I’m just putting it out there: do we in agrobiodiversity conservation/use need to worry about this more?
Nibbles: Earthworms, Statistics, Bison, Urban, Cork
- Boffins find lots of cryptic genetic diversity in earthworms.
- China produces half the world’s vegetables?
- Know your bison.
- Flouting Zimbabwe’s laws on urban agriculture to stay alive.
- Cork certification.
Cereal varieties screened for nutritional benefit
You may remember the obsession we developed here last summer about diversity among crop varieties in nutritional composition in general and glycemic index in particular:
Good measurements of characteristics such as GI for specific, named and recognizable varieties, whether the products of modern breeding or traditional farmer varieties, would be really valuable for lots of reasons, not least to add substance to claims that diversity of diet in and of itself is good for one.
Well, our prayers are being answered. Foodnavigator has a news item about the “Healthgrain diversity screen.” Researchers
grew, harvested and milled 150 wheat varieties used for bread making and 50 other grain varieties — oats, barley and rye — over a one-year period in Hungary. The grains originated worldwide…
They then measured “the components known to play a role in prevention of cardiovascular disease and type-2 diabetes,” including tocols, sterols, phenolic acids, folates, alkylresorcinols and fiber components.
Only one site and one year, and 150 are not that many compared to the tens of thousands of wheat landraces and varieties in the world’s genebanks, but you have to start somewhere, and “the Healthgrain diversity screen has generated the most extensive database currently available on bioactive components in wheat and other smallgrain cereals.” Should be a great breeding resource.
Book of the agrobiodiversity of Guatemala published
My good friend Cesar Azurdia has alerted me to the publication of the book Guatemala y su Biodiversidad. Chapter 9 focuses on agricultural biodiversity. There’s a lot of great stuff on homegardens, crop wild relatives, effects of climate change etc., all subjects very dear to our heart here.
Nibbles: Turkey, Core, Cattle, Aquaculture
- “Third biggest genebank in the world” to be built in Turkey.
- Hari honoured!
- Kudos for Cundiff!
- Aquaculture. What is it good for?
- “The oldest domesticated animal known…”