- Special issue of Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences on food processing, “a critical variable in human economies and social and symbolic systems.” Looks like the editorial is open to all.
- Investigation of genetic diversity in Russian collections of raspberry and blue honeysuckle. Some of them are much richer than others.
- Solanum centrale, bush tucker: new microsatellites reveal diversity and polyploidy; and it benefits from arbuscular mycorrhiza, especially in low P soils.
- The Crop Intensification Program in Rwanda: a sustainability analysis. It isn’t.
- Wholesale replacement of lima bean (Phaseolus lunatus L.) landraces over the last 30 years in northeastern Campeche, Mexico. There was.
- Certification of agroforestry tree germplasm in Southern Africa: opportunities and challenges. Need a scheme based on the FAOs Quality Declared Seed (QDS) with truth-in-labelling, with 3 germplasm categories (audit, select and genetically improved) as a start.
- And speaking of trees … Silver fir stand productivity is enhanced when mixed with Norway spruce: evidence based on large-scale inventory data and a generic modelling approach. Diversity good for silver firs, no effect on Norway spruce.
- Genotypic variation and relationships between quality traits and trace elements in traditional and improved rice (Oryza sativa L.) genotypes. Traditional varieties have more.
The making of an American institution, of sorts
…produced from a hybrid…, mixing European and native stock; popularized by immigrants, Americanizing an ancient ritual; imbued with nostalgia, as their children assimilated; and then embraced by the general public, as ethnic foodways fused. It may not be sophisticated or refined, but it’s difficult to imagine a beverage better suited to the White House.
You’re intrigued, admit it! Well, it is a great story.
Nibbles: Natural history collections, Vancouver’s Old Apple Tree, Conserving local crops, Biofuels, Quinoa, Climate change
- Why don’t genebanks count as natural history collections?
- Saving The Old Apple Tree. That would be as opposed to any old apple tree.
- “If the indigenous seeds are important enough for scientists to fight to preserve in a seed vault deep in the belly of a mountain in Norway, would it not make sense to ensure these seeds survive within their own environments?” Good question from Uganda.
- Council on Bioethics says “Biofuel policies are unethical”. Here’s the Press Release.
- Local women’s quinoa cookbook (in Spanish) wins prize (in France). We’re calling it quinoa, not quinua, because we want people to find us.
- CARE cares about climate change and food security.
The wonder of chocolate
There’s a lot of fascinating stuff, mostly about processing, in this fascinating video. But they had me at “[s]mall daily doses of chocolate can actually improve vascular function.” Via.
Nibbles: Lupine, Methane, Food crisis, Nutritionists, Carrots, Poi, Barhal, Mung bean, Invasives, European bison, Mango
- Saving the scrub lupine. Well, it’s a crop wild relative of sorts.
- Dietary approaches to reduction of belching. No, not less beer and peanuts in front of the TV.
- “Governments and institutions should strongly promote new agricultural technologies suitable for smallholders through increased investment in crop breeding and livestock research.” That would be IFPRI on the actions needed to prevent recurring food crises. Hope that includes supporting the genebanks.
- “Can’t nutritionists make up their minds? They keep changing things!” Nuff said.
- Carrots are exotic? In Canada? Yes indeedy.
- Rachel dissects the cost of proper poi in Hawaii.
- Behold Barhal, relative of breadfruit.
- High yielding mung-bean repatriated to Somalia. Genebanks protect and serve?
- Do your bit for conservation, eat an invasive. Or, perhaps, a bison?
- Bad news for Indian mangoes. What I want to know is whether there are any varieties that are doing really well.
- Mediterranean forests going up in smoke. Bad for the crop wild relatives in them too, no doubt