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September 29, 2009
· Light may help bacteria invade fresh produce
· International research team cracks potato genome
· DuPont seed business on track for a record year
· China’s Sinochem offers $2 billion to buy Nufarm
· AGCO wins major business contract in China
Light may help bacteria invade fresh produce
(ScienceDaily.com) — Exposure to light and possibly photosynthesis itself could be helping disease-causing bacteria to be internalized by lettuce leaves, making them impervious to washing, according to research published in the October issue of the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology.
Salmonella enterica is a common
cause of foodborne gastroenteritis,
with an estimated number of 1 to 3 million human cases per year in the
Previous studies of foodborne pathogens on produce have found that the bacteria do not only attach to the surface of fresh produce but find their way below the surface of the skin through pores called stomata where they can hide from and resist washing and food sanitizers.
In the study, researchers from the Agricultural Research
Organization at the
The researchers believe that the increased propensity for internalization in the light may be due to several factors. First, in the absence of light plants enter a period of dormancy, where stomata are closed and no photosynthesis takes place. In the light, the stomata are open. Additional findings also suggest that the bacteria are attracted to the open stomata by the nutrients produced during photosynthesis which are not present in the dark.
"The elucidation of the mechanism by which Salmonella invades intact leaves has important implications for both pre- and postharvest handling of lettuce and probably other leafy vegetables. The capacity to inhibit internalization should limit bacterial colonization to the phylloplane and consequently might enhance the effectiveness of surface sanitizers," say the researchers.
International research team cracks potato genome
(AP
via Yahoo! News)
The draft of the potato genome released last week represents the work of more than 50 scientists from 16 institutions and will provide a starting point for other researchers to develop sturdier, more nutritious potatoes.
That's important because the potato is widely grown and
plays a central role in feeding the world's 6.3 billion people, said Robin
Buell, a
"The potato is the most important vegetable worldwide," Buell said. "This report on potato (genes) is a major milestone in genome mapping."
The Potato Genome Sequencing Consortium began work in 2006.
It has 16 institutional members in
The potato genome has 12 chromosomes with 840 million base pairs, about a quarter the size of the human genome. The draft covers 95 percent of potato genes.
Launched by the Plant Breeding Department at
As a researcher at the Institute for Genomic Research in
A gene map allows quicker development of new crop strains.
The rice genome map has already led to the development of a variety that can
survive being submerged in water and is used in flood-prone
First cultivated in South America about 7,000 years ago, the
potato is now grown on every continent but
Potatoes are the world's fourth largest food crop after three grains — maize, rice and wheat. Farmers worldwide produced about 309 million tons of potatoes in 2007.
Potatoes are subject to a range of viral, fungal and bacterial diseases that attack them above and below ground.
Most notorious is the so-called "late blight" that
attacks potato foliage. It was responsible for the potato famine of the 1840s
that killed about 1 million people in
On Sept. 14, a scientific team announced success in mapping the genome of the late blight pathogen, which still causes billions of dollars in damage to potato, tomato and other crops each year.
"This is probably the most costly plant pathogen, per
acre, that we've ever had to deal with,"
Researchers hope the potato genome will lead to a major breakthrough in their ability to develop varieties resistant to late blight and other diseases, according to the Scottish Crop Research Institute, another consortium member.
"Currently potato breeding takes about 10-12 years to develop a new variety," the institute said in a statement. "It is expected that being able to use the genome information will dramatically shorten the time taken to breed new varieties as well as reducing the cost."
At
"The timing of the release of the potato draft sequence is nice," Douches said. "We're combining genetics and breeding, so having a draft of the genome will help us find genetic markers for desirable traits in potatoes, which will make breeding more precise."
DuPont seed business on track for a record year
(Forbes.com) – For E.I. du Pont de Nemours, the decision to concentrate on its Pioneer Hi-Bred segment has meant capturing market share in key areas of the North American seed business.
Grabbing more than two points of share in the North American seed corn market, three points in the North American soybean market and five points in the Canadian canola seed market, DuPont's Pioneer Hi-Bred International is poised to report a record year, said Pioneer President Paul Schickler at a recent analyst conference.
The agriculture and nutrition segment at E.I. du Pont de Nemours, or DuPont, is one of the company's most profitable while being the least cyclical and requiring the lowest amount of capital, according to Soleil analyst Mark Gulley. With earnings growth of 15% annually and its percentage of total earnings projected to be in the 40% to 45% range in 2011, Gulley wouldn't be surprised if the company elected to divest underperforming businesses to further concentrate on seeds where it competes with Monsanto and Syngenta.
DuPont takes a different approach to the business than Monsanto, which Gulley sees as the company's toughest competition. Pioneer's "right seed for the right acre" approach encourages farmers to cater purchases to specific crop needs while Monsanto appeals to "profit-maximizing" farmers who are willing to pay more for seeds that protect against a variety of stresses.
Uncertainties regarding regulations and pricing remain risks to seed companies. Lower farm incomes in 2009 will make farmers unlikely to stomach higher seed prices. While prices on existing hybrids will likely remain unchanged, Pioneer said mix effect should lift the average selling price for corn by 5% and soy as much as 3%.
At a recent investor conference, Pioneer presented its goals to grow sales 50% and double earnings for the period from 2008 to 2013. "While we appreciate DuPont's aggressive goals through 2013, it will be difficult to keep up with the pace set by Monsanto," Gulley said.
DuPont shares finished Monday's trading session up by 94 cents, or 3%, at $32.68 while Monsanto gained $83 cents, or 1.1%, at $77.01; Syngenta AG added 77 cents, or 1.7%, at $45.65; and Dow Chemical finished ahead by $1.24, or 4.9%, at $26.39.
China
(Bloomberg)
-- Sinochem Corp.,
State-owned Sinochem signed an initial accord to pay A$13 a share for
The proposal marks
“A successful purchase of Nufarm would give Sinochem
significant presence in these markets,” Tim Schroeders,
who helps manage about $1 billion at Pengana Capital
Ltd. in
Nufarm, which has a market value of A$2.6 billion, rose 8.9 percent to A$12.13 on the Australian stock exchange at 11:09 a.m. Sydney time. It closed at A$11.14 on Sept. 25. The stock has gained 15 percent this year.
Regulator Approvals
Nufarm is being advised by UBS AG and Sinochem is being advised by Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc, the statement said.
“If a transaction implementation agreement is executed, the Nufarm board intends to unanimously recommend the proposed acquisition, in the absence of a superior proposal and subject to an independent expert finding that the proposed scheme is in the best interests of Nufarm shareholders,” Nufarm said.
The deal is subject to regulator approval in
State-owned China National Chemical Corp., backed by buyout fund Blackstone Group LP, ended talks to buy Nufarm for A$3 billion in December 2007, without giving a reason.
AGCO wins major business contract in China
(Wire Services) – AGCO Corporation, a worldwide distributor
and manufacturer of agricultural equipment, Monday announced that it has been
awarded a contract in a competitive bid for tractors by the
Under the terms of the agreement, AGCO will deliver over 300
units of Valtra tractors to the province by the year
end. These units will help meet the needs of the
With the delivery of the machines, AGCO will conduct large scale technical training for over one thousand local end users. The planned training will allow the local end users to better understand modern agricultural equipment as well as operational and maintenance knowledge.
"AGCO is committed to growing our representation within
Eric Raby, Vice President, Sales & Marketing, Eastern Europe and Asia, explained, “AGCO has been successful in this province with the Valtra brand of tractors and this addition to the current fleet of machines reinforces the progress AGCO is making in obtaining acceptance from farmers of the region,”.
AGCO has been a market leader in
ABOUT AGCO
AGCO, Your Agriculture Company, (NYSE: AGCO - News) was
founded in 1990 and offers a full product line of tractors, combines, hay
tools, sprayers, forage, tillage equipment, implements, and related replacement
parts. AGCO agricultural products are sold under the core brands of
Challenger®, Fendt®, Massey Ferguson® and Valtra®, and are distributed globally through more than
2,800 independent dealers and distributors, in more than 140 countries
worldwide. AGCO provides retail financing through AGCO Finance. AGCO is
headquartered in
End Transmission