Climate change

November 10, 2011

Punjab burning

Our pal Neil Palmer was in India recently to see how the farmers there deal with the debris after the rice harvest. The result is a stunning set of pictures. My question: is anybody doing anything to suggest that maybe some of that organic matter could be retained in the soil?

November 4, 2011

Nibbles: Palestinian genebank, PNG seeds, Local chickens, Landscapes

New seed bank on West Bank. This one seems to be a genebank. I think.
Seeds and needs in PNG.
ILRI PowerPoint on Ethiopian chickens. But 46 slides?
Everybody’s talking about the new Landscapes for People, Food and Nature thing, so I guess we should too.

November 1, 2011November 1, 2011

Nibbles: Fish blog, El Guardabosques, Andean crops, Traditional knowledge

WorldFish director has a brand new blog with a fancy Latin tag. Expiscor: to fish out, to find out, and discover.
Cuba boasts home-grown Guardians of the Forests.
Promotion of Andean Crops for Rural Development in Ecuador. No idea what this is or why it popped up now, but worth sharing anyway.
Bioversity shares slides on The role of agricultural biodiversity in diets in the developing world: Improving diet diversity, quality and ecosystem sustainability.
IIED comes out for traditional methods to cope with climate change. Could we abandon this sterile dichotomy, please?

October 31, 2011October 29, 2011

Brainfood: Broomcorn millet, Domestication, Stand diversity, South African ornamentals, Rice wild relatives, Agriculture under climate change, Wheat domestication

Genetic diversity and phylogeography of broomcorn millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) across Eurasia. One origin or two? Moving east or west? We still don’t know, but crop wild relatives may tell us.
Next-generation sequencing for understanding and accelerating crop domestication. Those who understand history may be able to repeat it.
Competition among loblolly pine trees: Does genetic variability of the trees in a stand matter? Can’t really say either way.
The potential of South African indigenous plants for the international cut flower trade. Could do better.
Genetic variability of banana with ornamental potential. The Embrapa Musa collection has some really cool-looking plants.
Cytological Behavior of Hybridization Barriers Between Oryza sativa and Oryza officinalis. I guess that’s why they call it the tertiary genepool.
Ancient lipids reveal continuity in culinary practices across the transition to agriculture in Northern Europe. Crap on 6000-year-old ceramic vessels shows people in the Western Baltic continued to eat fish and clams even after agriculture arrived. Well do you blame them?
Options for support to agriculture and food security under climate change. Show ’em yer multi-pronged strategies, that’ll get their attention.
N.I. Vavilov’s Theory of Centres of Diversity in the Light of Current Understanding of Wheat Diversity, Domestication and Evolution. When genes flow from centre of origin, that centre will not coincide with centre of diversity.

October 19, 2011October 19, 2011

Nibbles: Compost, Breeding, Tree grower, Diseases, Seedsperson, Cordyceps, Illicium verum, Maize size, Microfauna, Participatory research, Art

Compost can boost yields, save water shock.
Tom Wagner shows off new tomatoes and potatoes.
Our pal Neil tells one tree man’s story: Maurice Kwadha: farmer, entrepreneur, and climate-smart.
The UK has a policy on animal and plant diseases in the 21st century. Doesn’t everyone?
NPR nips at our heels, with stories on heirloom seeds and that Chinese zombie insect fungus Cordyceps.
What to do with star anise.
Size matters; corn ear edition.
Soil microfauna really diverse everywhere shock.
How scientists should work with indigenous people (in the Arctic).
“On the matter of seeds.” Art meets PGR. Danny, this one’s for you.