-
matters
An integrated approachThis issue recognizes the importance of
integrated crop solutions to help farmers around the world to grow
more from less
Filling the rice bowls of the future
Soybean under attack from insects and diseases
Sweet success with sugar beet and sugar cane
Giving customers a better flower
Winning ways with wheat
Special article an external perspective on 100 important
questions facing agriculture
sciencemattersKeeping abreast of Syngenta R&D Spring
2011
-
03 Integrated crops Sandro AruffoHead of Research and
Development Sandro Aruffo talks about our new strategy and how we
are providing integrated solutions to the grower.
04 Good news about food (and fuel and flowers) Ian JepsonThis
issue of Science Matters is dedicated
to new developments in improving the crops which feed the world.
Ian Jepson sets the scene introducing the science we are delivering
to provide integrated solutions for our customers.
06 Filling the rice bowls of the future Stuart HarrisonRice is
the worlds number one staple
crop. As the worlds population increases this century, so rice
production will have to keep pace, with very little increase in the
land devoted to growing it. That might just be possible thanks to
innovations from Syngentas rice R&D, as Stuart Harrison
explains.
08 WIZZARDTM casts a winter spell over sugar beet Thomas Kraft
& Jan Gielen Sugar beet is a major
global crop 250 million tonnes are grown annually from which is
extracted 30% of the worlds sugar. Thomas Kraft and Jan Gielen show
how research at Syngenta has found ways in which the plant can be
modified so that it can be sown in autumn rather than spring and
thereby greatly increase its yield.
10 Designer genes of the future will be shaped by computer Laura
Potter & Mike Nuccio
Syngentas team of scientists are combining their expertise in
bioinformatics with trait and crop knowledge, aiming their combined
skills at more challenging targets, as Laura Potter and Mike Nuccio
explain.
12 Soybean alert number one fungus attack! Fernando Gallina
& Sergio Paiva
More than 100 million tonnes of soybean are grown every year,
but a few years ago the Brazilian crop was under threat from an
insidious fungus disease which has since spread rapidly. Syngentas
Priori Xtra now provides an answer, as Fernando Gallina and Sergio
Paiva discuss.
14 Soybean alert number two aphid attack! Virgil SparksSyngenta
can celebrate an industry first: an
integrated approach to controlling soybean aphids which blight
this key crop. Virgil Sparks explains that the secret weapon is a
combination of an aphid-resistant native trait and a targeted
systemic insecticide which does not threaten beneficial
insects.
16 Innovation, art and science give customers a better flower
experience Sabine Lorente
& Dick van KleinweeIn Syngenta Lawn & Garden, they are
asking if the art of flower breeding can come together with todays
science to give our customers an even better ex-perience. Sabine
Lorente and Dick van Kleinwee show how they are bringing
innovation, art and science together to breed beautiful new
flowers.
18 Syngenta has PleneTM to talk about Ian Jepson Ian Jepson
talks about how innovation in
adjacent technologies and a partnership with John Deere has
transformed the sugar cane business with a new approach to planting
called PleneTM.
Contents
Science Matters is a magazine supported by the Syngenta Fellows
a leading community of Syngenta scientists whose aims include
recognizing and promoting Syngentas excellence in science. Here is
an overview of the articles in this issue:
20 Winning ways with wheat Derek Cornes Seed choice is one of
the most important
decisions a cereal grower makes it is the key to higher yields
and better quality grain. However, wheat breeding is still largely
traditional and productivity is variable. Derek Cornes explains how
Syngenta is planning to change things.
22 Making melons resistant to Fusarium fungus Bruno Foncelle
Melons are grown
around the world but in many countries they are threatened by a
soil-borne disease which causes the plants to wilt. Syngenta has
developed a resistant strain and this year it looks set to conquer
a large section of the market. Bruno Foncelle explains.
24 Syngenta turns its big guns on a deadly menace Phil WegeThe
Innovative Vector Control Consortium
(IVCC) is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Its
aim is to help find new tools to kill insects that transmit human
diseases such as malaria. Syngenta has been a leading collaborating
partner since 2006. Phil Wege explains more.
26 External Perspective 100 questions facing agriculture Jules
PrettyThis external perspective focuses on the challenges facing
agriculture. Jules Pretty from the University of Essex, discusses
the output from a Foresight Group of 55 experts who generated 100
questions facing agriculture today.
28 Out and About Snippets Carolyn RichesReporter Carolyn Riches
writes about scientific snippets from across the world on an
integrated crops theme.
30 Editors comments Stuart John DunbarStuart reviews the output
of the survey from the last edition.
-
03
Agriculture has never been more central to the worlds social,
political and economic development.
To enable a projected global population of 9 billion in 2050 to
live well and within the limits of the planet, agriculture must
achieve a doubling of world food production while conserving water
and energy. This can only happen through a holistic and long term
vision of the way we grow food. This vision is reliant on
scientific innovation and its adoption by farmers, the food value
chain and consumers.
Syngenta is working hard to make this vision a reality. In
February 2011, we introduced our new strategy, which is based on
three core objectives: Integrate, Innovate and Outperform. Our aim
is to bring together Crop Protection and Seeds to develop a fully
integrated offer on a global crop basis. We will use the best
technologies in chemistry, genetics, and adjacent technologies
either alone or in combination to address the challenges of growers
worldwide and drive agricultural productivity to a higher level in
a sustainable way.
We are already seeing the tangible results of our integrated
approach. For example, Plene is a breakthrough technology in sugar
cane planting, combining chemistry, plant genetics and application
technology to provide a truly integrated solution. With Plene there
is a shift from manual to mechanical planting, which will improve
convenience and safety. Plene will also allow for more frequent
re-planting and therefore higher overall yields with less impact on
the environment.
We are further expanding our integrated offer with the
introduction in India of Tegra, a solution for small-scale rice
growers. This solution consists of planting high quality seed
coated with seed treatment, followed by a new system of mechanical
transplantation of the seedlings to reduce labor input and improve
yields.
This edition of Science Matters is dedicated to Syngentas
integrated approach to provide better solutions for the challenges
faced by growers. It highlights some of the innovative approaches
our scientists are developing for the major staple crops of rice,
wheat, soybean and sugar cane. It also looks at how our new WIZZARD
breakthrough technology might transform sugar beet production, how
we have developed a new fungus resistant melon strain and how the
latest innovations in flower breeding will give our customers a
better experience. In addition, you will learn more about the role
of bioinformatics in designing the genes of the future and how our
science, via our collaboration with the Innovative Vector Control
Consortium, is having a positive impact in related fields such as
the development of insecticides to kill the mosquitoes that
transmit malaria.
Sandro AruffoHead of Research & Development
Our integrated approach
Science Matters Keeping abreast of Syngenta R&D Spring
2011
-
04
This issue of Science Matters is dedicated to new developments
in improving the crops which feed the world. Ian Jepson sets the
scene introducing the science we are delivering to provide
integrated solutions for our customers.
Good news about food(and fuel and flowers)
The number of humans on this planet increases by around 80,000
every day. This year it will increase by 30 million, and by the
middle of this century the world population will reach 9 billion.
We will all need food. Hopefully, no one will go hungry, and
ideally all will be adequately fed from existing farm-land and
without encroaching on wildlife habitats. This can be done, but it
will need the skills
of agribusiness companies like Syngenta if it is to be achieved.
Few companies can offer the range of skills we have at our disposal
both in terms of our crop protection assets and our breeding and
bio-technology capabilities. Through a closer working relationship
between them we are bringing about remarkable advances in crop
yield via an integrated approach.
While our competitors have generally focussed on crop protection
chemicals or the development of seeds and biotechnology products,
Syngenta has established strong capabilities and infrastructure in
both areas. In the past we may have focussed on marketing a single
active ingredient or variety, but now we are increasingly offering
integrated crop products such as our seed treatments, our herbicide
tolerance packages of traits, germplasm, and
Science Matters Keeping abreast of Syngenta R&D Spring
2011
-
05
sm
Ian Jepson
Sugar Cane R&D
Business Partner
Syngenta
Biotechnology Inc.
North Carolina
USA
Ian graduated with a BSc in biology from the
University of Durham and has a PhD in Molecular
Genetics from the University of Birmingham. He
joined ICI Seeds at Jealotts Hill in 1989, and has
held a number of management positions in Seeds
and Crop Protection: Bioscience Manager; Head
of Trait Research; Biotechnology Traits Portfolio
Leader; and Head of Enzymes R&D. Currently he
is Sugar Cane R&D Business Partner for both Crop
Protection and Seeds and is based at Syngenta
Biotechnology Inc., North Carolina, USA.
Contact: [email protected]
Science Matters Keeping abreast of Syngenta R&D Spring
2011
By the time you have read this article more than 80 people have
been added to the world, all needing food, fiber and fuel without
any additional land being available. An integrated approach will be
essential to help provide for their needs.Sugar cane is becoming
increasingly important as a vital source of both food energy and
biofuel energy
herbicides, and our lawn and garden products. In this edition of
Science Matters, we will see the power of chemistry and genetics
being harnessed to bring a range of innovative solutions to
farmers.
Rice, wheat, and soybean are three of the worlds staple crops on
which the population depends for its daily intake of calories and
nutrients. Rice is the number one staple, but can it keep pace with
the rising population? Stuart Harrison has some good news to
report. Wheat is number two, and Derek Cornes recounts the efforts
being made to improve its yields.
Sugar is also a key agricultural commodity, and a vital source
of both food energy and biofuel energy. It is grown both as sugar
cane and sugar beet. Our efforts to boost sugar cane productivity
in Brazil is described in my article on the novel planting
technology PleneTM. This offers the grower germplasm, chemistry and
new planting technology, the last of these is in association with
John Deere, the worlds leading manufacturer of farming equipment.
Thomas Kraft reports on sugar beet with news of
a revolutionary approach which will increase production by
25%.
Another major crop is soybean and it too can be used both as
food or fuel, yielding either edible oil and protein, or
bio-diesel. Syngentas new variety provides an answer to the fungal
disease which is threatening it, as Fernando Gallina and Sergio
Paiva report, while Virgil Sparks explains about Syngentas
integrated approach to pest management that is designed to protect
this crop against aphids.
Effort has also been directed at protect-ing a fruit crop,
namely melons, which are attacked by a soil fungus. Bruno Foncelle
has news about the work to develop a strain that can resist this
and which is now about to come to market. Gene technology can, in
theory, solve many of the problems concerning food crops. The first
wave of commercial products have been relatively simple gene traits
such as herbicide resist-ance. Future products will require more
sophisticated methods to discover ways to influence traits such as
drought-resistance, and this requires advanced computing skills
which Laura Potter and Mike Nuccio are developing.
Nor should we forget that while hunger stalks the world in some
places, in others it is the mosquito which takes the biggest toll
on young lives. Syngenta is now involved with the Innovative Vector
Control Consortium (IVCC), funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates
Foundation, whose aim is to eradicate malaria. Philip Wege is our
man behind that project.
Although beautiful blooms may not be an essential requirement
when it comes to enjoying what the earth can yield, the pleasure of
growing and showing flowers can be very rewarding. Dick van
Kleinwee and Sabine Lorente are designing ones which they hope will
one day win first prizes at garden festivals.
So welcome to this edition of Science Matters, and discover some
remarkable advances that are being made by Syngenta people.
John Deere is a trademark of Deere & Company.
-
Rice is the worlds number one staple crop. As the worlds
population increases this century, so rice production will have to
keep pace and ideally with very little increase in the land devoted
to growing it. That might just be possible thanks to innovations
from Syngentas rice R&D, as Stuart Harrison explains.
Filling the rice bowls of the future
Life without rice would be unthinkable in many countries,
especially in Asia where it forms the backbone of the daily diet
and where its production represents the livelihood of much of the
population. More than three billion people eat rice every day, and
90% of that produced in Asia is consumed as food.
Science Matters Keeping abreast of Syngenta R&D Spring
201106
-
07
In the Asia Pacific (APAC) region rice is grown on 140 million
hectares, an area five times larger than Vietnam or the
Philippines. Three quarters of this is produced in South and South
East Asia where it feeds a population of two billion that is
growing fast and it is the main source of food calories, so a drive
to increase its productivity is vital. Yet rice yields there have
reached a plateau and the area devoted to rice cultivation is
likely to remain unchanged.
Keeping pace with populationAssuming no further land becomes
available for rice production, then to keep pace with population
growth, the yield per hectare will have to increase from the
current average of 4.3 tonnes per hectare to 5.3 tonnes per hectare
by 2020. The current rate of increase will attain only half this
yield, so clearly innovation is needed. The increase will have to
come from the intensification of production, and essential to this
will be hybridization and trait technologies. Syngentas technology
teams in India, Vietnam, Philippines and China are destined to play
a critical role.
Stuart: Over the next decade, Syngenta will focus on several
innovations in rice. From a seed perspective, developing hybrid
rice containing the critical biotic and abiotic traits will be key.
Our research projects are in the early stages of discovery, but
already several innovative products are emerging from our work in
Hyderabad, India.
The current breeding program is aimed at unlocking the genetic
potential of rice, and the breeding programs and technology
platforms have made a significant start.
Once the genetic potential of rice has been unlocked, and the
benefits of the new varieties have been shown to boost yields, then
farmers will be offered a robust crop-care program as part of an
integrated package. Hybrid rice is an essential component of any
rice offer as far as Asian growers are concerned. Combined with
other technologies, it will go a long way to ensuring that the rice
basket of Asia remains full for the rest of this century, and that
Syngenta products will be there to help.
The science behind Syngentas hybrid rice
Syngenta has built its research efforts around a 3-line hybrid
platform utilizing a stable cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS)
system. Current hybrid breeding globally utilizes 10 CMS lines
which limits the value added traits that can be incorporated. The
physical characteristics of these 10 CMS, or female lines, is
having a huge impact on the ability of hybrid rice to penetrate the
market because their agronomic and grain qualities are not
applicable to all markets. The key backbone of the Syngenta
breeding program is to focus a significant breeding effort in
generating additional female lines with a range of durations (time
of plant to maturity), grain types, as well as having resistance to
infections such as bacterial leaf blight.
Although rice is a field crop, it needs to be considered more
like a vegetable when it comes to R&D. Like vegetables, the
characteristics of rice that define local eating and grain quality
are extremely diverse across Asia. Variability in grain shape,
aroma and stickiness (which depends on its amylose content) are all
important for the consumer.
In addition there are characteristics demanded by the
processors, such as low cracked grain content and thresholds in
head rice recovery. The number one target for the trait program is
to meet the quality needs of the milling and consumer market.
Initial efforts have focused on a panel of phenotypic assays for
key critical characteristics, screening the germplasm and
incorporating these screens into the hybrid selections.
The program is now evolving to include metabolic and
carbohydrate profiling to understand how the constituents of rice
grains that contribute to quality traits can be paired with the
genetic information which underlies diversity.
sm
Stuart Harrison
R&D Lead APAC
Stuart studied biochemistry at the University of
Queensland in Australia where he graduated with
a BSc Hons and then went on to do a PhD in
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. His first
employment was at the John Innes Centre in
Norwich, UK, studying recessive resistance genes
to viruses, before joining Zeneca Mogen in 2000
as project leader of the Fungal Control (GM) group.
Currently Stuart is R&D Lead APAC and is based
in Singapore.
Contact: [email protected]
Science Matters Keeping abreast of Syngenta R&D Spring
2011
Rice in brief
Domesticationofriceranks as one of the most important
developments in history.
Ricehasfedmorepeopleoveralonger period than any other crop.
Riceisrichinnutrientsand contains a number ofvitamins and
minerals.
Itisanexcellentsourceofcomplexcarbohydratesthebestsource of
energy. However,a lot of these nutrientsare lostduring milling and
polishing, which turns brown rice into white rice by
removingtheouterricehuskandbran to reveal the white grain.
Twospeciesofriceare considered important as food species
forhumans: Oryza sativa, grown worldwide; and Oryza glaberrima,
grown in parts of West Africa.
Bothofthesebelongtoabiggergroup of plants (the genus Oryza) that
includes about 20 other species.
Forthousandsofyearsdifferentparts of the rice plant have been
used in religious and ceremonial occasions, as medicine, and as
inspiration and medium for a great numberofartworks.
Further information
For more details on rice we can recommend
the website of the International Rice Research
Institute at http://irri.org/
-
08
Sugar beet is a major global crop 250 million tonnes are grown
annually and from which is extracted 30% of the worlds sugar.
Research at Syngenta has found ways in which the plant can be
modified so that it can be sown in autumn rather than spring and
thereby greatly increase its yield. Known as WIZZARDTM, this has
the potential to transform the sugar beet industry.
WIZZARDTM casts a winter spell over sugar beet
Sugar beet is a biennial plant. In nature it needs to experience
a cold winter followed by long day-light hours, a process known as
vernalization, before it will bolt and produce flowers. This is
undesirable in the commercial crop because bolting draws on the
sugar stored in the root, leading to yield losses, which is why
sugar beet has to be sown in spring. In that way the crop remains
vegetative, unless a late cold spell causes early bolting. To date,
drilling in autumn is not an option, because then the sugar beet
crop would inevitably bolt and set seed in the early spring. Would
it be possible to develop a sugar
beet that could be sown in autumn as winter beet and which would
not bolt? That was the challenge which faced Syngenta researchers
in Sweden, and stepping up to the mark were Thomas Kraft, Elizabeth
Wremerth Weich, Jan Gielen, and Pierre Pin.
Controlling the master switchUntil recently, it was poorly
understood at the all-important molecular level why beet is
biennial and what genetic factors control its bolting. The Syngenta
team have now found the reason, and they did this working in
conjunction with Professor Ove Nilsson and his team at the Ume
Plant Science Centre. This is Swedens renowned centre
of excellence in plant biology. Together they have discovered
the master switch that sugar beet uses to regulate bolting and
flowering. The results were published in the leading journal,
Science, last December, testifying to the quality of the research
and to the benefits of outside collaboration (see separate
box).
In addition to transgenic applications, the research on
flowering time has also delivered advances in marker-assisted
selection which can replace expensive and time-consuming greenhouse
and field tests. Allelic variation of the key genes can now be
exploited, leading to more efficient in-house breeding.
Science Matters Keeping abreast of Syngenta R&D Spring
201108
-
09
The science in the Science paper*
Thispaperreportstheresearchthat has thrown new light on the way
that the interplay between two paralogs of the FLOWERING LOCUS
T(akaFT)genescontrolsthe regulation of flowering time in Beta
vulgaris ssp. vulgaris.TheFT1gene behaves as an inhibitor that
prevents the plants from bolting and flowering prior to
vernalization, whiletheFT2genepromotes flowering in response to
photo-
periodandvernalization.Theinter-actionofbothFTgenesiscrucialfor the
vernalization response in beet.Thefindingssuggestthat beet has
evolved a different strategy with regard to vernalization
relativetoplantslikecerealsandBrassicaspeciesincluding Arabidopsis,
which is a model plant commonly used to study plant genetics and
plant genomics.
Thesenovelfindingsopenarangeof opportunities for flowering time
controlinsugarbeet.Bothgenesare currently the subject of a Syngenta
patent application which will be an outstanding addition to the
companys intellectual property portfolio.
*AnantagonisticpairofFThomologs
mediates the control of flowering time in sugar
beet,P.A.Pin,R.Benllock,D.Bonnet,
E.WremerthWeich,T.Kraft,J.J.L.Gielen,and
O. Nilsson, Science,vol.330,p.1397,2010.
sm
Jan Gielen
Program Leader for
Applied Genomics
Jan graduated from the Agricultural University
at Wageningen in the Netherlands, and joined
Syngenta Seeds in 1987 to become project leader
for Transgene Biotechnology. In 1994 he moved
to France, to take the position of program leader
for Applied Genomics.
Contact: [email protected]
Science Matters Keeping abreast of Syngenta R&D Spring
2011
sm
Thomas Kraft
Genetics Projects
Lead for sugar beet
Thomas got his PhD in genetics from the University
of Lund in 1999, and then took up a position as
a data analyst at Syngenta in Landskrona,
Sweden. From 2002 to 2010 he was head of the
sugar beet marker lab, and he is now Genetics
Projects Lead for sugar beet and is responsible
for native trait research.
Contact: [email protected]
WIZZARDTM brings necessary focusWithin Syngenta, the R&D
project goes under the name of WIZZARDTM, and its manager is
Elisabeth Wremerth Weich. Its key objective is to transform the
sugar beet industry, especially in Europe, where it might one day
become a major source of biofuel. WIZZARDTM was registered in 2004
and the same year collaboration began with Sdzucker, the worlds
largest producer of sugar from beet.
Pierre Pin is the Research Lead and he fully supports the way
WIZZARDTM is working. It brings together a truly global team in an
integrated and complementary way, each contributing their strong
expertise in the area of plant functional biology, he says.
Native trait project leader Thomas Kraft sees their work having
wider implications for marker-assisted breeding for flowering time
control. Thomas: We have only scraped the surface so far.
For example, normally we check the extent to which commercial
beet seeds have been contaminated with annual wild beet by sowing a
seed sample in the open and counting the number of bolters. That
takes time. Now that we know the genes that make the difference
between the two, we can do this assessment much more easily and
much earlier by means of markers.
The magic from WIZZARDTM has only just begun.
The benefits of a winter beet crop will be to boost yields by
25%, but additional benefits are antici-pated regarding the
ecological balance, especially by way of better nitrogen and water
efficiency.
Bybeingabletoplantearlysignificantyieldincreasesarepossible
Winter beet Spring beet
-
10
Simple methods of genetic engineering have had their successes
in delivering herbicide tolerance and making plants insect
resistant. However, more complex approaches are now needed if we
are to tackle traits like drought resistance and crop yield.
Syngentas team of scientists are combining their expertise in
bioinformatics with trait and crop knowledge, aiming their combined
skills at more challenging targets, as Laura Potter and Mike Nuccio
explain.
Designer genes of the future will be shaped by computers
The first generation of plant genetic engineering was based on
the simple concept of one gene defining one trait. This approach
led Syngenta to the development of some successful corn varieties,
namely the insect-resistant Bt-11 which was approved for use in
Europe in 2004, the herbicide- tolerant GA21 which was approved in
2006, and VipteraTM which provides resistance to lepidopteran corn
pests, and which received approval in the US in 2010.
However, the one gene, one trait approach has not proven as
successful for other positive traits like water optimization,
improved plant response to the environment, and increasing crop
yields. While some success has been reported by Syngenta and
others, it now appears that introducing such traits requires
several genes. Indeed, we now
know that traits such as flowering time involve the interactions
of more than 50 genes. So-called quantitative trait loci (QTL)
analysis of many different complex traits bears this out.
Recognizing biological complexityThe new generation of plant
genetic engineering recognizes the biological complexity which
underlies traits that we would like to improve. Many opportunities
exist, and Syngenta Biotechnology Inc. (SBI) has three research
groups Bioinformatics, Omics, and Agronomic Traits working to
develop and integrate experimental and computational biology tools
that will enable multi-gene traits to be engineered.
Mike: Computational biology extends our ability to address
complex trait development, and the technology is constantly
improving. We have access
to faster, more powerful hardware, and there are new, more
efficient, algorithms. Data visualization tools are becoming more
user friendly.
The Syngenta team is now able to undertake trait dissection,
which involves integrating and interrogating complex data sets for
insights into the biological processes which underlie complex
traits. It is now possible to develop new, and testable, hypotheses
around trait components and even to predict individual or
combinations of genes for manipulation in trait improvement
projects, a particularly powerful capability.
Narrowing the number of solutionsThe cost of testing constructs
in stable transgenic plants is quite high. This constrains the
ability to test trait development ideas. Because the number of gene
candidates can be
Thedevelopmentofplantsresistanttodroughtwillallowfarmerstogrowmorecropsusinglesswater
Science Matters Keeping abreast of Syngenta R&D Spring
2011
-
11
sm
Laura Potter
Team Leader
Pathways and
Networks team,
Bioinformatics
Laura graduated in 2001 from North Carolina
State University in the USA. She worked as a
mathematical modeller at GlaxoSmithKline before
joining Syngenta in 2008 as a senior computational
biologist. Currently she leads the Pathways and
Networks team in the Bioinformatics group.
Contact: [email protected]
Science Matters Keeping abreast of Syngenta R&D Spring
2011
The complex science of genetic modelling New and powerful data
generation technologies are now being developed and deployed, such
asnextgenerationsequencing, and high throughput gene and
metaboliteexpressionprofiling.Complexbioinformaticsalgorithms,
Maize Drought NetworkThemaizedroughtnetworkisanintegrated set of
interactions between genes and small
moleculesinthecontextofdroughtstress.Drought-specificinteractionsweremanually
curatedfromthescientificliteratureon Arabidopsis thaliana and
computationally translated to maize.
sm
Mike Nuccio
Principal Research
Scientist, Agronomic
Traits group.
Mike graduated in 1997 from Texas A&M University
in the USA. He then did post-doctoral work in plant
metabolic engineering for three years before joining
Syngenta in 2000 as a research scientist supporting
the pathway engineering group. Currently he is a
Principal Research Scientist in the Agronomic
Traits group.
Contact: [email protected]
large, the use of computational biology techniques, particularly
computer modelling, makes it possible to narrow the number of
solutions down to a manageable few that can be tested.
Laura: In many cases there is a large number of possible
combinations of 2, 3 or 4 genes, and it is difficult to analyze how
groups of genes might interact with each other to affect the
phenotype. Heres where mathematical models of key biological
pathways can help to predict gene combinations that might improve
the trait phenotype.
The powerful combination of advanced data generation and
computational excellence now available to Syngenta researchers is
enabling the company to probe such issues at levels previously
thought impossible to understand.
More than anything, trait development is a quest for knowledge.
There is a need to understand how plants interact with the
environment and with each other and thats proving to be a much more
complex issue than previously thought.
mathematical models, and sophisticated software applications are
being developed to manage and mine these data. Combined with
advances in precision phenotyping, Syngenta scientists are in a
good positiontotacklecomplextraits.
Recentadvancesinthesetechniqueswill generate mountains of
data,
leaving biologists with the
enormoustaskoforganizingandusingthosedataeffectively.Itisunlikelythattraitdevelopmentwillremain
a simple genetics activity. While in the past the focus was on the
gene, now it is the pathway, thenetwork,andeventhe
genomewhicharecentrestagesee illustration.
-
12
An effective fungicide was now essential and the Brazilian
Government moved quickly and granted registration to five
fungicides that were already used in Brazil for other diseases, and
which were used to control rust in other crops around the world.
Two of them were the Syngenta fungicides Priori and Score. However,
these were not ideal agents for SAR control, so Syngenta scientists
had to come up with an alternative solution to the problem and they
did.
Taking a preventative approachOne suggestion from the R&D
people was to change the modus operandi for dealing with the
disease. This was in contrast to the normal advice that was being
given which was to apply fungicide only after rust was observed in
the crop. That may have been more economical, but Syngenta
suggested that this would not be the best way to deal with the
disease and promoted
Soya became an important crop in Brazil in the 1970s. It was
relatively free of fungal diseases, at least until the turn of the
century, and what little infection there was could be controlled by
growers with one application of fungicide. Then disaster struck in
the form of a much more powerful invader.
The fungus Phakopsora pachyrhizi (aka soya Asian rust, SAR) was
first observed in Brazil in 2002, but it spread rapidly and when it
reappeared a year later the soybean growers in Bahia state suffered
very high losses caused by it. Within weeks it prompted a crisis
for the soya business; growers were dealing with something they had
never experienced before. Phakopsora is highly aggressive, it
infects rapidly, it is difficult to control, and it is more
destructive than any other disease which affects soya. Soon it was
to be found all across Brazil.
the idea of preventative treatment as being more effective.
Sergio: While it seemed to some to be advice that was
self-serving in terms of increased sales, it was in fact the right
suggestion and proved to be one of the most successful ways to
control the disease and it is still being followed.
What Syngenta R&D also observed was that soya is most
vulnerable to attack by Phakopsora when the plant is changing from
the vegetative growth state, when it produces new leaves, to the
reproductive stage, when it forms soya grains. That is the time to
apply a fungicide if it is to have maximum effect.
At the time SAR arrived in Brazil, Syngenta was in the process
of developing a fungicide mixture based on the strobilurin
azoxystrobin and
Science Matters Keeping abreast of Syngenta R&D Spring
2011
Soybean alert number one fungus attack!More than 100 million
tonnes of soybean are grown every year, but a few years ago the
Brazilian crop was under threat from an insidious fungus disease
which has since spread rapidly. Syngentas Priori Xtra now provides
an answer, as Fernando Gallina and Sergio Paiva explain.
Thispictureclearlyshowshowthecropontheleft hasnt reached its
full potential due to fungal disease whereas the treated crop on
the right is much healthier.
-
sm
Sergio Paiva
Product Biology
Manager for
Fungicides,
Latin America
Sergio graduated in 1982 from the University of
So Paulo. He then went to work on his MSc,
before joining Syngenta in 1984 as a field
agronomist. Currently he is Product Biology
Manager for Fungicides, Latin America.
Contact: [email protected]
13
the triazole difenoconazole, and while this worked well against
leaf spots, it was not the most effective against rusts. As the SAR
crisis deepened, the R&D people reformulated a new mixture and
the result was Priori Xtra which is a suspension of azoxystrobin
and cyproconazole.
Providing early warningMeanwhile, the Syngenta Technical Support
team developed a simple but effective method of fighting Phakopsora
and this they launched as Syntinela. It consisted of planting small
plots of soya 30 days in advance of the main crop. These then
alerted growers that a SAR attack was imminent. Syntinela was a
huge success and soon there were more than 1,000 such plots around
the country, and it received official approval when it was adopted
by government research institutes.
Registration of a new chemical in Brazil takes up to three
years. The government knew that SAR was an emergency, and offered a
faster track for products that were proved to be effective against
the disease. The Syngenta regulatory team put together all the
Priori Xtra information needed for a submission and registration
was granted in a record time of four months. Growers soon
May 1 May 6
Science Matters Keeping abreast of Syngenta R&D Spring
2011
This integrated approach, where we are developing a range of new
soybean varieties and chemical solutions, gives us an advantage
with our customers, the growers.
The devastating spread of rustThe images below show how in a
matter of weeks a soybean crop can be devastated by rust.
May 13 May 27
sm
Fernando Gallina
Soybean R&D
Business Partner
Fernando graduated in Agronomy from the
University of Pelotas, in Brazil, in 1981.
He joined Syngenta in 1982 as a field agronomist.
Currently he is Soybean R&D Business Partner.
Contact: [email protected]
discovered that Priori Xtra was the best fungicide with which to
fight Phakopsora. Up to the launch of Priori Xtra, marketing was
based on the strategy of only selling Priori and Score if no SAR
was present in an area.
Fernando: This policy clearly limited sales and Syngenta lost
market share but we gained credibility as a result. Product
recommendation for Priori Xtra was to apply it preventatively and
it quickly established itself as the market leader and reference
agent for soya rust control. Sales are now over $300 million per
year.
Syngenta is unique in being able to provide integrated offers
for soybean and it is paying dividends regarding our customer
relationships.
Fernando: Our focus now is on the development of new varieties
of soybean with an inbuilt genetic defense against Phakopsora, and
a new generation of seed care and foliar fungicides which, when
combined, will ensure improved control and yield and differentiate
Syngenta, thereby strengthening our market leadership.
-
14
Steve Sanborn, Seeds Entomologist Mitch Meehan, and Seeds Trait
Project Leader, Ju-Kyung Yu.
The first indication that the war might be won came when the
University of Illinois announced that scientists there had found
native trait resistance in three cultivars from the USDA germplasm
collection. Thousands of cultivars in the collection had been
screened and the first known resistance to aphids was discovered in
cultivars Dowling, Jackson, and PI71506. Seeds of these cultivars
were ordered and sent to
Aphids can multiply rapidly; a thousand aphids can become a
million after only one month. If left untreated, soybean aphids can
overtake soybean plants, spread viruses and reduce yields by 50
percent or more.
The challenge that faced the Syngenta team, headed by Virgil
Sparks, was to find a way to clad all soybean plants in anti-aphid
armor. To help him he recruited an army of specialists including
Soybean Seeds Breeder Keith Bilyeu, Seed Care scientists Cliff
Watrin and
Syngentas winter nursery in Oahu, Hawaii, where they were
planted in December of 2003. The following February, the first
cross was made with elite conventional proprietary soybean
varieties.
Screening successesBecause the aphid resistance was contained in
unadapted germplasm, it was necessary to do a number of backcrosses
to high yielding parents. Working with the university, a screening
method was developed to aid in breeding the trait into elite
varieties.
Soybean alert number two aphid attack!Syngenta can celebrate an
industry first: an integrated approach to controlling soybean
aphids which blight this key crop. The secret weapon for season
long control is a combination of an aphid-resistant native trait, a
systemic insecticide and the maintenance of beneficial insect
populations.
Aphids are being targeted in an integrated way to allow soybean
crops to reach their full potential
Science Matters Keeping abreast of Syngenta R&D Spring
2011
-
sm
15
Virgil Sparks
Head of Corn
and Soybean
Product Evaluation
in North America
Virgil graduated in 1979 from Southeast Missouri
State University after which he worked for the
University of Missouri. In 1990 he was employed
by the Garst Seed Company, and then joined
Syngenta in 2004 as Regional Head of Soybean
Product Development. Currently he is Head of Corn
and Soybean Product Evaluation in North America.
Contact: [email protected]
Later, molecular markers were used to confirm the presence of
the gene for aphid resistance (Rag1), and these would eventually
prove to be the preferred breeding tool.
In 2006, testing began at several North American sites,
including Arva, Ontario, where aphids had been a constant threat
since 2002. Two important discoveries were made at that site. The
first of which was that test varieties with Rag1 showed excellent
resistance to the soybean aphids in the area. The second, and more
surprising, was that border rows of soybeans around the aphid
nursery showed little damage from aphids, even though that variety
was susceptible. In fact the border rows had been treated with
Cruiser-Maxx, Syngentas insecticide/fungicide seed treatment.
Beneficials help boost defencesClearly a systemic insecticide
might offer some help as a second mode of action and its use with
host plant resistance could provide season-long control. Because
pests may develop resistant biotypes, there needs to be multiple
modes of control. New genes and a combination of insecticide, crop
rotation, and/or seed treatment would be needed to keep up the
fight. It was later observed that the combination of host plant
resistance and CruiserMaxx allowed insects that prey on aphids to
increase their numbers and join in the battle as a third mode of
control.
The exact method of aphid host plant resistance is not well
understood, but it is likely to be antibiosis, in which the host
plant interferes with the feeding or reproduction of the pest
insect, or antixenosis, in which the host plant is not the
preferred host. Whichever it is, we are now working with multiple
modes of gene action to help us win the war against aphids.
The differences between susceptible (left) and resistant (right)
are clear to see with the aphids avoiding the resistant crop
Science Matters Keeping abreast of Syngenta R&D Spring
2011
Now Syngenta has an integrated approach called the Aphid
Management System (aka AMS) to fight these pests while at the same
time reducing the likelihood of a biotype counterattack.
The science behind the new defences being built against aphids
TheNativeTraitprojectleaderisJu-Kyung,anditisherroletointegratetheRag1geneintoSyngentas
germplasm and select
breedinglinesofRag1usingMAS(MarkerAssistedSelection).MASisan
indirect selection process using molecularmarkerswithalinked allele
associated with the gene and/or the locus of interest.
In2006,amarkerassistedselection program had been initiated with
simplesequencesrepeats(SSR);markerswhichflanktheRag1geneandwereabout12cMawayfrom
it(1cMisequaltoa1%chancethatamarkeratonegeneticlocuswillbeseparatedfromamarkeratasecond
locus due to crossing-over inasinglegeneration).Todaywehave
developed, highly accurate, single nucleotide polymorphism
(SNP)markers,whichflanktheRag1gene(approximately1cMaway).
Ju-Kyung:TheNativeTraitsproject is now focused on integrating
four new resistant genes into our germ-plasm using newly developed
SNP markers.Weareexploringvariousgene combinations to determine
theefficacyofeachcombination.We have found that some of the
genestacksshowstronger resistance to aphids than the current
Rag1geneandlikelyprovide separate modes of action in the control of
soybean aphid. Native
Traitsisnowtestingtheaphid-resistanceofstackedgenevarietiestreated
with Syngentas seed
treat-ment,CruiserMaxx,todevelopthenextgenerationofproductsfor
theAphidManagementSystem.
AMSTM in brief
Syngentaisthefirsttomarkettheindustrysfirstfully-integratedAphidManagementSystem(AMS)tohelp
soybean growers safely and effectively control yield-robbing aphid
infestations.
AMSisanenvironmentalsteward-ship approach using multiple modes
ofaction.Thesystemcombines:
Soybeangeneticsandaphid resistant trait
CruiserMaxxBeansinsecticide/ fungicide seed treatment
Beneficialinsectactivity
Aninsecticidetreatmentif populationexceedseconomic threshold
levels
Byutilizingmultiplemodesofactionand integrated pest management
practices,AMSisdesignedtomaximizesoybeanyieldand performance and
provide season-longaphidcontrol.Thecombinationof multiple
technologies reduces theriskofresistancedevelopmentand increases
plant vigor while protecting against seedling diseases and
insects.
TheAMSassuranceprogramprovides growers with additional peace of
mind and demonstrates that Syngenta stands behind its fully
integrated system.
-
16
The orang-utan has become a symbol of
conservation in the forests of Indonesia
Balancing art and science is leading to innovation in the
development of new flower varieties according to Sabine Lorente and
Dick van Kleinwee.
Innovation, art and science give customers a better flower
experience
For years, breeders have developed innovative new varieties in
ornamental crops by selecting plants with desirable traits and
making crosses to develop new and interesting flower breeds.
Traditional flower breeding can result in practical benefits such
as grower friendly habits or earlier and more continuous flowering.
Aesthetic benefits such as more vibrant colors or bigger flowers
can also be the result of this balance between art and science. All
of these benefits move our consumers toward having a great flower
experience.
Combining art and scienceIn Syngenta Lawn & Garden, we ask
if the art of flower breeding can come together with todays science
to give our customers an even better experience. Are there
technological advancements available to allow Syngenta breeders the
ability to offer high quality and predictable plants that are both
beautiful and resilient that can fundamentally change the market
and the way consumers interact with flowers? Our breeders certainly
think so.
Sabine Lorente, Technology Flowers Scientist in Enkhuizen,
Netherlands works every day to find the answers to these questions.
In the past, crops were improved by simply selecting the best
plants within their natural population. However, by making
specific crosses and continuing to select with ornamental value in
mind, the resulting varieties can change a market. A good example
of this would be Syngentas own Pelargonium (or geranium to the
non-horticulturist). Todays geraniums look so much more different
from their ancestors with brighter colors and bigger flowers,
remarks Dick van Kleinwee, breeder for Syngenta flowers.
You would expect that, in todays world, genetic modification
would be the most valuable tool to increase variation in ornamental
crops. However, to date,
Science Matters Keeping abreast of Syngenta R&D Spring
2011
Syngenta breeders are combining innovation, art and science to
breed better flowers
-
17
sm
Dick van Kleinwee
Senior Breeder
Dick studied plant breeding at the University of
Wageningen in the Netherlands and then went on
to become a lily breeder before joining Syngenta
in 2003 as a senior breeder. He has worked on
various bedding plant crops over the years.
Contact: dickvan.kleinwee@ syngenta.com
most ornamental breeding programs are still using old ways to
create variation. Technology is mostly used to increase efficiency
by applying physical or chemical treatments to plants, or in-vitro
tissue culture, to produce a higher frequency of mutations and
polyploidization. However, there is one technological advancement
that Syngenta is using to deliver unique and valuable products to
our customers, interspecific breeding.
What is interspecific breeding?Interspecific hybrids are bred by
mating two species, normally from within the same genus. The
offspring display traits and characteristics of both parent
species. However, this is easier said than done. Breeders and
scientists
Science Matters Keeping abreast of Syngenta R&D Spring
2011
The Interspecific Toolbox for breeders and scientists Combining
different species of flowers to create new varieties is
difficult.Thisdifficultystemsfromthe fact that nature would rather
prevent movement of genes from onespeciestotheother.Below outlines
some of the common challenges associated with
inter-specificbreedingandhowourbreeders and scientists overcome
these challenges to provide Syngenta with flowers that will help
shapethemarketforyearstocome.
Pre-fertilization barriers mean that pollen may not germinate on
the stigma or may not reach the ovules. Thiscanbeovercomebythe
breederbyhavingaspecificcuttingstyle, using irradiated pollen or
using a reciprocal cross, or
makingacross,withthephenotypeofeachsexreversed,comparedwith the
original cross, to test theroleofparentalsexon inheritance
pattern.
Post fertilization barriers mean that
thefertilizationhastakenplacebutthe embryo is aborted by the plant.
Growingtheembryoonspecific artificialmediainthelabmayrescue this
embryo and allow the breeding to continue.
Another barrier is sterility.
Poly-ploidisationtechniques(doubling of chromosome number) in the
lab may lead to restoration of fertility which is advantageous to
the breeders.
It is a great example of how cultivated flower breeding can
change a market and give consumers a better plant experience.
Further information
For an explanation of polyploidy visit
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyploidysm
Sabine Lorente
Plant Breeding
Scientist, Technology
Processes Depart-
ment, Enkhuizen
Sabine graduated in plant sciences and
ornamentals at the INH (Institut National
dHorticulture) in Angers, France, in 2009, after
doing her thesis within Syngenta. She was then
hired by the company and is now a plant
breeding scientist at the Technology Processes
Department in Enkhuizen.
Contact: [email protected]
Calliope is our number one selling Pelargonium. Bred to provide
color all summer long, it is drought-tolerant and is a great
example of innovation in flowers
meet huge challenges on their way to the creation of a
successful new interspecific variety, such as embryo abortion and
male sterility.
The challenges with interspecific breeding are clear, but to
develop a resulting species that is resistant to a devastating
disease or has other desirable qualities, is clearly worth the
effort. The introduction of CalliopeTM Pelargoniums a few years ago
is a stellar example of this marriage between science and art. This
heat resistant Pelargonium with unique big red flowers has become
our number one selling Pelargonium variety and signifies that we
are well on our way to delivering that unsurpassed flower
experience to our customers worldwide.
Our new Lanai Twister Pink verbena clearly shows that
innovation, art and science can combine to provide a truly
spectacular result
-
18
Brazil is the worlds largest producer of sugar and the second
largest producer of the sustainable biofuel ethanol. Sugar cane is
the source and now the introduction of Syngentas PleneTM technology
is transforming this crop, as Ian Jepson explains.
Syngenta has PleneTM to talk about
When Shell Oil plans to invest $12 billion in a joint Brazilian
venture to produce ethanol from sugar cane, then clearly they see
this as one of the major transport fuels of the future. In fact is
it the cheapest source of biofuel, costing around 50 cents per
liter to produce. The crop from which it comes can be made to yield
as much as 260 tonnes per hectare, although the current average is
around 80 t/ha.
Growing importance of sugar caneHistorically, sugar cane was not
a high priority crop for Syngenta. However, its growing importance
in the worlds economy led to its being reviewed in 2008 and a
number of unmet needs were identified. Two key ones were the
relatively primitive planting methods and the increased impact of
pests due to the phasing out of the crop-burning stage. Other
issues to be targeted were the stress caused by drought, and the
need to raise sugar and ethanol yields.
Brazil was clearly the country to concentrate on see box and one
pressing need was a more efficient planting system. To this end, in
2008 Syngenta announced its intention to develop PleneTM
technology.
Conventional planting of sugar cane is either done manually,
costing overall about $2,600 per hectare, or mechanically, costing
about $2,800 per hectare. The former method is labor intensive, the
latter method causes
Science Matters Keeping abreast of Syngenta R&D Spring
2011
-
19
Specially developed planting equipment is helping to establish a
good sugar cane crop
Science Matters Keeping abreast of Syngenta R&D Spring
2011
sm
an Jepson
Sugar Cane R&D
Business Partner
Syngenta
Biotechnology Inc.
North Carolina
USA
Ian graduated with a BSc in biology from the
University of Durham and has a PhD in Molecular
Genetics from the University of Birmingham. He
joined ICI Seeds at Jealotts Hill in 1989, and has
held a number of management positions in Seeds
and Crop Protection: Bioscience Manager; Head
of Trait Research; Biotechnology Traits Portfolio
Leader; and Head of Enzymes R&D. Currently he
is Sugar Cane R&D Business Partner for both Crop
Protection and Seeds and is based at Syngenta
Biotechnology Inc., North Carolina, USA.
Contact: [email protected]
Sugar cane is now a strategic crop for Syngenta, and the company
has applied integrated technology solutions to meet the various
challenges.
Brazil is big when it comes to sugar and ethanol
Brazilistheworldslargest producer of sugar cane, harvesting
590milliontonnesannually,morethan a third of global production.
Brazilproduces38milliontonnes of sugar per year with around
26milliontonnesbeingexported.
Brazilhas8.5millionhectares
(21millionacres)oflandgrowingsugarcane,andexpectedtoreach13.5millionby2020.Noneof
this will impinge on the Amazon rainforest.
Thedemandforethanolisdrivingtheexpansion,and10newsugar/ethanolmillswerebuiltin2010.
Brazilproducesaround27billionlitersofbio-ethanolayearandexports2billionliters.(Onehectareof
sugar cane can produce 4,000 liters of ethanol, enough to run the
average family car for two years).
Serendipity science What caused Syngenta to became a major force
in sugar cane started out as an entirely different project.
In2007thecompanybegantostudy the effect of the insecticide
thiamethoxamonvariouscrops,one of which was sugar cane. As part of
the test, the sugar cane was cut into small pieces each containing
one bud sett. What theresearchershadntexpectedto see was just how
vigorous and strong rooting these proved to
be.Thisbecamethefocusofaninvestigation and resulted in a completely
new approach to plantingthismajorcrop.More
than200testfieldswereinvolvedand from this there followed a
processoffinetuningoftheactiveingredients,packaging,storage,and
transportation.
PleneTM results in stronger crops from the roots upwards
soil compaction because of the heavy equipment used. PleneTM is
very different. It involves the mechanical planting of single bud
setts using much lighter equipment reducing soil damage.
The setts are treated with Syngenta products to protect them
against termites, nematodes and fungal pathogens. PleneTM offers
growers the elimination of nurseries, and a reduction in the amount
of planting material needed (only 2 tonnes per hectare) which is
also healthy stock and genetically pure. More efficient
mechanical equipment is employed, and there are fewer operations
involved.
The planting equipment has been developed in partnership with
John Deere. Thanks to PleneTM, the expansion in sugar cane is more
sustainable and not limited by the lack of labor in some
regions.
PleneTM was launched in April this year and sales are expected
to contribute significantly to the growth of Syngenta business in
Latin America over the next five years.
To complement the PleneTM planting technology, Syngenta is
enhancing the crop protection portfolio to address the rise in
biotic pressures which are increasing in Brazil due to the phas-ing
out of pre-harvest burning. Recent product launches include the
insecticide EngeoTM Pleno targeting a broad spectrum of insect
pests and the fungicide Priori Xtra (to protect against orange
rust, which is a relatively new pathogen in Brazil).
To meet the needs not addressed by crop protection chemistry,
Syngenta also began a Seeds (biotechnology and breeding/markers)
program in 2009. So far there has been excellent technical progress
with a number of traits performing well in field trials. This work
has been assisted by external partner-ships which allow access to
enabling technologies as well as to traits of commercial interest
including sugar and second generation biofuels technology.
John Deere is a trademark of Deere & Company.
-
20
Winning ways with wheat
Science Matters Keeping abreast of Syngenta R&D Spring
2011
Seed choice is one of the most important decisions a cereal
grower makes it is the key both to higher yields and better quality
grain. However, wheat breeding is still largely traditional and
productivity is variable. Derek Cornes explains how Syngenta is
planning to change things.
-
21
breeders derives from royalties, so it is difficult to generate
income for R&D. Witness to this is the cereals seeds royalties
market of $300 million compared to the crop protection market of
$6.8 billion.
Derek: Growers tend to be passionate about seed choice and
having leading varieties can be the way to capture their
interest.
By understanding their needs, Syngenta will combine the best
varieties with our crop protection products so that we can ensure
growers get a rewarding return on their investment. Syngenta is
already using state-of-the-art technology to ensure our leadership
in breeding over the short to mid-term. However, the future of
wheat will be hybrids, which bring higher yields and guarantee
uniformity. They also provide an income for breeders, because seed
must be purchased every year. The company has had success with one
cereal crop: barley. It recently introduced the only commercially
available barley hybrid into Europe. It outperforms all
conventional varieties and growers appear willing to make the
switch. Producing wheat hybrids is more difficult. Wheat is a
hexaploid species (i.e. it has three sets of paired chromosomes per
cell) and it resulted from the hybridization of
Wheat is the most widely grown crop covering an area of 225
million hectares worldwide. 70% of the crop goes into foods like
bread and pasta making it the worlds second most important food
crop after rice.
Wheat productivity is variable with some countries producing an
average of only 2 t/ha while others produce 8 t/ha. The highest
ever recorded yield for wheat at 15.6 tonnes per hectare (t/ha),
produced in 2010 by a New Zealand farmer, is five times the global
average! The differences in productivity are partly due to
unavoidable factors such as soil type, climate, moisture, and the
length of the growing season. However, poor farming practices and
lack of investment in technology are also reasons for low yields
and this is where Syngenta can play a key role. The company is
unique in having both a cereals seed business and a crop protection
business, being number one in cereal seeds and number two in cereal
agrochemicals. This allows us to design integrated solutions
spanning the entire growing cycle from seed to harvest.
To keep pace with population growth, wheat yields need to
increase annually by 2.1%. Currently yields are increasing, but the
rate has slowed over the past 10 years to around 1%, and lags
behind crops such as corn, where yields are increasing by 2% or
more. The reason wheat lags behind is mainly due to a lack of
investment in breeding.
Wheat remains a traditional crop with farmers saving seeds from
one year to sow the next. Consequently the seed market is weak.
Moreover there are no wheat hybrids or GM (genetically modified)
traits, and the income for
three wild grass species, making its genetics very complicated.
Moreover it is normally self-pollinated and as its pollen is
relatively heavy it does not travel very far, making out- crossing
difficult.
Derek remains positive that success will come: Our experience in
producing barley hybrids convinces us that commercially viable
wheat hybrids are also possible. It may take 8 to 10 years to reach
the goal but we are currently leading the race.
Other research is directed towards traits such as better use of
water, better use of nutrients, disease resistance, herbicide
tolerance, and grain quality All of these are ways in which wheat
can be improved. However, because so many people are suspicious of
GM cereals, the focus in the short to mid-term has to be on
introducing native traits. Syngenta researchers are using the best
technology available, such as marker-assisted breeding and doubled
haploids, to track the desired traits in our breeding programs.
Developing countries are a growth area for cereals and Syngenta
has entered into a strategic partnership with the International
Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT or Centro Internacional
de Mejoramiento de Maz y Trigo) to extend its reach into such
countries and to access diverse germplasm collections. Through its
network, CIMMYT can demonstrate to smallholders the benefits of
integrated systems and thereby improve production. CIMMYTs mission
is to lift farmers out of subsistence agriculture and there is
every likelihood those farmers will one day become customers.
Science Matters Keeping abreast of Syngenta R&D Spring
2011
Derek: Cereal growing is on the cusp of a dramatic change,
particularly in the seeds area. This is where Syngentas unique
understanding of cereal seeds, chemicals, and integrated solutions
gives the company an edge and one we are determined to maintain.
sm
Derek Cornes
R&D Crop Lead
for Cereals Crop
Protection
Derek graduated in Applied Biology from the
University of Bath in the UK. He joined the company
in 1984 as a trials officer working at Whittlesford
and moved from there to Basel into global
development in 1993. He has recently become
R&D Crop Lead for Cereals Crop Protection.
Contact: [email protected]
-
2222 Science Matters Keeping abreast of Syngenta R&D Spring
2011
The orang-utan has become a symbol of
conservation in the forests of Indonesia
Melons are grown around the world and come in many different
types and sizes, but in many countries they are threatened by a
soil-borne disease which causes the plants to wilt. Syngenta has
developed a resistant strain and this year it looks set to conquer
a large section of the market. Bruno Foncelle explains.
Making melons resistant to Fusarium fungus
Melon is one of the worlds most widely cultivated fruits. The
native species, Cucumis melo originated in Asia, but today it is
grown around the world and as a result of selective breeding down
the centuries it exhibits considerable diversity in terms of size,
color and taste see box left.
A limiting factor to melon production worldwide is vascular
wilt, caused by the fungus Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. melonis (Fom).
This affects growers particularly in France, Italy, Japan, and
China. The fungus develops during a cold spring and plants that are
invaded display a characteristic wilt. Once it has entered the
plants vascular system,
it rapidly colonizes the host, resulting in underdeveloped
fruits with low sugar content.
Fom is difficult to control because the fungus can survive for
extended periods in the soil as thick-walled spores and it remains
active even in the absence of the host roots. Although long crop
rotations are used, it can still colonise the roots of other plants
without causing symptoms. At one time the soil fumigant methyl
bromide was used to defeat it, but this has now been phased out and
no other chemical treatment is currently available for growers to
use. Long rotation periods (up to 5-10 years) are leading growers
to rent new fields far away from their packing facilities
Therearemelonstosuitevery tasteandclimate.Thepopularvarieties
are:
CharentaisinFrance, PieldeSapoinSpain, HamiandhoneydewinChina,
Italo-americanmeloninItaly and the USA, WesternShipperalsointheUSA,
YellowandGaliainBraziland aroundtheMediterranean.
-
23Science Matters Keeping abreast of Syngenta R&D Spring
2011
and warehouses, a situation that imposes extra costs and limits
profitability.
One method of controlling the disease is grafting on
interspecific hybrids C. maxima X C. moshata which are resistant to
Fom and, while this can enhance productivity, it can have a
negative effect on melon taste. This method is also expensive and
used mostly under plastic, whereas open fields are the main growing
areas for melon. Public institutes and seed companies have worked
extensively on genetic resistance to this disease see box
right.
Syngentas Charentais and Italo- american melon breeding program
is based in Sarrians near Avignon in Southeast France. Bruno has
been greatly assisted in the research by two colleagues, Marc
Oliver, who is Genetic Project Lead, and Stphane Le Caro, who is
area Product Manager for Charentais melon.
Bruno: We scouted the period 19962000 where we found hundreds of
Far East attempts to find alternative
sm
Bruno Foncelle
Melon Breeding
Project Lead
Bruno graduated with a degree in horticulture
engineering in 1985 from INH (Institut National
dHorticulture) in Angers, France. He then worked
on the Ivory Coast on banana tissue culture before
joining Syngenta in 1989. He moved to melon
breeding in 1993. Currently he is the Melon
Breeding Project Lead.
Contact: [email protected]
sources of resistance to Fusarium. We also collected entries
from germplasm banks and we did artificial fusarium tests in
phytotron (sealed greenhouse) conditions.
As a result of their research they selected two interesting
entries and started introgressing the resistance into Charentais
and Italo-american elite lines in 2000. They focussed mainly on one
source of resistance which was not linked to fruit shape problems.
Nevertheless, it was tightly linked to green flesh color and so
they had to break that linkage because their target was to
introgress the resistance in orange flesh types.
In 2006 hybrid prototypes with this new resistance were
validated in the field under natural infection conditions, and in
2008 a patent was filed. In 2009, sales and marketing teams
developed a new brand, QualifuzTM, to emphasize Syngenta melons
unique combination of Fusarium resistance and fruit quality. In
2011, sales of their Godiva and Pendragon melons are expected to
account for 25% of turnover.
The science behind the fight against Fusarium
Basedonthehostresistance genes associated with Fom infection, four
physiological races havebeenidentifiedand designatedas0,1,2,and1.2.
Twodominantresistancegenes,Fom-1 and Fom-2, control resistance to
races 0 and 2 and 0 and1respectively.Fom isolates
classifiedasrace1.2areabletoinduce disease in melon lines or
hybrids carrying the described resistance genes.
Manysourcesofresistanceto Fomraces0,1,and2havebeen reported.
However, partial resistancetorace1.2controlledby polygenic
recessive was only detectedinafewFarEastern
accessionswhichareexternally and organoleptically (i.e. taste and
smell) far from the melons
acceptedbyWesternmarkets.Theseaccessionsallowedbreedingof partially
resistant lines to Fom
race1.2suchasIsabelle,whichwasdevelopedbyINRA(InstitutNationaldeRecherche
Agronomique)duringthe1970s.
Breedingcompanieshavebeen developing varieties using this source
of resistance to Fom race
1.2.buttheseresistancefactorsaretightlylinkedtofruitmisshapingcharacteristics.
Such varieties were showing intermediate
resistanceinthefieldbuthadareducedmarketableyieldandonlyslow
genetic progress was made.
Bruno:Arecombinantinbred line population was developed and used
for the molecular characterization of Fomrace1.2resistance of our
new source. Phenotypic and genotypic data enabled us to identify
three major resistance factors located on chromosomes3,9and10.The
effect of these was validated, anddiagnosticmarkerassays were
developed and used in markerassistedbreeding. Success followed.
Like all crops, melons are threatened by diseases, insects, and
drought. The major challenge for the melon breeding community is to
develop cultivars able to cope with such stresses.
From field to fork, Syngenta is protecting
melons from Fusarium
-
24 Science Matters Keeping abreast of Syngenta R&D Spring
2011
The Innovative Vector Control Consortium (IVCC) is funded by the
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and its aim is to help find new
tools to kill insects that transmit human diseases such as malaria.
Syngenta has been a leading collaborating partner since 2006 and is
extending the partnership by searching for new insecticides to kill
the cause of the disease: Mosquitoes. Phil Wege is leading the
fight.
Syngenta turns its big guns on a deadly menace
Around three billion people in the world are at risk of malaria,
and there are more than 240 million cases a year of this disease,
resulting in almost a million deaths, mainly of children under five
and mainly in Africa. When it comes to killing the mosquitoes that
spread the disease, there are few with the firepower that Syngenta
can bring to bear.
Syngenta is already committed to fighting malaria as reported in
Science Matters number 3 (2008). The company developed the Icon
Maxx treatment for mosquito nets which remains active even after 20
washings, and a range of other key products which are used to fight
disease causing insects around the globe. Now the search is on for
a new insecticide which can be deployed
as a new tool to fight mosquitoes that transmit disease.
The IVCC and Syngenta have already successfully partnered to
create a new formulation, Actellic 300CS, which is due for launch
in 2011 to control malarial mosquitoes resistant to the most
commonly used insecticides. Additionally, brand new classes of
Mosquitoes kill nearly a million people each year by spreading
malaria
-
25Science Matters Keeping abreast of Syngenta R&D Spring
2011
sm
Phil Wege
Head of Biology
Support
Jealotts Hill
International
Research Center
Phil graduated from Bradford University with
a degree in applied biology, and University of
Newcastle-upon-Tyne with a further degree in
applied entomology. He worked for the Centre
for Overseas Pest Research in London and then
for Syngenta legacy companies since 1985 in
various roles in insecticide research and
development until moving to his present role
of Head of Biology Support in 2005.
Contact: [email protected]
Phil: Our expectation is that well find useful compounds beyond
those active on mosquitoes, and it is our hope that these will find
utility against insect pests of agriculture, floriculture, and in
the urban and household environments.
Who are IVCC?
TheInnovativeVectorControl Consortium(IVCC)isaProduct
DevelopmentPartnership(PDP)establishedasanotforprofit company and
registered charity to overcome the barriers to innovation in the
development of new insecticides for public health vector control
and to develop information systems and tools which will enable new
and existingpesticidestobeused more effectively.
TheIVCCwasestablishedin November2005witha$50.7m
investmentfromtheBilland MelindaGatesFoundation(BMGF).
TheMissionoftheIVCCistoreduce transmission of insect borne
pathogens through improved insect vector control with innovative
products.Specificallytheyfacilitatethe development of improved
public health pesticides and formulations, provide information
tools to enable themoreeffectiveuseofexistingand new control
measures, and
workwiththediseaseendemiccountrystakeholdersandindustrytoestablishtargetproductprofilesfor
new paradigms in vector control.
insecticides are needed to sustain long term control of
mosquitoes and successful public health programs.
Over the years, chemists within Syngenta and its legacy
companies created thousands of active chemical compounds, some with
insecticide potential. Only a tiny fraction made it to the market
place, while the rest of these biologically-active compounds
languish in Syngentas chemical archives. Amongst this collection of
more than one million compounds, there might be one or two which
can do the job.
Searching Syngenta for the solutionThe IVCC has funded Syngenta
to search its collections to see if any specifically worked against
mosquitoes. The aim was to find one with a novel mode of action to
overcome resistance, which in mosquitoes has developed towards the
insecticides currently in use. The first step, however, was the
successful negotiation of a collaborative agreement between
Syngenta and IVCC, which would safeguard Syngentas commercial and
intellectual property rights. Then under the guidance of Phil Wege,
who is based at Jealotts Hill, one of the most comprehensive
reviews of its insecticidal compounds was conducted.
The project has taken several routes: looking at current
insecticide projects; trawling back through old books and reports;
speaking to leading scientists; searching the databases of legacy
companies; and computer modelling. Meanwhile, scientists in Stein
developed a unique high throughput screening setup which can
determine the level of activity of more than 450 compounds a week
against adult mosquitoes. Of the 16,000 compounds screened so
Further information
Find out more about the IVCC
at www.ivcc.com
far, many hundreds of potent insecticidal compounds have been
found among the collection which clearly show the potential to
match the effectiveness of those currently used.
What are the requirements of a new mosquito insecticide?
1. It controls mosquitoes which are resistant to current
insecticides.
2. It kills mosquitoes quickly and at low doses.
3. It meets human and environmental safety requirements.
4. It is cost effective to produce and it is patentable.
This last requirement might strike some people as surprising.
However, the cost of developing a new product could be up to $180
million, and there is little commercial incentive to designing a
specific mosquito insecticide from scratch which is exactly why the
IVCCs product development partner-ship approach is so
important.
The new active ingredient project aims to find an effective new
insecticide that is deadly to mosquitoes, including the resistant
strains which have developed in malarial areas. While that means a
long and thorough program of research, to begin with the objective
is to optimise the activity of the leading compounds uncovered so
far and this will be the goal of the next phase of the project.
Syngenta and IVCC are committed to finding an answer to the
misery that the malaria-bearing mosquito inflicts on the human
population in tropical parts of the world. Under Phils guidance
there is every hope that this will be achieved.
-
26 Science Matters Keeping abreast of Syngenta R&D Spring
2011
All scientists and policy makers now agree that world food
production will have to increase substantially this century. No one
is quite sure by how much, as population is still growing and
consumption patterns still converging on the unsustainable levels
typical in industrialised countries.
But there are very different views about how this increase of
70-100% should best be achieved. Some still say agriculture will
have to expand into new lands. Others say food production growth
must come through redoubled efforts to repeat the approaches of the
Green Revolution, or that agricultural systems should become
organic. Traditionally, agricultural intensification has occurred
in three ways: increasing yields per hectare, increasing cropping
intensity (i.e. two or more crops) per unit of land, and changing
land-use from low-value crops or commodities to those that receive
higher market prices.
It is also now understood that agriculture can negatively affect
the environment through overuse of natural resources as inputs or
through their use as a sink for pollution. What has also become
clear in recent years is that the success of some modern
agricultural systems has masked significant negative external
issues, with
environmental and health problems documented and recently costed
for many countries. These environmental costs suggest that
alternatives which reduce negative external impact should be
sought.
There is now growing acceptance that sustainable intensification
is the way forward - producing more food from the same area of land
while reducing the negative environmental impacts and at the same
time increasing positive contributions to the environment (Royal
Society, 2009; Foresight, 2011). In short more food from the same
land but with no negative environmental impacts. But how can this
be achieved, and what are the priorities?
Over the past year, the University of Essex on behalf of the
Foresight project led a multi-disciplinary team of 55 agricultural
and food experts from the worlds major agricultural organisations,
professional scientific societies and academic institutions to
identify the top 100 questions for global agriculture and food. The
team was drawn from 23 countries and work in universities, UN
agencies, international research institutes, NGOs, private
companies, foundations and regional research secretariats. An
initial list of 618 key questions was drawn up and then whittled
down by the team to the final top 100. The findings were published
in the International Journal
The Top 100 questions of importance to the future of global
agriculture
of Agricultural Sustainability, in November 2010 (Pretty et al,
2010).
The 100 questions covered a wide range of themes:
1) Climate, watersheds, water resources and aquatic ecosystems;
2) Soil nutrition, erosion and use of fertiliser; 3) Biodiversity,
ecosystem services and conservation; 4) Energy, climate change and
resilience; 5) Crop production systems and technologies; 6) Crop
genetic improvement; 7) Pest and disease management; 8) Livestock;
9) Social capital, gender and extension; 10) Development and
livelihoods; 11) Governance, economic investment, power and policy
making; 12) Food supply chains; 13) Prices, markets and trade; 14)
Consumption patterns and health.
The agricultural sector is now at the heart of an unprecedented
combination of threats, and evidence-based policy will be
essential. These 100 questions will help in setting these
priorities. Improved dialogue and information flow between policy
makers and scientists is vital if agriculture is to overcome the
challenges of dealing with population growth, dietary shifts,
energy insecurity and climate change.
The challenges facing the worlds agriculture are well known, we
have to grow more with less. This includes less water and less
land, increasing population and urbanization, whilst adapting to
climate change and reducing the impact of agriculture on global
warming. These are huge challenges. A wide-ranging team of experts
(including Syngenta) got together in 2010 to scope out the top 100
questions we have to address to feed the worlds population in a
sustainable and equitable way in the future. In this External
Perspective Professor Jules Pretty from the University of Essex,
one of the authors of the resulting paper, highlights some of these
questions for us all to think about providing solutions for. More
details can be found in the full paper referenced at the end of the
article.
Jules Pretty, University of Essex
-
27Science Matters Keeping abreast of Syngenta R&D Spring
2011
EditorialcommentfromStuartJohnDunbar:Thetop100questionslistedinthe
paper, some of which are illustrated in this panel, are important
for all of us in agricultural research and indeed
societyingeneral.Therearenoeasyanswers,noquick-fixes.However,aswe
begin to address the challenges associated with food security, we
will need to use our science to influence
policymakerstoensureweaddressthe challenges laid down in these top
100questions.Syngentaiswellplacedto engage in this with our
integrated cropstrategyandwillbeakeyplayerin answering the
challenge.
Q2: What would be the global cost of capping agricultural water
withdrawals if environmental reserves were to be maintained?
Q14:Whataretheworldsstocksandreserves of phosphate, and are they
sufficienttosupportfoodproductiongloballyforthenextcentury?
Q17:Whataretheenvironmental consequencesofdrought-resistantcrops
in different locations?
Q24:Whatwillbetheriskofmassmigration arising from adverse
climate change, and how will this impact on agricultural
systems?
Q34:Whatarethebenefitsandrisks of embracing the different types
of agricultural biotechnology (environ-mental impacts;
sensitivity/resistance to environmental stressors such as heat,
drought, salinity; dependence on/independencefrominputs;risks of
accelerated resistance; food safety, human health and nutrition;
economic, social and cultural impacts)?
Q35: What are the advantages and disadvantages of organic
production systems in terms of biodiversity, ecosystem services,
yield and human health, particularly in resource-poor developing
countries?
Q36:Whatpracticalmeasuresareneeded to lower the ideological
barriersbetweenorganicandGM,
andthusfullyexploitthecombinedpotentialofbothGMcropsand organic
modes of production in order toachievesustainableintensification of
food production?
Q45:Whatistheefficiencyof different ways to genetically-improve
thenutrient-useefficiencyofcrops and simultaneously increase
yield?
Q51:Howcanintensivelivestocksystems be designed to minimise the
spread of infectious diseases amongst
animalsandtheriskoftheemergenceof new diseases infecting
humans?
Q55: What are most effective policies and interventions to
reduce the demand for animal products in societies with high
consumption levels and how will they affect global trade
inlivestockproducts?
Q60:Howmuchcanagricultural education,extension,farmer
mobilisation and empowerment be improved by the new opportunities
afforded by mobile phone and web-based technologies?
Q64:Whatistheimpactof agriculturalsubsidiesinOECD countries on
the welfare of farmers in developing countries?
Q72:Whowillbefarmingin2050, and what will be their land
relationships (farm ownership, rental or management)?
Q73:Whatwillbetheconsequences to low-income countries of the
increased political roles of countries with growing economic and
purchasingpower(e.g.Brazil, China,India,Indonesia)?
Q78:Whatstepsneedtobetakento encourage young people to study
agricultural science?
Q80:Whereisfoodwastegreatest in food chains in industrialized
and developing countries and what measurescanbetakensignificantly
to reduce these levels of food waste?
Q89:Asenergypricesrise,how
canagricultureincreaseitsefficiencyand use fewer inputs and
fertilizers, yet still feed a growing population?
Q99:Howeffectiveareexperiential and outdoor learning programs in
promoting child nutrition, healthy child development, and
prevention of obesity and diabetes?
1 The full paper is available free to access at
www.earthscan.co.uk/?tabid=503. It is available open access so that
readers and researchers across the world can download the
paper.
Full link: www.ingentaconnect.com/content/
earthscan/ijas/2010/00000008/00000004/art00001
Professor Jules
Pretty OBE
Vice-Chancellor
University of Essex
Jules Pretty is Pro-Vice-Chancellor at the University
of Essex, and Professor of Environment and
Society. His 18 books include This Luminous Coast
(2011), Nature and Culture (2010), The Earth Only
Endures (2007), and Agri-Culture (2002). He is
a Fellow of the Society of Biology and the Royal
Society of Arts, former Deputy-Chair of the
governments Advisory Committee on Releases
to the Environment, and has served on advisory
committees for a number of government
departments. He was a member of the Royal
Society working group that published Reaping
the Benefits (2009) and was a member of the UK
government Foresight project on Global Food and
Farming Futures (2011). He received an OBE in
2006 for services to sustainable agriculture, and an
honorary degree from Ohio State University in 2009.
More details can be found at www.essex.ac.uk/pvc/
sustainability and www.julespretty.com.
Examples of some of the top questions
References
Foresight. 2011. The Future of Food and
Farming. Government Office of Science,
DBIS, London
Pretty J, Sutherland W J, Ashby J, Auburn J,
Baulcombe D, Bell M, Bentley J, Bickersteth S,
Brown K, Jacob Burke, Campbell H, Chen K,
Crowley E, Crute I, Dobbelaere D, Edwards-
Jones G, Funes-Monzote F, H. Godfray C J,
Griffon M, Gypmantisiri P, Haddad L, Halavatau
S, Herren H, Holderness M, Izac A-M, Jones
M, Koohafkan P, Lal R, Lang T, McNeely J, Mu-
eller A, Nisbett N, Noble A, Pingali P, Pinto Y,
Rabbinge R, Ravindranath N H , Rola A, Roling
N, Sage C, Settle W, Sha J M, Luo Shiming,
Simons T, Smith P, Strzepeck K, Swaine H,
Terry E, Tomich T P, Toulmin C, Trigo E,
Twomlow S, Vis J K, Wilson J and Pilgrim S.
2010. The top 100 questions of importance to
the future of global agriculture. International
Journal of Agricultural Sustainability 8(4),
2192361
Royal Society. 2009. Reaping the Benefits.
London
-
28
Carolyn Riches has been tracking down scientific snippets from
across the world on an integrated crops theme. Thanks go to
everyone who has contributed to ideas, text and images for this
edition of Out and A