Inside Abu Ghraib

We’ve been keeping more than a brief eye on the blog of The Iraqi Seed Project but things have been a little quiet. Not surprising, really; they have better things to do than post their field notes to the internet. Today, though, a wonderful surprise. The filmmakers got to the Iraqi National Genebank at Abu …

Regenerating Iraqi wheat

Our friend Mrs Sanaa and her colleagues have been regenerating wheat accessions dating back to before the Iraqi genebank at Abu Ghraib was destroyed in 2003. You’ll remember that she rescued this material by storing it at her house until the genebank got back on its feet. Many thanks to her for the photos.

Iraqis let down again

Talking of disasters… Drought, salinity, violence, higher paying jobs in construction, the Coalition Provisional Authority and its Order 81, a corrupt Australian; and before that Saddam Hussein and the embargo: Iraqi agriculture has had a lot to deal with over the years. ((Via.)) The genetic erosion must have been phenomenal. But there’s always ex situ, …