Chinese scientists have developed higher yielding wheat for bread production, according to a research paper published in the latest issue of Plant Biotechnology Journal. Using CRISPR-CAS9 genome editing and by identifying molecular mechanisms that affect grain development, researchers from several institutions in China boosted the length and weight of wheat, the paper said. China is the world’s largest wheat producer.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 caused an immediate disruption in the global wheat market, with serious implications for food prices and global food security. Wheat is a staple commodity in many countries and one of the most extensively traded crops worldwide. Global wheat prices increased by 28 percent in the early phases of the war, but within a few months, they began to decrease. They remain two percent to three percent greater than before the invasion.

Agricultural trade – including topics tied closely to the work of U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) – was a major focus during the 100th annual Ag Outlook Forum in Washington, D.C. A panel discussion titled, “100 Years of U.S. Ag Trade; A Century of Growth, Innovation, and Progress” was the highlight of the first day. The panel featured speakers from USDA, the United Nations (UN) Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the Peterson Institute for International Economics.

The Northwest RiverPartners Board of Directors has selected Clark Mather as the association’s next executive director. Mather will officially take over leadership responsibilities on April 1. Heather Stebbings, who has served as interim executive director since December 1, 2023, will assist in the transition process. “We’re excited to welcome Clark to the organization, as he comes to us with a depth of knowledge and expertise,” said Rich Wallen, Northwest RiverPartners board chair. “At such a critical time for hydropower in our region, Northwest RiverPartners needs to focus on promoting and protecting our hydropower assets.

After a slow start, the University of Idaho College of Agricultural and Life Sciences is finally poised to begin a monumental project to build farming systems that will stand up to the challenges of climate change. The Innovative Agriculture and Marketing Partnerships for Idaho — commonly known at IAMP — has been awarded $55 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It’s the largest grant in the university’s history and was among 70 projects awarded nationwide from a $2.8 billion investment in the department’s Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities initiative. More than half of the money will be paid out to growers who enroll in the program.

Tribal representatives and the governors of Washington and Oregon met with federal officials at the White House on Feb. 23 to sign the Columbia River Basin Agreement, reached during mediation over a long-running lawsuit targeting Snake River dam operations. None of the speakers mentioned breaching the lower Snake River dams. Tribal leaders and agricultural stakeholders have said the deal is a pathway to breaching. Authority to breach the dams remains with Congress.

An irrigators association estimates it would cost as much as $1 billion to keep farming if the four lower Snake River dams are ever breached. Washington state and the Bonneville Power Administration would need to pay irrigators about $750 million over four years to reconstruct about 25 pump stations in the event of breaching, and cover disruption to their farms as the dams are removed and replaced, according to the Columbia-Snake River Irrigators Association.