- Your regular reminder that breadfruit could be used a lot more.
- Your regular reminder that cryo could be used a lot more in conservation.
- Your regular reminder that Indigenous knowledge could be used a lot more.
- Your regular reminder that the Svalbard Global Seed Vault could be used a lot more.
- Your regular reminder that climate change is getting personal.
- Your regular reminder that ancient people weren’t stupid. At all.
- Your regular reminder that invasive species are a big problem.
Ukraine national genebank endures
If you’re worried about the Ukraine genebank, the latest news is that it’s still ok. Here’s the official (maybe?) statement:
Важливо. Щодо "новини", що в Харкові знищили весь вітчизняний генетичний банк рослин (160 тис. сортів і гібридів рослин зі всього світу) див. тред: Національний Центр генетичних ресурсів рослин України діє на базі Інституту Юр'єва (Інститут рослинництва імені Юр'єва) (1/4)
— @XAPKIB (@XAPKIB) May 17, 2022
Due to the shelling by Russian troops of the Juriev Institute’s premises, the part of the specimens that were being prepared for regeneration were destroyed. The main collection is unharmed.
And Newsweek has done the factchecking.
Bean there, done that
I don’t think we’ve mentioned the Global Bean Project, but it sounds like fun.
More than 40 partners across Europe, as well as in Kenya and India, share and showcase inspiring experiences and practical knowledge about legume cultivation and consumption: public gardens and seed exchanges, monthly meetings and lectures, information sheets and promotional media.
Thanks to the always useful Seeds4All Newsletter for the headsup.
Brainfood: Landrace gaps, Musa gaps, Teff use, Wheat evolution, NUS services, Phenotyping, Harappan residues, Food trade
- State of ex situ conservation of landrace groups of 25 major crops. Two thirds done, on average, at least by this measure, with these data.
- Phylogeography and conservation gaps of Musa balbisiana Colla genetic diversity revealed by microsatellite markers. But of course there are always other ways of doing it.
- Value of teff (Eragrostis tef) genetic resources to support breeding for conventional and smallholder farming: a review. An example of why doing the above for all crops is important.
- Evolution and origin of bread wheat. Another example. But the B genome remains elusive.
- Diversity and Diversification: Ecosystem Services Derived From Underutilized Crops and Their Co-benefits for Sustainable Agricultural Landscapes and Resilient Food Systems in Africa. So many services. And yet…
- Crop phenotyping in a context of global change: What to measure and how to do it. So many toys.
- Integrating Lipid and Starch Grain Analyses From Pottery Vessels to Explore Prehistoric Foodways in Northern Gujarat, India. And more toys. They made biodiverse stews in the Indus Valley Civilization.
- International food trade benefits biodiversity and food security in low-income countries. Low-income, very biodiverse countries are importing more food, which is somehow good for biodiversity. No word on its effect on agrobiodiversity.
Nibbles: Seeds in Lebanon, Seeds in space, Seeds in Ghana, Seeds in Kenya, Cassava, Jamaican vodka
- The latest news of the ICARDA genebank in Lebanon.
- Meanwhile, China has put seeds in space.
- Back on Earth, though, Ghana still needs investment in its seed systems…
- …Kenya looks to its sorghum and finger millet…
- …and Nigeria to its cassava.
- Jamaica, on the other hand, is having a breadfruit vodka.