CRISPR will change the world
November 19, 2017 │ The New York Times
In a print-only edition of a special kids' section, the New York Times breaks down CRISPR technology in a way that children can understand. Here's the first paragraph: "You are made of DNA-the not-so-secret code in all living cells that maps out everything from how a tiger's fur is striped to the color of your eyes. If we could precisely edit DNA, scientists have thought, we'd have the power to cure diseases and help end world hunger. Now they've started using Crispr (pronounced 'crisper,' like the drawer in your fridge, a new method of editing DNA that might open the doors to all that and more-and people are already calling it the biggest scientific discovery of the century." (For a scan of the full article, reply to this email.)
November 15, 2017 │ AgFunder News
From the
Food Loves Tech
conference comes this very good and very timely discussion of GMO vs. gene editing. Here's a snippet (pun intended): "GMO technology (has been) largely defined as the introduction of foreign DNA into an organism's genome to present certain characteristics.... Instead, CRISPR edits a crop's genome by clipping it at various places to delete or move parts of an organism's DNA to get desired traits, a process that proponents argue can happen through select breeding, but also in nature through natural selection."
November 13, 2017
│ Science
The country of Georgia has unearthed the most ancient evidence for winemaking in Eurasia: wine-soaked pottery shards that push back wine's genesis in the region to nearly 8,000 years ago. The Yellow Valley of China still holds the record for the oldest evidence of winemaking in the world, roughly 1,000 years older than this clay jar. Still, the discovery adds a significant milestone to the world's wine history.
November 9, 2017 │ AgFunderNews
Whether fed by satellite date, drone or airplane-based data, or some combination of the above, here's an inventory of 20 remote sensing startups.
November 7, 2017 │ Phys.org
Microbiologists in Belgium have used genetic mapping to identify, for the first time, yeast genes that produce rose and honey aromas in alcoholic beverages. The finding could be used to grow yeasts that produce these flavors (and others) on purpose.
November 7, 2017 │ Farm Journal AgTech
An interesting look at artificial intelligence from
Farm Journal AgTech
: "The primary purpose of AI is to provide decision support and management recommendations based on field-level data. Computers add a layer of infrastructure that people don't possess: algorithms that can analyze, and find patterns inside of, massive data sets."
November 2, 2017 │ The Washington Post
The president's nominee for the
U.S. Department of Agriculture
's chief scientist has withdrawn from consideration in advance of next week's confirmation hearings.
October 31, 2017 │ California Ag Network
UC IPM Advisor David Haviland advises growers that, when the weather is inconsistent (warm to cold), mealybugs can develop asynchronously. When "all stages of the pest [are] present at the same time, using a pesticide that goes after one stage of [development] will be much less effective."
October 27, 2017│ Good Fruit Grower
Don't be fooled by fall foliage! Red leaves can be a sign of vine stress.
October 24, 2017 │ Farm Journal AgTech
This article draws on examples from Africa, but carries messages for American growers, researchers and extension specialists. When it comes to adoption of scientific advances, one ag-biotech exec says communication from scientists and biotechnology advocates still needs work. "We're still only talking to ourselves," she said. "We need to tell our stories differently."
August 2017 │
Texas A&M AgriLife
ICYMI: Researchers at
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
produced a report documenting the automation opportunities by labor cost in the vineyard. The report was released in May, and includes analyses for wine and table grapes.