b"state-of-the-art technologies, the center addresses growing farmerthe organisation. Spiers will lead the BSPB following Samantha demand across the EU for biological seed treatment solutions.Brookes departure in August. Spiers joined the BSPB in 2016 Syngenta Seedcare currently operates 18 Seedcare Institutes withand has worked alongside the previous two leaders to overhaul and more than 120 experts globally. Additional biological service centersrestructure the organisations royalty collection system. This has are set to be added to more Seedcare Institutes in future.seen farm saved seed declarations go digital with a website payment portal.Chinese scientists have successfully identified the genetic mech-anism that influences tomatoes shape and used that knowledgeNIAB welcomes the progress made the Food Standards Agency to develop fresh tomatoes that can better withstand mechanical(FSA) Board meeting, which paves the way for a more streamlined harvesting, according to a study published in Nature Plants onand evidence-based approach to regulating food and feed prod-September 18. Sixty years ago, a mutation was observed in tomatoesucts developed using new precision breeding techniques such as that caused the fruits to change from a round to a blockier shape.gene editing. As a result, England could be on course to adopt one of The mutation, called fs8.1 dramatically improved the stress tolerancethe most progressive and enabling regulatory systems for gene edited of tomatoes, opening the door to tomato harvesting by machinesproducts in the world, opening up significant potential for increased instead of by hand. Now, researchers led by Prof. LI Chuanyouinward investment and international research collaboration. from the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology (IGDB) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences report that they were able to successfully clone, functionally characterize, and apply the fs8.1Elsoms has announced the formation of a new partnership with mutation from processing tomatoes to fresh tomatoes.Crookham Company (U.S). Headquartered in Germany the new business, which will operate under the Elsoms name, will manage the Crookham and Snowy River (Australia) sweetcorn varieties GDM announced the signing of an agreement to acquire theacross Europe. Other vegetable exports will continue to be expertly entirety of Biotrigo Gentica, a leading wheat breeding company inhandled by Elsoms team in the UK.South America. The transaction, which is subject to approval by the Administrative Council for Economic Defense (CADE) in Brazil and the National Commission for the Defense of Competition inThe recent contraction of the Agriculture and Horticulture Argentina, represents an opportunity for innovation for farmersDevelopment Board (AHDB) coupled with the closure of Sutton and multipliers, as well as development opportunities for employeesBridge Crop Storage Research has paved the way for the establish-of both companies. This move will also allow GDM to expand itsment of a new network of post-harvest research facilities across presence in other important wheat producing markets, such as thethe UK. This development marks a significant step forward in United States, Canada, and Europe. advancing the agricultural sector's capabilities in preserving and managing harvested produce.Bejo's new Plant Nursery at Trambaan 8 in Warmenhuizen has opened and is fully equipped for the propagation and manualThe Crop Storage and Post-harvest Solutions (CSPS ) facility net-pollination of vegetable plants. The team of the Plant Nurserywork spans across three strategic locations within the UK. This Department will sow and raise an estimated 15 million plants pernewly established network is the result of a collaborative partner-year. These are mainly plants of test crosses that are later evaluatedship between ADAS, Crop Health and Protection, the Natural for desirable traits by our breeders, on their trial fields. Resources Institute at the University of Greenwich, and the James Hutton Institute. Together, they have joined forces to establish and operate the CSPS facilities, aiming to advance research and Sana Seeds, a Dutch company specialised in breeding, productioninnovation in crop storage and post-harvest approaches. Initial and sale of high-quality cucumber varieties, joins Sakata Vegetablesresearch priorities will focus on developing pre- and post-harvest Europe. Sakata Seed Corporation acquired Sana Seeds throughmonitoring and modelling techniques to predict storage poten-its European regional subsidiary, European Sakata Holding S.A.S.tial, as well as supply chain tracking and monitoring, optimising The Sakata Group is currently working to enhance its fruit vegetablestore management for energy efficiency, exploring automation and portfolio around the world.labour-saving opportunities, testing potato sprout suppressant tech-nologies, and evaluating sustainable packaging materials.In a new project, financed by Novo Nordisk Foundation, NordGen and Aarhus University will map the Nordic seed collection of pro- Research, led by the University of Sheffield, is the first to show the tein crops. The project will lead to a substantial lift for the genebankfrequency at which grasses incorporate DNA from other species collection and will lead to researchers and plant breeders gettinginto their genomes through a process known as lateral gene trans-access to brand new information about NordGens seedsinforma- fer. The stolen genetic secrets give them an evolutionary advantage tion which is vital for developing future plant-based protein sources.by allowing them to grow faster, bigger or stronger and adapt to new Researchers and plant breeders use the Nordic seed collection whenenvironments quicker. Understanding the rate is important to know they are developing the food of the future. Through plant breed- the potential impact it can have on a plants evolution and how it ing they develop new crop varieties which are adapted to mitigateadapts to the environment. The Sheffield team sequenced multiple the effects of climate change, which fulfill stricter environmentalgenomes of a species of tropical grass and determined at different demands, or which satisfy our wishes for nutritional content or taste.time points in its evolution how many genes were acquired - giving a rate of accumulation. It is now thought these transfers are likely to occur in the same way that some genetically modified crops are The British Society of Plant Breeders (BSPB) has announcedmade. Stephanie Spiers as the new Head of Business Operations for EUROPEAN-SEED.COMISEED WORLD EUROPE I 45"