Indigenous knowledge systems

October 13, 2010October 13, 2010

Giant southern curled mustard in the Traditional Croplands

I couldn’t identify one of the plants in the Traditional Croplands exhibit at the National Museum of the American Indian, but a quick post on their Facebook page solved the puzzle. Here’s the plant.

It turns out to be Giant Southern Curled Mustard, which GRIN suggests is Brassica juncea subsp. integrifolia var. crispifolia. This is described as an “old southern favourite,” or words to that effect, by many of the heirloom seed merchants I consulted online. There is also an ethnobotanical record online of the species being used by Native Americans, but only as a medicinal, at least in the book I was able to consult. Perhaps it is a relatively recent adoption.

October 10, 2010October 10, 2010

Nibbles: Bees, Food crises, Book, Drought, Video, Pavlovsk, Community genebank

More on the one-two fungus-virus bee-killer combo.
“In the end, all the brave talk about food self-sufficiency in Asia is just nonsense; ain’t never gonna happen.” Very strategic analysis.
The Resilient Gardener, by Carol Deppe. Can’t wait to get hold of this, from one of the best ever.
“African governments urged to increase uptake of drought tolerant maize.” Because that’s easier than drought-tolerant agriculture?
The need for Agricultural Bioversity/Documentary Video. I guess I’ll have to find time to watch this. Unless you do first and tell us what you think.
Belated: someone else finds coverage of Pavlovsk puzzling.
Kenyan community sets up its own genebank to protect itself from evil hybrids and GMOs.

October 6, 2010

Using your gourd

Today’s post at Tasting Cultures on an African-American gourd decorator comes hot on the heels of news of a class on Celtic gourd carving at the Denver Botanic Gardens. Talk about cultural mashups. Oh and there was also the photo I posted a couple of days back. Never rains but it pours. Anyway, if you want to try this at home, be sure to clean the things properly first.

October 6, 2010October 7, 2010

The Museum of the American Indian’s native crop garden

I spent last Saturday morning wondering around downtown Washington DC with a friend waiting for an afternoon flight. The day was bright and pleasant and we took in all the major sights. Including the National Museum of the American Indian, which is a pretty spectacular building on the Mall.

Apparently, the construction of the museum was partially funded by a large donation from a wealthy Native American tribe in Connecticut, whose casinos are clearly quite lucrative. We didn’t have much time to spend inside, unfortunately, but the outside was interesting enough. And not just for the architecture of the building.

A Native American food garden has been planted along the pavement by the side of the building. You can see maize and squash here on the left.

And also tobacco, sunflower and cotton (below).

Further along the pavement there is a nice bit of prairie, with some particularly important medicinal and other useful plants highlighted. All with very informative labels. A really nice idea.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t find anything about this on the museum’s website, so I don’t know whether it is a temporary exhibit or a permanent feature. Anyway, I wonder if the next donation by that Connecticut tribe might be to some of the genebanks which maintain Native American crop germplasm.

October 4, 2010October 4, 2010

Nibbles: ABS, Climate change and crops, Beer proteome, Cattle SNPs, Nepal genebank, Sceletium tortuosum, CBD, Weeds, Vitamin A

Indian academics voice some reservations about CBD ABS regime. Maybe a multilateral approach would be better?
CIAT warns about climate change effect on crops. Kenyan farmers know all about that. And Koreans too. Oh, and speaking of kimchi…
Beer proteome means better beer. Fundamental research indeed.
Cattle breeds are real. And the gaur?
Nepal inaugurates genebank.
San benefit from bioprospecting license for medicinal plant.
Ahmed Djoghlaf says…
Weeds? Not weeds. Cities as biodiversity hotspots? Oh I give up.
Orange cassava due to one amino acid.