Great news from Diane Ragone. The proceedings of the I International Symposium on Breadfruit Research and Development are out!
Latin America cooperates on (some) information
I just got the book (plus CD) containing the abstracts of the papers to be delivered here in Mexico at the 6th SIRGEALC, and there’s lots of great stuff. Unfortunately the abstracts are not online, although the programme is. That’s a pity. I’ll try to find out whether there are any plans to put them up later on. There was a lot of talk today within and among the various regional plant genetic resources networks in the Americas, which are having their annual meetings just prior to SIRGEALC at the same venue, about information systems. We still do not have a system for sharing online data on plant genetic resources accessions in genebanks. We’re trying to do something about that, but, as I concidentally found out today  from a SciDevNet story, the herbarium people are way ahead of us.
Free rice
From our friends at the Lubin Library, news of a way to have fun, gain bragging rights, and do good. Go to Free Rice and tell the web site what words mean. The web site says they’ll send rice to hungry people, 10 grains per word. I hope they do, because I’m a naive, trusting type of guy.
As for the bragging, I just donated 400 grains of rice, guessed “santori” correctly, have learned the true meaning of “demimonde,” which I have been misusing, and drew stumps at “chaffer.”
Go. Do better. Comment here.
Nothing to do with agrobiodiversity (mind you, they don’t say what kind of rice, or rices …) but some things are worth noting even so.
Molokai farmers get a taste of taro diversity
A fine and detailed report on a taro diversity day held at the University of Hawaii’s field station near Molokai. The report makes clear why field genebanks need to exist, the threats to genebanks in general and taro in particular, and the vital links between culture and agriculture.
Timing agricultural transition
When did Bhutan go agricultural? Dr Putterman says 5500 BP.