The Government of Alberta has committed an additional $1 million to Genome Alberta’s work placement program which provides support for recent graduates entering fields such as bioinformatics, big data, and business development. While the program serves Alberta’s broader biotechnology sector, genomic tools and technologies have significant applications in plant and livestock agriculture, food production, health,... Read More
Category: Biotechnology
Corteva has unveiled the name of the seed and genetics business, previously referred to as SpinCo. When Corteva completes its previously-announced split later this year, the new company — which will house the Pioneer and Brevant seed brands — will be called Vylor, Inc. Corteva was formed in 2018 as the agriculture-focused subsidiary of DowDuPont…Read More
On this episode of The Agronomists, host Lyndsey Smith is joined by guests Dr. Liping Wang from the University of Guelph and Chris Manchur from the Canola Council of Canada to discuss RNAi technology and CRISPR technology, how they work, and how these plant breeding techniques could impact cropping decisions in the future. From what... Read More
The national umbrella organization representing Canada's grain, oilseed, pulse and special crop industries is welcoming the North American trade dispute panel ruling against Mexico's restrictions on genetically-modified (GM) corn. The dispute revolves around Mexico’s February 2023 presidential corn decree to ban the use of GM corn in dough and tortillas, and to gradually eliminate the... Read More
Canada has finally decided on how crop varieties developed with gene-editing technology will be handled in the registration and approval process. Announced last week, crops developed using the technique will not be considered a GMO or "novel" and therefore will have a more streamlined path to approval. Now that plant breeders and seed companies know... Read More
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency's third and final ruling announced Friday on gene-editing for crop variety development clears the path for this precise, cost-effective plant breeding tool to be used in Canada. Does this mean farmers will have access to new drought-resistant or nitrogen-efficient varieties for next year? Not so fast, says Krista Thomas, vice-president... Read More
Approval of a biotechnology reform bill in the European Parliament last month has been hailed as a major breakthrough toward allowing "new genomic techniques," such as gene-editing, to be used in crop breeding in Europe. The bill still faces an uphill battle to become law across the European Union, but the vote was one example... Read More
Surrounding yourself with exceptional people and building a winning team. It's a recipe for success that Saskatchewan-born Lorne Hepworth has followed through three successful careers and now an appointment as Member of the Order of Canada. This week, RealAgriculture's Shaun Haney sat down with Hepworth to discuss his journey, which includes a career arc with... Read More
The chair of the House of Commons' agriculture committee has introduced a private member's bill aimed at speeding up regulatory approvals of new seed genetics, feed products, and crop protection products for Canadian farmers. Kody Blois, Liberal MP from Nova Scotia, tabled Bill C-359 — An Act to amend the Feeds Act, the Seeds Act... Read More
Bayer and Pairwise, an ag and food company that offers gene-editing for the U.S. market, have announced a five year deal to further develop short-stature corn. This deal will focus on gene-edited, short-stature corn for future use in Bayer’s Preceon Smart Corn System. Short-stature corn – with a targeted height of 30 to 40 percent... Read More