- Large‐scale genome‐wide association study, using historical data, identifies conserved genetic architecture of cyanogenic glucoside content in cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) root. Two loci explain about a third of variation in HCN content.
- Strategic use of Iranian bread wheat landrace accessions for genetic improvement: Core set formulation and validation. Not much structure, but some accessions are good for multiple traits.
- Population studies of the wild tomato species Solanum chilense reveal geographically structured major gene-mediated pathogen resistance. Not all populations of a crop wild relatives will be equally useful in breeding.
- Genetic diversity of Ethiopian sorghum reveals signatures of climatic adaptation. 12 sub-populations, with about 10% of the variation explained by either agroecology or geography.
- Common bean SNP alleles and candidate genes affecting photosynthesis under contrasting water regimes. And all in just 158 Portuguese accessions.
- Genetic Diversity and Population Structure of Algerian Endemic Plant Species Avena macrostachya Bal. ex Cross. et Durieu. Collecting sites need to be visited again. I can vouch that doing so would be very interesting.
- Conservation priorities for African Vigna species: Unveiling Angola’s diversity hotspots. It’s a huge collecting gap.
- Remote sensing enabled essential biodiversity variables for biodiversity assessment and monitoring: technological advancement and potentials. The Remote Sensing enabled Essential Biodiversity Variables are a work in progress. Would like to see it applied to those Vignas.
- Genomic consequences of apple improvement. …are relative genetic uniformity.
- Genome-Wide DArTSeq Genotyping and Phenotypic Based Assessment of Within and Among Accessions Diversity and Effective Sample Size in the Diverse Sorghum, Pearl Millet, and Pigeonpea Landraces. Optimal sample size for regeneration of genebank accessions varies from 50-200 among crops.
- Not so robust: Robusta coffee production is highly sensitive to temperature. Looking at historical production data from 800 farms in SE Asia suggests optimal temperature is below 20°C, a lot lower than suggested by the species’ home range in the Congo Basin.
- Exotic foods reveal contact between South Asia and the Near East during the second millennium BCE. Bronze Age Levantines ate bananas and soya, according to dental calculus. No word on coffee.
- Archaeological Central American maize genomes suggest ancient gene flow from South America. Pre-domesticated maize was taken to South America, where is was finished off away from introgression from pesky wild relatives, and then taken back home.
- Fruits of the Veld: Ecological and Socioeconomic Patterns of Natural Resource Use across South Africa. South Africans collect and eat a lot of wild fruits, but could plant and eat them more.
- Exploring the Biodiversity of Red Yeasts for In Vitro and In Vivo Phenotypes Relevant to Agri-Food-Related Processes. Which is interesting because they can delay food spoilage and also provide nutritional supplements. Though personally I’d prefer veld fruits.
Nibbles: Chickpea, Rice, Potato, Open seeds, Ipomoea, Cider apples, Functional foods, Colombian seeds, Meaty diets, Coffee ritual
- Chickpea breeding in the news, if you can believe it.
- Somehow rice breeding in the news is easier to believe.
- Or potato breeding, for that matter.
- The case for public ownership of seed. Now, that would be news.
- I doubt that changing the sweet potato’s scientific name will ever be news.
- Michigan’s cider lovers round up their favourite apples.
- Visualization on how to make functional foods sustainable.
- A Colombian (seed) exchange.
- People have always eaten meat. Sure, but so what?
- Anyone for coffee?
Nibbles: Macron magic, UK Strategic Priorities Fund, Macadamia, Tepary, Nordic spuds, Diversification, Carolina rice, Couscous, Wild tobacco, Yeast diversity, Da 5 Foods
- France pushes for agricultural development. Money to follow mouth?
- Meanwhile, Britain puts its money into its own food systems.
- The macadamia is not diverse enough. Who’d have thought it.
- Couscous gets protected. Phew, ’cause it’s right on the verge of extinction, isn’t it.
- I hope tepary beans don’t become the next macadamia.
- Reviving old potatoes the Nordic way.
- Malaysia told to look beyond oil palm. To tepary and macadamia, maybe?
- Speaking of diversification, how about Laotian rice in Appalachia?
- Chasing the wild tobacco. See what I did there?
- Yeast has been domesticated by bakers into two genetic groups: industrial and artisanal sourdough.
- A history of the world in entirely the wrong 5 foods.
Nibbles: Benchmarking, Unintended consequences, Kenyan seeds, WFP, China genebank, Evolutionary plant breeding, Citrus, Maize, Lotus silk, Azolla, Spanish genebank
- How committed are 350 food companies to food system transformation? Well, take a wild guess…
- Mind you, transformation is tricky.
- A climate-smart seed system for Kenya? Would be transformative for sure.
- Great that WFP got the Nobel Peace Prize, but they’re only part of the food system picture.
- Another part is genebanks, as China recognizes.
- One way to use all that material in genebanks is through evolutionary plant breeding.
- Citrus: How it started. How it’s going. Meme alert.
- Maize was taken back to Mexico from South America in ancient times. And those early farmers really knew how to process it for maximum benefit, something we’re forgetting.
- A deep dive into lotus silk.
- An even deeper dive into Azolla-covered paddies.
- Esteban Hernández of the Andalusian genebank gets his 15 minutes.
Agrobiodiversity events roundup
There’s a few things going on that readers may be interested in, so here goes, real quick:
- The Culinary Breeding Network’s 2020-21 Variety Showcase + Winter Vegetable Sagra. Incidentally, if you’re interested int he whole “sagra” thing, you might like to check out the recent book by Michele Filippo Fontefrancesco. ((Spoiler alert: authenticity isn’t vital to success, but hyper-locality is.))
- The Museum of Food and Drink has a packed schedule of events. GROWING RICE: A Migration Story from Seed to Plate stood out for me, but check out the whole calendar.
- The Oxford Food Symposium will be celebrating its 40th anniversary on July 9-11.
- Alas, the Oxford Real Farming Conference has finished, but you may be able to a flavour from tweets and the YouTube channel.