Nibbles: Impact, Descriptors, Oca, Sacred groves,

US national programme gets it together

USDA's Beltsville Agricultural Research Center

The Plant Germplasm Operations Committee gets together every year to help the National Plant Germplasm System of the USA operate. It has just had its 2011 meeting in Beltsville, MD, with representatives from the national genebanks of Brazil, Mexico and Canada in attendance, and the presentations are online. They provide an interesting glimpse into the workings of a national system which in many ways serves the whole world.

Nibbles: Beautiful models, Beautiful bank, Organic FAO, Eskimo diet, Indian medicinals, Maya nut studentship, Fishy infographics

Roads not taken

Glasshouse at Chelsea Physic Garden
The BBC has a history of botany, but it’s not available in my area, despite the fact, pointed out by my friend Michael, that the Beeb’s motto is “Nation shall speak peace onto nation.” And the Save Our Species coalition puts out a call for proposals for Threatened Species Grants and Rapid Action Grants. But plants, let alone crop wild relatives, are not eligible (at least for now). Don’t you wish sometimes that you’d just stayed in bed?