monday, the agency released a “What We Heard” report summarizing the responses of 315 individuals and groups who participated in an online survey from Feb. 15 to May 1. The CFIA is looking to update seed regulations to “reduce complexity, protect […] Read more

CSGA reaches affiliation agreement with provincial seed growers’ branches
The Canadian Seed Growers’ Association (CSGA) announced a new affiliation agreement with its regional branches, the Alberta-British Columbia Seed Growers Association, the Saskatchewan Seed Growers’ Association, the Manitoba Seed Growers’ Association, the Ontario Seed Growers’ Association, les Producteurs de semences du Québec and the Maritime CSGA Branch. The affiliation agreement is the first to establish […] Read more

CropLife not driving CFIA policy, agency says
NFU calls for CFIA head's ouster over 'indication of improper collaboration'
The National Farmers Union and a clutch of other organizations have asked Canada’s federal ag minister to replace the president of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, citing questions about the provenance of regulatory proposals on gene-edited seed. CFIA officials, however, reject the NFU’s allegation that the metadata attached to the proposal document in question may […] Read more

In one giant leap for Earth plants, seeds are grown in moon soil
Washington | Reuters — Scientists for the first time have grown seeds in soil from the moon — samples retrieved during NASA missions in 1969 and 1972 — in an achievement that heralds the promise of using earthly plants to support human outposts on other worlds. Researchers said on Thursday they planted seeds of a […] Read more

Mildew scrapped as grading factor for No. 3 wheats
Grading changes also planned for canola admixture, splits in peas, excreta in mustard
The Canadian Grain Commission will change its standard samples for mildew in No. 1 and No. 2 wheats, and drop it as a grading factor for No. 3 wheats, effective this summer. The CGC on Monday laid out a list of changes to its grain grading policies and standards for wheat, canola, peas, beans and […] Read more