- Dogs were first domesticated animal. But the love affair is cooling off, at least for some breeds.
- Building capacity for animal genetic resources use, and for conservation and sustainable use under the ITPGRFA. And tree domestication. Is someone keeping track?
- BGI continues to take over DNA world.
- And the Worst Plant Virus Oscar goes to…
- How PNG farmers cope with drought. From what is developing into a really useful blog.
- I wish I had time to read 200 pages on ancient Athenian food. But maybe you do?
- Learn about the USDA potato collection, including lots of wild relatives.
- The tree that thinks it’s a supermarket: Moringa in the limelight again.
Nibbles: Bananas, No Bananas, Climate change and agriculture, Biodiversity loss, Malnutrition and property, Breeding
- The Archaeobotanist reviews the domestication and spread of bananas …
- … and says that bananas weren’t important to the first farmers of Central Africa.
- New York Times blog dissects the climate change and agriculture paper that’s making waves.
- But biodiversity loss is a bigger threat than climate change. No mention of ag; do these guys ever talk to one another?
- In India, children of women who farm their own land are less malnourished.
- So what if 11 plant species “account for 93 percent of all that humans eat”? Rachel Laudan thinks that fine, and I agree.
- The patent on one of the Roundup-Ready genes is about to expire. So?
Nibbles: Doggy-style diversity, Livestock diversity, Pomato, Non timber, Non beer, Popcorn, Drying rice, Svalbard
- “[D]iversity in domestic dogs derives from a small genetic tool kit.” Really, really small. Like, 50 genes.
- ILRI says we need to maintain indigenous farm animal diversity in Asia. They eat dogs, don’t they?
- You say pomato, I say totato: “Tomato-potato cross benefits farmers.” Fine, but it’s a graft. So why call it a cross?
- Non timber forest products important “in times of crisis” shock.
- Sumerian beer non-alcoholic? Not even beer, but “fermented cereal beverage“.
- Then again, ancient Peruvians discovered popcorn. But not movies.
- IRRI wants a student to re-examine optimal drying conditions for rice.
- The Svalbard Global Seed Vault– is it important for plant genetic resources? Answers here, next week.
Nibbles: FIGS, Wassailing, Rice breeding, Mobile apps, GI, Coffee, Art, Symposium
- Probably way more than you ever need to know about FIGS. In one handy PowerPoint.
- The British love affair with the apple comes to a head. And goes over the top.
- 100 years of the Paddy Breeding Station. No, nothing to do with the Irish.
- Another damn app competition.
- Geographical Indications in Brazilian law deconstructed.
- Not too late for a cappuccino. But make mine a civet cat shit one.
- More rewriting of Amazon pre-history.
- Marianne North, botanical artist, in the Amazon and elsewhere, remembered.
- Starting now FAO Symposium: applying information on food and nutrition security to better decision making. There’s even a hashtag — #isfsi2012 — but nobody seems to be using it.
Nibbles: Oca illustrated, Urban herbs, Ancient rice
Will this work, I wonder
Blue-ribbon oca- Urban farmers making real money, in London and Moffat.
- Lots, lots more on the archaeology of rice, from Dorian Fuller.