Nigeria: Rice Production - Investors to Cultivate 10,000 Hectares of
Land in Kebbi
By Ismail Adebayo
Birnin Kebbi — The Kebbi State government has
approved the release of 10,000 hectares of land to the management AITEO Energy
Resources Company for the cultivation and production of rice.The leader of the
delegation, Alhaji Abubakar Shehu Tambuwal, after a meeting with Governor Abubakar
Atiku Bagudu at the Government House in Birnin Kebbi, announced his company's
readiness to immediately commence operation in the state."We are expected
to open an office in the state capital next week and immediately commence
recruitment of staff for the cultivation, processing and sale of milled rice in
Kebbi," he said.A release by the governor's chief press secretary, Alhaji
Mu'azu Dakingari, said Governor Bagudu released the massive land to the
investors to improve the economy of the state.
While
thanking the governor for the gesture, Alhaji Tambuwal said his company would
also employ growers immediately. He stated that the rice cultivation investment
would assist the state to generate revenue and empower its peopleMonsoon rains seen above average in 2016
India's crucial monsoon rains are expected to
be above average in 2016, the weather office says, easing fears over farm and
economic growth after two straight droughts hit rural incomes and agricultural
output.
Rains in 2016 would be 106 per cent of the
long-term average, Laxman Singh Rathore, chief of the India Meteorological
Department, said.
Rathore said the monsoon rains could be above
average as El Nino - a warming of the eastern Pacific Ocean that can lead to
dry spells in South Asia - is fading and giving way to La Nina in which the
same waters cool.
The July-to-September monsoon delivers 70 per
cent of India's annual rainfall. It is critical for the country's 263 million
farmers and their rice, cane, corn, cotton and soybean crops, as nearly half of
its farmland lacks irrigation.
Bumper rains can spur farm and economic growth
and boost rural demand for gold, cars, motorcycles, refrigerators and
fertiliser. Two-thirds of India's population depends on farming for its
livelihood.
http://www.ntnews.com.au/news/breaking-news/monsoon-rains-seen-above-average-in-2016/news-story/3347633b012074b679da7681a79298e6
Drought damage to Vietnam agriculture escalates, $250
mln and counting
Thanh Nien News
HO CHI MINH CITY -
Monday, April 18, 2016 12:11
Nearly 340,000 families in Vietnam's southern and central regions
are suffering from water shortage. Photo: Thien Nhan/Thanh Nien
Losses from the severe drought that is parching central and
southern Vietnam have risen to almost US$250 million as it ravages vast
plantations and seafood farms, officials said.
The number was compiled by the Central Steering Committee on
Natural Disasters Prevention which surveyed the impact on agriculture in the
Central Highlands, south central provinces and the Mekong Delta in the last
three and a half months.
The drought, the worst in the country in 90 years, has destroyed
nearly 260,000 hectares of rice and vegetables, more than 160,000 hectares of
orchards and cash crops and more than 4,500 hectares of seafood farms,
according to the report.
Nearly 340,000 families face a water shortage, it said.
Some 70 percent of agriculture land have dried up in the Central
Highlands and south central provinces, which are the main producers of
Vietnam’s prime exports of coffee and pepper.
Low water levels in the Mekong River have caused seawater to
intrude 90 kilometers into the basin, the furthest recorded in history. Eleven
out of 13 provinces in the delta have declared the drought a natural disaster.
The agriculture ministry has urged the government to provide more
than VND1 trillion ($44.6 million) in relief to the affected areas as the
situation is likely to continue until September and spread to the north central
provinces as well.
Water in rivers in the affected areas can drop by more than 90
percent below average levels, it said.
http://www.thanhniennews.com/society/drought-damage-to-vietnam-agriculture-escalates-250-mln-and-counting-61330.html
Delta drought
gives glimpse into bleak future for mighty Mekong
CU
LAO DUNG: While
China has been releasing water from a hydro-electric dam in the upper Mekong
River to help relieve drought down river in Southeast Asia, little of it has
flowed to Nguyen Van Thach’s sugarcane farm in southern Vietnam.
After
feeding his six cows with grass uprooted from a village nearby, Thach took a
knife and cut a slice of sugarcane from his withered crop. “It’s too salty,”
the 62-year-old farmer said, grimacing as he licked the piece of cane. “Even
cows can’t eat this.”
Thach
has quit growing sugarcane and is building houses instead to repay loans after
his farm in Soc Trang province in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta rice bowl lost 10
million dong ($449).
The
sprawling Mekong Delta has been worst hit by salination in a region that
provides half of Vietnam’s rice and 60 percent of its shrimp and fish.
Low
river levels have allowed seawater to penetrate 90 kms (56 miles) inland,
ruining vast swathes of cropland in the fertile delta. Vietnam says the salt
water intrusion in the delta is unprecedented.
It
could be the new normal along the mighty Mekong, the 4,900 km (3,044 mile)
river that sustains 60 million livelihoods as it flows through Laos, Thailand,
Cambodia and Vietnam.
At
least 39 hydro-electric dams are being built or under development in China,
Laos, Thailand and Cambodia to meet the industrial demands of developing
economies. Environmentalists say they are also endangering traditional
agriculture downstream, where there is now less fresh water for drinking and
irrigation.
The
water China is discharging from its existing dams upstream has had little
discernible impact as it dissipates into the expansive delta region where Thach
and nearly 20 million other people live.
Vietnam
is also suffering its most severe drought in 90 years, blamed partly on the El
Nino weather phenomenon, which produces drier and hotter weather in Asia.
Climate change is also factor in the drought, said Nguyen Huu Thien, an
independent expert on the Mekong Delta’s ecology.
“In
the context of climate change, this kind of crisis (in the Mekong Delta) is
forecast to happen more often, for example it could be once in 20 years instead
of once in 90 years.”
Moreover,
the delta, much of which is only two metres or less above sea level, has been
sinking in recent years due to rising sea levels and heavy groundwater
extraction from an ever increasing number of wells. Depleted water tables cause
the ground to compact, allowing seawater to intrude into cropland and water
supplies.
The
drought and sea water intrusion is sapping Vietnam’s economy, which leans on
commodity exports. The agriculture sector contracted 2.69 percent in the first
quarter of 2016 and overall economic growth of 5.56 percent was the slowest in
two years.
Vietnam
is a major global exporter for rice, coffee, pepper, fish and shrimp.
Preliminary losses for those crops so far this year are at 5.57 trillion dong
($250 million), according to a government report as of April 14, nearly 70
percent of which was in the Mekong Delta.
The
drought has affected a third of the coffee farms in the Central Highlands
coffee belt, said the Vietnam Coffee and Cocoa Association. Vietnam is the
world’s second-biggest producer of the beans. The agriculture ministry said
sugar refineries reported an 11 percent drop in the cane volume to 10.23
million tonnes.
The
government says 240,000 hectares (593,000 acres) of paddy have been destroyed
in the world’s third-largest rice exporter.
Southwest
of the delta in Bac Lieu, a major shrimp-raising province, signs are planted on
dried-up shrimp ponds advertising land for sale or for lease.Vietnam, a major
shrimp exporter to the United States, produced 91,900 tonnes in the
January-March period, down 1 percent from a year ago, government data says.
To
Viet Tien, 61, has been raising shrimp since 1982 and has never seen it so bad.
“It’s been too hot toward the bottom of the pond and shrimp can’t stand it,” he
said. “On this (salty) soil, it’s impossible to switch to another crop,” Tien
said.Mekong Delta farmers are beholden to those managing the river beyond
Vietnam’s borders. Up to 70 percent of the water irrigating their crops comes
from the river. Pianporn Deetes of International Rivers, a US-based advocacy
group, said China has “absolute control” of the Mekong: “The region is being
held hostage by hydropower development.”
http://dailytimes.com.pk/region/18-Apr-16/delta-drought-gives-glimpse-into-bleak-future-for-mighty-mekong
VFA
forecasts decline of rice exports in second quarter
The Vietnam Food Association (VFA)
has planned to export 1.6 million tons of rice for the second quarter of this
year, 200,000 tons lower than the initial plan.
This is attributable to the
implementation of the signed contracts and the impact of drought and saline
intrusion which make rice yields to fall.
Rice exports in the first quarter saw positive results. The country shipped 1.59 million tons of rice to get US$692 million in the period, up 41.6% in volume and 40.8% in value against the same period last year.
The VFA attributed the sharp increase in the first three months to the implementation of G-to-G contracts signed with Indonesia and the Philippines last year and newly signed contracts with China.
According to VFA, the export prices of Vietnamese rice also stood higher than those offered by other suppliers in Asia and Vietnam’s rice exporters are likely to lose competitive edge and market shares in the coming time.
Rice exports in the first half of this year are expected to hit over 3 million (excluding the volume exported through illegal channels), up 12% against the corresponding period last year.
http://english.vietnamnet.vn/fms/business/155150/vfa-forecasts-decline-of-rice-exports-in-second-quarter.html
China Rice Production Likely To Remain Flat in 2016-17
19.04.2016
MY 2016/17 rough rice production in China is forecast to remain
flat at 208.3 MMT. MY 2016/17 rice consumption is forecast at 147.4 MMT, down
600,000 MT as Chinese consumers are eating more meat and dairy and eating less
rice, wheat and other staple grain.
Higher rice prices have also hurt industrial and feed demand. Rice
imports are forecast to remain stable in MY 2016/17. Domestic rice prices
continue to stay far above international prices due to Chinaandrsquo;s floor
price, sustaining demand for imported (and smuggled) rice.
http://www.blackseagrain.net/novosti/china-rice-production-likely-to-remain-flat-in-2016-17
Vietnam's H1 2016 rice exports may edge up despite
output fall
REUTERS
UPDATED : 04/16/2016 17:31 GMT + 7
Farmers plant rice on a paddy in
Vietnam's northern Phu Tho province, outside Hanoi, February 21, 2016.
Reuters
Reuters
Vietnam could export more than
3 million tonnes of rice in the first half of 2016, up 12 percent from the
previous year, on rising demand from China and other Southeast Asian nations,
amid supply concerns caused by drought, the government said on Friday.
Rice shipments in the three
months ending June are projected at 1.6 million tonnes, including sales to
China, the government reported on its website citing the Vietnam Food
Association (VFA).
However, the VFA lowered their
projection by 11 percent amid a drought in Vietnam's main rice-growing region,
the government said.
Vietnam, the world's
third-largest rice exporter after India and Thailand, shipped 1.55 million
tonnes of rice in the January to March period, up 38 percent from a year ago,
according to Vietnam Customs data released on Wednesday.
The Southeast Asian country has
been fighting the worst drought and sea water intrusion in 90 years in its
Mekong Delta food basket, brought on by climate change and El Nino weather
pattern. The El Nino typically brings hot, dry conditions to Southeast Asia.
The drought conditions have led
other countries in the region to bolster rice imports. Late last year, Vietnam
sold 1 million tonnes of rice to Indonesia and another 450,000 tonnes to the
Philippines for delivery by the end of the first quarter of 2016.
The disasters have lowered the
first-quarter growth of Vietnam's agriculture sector, reducing the Delta's
winter-spring paddy output while lifting the country's rice export prices to a
five-month high in late March.
"Given the relatively high
prices, VFA reckons that rice exports could lose their competitive edge and
market share in the coming time," the government report said.
Vietnam's paddy output could
fall 1.5 percent this year to 44.5 million tonnes due to Mekong Delta's crop
losses, while the annual export would be 8.7 million tonnes, unchanged from a
previous projection, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said in
its April rice market report.
BMI Research forecasts global
rice production to decline in 2015/2016, the first in seven seasons, and a
global rice deficit of 13 million tonnes could emerge for 2015/2016 after
consistent surpluses in the crop years from 2005/06 to 2013/14.
Vietnam could follow Thailand
to restructure rice cultivation by reducing planting areas and switching to
other crops which requires less water, said Le Anh Tuan, deputy head, Research
Institute for Climate Change under Can Tho university.
"Scientists and the
authority should reassess the direction for Delta and should not race into rice
production," Tuan told Reuters.
http://tuoitrenews.vn/business/34320/vietnam-s-h1-2016-rice-exports-may-edge-up-despite-output-fall
Rice Farming for Profit in 2016
Author: Jarrod Hardke, Rice Extension Agronomist
After a 2015 season that left many Arkansas rice producers
feeling kicked in the gut, 2016 doesn’t look to offer much relief. Rice looks
to be the best smelling pig in the pen in terms of penciling out profitability,
but margins are tight there as well. This year we’ll need to make every
penny count. That means managing risk. We’re not looking for a homerun this
year; we’re looking to cover all the bases and keep the game going.
WEATHER
To manage risk we need to get back to basics. Try to spread out
planting dates – planting earlier does produce higher yields but often carries
increased input costs along with it. Last season many didn’t get a chance to spread
anything out, you either planted in that 10-14 day window or you didn’t plant.
Yes those situations happen, but that window happened at the end of April when
it was clear we needed to plant and not wait. Right now, while it’s early, you
still have to stick with Plan A; don’t jump to Plan B before we even get to
A. Reflective of the truly odd year that 2015 was, those who were delayed
until almost May in planting frequently had higher yields than those who
planted weeks earlier; however, this should be considered a great exception and
not the rule. Let’s start by trying to spread out our planting dates a little –
especially if you’re going to try and plant some really early. Determine the maximum
acres that you would consider planting early and then stick with that number.
Remember that the optimum recommended planting window has two boundaries for a
reason.
SEED
FERTILIZER
Fertility programs need to be solid and smart, based on soil
test analysis, not chosen at random or reduced just because you think you can
get away with it. Nutrient deficiencies are much more costly and difficult to
correct in-season. It’s best to avoid issues with P, K, and Zn by having a good
fertility program to start.
When it comes to nitrogen, there is NO WAY to put out the
season’s needs at planting, regardless of what anyone may try to tell you.
Nitrogen put out at planting with your other fertilizer will undergo major
losses long before the plants get big enough to take it up. Hopefully we have
an easier time getting preflood N onto dry soil this year so we can maximize
efficiency. If we reach the point where we can only put it on muddy soil, then
up the rate a little and get it out. Do not resort to flying it into standing
water – it’s very inefficient and costly and we cannot make up our entire yield
that way. When it comes to the midseason N application for varieties, note that
the new recommendation is you need to be beyond green ring (internode
elongation) AND at least 3 weeks after the preflood N was incorporated with the
flood. You have to meet both of these conditions to get the maximum benefit
from midseason N.
If you have the watering capacity and the right field
conditions, you can use a single optimum preflood (and not even have to apply a
midseason application) while putting out less total nitrogen. There’s a
spot we can potentially save money, but it’s not for everyone and figuring out
if it’s best for you needs a one-on-one conversation – call me. We’ve
been recommending N-STaR soil testing for years now and continue to do so – the
goal is not to lower your nitrogen rate but to provide a field-specific,
prescription nitrogen rate (the correct nitrogen rate).
WEED CONTROL
Herbicide costs are one of the greatest sources of variation in
our budgets every year. Environmental difficulties notwithstanding, we
need to use preemergence herbicides and get them activated. When those
applications begin to break we need to get postemergence applications out on
small weeds when the treatment will work best. Results from the Rice
Research Verification Program from 2013-2015 show an average herbicide cost of
$73.15 per acre. Costs for individual fields ranged from $25 to $137 per
acre (none of these numbers include application costs). The point is you
can keep your chemical costs down with timely applications using the proper
recommended rates. Your goal should be to average less than $100 per acre
in herbicide costs, and the Verification program has shown it can be done
cheaper than that in most instances. See the 2015 RRVP report HERE. See other past RRVP
reports HERE.
IRRIGATION
HARVEST
OTHER INPUTS
It’s been written about already this spring but it bears
repeating. Keep your eye on the bottom line at all times. If we put
out the proper seeding rate, use adequate preplant fertilizer according to soil
testing, use multiple herbicide modes of action (and activate them), and use
appropriate nitrogen rates and timings, there’s not much else to add that’s
going to provide a positive crop or yield benefit. Yes, fungicides and
insecticides have their place – when treatment thresholds are met to indicate
the need for treatment. Other than that – keep it out of the tank and
save your money. Even adjuvants designed to improve the utility of
herbicides, fungicides, and insecticides should only be used according to those
products’ labels. Any deviation or addition of other products has not
been proven to be of any benefit. So don’t do it!
FINAL THOUGHTS
Let’s grow rice for profit in 2016. Make management
decisions on a field-by-field basis and avoid making blanket applications of
any products to large acreage. The more field-specific and timely our
inputs are, the more likely we are to maximize both yield and profit
potential. Keep your eye on the bottom line, not just on that yield
number. Consult the DD50 Rice Management Program for help with properly timing
management for your fields (http://dd50.uaex.edu). For all rice production
information visit http://uaex.edu/rice. Call if we can
help. See you in the field.
http://www.arkansas-crops.com/2016/04/15/rice-farming-profit/#sthash.hzjtmeMB.uWwhcSnN.dpuf
Rice
Prices
Arrivals in tonnes;prices in Rs/quintal in domestic market.
|
Arrivals
|
Price
|
|||||
|
Current
|
%
change |
Season
cumulative |
Modal
|
Prev.
Modal |
Prev.Yr
%change |
|
|
Rice
|
||||||
|
Bazpur(Utr)
|
327.60
|
100
|
38714.81
|
1500
|
1480
|
-18.92
|
|
Azamgarh(UP)
|
125.00
|
-31.32
|
4003.50
|
2100
|
1975
|
-
|
|
Ballia(UP)
|
100.00
|
-16.67
|
6690.00
|
1980
|
2010
|
0.25
|
|
Pilibhit(UP)
|
100.00
|
NC
|
18294.00
|
2185
|
2195
|
-0.23
|
|
Chandabali(Ori)
|
85.00
|
NC
|
1353.00
|
1800
|
1400
|
50.00
|
|
Kalipur(WB)
|
82.00
|
7.89
|
4690.00
|
2150
|
2050
|
4.88
|
|
Saharanpur(UP)
|
72.00
|
4.35
|
4423.00
|
2170
|
2170
|
2.60
|
|
Pandua(WB)
|
50.00
|
4.17
|
1619.00
|
2600
|
2700
|
-3.70
|
|
Gondal(UP)
|
45.00
|
NC
|
11362.10
|
1950
|
2030
|
-3.23
|
|
Balrampur(UP)
|
45.00
|
9.76
|
1159.50
|
2070
|
2025
|
2.22
|
|
Kasimbazar(WB)
|
43.00
|
-1.15
|
1625.50
|
2275
|
2280
|
-9.00
|
|
Cachar(ASM)
|
40.00
|
100
|
1490.00
|
2700
|
2700
|
NC
|
|
Karimganj(ASM)
|
40.00
|
NC
|
1440.00
|
2200
|
2200
|
NC
|
|
Beldanga(WB)
|
40.00
|
8.11
|
1650.00
|
2280
|
2280
|
-6.94
|
|
Bindki(UP)
|
37.00
|
-51.32
|
2274.00
|
2280
|
2240
|
10.68
|
|
Kolhapur(Laxmipuri)(Mah)
|
35.00
|
16.67
|
1414.00
|
3500
|
3200
|
-
|
|
Dadri(UP)
|
32.00
|
NC
|
1749.00
|
2140
|
2120
|
2.88
|
|
Jasra(UP)
|
30.00
|
NC
|
532.50
|
2050
|
1995
|
1.23
|
|
Kondotty(Ker)
|
25.00
|
NC
|
125.00
|
2600
|
2700
|
-
|
|
Dhekiajuli(ASM)
|
20.00
|
-33.33
|
880.00
|
1800
|
1800
|
-3.74
|
|
Lohardaga(Jha)
|
20.00
|
-9.09
|
737.00
|
1650
|
1930
|
-15.38
|
|
Diamond Harbour(South 24-pgs)(WB)
|
20.00
|
-6.98
|
603.50
|
1900
|
1900
|
-9.52
|
|
Palghar(Mah)
|
17.00
|
325
|
552.00
|
2796
|
2003
|
-23.94
|
|
Naugarh(UP)
|
17.00
|
-15
|
579.00
|
2010
|
2015
|
5.24
|
|
Wansi(UP)
|
17.00
|
100
|
69.50
|
2010
|
2060
|
6.35
|
|
Kendupatna(Ori)
|
16.00
|
-69.81
|
89.00
|
1720
|
1800
|
-7.43
|
|
Champadanga(WB)
|
16.00
|
14.29
|
744.00
|
2400
|
2350
|
-7.69
|
|
Yusufpur(UP)
|
15.00
|
-16.67
|
620.00
|
1940
|
1930
|
1.31
|
|
Rampur(UP)
|
14.00
|
3.7
|
449.50
|
2270
|
2260
|
11.27
|
|
Udala(Ori)
|
12.00
|
NC
|
768.00
|
2800
|
2800
|
12.00
|
|
Holenarsipura(Kar)
|
10.00
|
-28.57
|
103.00
|
1800
|
1720
|
-26.77
|
|
Sheoraphuly(WB)
|
9.00
|
NC
|
353.50
|
2700
|
2700
|
NC
|
|
North Lakhimpur(ASM)
|
8.80
|
-38.89
|
1257.40
|
1900
|
1900
|
-
|
|
Nilagiri(Ori)
|
7.00
|
-12.5
|
374.00
|
2400
|
2300
|
4.35
|
|
Khairagarh(UP)
|
7.00
|
-12.5
|
332.00
|
2100
|
2090
|
4.48
|
|
Tusura(Ori)
|
6.00
|
-20
|
195.00
|
2200
|
2200
|
-8.33
|
|
Mirzapur(UP)
|
5.00
|
-16.67
|
1212.50
|
1945
|
1945
|
-1.77
|
|
Muradabad(UP)
|
5.00
|
-28.57
|
443.70
|
2300
|
2300
|
12.20
|
|
Dibrugarh(ASM)
|
4.50
|
-76.32
|
1017.90
|
2450
|
2450
|
-
|
|
Bijnaur(UP)
|
3.50
|
-56.25
|
399.50
|
2250
|
2200
|
9.22
|
|
Rura(UP)
|
3.50
|
-22.22
|
87.40
|
2100
|
2080
|
-2.33
|
|
Balarampur(WB)
|
2.50
|
13.64
|
52.50
|
2180
|
2130
|
-9.17
|
|
Islampur(WB)
|
2.20
|
-26.67
|
243.50
|
2150
|
2150
|
-
|
|
Sardhana(UP)
|
1.00
|
-66.67
|
71.20
|
2180
|
2160
|
4.31
|
|
Thoubal(Man)
|
1.00
|
-16.67
|
70.30
|
2800
|
2800
|
180.00
|
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/article8489327.ece
Scientists
issue rallying cry for wheat blast research
JOHN INNES CENTRE
IMAGE: DEVASTATED BLAST AFFECTED WHEAT FIELD OF FARMER
HAFIZUR RAHMAN OF VILLAGE BISMILLANAGAR OF SHAILKUPA UPAZILLA IN THE DISTRICT
OF JHENAIDAH. ABOUT 75% YIELD LOSS HAS OCCURRED IN HIS WHEAT FIELD... view more
CREDIT:
PROF. TOFAZZAL ISLAM DEPARTMENT OF BIOTECHNOLOGY, BSMRAU, BANGLADESH
A team of scientists in the UK
and Bangladesh are turning to the combined knowledge of the global scientific community
to address an emerging threat to Asian agriculture.
The target is the fearsome fungal
disease wheat blast. The pathogen was spotted in Bangladesh in February this
year -- its first report in Asia. Wheat is the second major food source in
Bangladesh, after rice. The blast disease has, so far, caused up to 90% yield
losses in more than 15,000 hectares. Scientists fear that the pathogen could
spread further to other wheat growing areas in South Asia.
The UK and Bangladeshi teams are
making raw genetic data for the wheat blast pathogen available on a new website
-- http://www.wheatblast.net -- and inviting others to
do the same. Professor Sophien Kamoun, of The Sainsbury Laboratory in Norwich,
who is leading the project, said that a wide cultural change is needed for
scientists to optimally address new threats to food security.
"I have a beef with the way
that research is typically done. We need a fundamentally new approach to
sharing genetic data for emerging plant diseases," he said. "We need
to generate and make data public more rapidly and seek input from a larger
crowd because, collectively, we are better able to answer questions."
Professor Kamoun, with colleagues
at The Genome Analysis Centre and John Innes Centre in Norwich, and with
Professor Tofazzal Islam's Team of Bangabndhu Sheikh Mujubur Rahman
Agricultural University (BSMRAU) in Bangladesh, is hoping that the http://www.wheatblast.netwebsite, together with an accompanying Facebook page, will
provide a hub for information, collaboration and comment. They are basing the
site on their successful Open Ash Dieback website, which brought scientists
together in the fight against ash dieback disease.
The blast fungus normally infects
rice and over 50 types of grasses. Occasionally, a blast fungus strain would
jump from one host to another resulting in a new disease. Such a "host
jump" to wheat has happened in Brazil in the 1980s. The wheat blast
pathogen is now rife in South America, where it infects up to 3 million
hectares and causes serious crop losses.
Prof Kamoun and colleagues are
working with Professor Tofazzal Islam's team, of the Department of
Biotechnology of BSMRAU in Gazipur, Bangladesh. They hope that the genetic data
will help determine whether the Bangladeshi wheat-infecting strain has evolved
independently from local grass-infecting fungi or was somehow introduced into
the country.
Professor Tofazzal Islam said
"This pathogen causes a destructive disease on rice and it would be
disastrous if the same situation arises now in wheat. Genomic and post-genomic
research should clarify the origin of the wheat strain and guide measures for
disease management. Prompt responses are needed from the scientific community
and the government of Bangladesh for addressing this national crisis to ensure
increasing wheat production, which is linked with future food and nutritional
security of the nation."
The group of scientists includes
Dr Diane Saunders at The Genome Analysis Centre and John Innes Centre who
developed a technique last year, known as Field Pathogenomics. To date, Field
Pathogenomics has been applied to track another fungal crop disease - yellow
rust. The method generates highly-specific genetic information directly from
diseased wheat samples to determine the identity of the pathogen strain that's
associated with an epidemic. Application of this method to wheat blast should
unmask the pathogen in Bangladesh and contribute to a response plan.
The recent wheat blast epidemic
in Bangladesh has prompted Professor Nick Talbot, University of Exeter, to post
on the wheatblast.net website a set of genetic data generated by his group from
worldwide populations of the wheat and rice blast fungus. Prof Talbot said
"In an emergency like this one, the community must come together to share
data and compare notes. Only then, we will determine the true identity of the
pathogen and put in place effective measures in a timely fashion."
Professor Neil Hall, Director of
The Genome Analysis Centre said: "It is critical in emerging crises like
this that scientific data is rapidly generated and made available as soon as
possible. Having an open-access site has already galvanized open exchange of
information for the ash dieback disease. The scientific community needs to
rally behind open science to respond to recurrent threats to global food
security."
###
This research has been funded by
the Gatsby Charitable Foundation and UK's Biotechnology and Biological Sciences
Research Council (BBSRC).
Notes to editors
1. Professor Sophien Kamoun is
available for interview on Friday April 15, 2016 and Saturday April 16, 2016.
After that he will be travelling but available for telephone interviews. If you
would like to interview Professor Kamoun please see contact details below.
2. For further information or
to arrange interviews please contact:
Geraldine Platten
communications manager for TSL and JIC
T: 016043450238
E: geraldineplatten@jic.ac.uk
communications manager for TSL and JIC
T: 016043450238
E: geraldineplatten@jic.ac.uk
Prof. Tofazzal Islam
Department of Biotechnology, BSMRAU, Bangladesh
E: tofazzalislam@yahoo.com
T: +88-01534568893, +88-01714001414
Department of Biotechnology, BSMRAU, Bangladesh
E: tofazzalislam@yahoo.com
T: +88-01534568893, +88-01714001414
4. About The Sainsbury
Laboratory
The Sainsbury Laboratory (TSL) is
a world-leading research centre focusing on making fundamental discoveries
about plants and how they interact with microbes. TSL not only provides
fundamental biological insights into plant-pathogen interactions, but is also
delivering novel, genomics-based, solutions which will significantly reduce
losses from major diseases of food crops, especially in developing countries.
TSL is an independent charitable company and receives strategic funding from
the Gatsby Charitable Foundation with the balance coming from competitive
grants and contracts from a range of public and private bodies, including the
European Union (EU), Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
(BBSRC) and commercial and charitable organisations http://www.tsl.ac.uk.
5. About The Genome
Analysis Centre
The Genome Analysis Centre (TGAC)
is a world-class research institute focusing on the development of genomics and
computational biology. TGAC is based within the Norwich Research Park and
receives strategic funding from the Biotechnology and Biological Science
Research Council (BBSRC) - £7.4M in 2013/14 - as well as support from other
research funders. TGAC is one of eight institutes that receive strategic
funding from BBSRC. TGAC operates a National Capability to promote the
application of genomics and bioinformatics to advance bioscience research and
innovation.
TGAC offers state of the art DNA
sequencing facility, unique by its operation of multiple complementary
technologies for data generation. The Institute is a UK hub for innovative
Bioinformatics through research, analysis and interpretation of multiple,
complex data sets. It hosts one of the largest computing hardware facilities
dedicated to life science research in Europe. It is also actively involved in
developing novel platforms to provide access to computational tools and
processing capacity for multiple academic and industrial users and promoting
applications of computational Bioscience. Additionally, the Institute offers a
Training programme through courses and workshops, and an Outreach programme
targeting schools, teachers and the general public through dialogue and science
communication activities. http://www.tgac.ac.uk
6. About the John Innes
Centre
Our mission is to generate
knowledge of plants and microbes through innovative research, to train
scientists for the future, to apply our knowledge of nature's diversity to
benefit agriculture, the environment, human health and well-being, and engage
with policy makers and the public.
To achieve these goals we
establish pioneering long-term research objectives in plant and microbial
science, with a focus on genetics. These objectives include promoting the
translation of research through partnerships to develop improved crops and to
make new products from microbes and plants for human health and other
applications. We also create new approaches, technologies and resources that
enable research advances and help industry to make new products. The knowledge,
resources and trained researchers we generate help global societies address
important challenges including providing sufficient and affordable food, making
new products for human health and industrial applications, and developing
sustainable bio-based manufacturing.
This provides a fertile
environment for training the next generation of plant and microbial scientists,
many of whom go on to careers in industry and academia, around the world.
The John Innes Centre is
strategically funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research
Council (BBSRC). In 2014-2015 the John Innes Centre received a total of £36.9
million from the BBSRC.
7. About the BBSRC
The Biotechnology and Biological
Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) invests in world-class bioscience research
and training on behalf of the UK public. Our aim is to further scientific
knowledge, to promote economic growth, wealth and job creation and to improve
quality of life in the UK and beyond.
Funded by Government, BBSRC
invested over £509M in world-class bioscience in 2014-15. We support research
and training in universities and strategically funded institutes. BBSRC
research and the people we fund are helping society to meet major challenges,
including food security, green energy and healthier, longer lives.
Our investments underpin
important UK economic sectors, such as farming, food, industrial biotechnology
and pharmaceuticals.
8. About Department of
Biotechnology of BSMRAU
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
Agricultural University (BSMRAU) is a public university in Bangladesh, which is
known as a "Center of Excellence" in higher education and advanced
research. The Department of Biotechnology of BSMRAU delivers high class
teaching and conducts cutting-edge research in biotechnology for sustainable
solution of current and emerging challenges associated with food and
nutritional security of Bangladesh and the globe. http:http://www.btlbsmrau.org
9. Useful links:
Wheatblast.net (to go live
weekend of 00:01 1April 19, 2016)
Wheat blast affects 15,500
hectares of land in 5 districts http://www.thedailystar.net/country/wheat-blast-affects-15500-hectares-land-5-dists-1208944
Genomics of emerging plant
pathogens: too little, too late. Microbiology Todayhttp://kamounlab.dreamhosters.com/pdfs/MicrobiologyToday_2012.pdf
Could
climate change lead to more food? Increased carbon dioxide could help wheat,
rice and soybeans grow more efficiently
Bringing drought and increased temperatures, climate change has
been widely portrayed as a force that will leave staple food crops struggling
in many areas where they are grown today.
But a new study has shown that increasing levels of carbon dioxide
in the atmosphere may actually lead to greater yields of key crops like wheat,
rice and soybeans.
Scientists say higher levels of carbon dioxide in the air helps
plants build up greater biomass but can also reduce the amount of water needed
to help them grow.
+3It is difficult to predict how the mixture of factors
caused by global warming will impact the way crops grow around the world, but a
new study shows the increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere might help
crops grow more in some parts, in spite of the changing climate.
While the effects of a complex changing climate makes it difficult
to predict exactly how crops in different parts of the world will grow, overall
rising carbon dioxide levels could be beneficial.
Average levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere have risen by
more than a quarter since 1960, and now sit at around 400 parts per
million.Plants take in carbon to build their tissues through photosynthesis,
and if there is more carbon around, the process is easier.
WHY PLANTS LIKE CARBON DIOXIDE
Plants take in carbon to build their tissues through
photosynthesis, and if there is more carbon around, the process is easier.
Leaves take in air through tiny openings called stomata, but in
the process the stomata lose water.
When more carbon is available, they don't have to open up as much,
and this saves water.
Until now most research looking into climate change has focussed
on changes in temperature and rainfall. Many studies indicate that as
temperatures rise, crops across the world will suffer as average temperatures
become unsuitable for traditionally grown crops, and droughts, heat waves or
extreme bouts of precipitation become more common.But a large team of
researchers have tried to predict the combined effect of a variety of changing
factors caused by climate change to take into account the increase in carbon
dioxide.They introduced artificially heightened levels of carbon dioxide to
farm fields, and measured the results on crop production.Although the results
are complicated, their research suggests some crops might grow better in 2080.
+3Researchers
have introduced artificially heightened levels of carbon dioxide to farm
fields, and measured the results on the production of maize, soybeans, wheat
and rice. Here, experimental plots at the University of Arizona's Maricopa
Agricultural Centre.
The study looked at how rising temperatures and carbon dioxide
along with changes in rainfall and cloud cover might combine to affect how
efficiently maize, soybeans, wheat, and rice can use water and grow.
WHAT THE STUDY SUGGESTS
The researchers looked at how
rising temperatures and carbon dioxide along with changes in rainfall and cloud
cover might combine to affect how efficiently maize, soybeans, wheat, and rice
can use water and grow.The results confirmed heat and water stress alone will
damage yields, but when carbon dioxide is accounted for, all four crops will
use water more efficiently by 2080. Based on the current biomass of these
crops, the researchers predict water-use efficiency will rise an average of 27
per cent in wheat, 18 per cent in soybeans, 13 per cent in maize, and 10 per
cent in rice.This does not mean more of them will grow, however. Taking it
all into account, the study projects that average yields of current rain-fed
wheat areas, mostly located in higher latitudes including the US, Canada and
Europe, might go up by almost 10 per cent, while consumption of water would go
down a corresponding amount.
But average yields of irrigated wheat, which account for much of
India and China's production, could decline by 4 per cent.Maize, according to
the new projections, would still be a loser most everywhere, even with higher
water efficiency yields would go down about 8.5 per cent.
+3
Average yields of current rain-fed wheat areas, mostly
located in higher latitudes including the US, Canada and Europe, might go up by
almost 10 per cent, and consumption of water would go down a corresponding
amount. Average yields of irrigated wheat, much of India and China's production,
could decline by 4 per cent.But the researchers warned the uncertainties in the
models are high, because field experiments, which involve blowing carbon
dioxide over large farm fields for entire growing seasons, have only been done
at a handful of sites.The study is less conclusive on the overall effects on
rice and soybean yields - half of the projections show an increase in yield and
half a net decline.
