• Agriculture 101: A graphic novel. Am I the only one who thinks novels aren’t necessarily true? First installment.
• Bioversity has a bunch of factsheets on Nutritious Underutilized Species.
• Why is a cacao tree not like an ATM? Because the ATM still pays out when its hot.
• Speaking of which, big long thought piece on Food Security and Climate Change.
• Giant pumpkins; not much diversity here, except in the agronomic approaches.
• Better access to markets may threaten specialist smallholder farmers. The case of Namibia.
• Ancient Roman ate lots of C4 photosynthesiser: millet!
• Wake up and smell the lack of green coffee.
• A couple of wannabe Mexican industrial crops get some exposure.

• Pastoral mobiity “a trump card to be strengthened”.
• Latest Berry go Round is up, although I can’t actually read it myself.
• Wild horses in the US southwest.
• Cassava notes: GMO cassava lower in cyanogens, higher in protein.
• Climate change threatens Ugandan tea. Luigi’s MIL secretly pleased.
• How to guarantee a food-insecure future in Kenya.

• Genetic similarity based on isoenzyme banding pattern among fifty species of Medicago representing eight sections (Fabaceae). People are still using isozymes? I find that oddly endearing.
• Preparation and evaluation of antioxidant capacity of Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam.) wine and its protective role against radiation induced DNA damage. In other news, you can make wine from jackfruit.
• Pulping and papermaking properties of Tunisian Alfa stems (Stipa tenacissima)—Effects of refining process. Yep, a paper on paper.
• Phenotypic variations in fruits and selection potential in Sclerocarya birrea subsp. birrea. There’s a lot of it.
• Pollination studies in large cardamom (Amomum subulatum Roxb.) of Sikkim Himalayan region of India. It needs a native bumblebee.
• Effect of proteins from different sources on body composition. Hard to be sure, but probably no difference between animal and plant protein. If you’re trying to lose weight, that is.
• Ants as biological control agents in agricultural cropping systems. More common than you think, but can’t be taken for granted.
• Origin of triploid Arachis pintoi (Leguminosae) by autopolyploidy evidenced by FISH and meiotic behaviour. Maybe that was they key step on the road to the edible peanut.
• The biochemistry and biological properties of the world’s most expensive underground edible mushroom: Truffles. Not just a pretty smell.
• Ethnobotany, diverse food uses, claimed health benefits and implications on conservation of barley landraces in North Eastern Ethiopia highlands. Landraces “just” liked for culinary qualities are having a hard time.
• Comparative analysis of genetic diversity in Citrus germplasm collection using AFLP, SSAP, SAMPL and SSR markers. Boys with toys.
• Tree legumes as feedstock for sustainable biofuel production: Opportunities and challenges. Pongamia pinnata is the thing, apparently, but it’ll need research. NIMBY!
• Honeybush (Cyclopia spp.): From local cottage industry to global markets — The catalytic and supporting role of research. South African bush tea a blueprint for the development of a neglected/underutilized species? Yeah, why not.
• Diversity of S-alk(en)yl cysteine sulphoxide content within a collection of garlic (Allium sativum L.) and its association with the morphological and genetic background assessed by AFLP. Czech genebank follows up Brassica genetic diversity study with one on garlic. SACS is an important end-use trait, and varies among genetic groups.

• Poverty doesn’t drive deforestation. Discuss using examples from Kenya and China.
• Crop Science Society of America (CSSA) position statement on “Crop Adaptation to Climate Change.” Genebanks mentioned. Crop wild relatives mentioned. Information systems mentioned. One’s cup runneth over.

• Awesome apple tree awes impressionable TV reporter shock.
• Food fight!
• Food fight referee?
• Recent developments in the world of biofuels; CABI sorts the good, the bad and the indifferent.
• A blogger asks: “What is the appropriate mix of policies regarding agriculture in Honduras?“
• Watch a video on an indigenous food festival in Thailand by following instructions here. Note to film-makers: there are simpler ways to share a video.

• Why don’t genebanks count as natural history collections?
• Saving The Old Apple Tree. That would be as opposed to any old apple tree.
• “If the indigenous seeds are important enough for scientists to fight to preserve in a seed vault deep in the belly of a mountain in Norway, would it not make sense to ensure these seeds survive within their own environments?” Good question from Uganda.
• Council on Bioethics says “Biofuel policies are unethical”. Here’s the Press Release.
• Local women’s quinoa cookbook (in Spanish) wins prize (in France). We’re calling it quinoa, not quinua, because we want people to find us.
• CARE cares about climate change and food security.

• Desert seeds go to Svalbard.
• “Two young engineers, Fuad Gasi and Idin Fazlic, are in charge of the bank, which is staffed by volunteers.”
• Seedbombs: recipes and legal niceties.
• Achieving food security sustainably. Report of a PAR/FAO workshop.
• On the other hand, here’s what Australia’s leaders heard about A Food Secure World.
• How much do you really need to know about mandrake?
• Do rich countries produce more per hectare? h/t GOOD
• Pocket guides to chili farming. Might have a wider audience than originally intended.
• Collecting cockles is women’s work, at least in Ecuador.
• Why would anyone want to eat it when they could use cassava for biofuel instead?

• “Organic management practices appear to result in elevated levels of grain micronutrient concentration.” By no means the whole story.
• Tom too takes The Economist to task.
• Afghanistan’s opium growers. Damned if you do, damned if you don’t.
• Nixtamalization for the rest of us. More than you could ever want to know. Rye tortillas!
• Chocolate began with leftover beer? Seems unlikely.
• Take the fight to the monster’s lair. Swap seeds in Brussels. h/t Patrick.
• Dogs or dholes? Yeah I didn’t know what they were either.
• There was a workshop on “Seed System and Climate Change” in Bhutan a month ago.
• Big biofuel project in Tanzania bites the dust. And the land they “leased,” what happened to that?
• Ancient grinding holes. Might mesquite be another edible never domesticated?

• Corn and ethanol, sitting in a tree … it’s complicated.
• More than anyone — except us — could ever want to know about the avocado. h/t Nicola.
• FAO prescribes seed systems for small farmers. h/t CIAT blog.
• Slides about agricultural biodiversity in the Himalaya; wish I knew what to make of it, if anything.
• Umbria says “COLTIVIAMO LA BIODIVERSITÀ“.

Test question (no prizes): What’s the link between avocados and orchids?

• Celebrating Charles Heiser and Bob Chambers.
• Quinoa coming into its own in Bolivia.
• Earthscan and Bioversity International team up for new Issues in Agricultural Biodiversity book series.
• Crop wild relatives not just useful to breeders, eggplant edition.
• Vitamin D 101 in pictures.
• Improving pitaya.
• Cassava production trends in Africa in 28 slides. Twenty slides too many, but it’s always good to have the data.
• Beetroot’s colour deconstructed.
• Worldwatch’s 2011 State of the World was released yesterday. Gives a “compelling look at the global food crisis, with particular emphasis on global innovations that can help solve a worldwide problem.” At $19.95 a pop. But supporting material available. Here comes the commentary.
• The genebank at the UK’s Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council gets its 15 minutes of fame.