A better bread?
Reading Time: 3 minutesBY SADEQUR RAHMAN There are few more evocative words than bread in almost any language. From the Lord’s prayer in the Bible to Marie Antoinette’s unfortunate “Let them eat bread” comment (which she apparently did not make) to Indira Gandhi’s “Roti Kapad aur Makan” slogan and that of many other politicians, the word “bread” has […]
Call to modernise agriculture
Reading Time: 2 minutesSarawak’s deputy CM says ultra-chic modern styled technology can make agriculture attractive to youths The Sarawak state government is pushing ahead for high technology practices such as “smart and precision farming” in an effort to make agriculture look “sexy” and attract the modern generation. The initiative will also help the farming community generate higher income […]
A journo’s changed perception on GMOs
Reading Time: 4 minutesBY MUHAMMAD LUQMAN Decades of unscientifically proven facts on genetically modified organisms (GMOs) issued by green pressure groups and global anti-GMO organisations – have generally created a negative world view of one of science’s most advanced technology. How such campaigns and bad press affect the adoption of GMOs in countries like Pakistan and India is […]
‘Short Course’ attracts biotech players
Reading Time: 2 minutesA total of 28 biotech players from Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, and Pakistan participated in the first Asian Short Course on Agribiotechnology, Biosafety Regulations, and Communication (ASC2018) in Bandar Sunway, Selangor, Malaysia from August 13-17, 2018. The Asian regional short course was organised to give better understanding to the participants on the entire value chain related […]
US Agriculture paves the ‘New Normal’ for global agribusiness
Reading Time: 7 minutesI had the opportunity to attend the 2018 Southeast Asia US Agricultural Cooperators Conference organised by US Grains Council, US Department of Agriculture, and US Soybean Export Council in Kota Kinabalu recently. Themed “The new normal for global agribusiness”, the conference, aimed at bringing together US agriculture leaders, farmers, USDA officials, subject matter experts and […]
Protecting rice plants by exploiting their natural defences
Reading Time: < 1 minuteResearchers in Indonesia have deciphered the chemical cues used by rice to attract a parasitoid that helps fight off the plant’s predator. The researchers created a system to imitate these cues, which could help investigate similar interactions in other crops and possible sources of non-toxic pest control. Rice is a staple food, relied upon by […]
Genome editing takes the podium at APEC Meet
Reading Time: 2 minutesBRISBANE: Eighteen APEC-member economies and five non-member economies met in Brisbane, Australia at the APEC High Level Policy Dialogue on Agricultural Biotechnology (APEC HLPDAB). The focus of the annual meet shifted this year to genome editing with the precision breeding technology set to revolutionise industries beyond agriculture, while regulatory cooperation was another key focus. Participants […]
Mardi’s research yields sweeter rambutans
Reading Time: 2 minutesSINTOK: Malaysians will soon be tasting two new rambutan varieties – Mutiara Merah and Mutiara Wangi which were the result of research by the Malaysian Agricultural Research Development Institute (Mardi). The two new clones were launched here recently by Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Datuk Salahuddin Ayub. Developed by plant breeder Dr Johari Sarip, the […]
Rice with few stomata requires less water
Reading Time: 2 minutesRICE plants engineered to have fewer stomata — tiny openings used for gas exchange — are more tolerant to drought and resilient to future climate change, a new study has revealed. Scientists from the University of Sheffield have discovered that engineering a high-yielding rice cultivar to have reduced stomatal density, helps the crop to conserve […]
Blocking sunlight won’t reduce crop damage
Reading Time: < 1 minuteINJECTING particles into the atmosphere to cool the planet and counter the warming effects of climate change would do nothing to offset the crop damage from rising global temperatures, according to a new analysis by University of California, Berkeley, researchers. By analysing the past effects of Earth-cooling volcanic eruptions, and the response of crops to […]