Medicinal plants

April 25, 2010April 25, 2010

Recognizing World Malaria Day

As a victim, I am particularly happy to recognize World Malaria Day and hail the Cinchona tree, source of quinine. Artemisia is the new Chinchona, of course. I dread to think how many of the kids in this picture I took in the Solomons, where I picked up the disease, will get malaria, or have already had it. Thanks, Kew.

April 20, 2010April 20, 2010

Nibbles: Heirloom store, Leaf miners, Mongolian drought, GPS, Coca, Ag origins, Aquaculture, Lice, Bud break in US, IFAD livestock, biofuels, Pig history

“Housed in the towering old 1926 Sonoma County Bank, it’s hard to miss the Seed Bank.” And who would want to anyway.
Of apples, leaf miners and bacteria. Great story.
Best synthesis and analysis of the Mongolian dzud story so far.
Visualize your GPS data! Not agrobiodiversity, I know, but I don’t have another blog.
Coca myths debunked. Sniff sniff.
“Crop domestication and the first plant breeders” book charpter online.
Rebranding Asian carp. Hard row to hoe. Thanks, Don.
190,000 year old clothes had lice. 190,000 year old humans had clothes?
More citizen science stuff, this one on effect of climate change on plant phenology in the US.
IFAD publishes bunch of livestock-related papers. ILRI, are you listening?
“It’s 36 percent more efficient to grow grain for food than for fuel.” Good to have a number.
Boffins do their aDNA thing on Chinese pigs, find continuity, multiple domestication, sweet and sour sauce recipe.
Soil Association begs to differ on that whole UKworld-needs-to-double-food-production thing.

April 9, 2010March 4, 2026

Nibbles: Asses, Mapping pathogens, Oysters, Tea, Turkish biodiversity hotspot, Dolmades and sage, Yams festival, Pollen video, Agriculture and mitigation, Rarity, School feeding, Sheep

Jeremy probes into wild asses at Vaviblog.
Mapping the evolution of pathogens. And in kinda related news…
The European oyster needs diversity. Well, natch.
The tree forests of Yunnan, and, concidentally, the story of how the secret of their product got out.
The Kaçkar Mountains at Yusufeli, northeast Turkey are in trouble. Any crop wild relatives there, among the bears and other charismatic megafauna
Speaking of Turkey, here’s how to make one of its delicacies. But hey, if you don’t have vine leaves, you can use this.
Having fun with yams.
Drori does pollen.
FAO’s Mitigation of Climate Change in Agriculture (MICCA) Project. Any agrobiodiversity-related stuff? Need to explore…
“…conserving species may only require specific activities, such as collect and distributing seeds.”
African school feeding programme uses “local” products. What would Paarlberg say? You can find out here, if you have 90 minutes to spare.
British boffins breed self-shearing sheep. No, really.

April 1, 2010April 1, 2010

Nibbles: Peanut butter, Haiti relief, Afghan weed, VetMed

There are no origins in food.
Haitians get seeds. But of what kind(s)? Why not give some of them Carossier palm seeds to plant?
Afghans are incredible cannabis farmers.
Animals need traditional remedies too.

March 31, 2010

Nibbles: Medicinal plants, Gender, Seafood

How should Africa’s medicinal plants be managed?
How can agricultural research be engendered?
What makes a shrimp sustainable?