Medicinal plants

November 28, 2011March 5, 2026

Nibbles: Q&A, Zoopharmacognosy, Pigeonpea genome, Turkey, Wheat relatives

Everyday agriculture mysteries solved.
Other animals self-medicate too.
Dueling pigeonpea genome sequencers? Who knew. Well spotted, James.
I’m thankful for turkeys.
And for the crop wild relatives in ICARDA’s genebank too.

November 25, 2011November 2, 2017

Nibbles: Taiwan seedbank, American agroforestry

Taiwan should establish a national seed bank. It says here. But will it be a genebank?
Agroforestry in the USA and in the ancient Maya lands.

November 24, 2011November 24, 2011

Nibbles: Heirloom cattle, Saleb, Wheat protein, Dog domestication, Rooibos

Why Highland Cattle? Because they look so cool, of course.
It’s sahlib time!
Australians find the extra gluten protein gene they need in Italian wheat.
Where the hell was the dog domesticated?
Rooibos tea is latest climate change victim.

November 15, 2011November 15, 2011

Nibbles: Tobacco! Maize! Andean Roots & Tubers!

Tobacco is enjoying a resurrection as a crop.
Michigan State University to research adapting maize to climate change in Zambia and Kenya.
Researchers & Restaurateurs Work to Save Peru’s Food Diversity; article and podcast. The really good news? Oca are not potatoes!

November 13, 2011November 13, 2011

Nibbles: China, Anti-malarials, Mongolia

China’s capitalists gobble up agriculture. If you can’t join ’em, beat ’em.
Making better seed of Artemisia available. And conserving its diversity?
Mongolian pastoralists embrace collective action.

1. Why the modern food system prizes uniformity even though resilience depends on diversity. Spoiler alert: follow the money.
2. Historic crop varieties are finding renewed relevance as farmers contend with more volatile weather, emerging pests and changing markets. Let’s hope there’s money to conserve them.
3. India’s traditional wheat varieties contain diversity that could help breeders develop crops better able to withstand heat and drought. Let’s hope there’s money to conserve them.
4. India announces significant progress in conserving its wild rice genetic resources. Great that there was money to conserve them.
5. Community seed banks across Kenya are calling for formal recognition and sustained support, arguing that locally managed collections strengthen seed sovereignty, preserve traditional varieties and help farming communities adapt to climate change. Yes, but are they enough without national genebanks?
6. Researchers are racing to conserve wild coffee species whose genetic diversity may provide the resistance and resilience needed to secure tomorrow’s morning cup. Is the industry contributing, though ?
7. New history of the macadamia traces its remarkable journey from Australia’s native forests to a global crop, while underscoring why conserving the remaining wild populations is essential for the crop’s long-term future.
8. Researchers at the University of the South Pacific investigate how taro can withstand climate change, combining research with conservation to help protect one of the region’s most culturally and nutritionally important staple crops.
9. Chester Zoo collects seeds from highly threatened cacti, because why not?
Published on July 14, 2026