Category: Featured

Max Ruas of Bioversity says they’re still working on the MGIS ordering system:

The availability of ITC material is only visible once you are logged into MGIS. If logged, then, for ITC accessions available for distribution, a tiny basket appears on top right corner of the passport data. I agree it is not perfect and we will continue to improve the friendliness of the web site in the next iterations, in addition of new features in preparation such as cross reference.

Looking forward to the new iteration. In the meantime, when can we expect MGIS data in Genesys?

Marty wants to point out that someone else beat USDA to GRIN-Global adoption:

Footnote #2 – our friends at the Czech Republic Crop Research Institute also have GRIN-Global fully up and running.

True, and very much due to the unstinting efforts of the late, much missed Dr Iva Faberova.

The Phytophactor has a question:

Isn’t it the saffron crocus stigma that serves as the dye/spice? The article says stamens. I’ve bought cheap stuff that included both, but it was intended to be used as a dye for Buddhist monks’ robes.

I think the high quality stuff is just stigmas, but anyone else care to clarify? Incidentally, if readers want to see wonderful pictures of the saffron harvest in Iran, go to Sidewalk Lyrics’ twitter stream and search for #Khorasan.

Paulo van Breugel tells us how to look for species that fulfill multiple functions in ICRAF’s new database thingy:

On each vegetation fact sheet there is a link to an excel workbook which lists the species and all their functions of that vegetation types. It allows you to do searches using multiple criteria using filters. See also the short tutorial.

Allrighty then.

Anne-Marie has a bone to pick with Vel Gnanendran, head of DFID’s Tanzania office:

Too right that that ‘people like [him] need to get much better at understanding the complexity and long-term nature of agricultural change.’ Anyone whose prior agricultural experience is apparently limited to growing ‘watercress’ from seed in a yoghurt pot at a primary school (it probably wasn’t watercress, luv) sounds like they are at the bottom of a very steep learning curve…funded by my taxes. For the sake of the Tanzanian people, I do hope that those designing and running agriculture projects under him have substantially more experience and expertise in agriculture.

Ouch.