BULLETIN 1

Mexico trip features visit to a GIAHS site, to CIMMYT, and bilateral meetings with high level government representatives

 

Figure; FAO Director-General QU Dongyu speaks in Mexico with Julio Berdegué, Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development, and and CIMMYT Director-General Bram Govaerts. ©FAO/Luis Antonio Rojas

FAO News: 28/10/2025

Mexico City - QU Dongyu visited Mexico on a two-day trip during which he met senior government ministers and made field visits to local institutions.

A highlight was the Director-General’s visit to Metepantle in Españita, Tlaxcala state, where he visited the Metepantle, a recently-designated FAO Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) site. Accompanied by Julio Berdegué Sacristán, Secretary for Agriculture and Rural Development, and local authorities, Qu praised Metapantle as a powerful example of long-term agricultural resilience in fragile mountain environments.

The site is recognized for being home to a terraced mosaic of maize, agave, beans, squash and wild plants cultivated over the past 3,000 years in ways rooted in traditional Nahua knowledge and in ways that supports dryland biodiversity. The system, described by the Minister as a “living museum” maintains more than 140 native species, including 40 maize land races, through a sophisticated system of seed conservation, trading and exchange networks.

The Director-General used the visit as an opportunity to meet with around 500 local farming families and community leaders. “More than an agricultural system, Metepantle is a philosophy that teachers us to produce with respect, to live in harmony with the Earth, and to build the future on the foundation of the wisdom of the past,” Qu said.

Later the same day, Qu and the FAO delegation visited the global headquarters of CIMMYT (the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center), a non-profit research center that works on improving the yields, quality and dependability of food production systems and essential crops such as maize, wheat, sorghum and millets around the world.

“FAO and CIMMYT share the same goal: to ensure nutrition for all through science, innovation and cooperation,” the Director-General said. “In these challenging times, we must work together to transform our agrifood systems, preserve traditional knowledge and promote new technologies that improve farmers’ lives.”

FAO works with CIMMYT on a number of strategic projects including the Vision for Adapted Crops and Soils initiative (VACS), Recarbonization of Global Agricultural Soils (RECSOIL) and FAO’s flagship One Country One Priority Product (OCOP) initiative.

“FAO and CIMMYT share a long-standing commitment to transforming agriculture through science and innovation,” said Berdegué.

The FAO delegation visited CIMMYT’s biodiversity collections, field research platforms and laboratories, discussed joint priorities to advance low-emission forage systems and sustainable soil and water management, and reviewed ongoing research in precision genetics, smart mechanization and conservation agriculture practices.

“For many decades, CIMMYT has been proud to be an implementing and innovation partner for FAO. Looking forward, we will deepen our relationship on stress-resilient agrifood systems for smallholder farmers, harnessing the power of agriculture as a foundation for peace and security,” said Bram Govaerts, Director-General of CIMMYT.

Bilateral meetings

On Monday, the Director-General held a series of high-level meetings.

Meeting again with Berdegué, he said it was a great honor for FAO to see a former staff member (Berdegué previously held the position of FAO Regional Representative for Latin America and the Caribbean in the FAO Regional Office based in Santiago, Chile) serve in a ministerial role for a country and urged Mexico to strengthen its leading role in the region with regard to both agrifood systems transformation, and the provision of global public goods, counting on FAO as a strategic technical partner.

Meeting with Juan Ramón de la Fuente Ramírez, Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Qu praised Mexico’s ability to forge links and virtuous cycles among traditional knowledge, biodiversity, modern technology, innovation and policy, and urged the country to play a leading role in the Global South and beyond, with FAO’s support.

Rosaura Ruiz Gutiérrez, Secretary for Science, Humanities, Technology and Innovation, briefed the Director-General on her Ministry’s food sovereignty agenda, which includes an expansive network of partnership with Mexican states, universities, research institutions and private companies aimed at improving maize and bean production. Qu appreciated the presentation and elaborated on ways in which FAO can collaborate, particularly with regard to improving the livelihoods of smallholder farmers, and helping make Mexico’s agricultural sector even more market oriented.

All parties pledged to further strengthen the robust partnership between FAO and Mexico that has developed over the past 80 years.
See https://www.fao.org/director-general/news/details/mexico-trip-features-visit-to-a-giahs-site--to-cimmyt--and-bilateral-meetings-with-high-level-government-representatives/en

 

BULLETIN 2

PhilRice Deposits 4,417 Rice Seed Samples to the Svalbard Global Seed Vault

 

 

Figure: Photo Source: DA-PhilRice Isabela

 

ISAAA News
In October 2025, the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) made a groundbreaking commitment to global food security by donating 4,417 rice seed samples to the Svalbard Global Seed Vault. This historic deposit represents PhilRice's inaugural contribution to the vault and the first time in 40 years that duplicates of their invaluable seed collections have been secured outside the Philippines. Such actions are crucial in safeguarding these resources against the escalating threats of natural disasters and climate change.
By safeguarding these unique rice varieties—some of which include cherished traditional strains like Dinorado and Milagrosa, known for their exquisite fragrance and soft texture—PhilRice is not just preserving seeds; they are protecting the essence of Filipino heritage, history, and culture. These varieties are more than just agricultural products; they symbolize a deep-rooted connection to the land and our culinary legacy. Ensuring their survival is crucial for future breeding initiatives, agricultural resilience, and, ultimately, food security.
Given the Philippines' high vulnerability to natural disasters such as typhoons and floods, which have led to the devastating loss of national seed collections in the past, this deposit is an urgent and necessary step forward. By securing these essential seeds, PhilRice is staunchly dedicated to preserving the country's rich agricultural diversity and safeguarding its future against the looming challenges of climate change. This initiative not only strengthens local food systems but also serves as a crucial pillar of global efforts to ensure food security for future generations.
For more details, please visit the Crop Trust's social media page.
See https://www.isaaa.org/kc/cropbiotechupdate/article/default.asp?ID=21561

 

SCIENTIFIC NEWS

Genetic dissection of low-sulfur tolerance via linkage and genome-wide association analyses in soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] seedlings
Kaixin Zhang, Yanning Chen, Sujing Wang, Yu’e Zhang, Yudan Chen, Kaili Ren, Xiao Li, Guizhen Kan, Deyue Yu & Hui Wang
Theoretical and Applied Genetics; October 31 2025; vol. 138; article 288

 

  

Key message
Seven co-localized QTLs that control low-sulfur tolerance in soybean seedlings were identified. Two putative candidate genes and 3 promising parental cross combinations were further predicted.
Abstract
Low-sulfur nutrient stress severely affects yield and quality in soybean production. However, genetic studies related to soybean tolerance to low-sulfur conditions are insufficient. Here, soybean tolerance to low-sulfur conditions was evaluated according to ten traits at the seedling stage. A total of 72 quantitative trait loci (QTLs) and 103 quantitative trait nucleotides (QTNs) related to low-sulfur tolerance in soybean seedlings were detected via linkage analysis and genome-wide association analysis (GWAS) in a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population and a natural population, respectively. Among these loci, 7 co-localized QTLs were identified via two methods across chromosomes 1, 6, 8, 9, 14, and 17. Glyma.17G167100, which includes two significant SNPs (AX-93862060 and AX-93862061), and Glyma.14G169300 were suggested as putative candidate genes on the basis of transcriptome data, haplotype analysis and real-time quantitative PCR. In addition, 3 promising parental cross combinations with the aim of improving low-sulfur tolerance have been designed across favorable alleles, which were determined on the basis of the co-localized QTLs and relative values of trait phenotypes in three environments. These results provide important evidence for understanding the genetic basis of low-sulfur tolerance in soybean and may be helpful in the breeding of new soybean varieties with high tolerance to low-sulfur soil.
See https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00122-025-05078-5