Brainfood: AnGR in Europe, Almond evaluation, Jatropha hybrids, Emmer to the rescue, Peanut genomics, Chickpea genomics, Aibika diversity, Cacao improvement, Cynodon drought tolerance
- European Gene Bank Network for Animal Genetic Resources (EUGENA). Compare and contrast with crops situation.
- Oil content, fatty acid composition and tocopherol concentration in the Spanish almond genebank collection. A couple of varieties have very high levels. But only a couple.
- Variability in almond oil chemical traits from traditional cultivars and native genetic resources from Argentina. Local cultivars are best. No word on how they relate to the above.
- Development of interspecific and intergeneric hybrids among jatropha-related species and verification of the hybrids using EST–SSR markers. Even biofuels need wild relatives.
- Evolution of wild emmer wheat and crop improvement. “…arguably best source for wheat improvement and future food production…” Largely untapped, though, as yet.
- Genomewide Association Studies for 50 Agronomic Traits in Peanut Using the ‘Reference Set’ Comprising 300 Genotypes from 48 Countries of the Semi-Arid Tropics of the World. Ok, can we start using these now, please?
- Genome wide SNP identification in chickpea for use in development of a high density genetic map and improvement of chickpea reference genome assembly. Ok, can we start using these now, please?
- Aibika (Abelmoschus manihot L.): genetic variation, morphology and relationships to micronutrient composition. DNA, morphology and chemical composition give different groupings for this PNG veg. In general, environment seems to be more important than genetics as far as micronutrients are concerned.
- Broadening the Gene Pool of Cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) Progenies with Guiana Clones: Establishment and Precocity Traits. That would be the “…recently identified genetic groups with high resistance to black pod diseases.” Progenies with tester clones did really well in Ghana.
- Characterization of Gene Expression Associated with Drought Avoidance and Tolerance Traits in a Perennial Grass Species. 36 genes involved in drought tolerance in Bermudagrass and relative, including for stuff like cuticle wax accumulation, antioxidant defense and dehydration-protective protein accumulation.
Nibbles: Old pig, Good old Twitter, Old apples, Old nuts, Crap coffee, Dutch AnGR, Seaweed food, SP breeding, Women and nutrition, Florida peaches, Poisonous plant garden, Botanic gardens, Future climates in Iowa, Edible insect directory, Big Food wakes up to CC
- The oldest pig in the world is Vietnamese-Canadian.
- Why plant scientists should tweet. And draw.
- Trifecta of apples and other heirloom fruit. Make that four.
- And nuts.
- Making civet crap coffee sustainable.
- Dutch animal genebank moves.
- Will the inmates be fed seaweed? There’s a collection of those, you know?
- More money for to make sweet potato more nutritious.
- Or, you could empower women. Or both.
- Trouble with citrus? No problem, grow peaches.
- World’s coolest garden.
- And why we need even the less cool ones.
- Testing present plants in future climates.
- Who’s who in edible insects.
- Big Food suddenly realizes it has a climate change problem.
Brainfood: Tea cores, Amazonian domestication, Sicilian remedies, Odisha wild veggies, Insect biomass, Energy crops, Adoption, Field size, Rye diversity, Crab breeding
- Worldwide core collections of tea (Camellia sinensis) based on SSR markers. From 788 to 192 doesn’t seem like a great deal.
- Crop Domestication in the Amazon. The first arrivals were not just hunter-gatherers.
- Plant genetic resources and traditional knowledge on medicinal use of wild shrub and herbaceous plant species in the Etna Regional Park (Eastern Sicily, Italy). 71 wild species are used for medicine, but the properties of most are known by only a few informants.
- Traditional knowledge on wild edible plants as livelihood food in Odisha, India. 86 wild species are eaten. No word on the pattern of distribution of knowledge, at least in the abstract.
- Insects in the human food chain: global status and opportunities. The real potential is in animal feed production.
- Energy crops: Prospects in the context of sustainable agriculture. They have a role in Europe to reduce effects of climate change while supporting food security and preserving the environment, but most are in early stages of domestication, and we’ll need more efficient enzymatic systems for the conversion of cellulose, and the development of multiple products.
- Are there systematic gender differences in the adoption of sustainable agricultural intensification practices? Evidence from Kenya. Not for improved seeds, apparently.
- A contemporary decennial global Landsat sample of changing agricultural field sizes. Nine hotspots of field size change, driven by different factors, and not all in same direction. I wonder if you can use this as a proxy for levels of agricultural biodiversity?
- Genome-wide characterization of genetic diversity and population structure in Secale. Limited diversity in improved material, and no structure. Need those genebanks.
- Comparison of the culture performance and profitability of wild-caught and captive pond-reared Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis) juveniles reared in grow-out ponds: Implications for seed selection and genetic selection programs. Wild is best. For now.
Nibbles: Fossil biodiversity, Culture & health, Cicer drought experiment, Endangered fish, Wheat hydridization, Food aid, Ag trade double, Sustainable diets, Fermentation book
- The Global Fossil Record. Visualized. Not agricultural, but couldn’t resist it.
- Malnutrition? It’s the culture, stupid.
- Check out the world’s largest chickpea drought trial.
- Overfishing the Amazon.
- Ah, so that’s how wheat did it!
- Food aid can support sustainable livelihoods too.
- Soon, most crop production will go to feed China’s pigs. And you’ll be able to follow that on FAOStat’s interactive thingie on agricultural tradeflows.
- But it can’t possibly be good for sustainable diets, can it?
- New book on fermentation. Never enough of those.