- Developing Chloroplast Genomic Resources from 25 Avena Species for the Characterization of Oat Wild Relative Germplasm. Not many people hurt.
- Genetic diversity among cultivated beets (Beta vulgaris) assessed via population-based whole genome sequences. Genetic groups follow crop type, but with added complexity.
- Phenotypic Parent Selection within a Khorasan Wheat Collection and Genetic Variation in Advanced Breeding Lines Derived by Hybridization with Durum Wheat. That would be Triticum turgidum subsp. turanicum (Jakubz.) Á. Löve & D. Löve. These Italian researchers like the cut of its jib.
- The Fate of Deleterious Variants in a Barley Genomic Prediction Population. Avoiding the cost of domestication.
- Reframing the sustainable seafood narrative. Sustainability is about more than just ocean health, and more than just producers.
- Maize agro-food systems to ensure food and nutrition security in reference to the Sustainable Development Goals. Focus on nutritional value.
- Net Gain: Seeking Better Outcomes for Local People when Mitigating Biodiversity Loss from Development. Participation is the key.
- Determinants of breeders’ participation to an indigenous cattle breeding program. Social, family and institutional relationships are as important as distance or production systems.
- A global-level assessment of the effectiveness of protected areas at resisting anthropogenic pressures. Not very effective on average, but somewhat more effective in rich countries, and in forests.
- A Return to the Wild: Root Exudates and Food Security. The next frontier?
- Exploring the Genetic Diversity of Wild Cranberry Populations in the Upper Midwestern United States. Still work to do on the old frontier.
- Evaluation and Identification of Promising Introgression Lines Derived From Wild Cajanus Species for Broadening the Genetic Base of Cultivated Pigeonpea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.]. Some made it into the all-India initial varietal trials, no less. Take that, root exudates!
Brainfood: Livestock cryo, Yeast evolution, PAs & CC, Genomes, Trifolium ambiguum, Earthworm map, Photosynthesis double, RCTs, Brown rice, DH maize, Breed performance maps
- Genetic Cryopreservation of Rare Breeds of Domesticated North American Livestock: Smithsonian & SVF Biodiversity Preservation Project. 106,109 “units of germplasm” from 39 breeds.
- Interspecific hybridization facilitates niche adaptation in beer yeast. Chimerization is not a word I thought I would ever see in a beer context. Anyway, thank goodness for feral yeasts and their propensity for miscegenation.
- Predicted climate shifts within terrestrial protected areas worldwide. PAs in temperate and northern high-latitude will have high area proportions of novel climate conditions by the end of the century.
- Crop Genomics Goes Beyond a Single Reference Genome. Looks like we’ll always need another genome.
- Morphometric approaches to promote the use of exotic germplasm for improved food security and resilience to climate change: A kura clover example. Fancy maths used to describe the hell out of a small collection of an underused clover.
- Global distribution of earthworm diversity. Peaks at higher latitudes, but higher overall in the tropics.
- Natural genetic variation in photosynthesis: an untapped resource to increase crop yield potential? Sounds like it.
- Increasing Photosynthesis: Unlikely Solution For World Food Problem. Ok, maybe not.
- What role should randomized control trials play in providing the evidence base for conservation? A bigger role that currently, but watch out.
- Brown Rice, a Diet Rich in Health Promoting Properties. Mill less.
- Loss of diversity and accumulation of genetic load in doubled-haploid lines from European maize landrace. DH not a panacea.
- Maize agro-food systems to ensure food and nutrition security in reference to the Sustainable Development Goals.
- Using phenotypic distribution models to predict livestock performance. Niche models + performance.
Brainfood: Tree SDM, TR4 in Colombia, Genebanks double, Pacific ag, Gums, Defaunation, Oil palm, Agroforestry, Moldy cheese, Ecosystem services, Meat, Desert ag, Maize evolution
- Species distribution modelling to support forest management. A literature review. Embrace the uncertainty.
- First report of Fusarium wilt Tropical Race 4 in Cavendish bananas caused by Fusarium odoratissimum in Colombia. Inevitable.
- Seed Banking as Future Insurance Against Crop Collapses. “Although the basic technology of seed- (gene-)banking is relatively simple, there are nonetheless significant costs involved in effectively managing seed- (gene-)bank collections.” Elevator pitch desperately needed.
- Rapid loss of seed viability in ex situ conserved wheat and barley at 4°C as compared to −20°C storage. Colder the better.
- Origin and Development of Agriculture in New Guinea, Island Melanesia and Polynesia. Maybe 5-6 distinct stages since 7000 BP.
- Exotic eucalypts: From demonized trees to allies of tropical forest restoration? Maybe.
- Quantifying the impacts of defaunation on natural forest regeneration in a global meta-analysis. Forests need vertebrates. No word on where eucalypts stand.
- Market-mediated responses confound policies to limit deforestation from oil palm expansion in Malaysia and Indonesia. Bans are not enough…
- The ‘Capitalist Squeeze’ and the Rise and Fall of Sumatra’s Krui Agroforests. …you need active forest conservation too.
- Rapid Phenotypic and Metabolomic Domestication of Wild Penicillium Molds on Cheese. Wild molds adapt to cheese, can eventually make camembert.
- A global synthesis reveals biodiversity-mediated benefits for crop production. Need species richness for pollination, biological pest control and final yields.
- Animal source foods: Sustainability problem or malnutrition and sustainability solution? Perspective matters. Let them eat meat.
- The vitality of fruit trees in ancient Bedouin orchards in the Arid Negev Highlands (Israel): Implications of climatic change and environmental stability. Recycling centuries-old infrastructure in the desert.
- The Genomic Basis for Short-Term Evolution of Environmental Adaptation in Maize. Significant shift in adaptation of tropical landrace to temperate conditions in 10 generations with little loss of genetic diversity.
Nibbles: ISF & SDGs, Nutrition report, Plant blindness, Cowpea, Chefs, Ancient baking, Rotations, Blue maize, Forests & poverty, Food miles
- International Seed Federation secretary-general in podcast on seeds and the SDGs.
- Country nutrition profiles. Sobering.
- Share your plant stories on Herbaria 3.0.
- The secret history of the cowpea, from a chef: “Our peas were tiny little texts, and we didn’t even know it.”
- Speaking of chefs…
- More on that 4000-year-old baking yeast story.
- The economics of rotations.
- The economics of blue maize.
- Mapping the evidence base for the link between forests and poverty alleviation.
- Speaking of maps, here’s how food moves around the USA.
Nibbles: Colombian seeds, Seed diversity, Local crops & nutrition, Seed saving, Apple origins, Microbial collections, Dairy cows in USA, Bean sculptures, IPCC report, Potato linguistics, Piña cloth
- Climate-smartness and seeds in Colombia.
- Why do we need 158 varieties of cauliflower?
- Maybe it’s the nutrition? Gotta get those value chains working though: here’s how.
- Also, it will save the world.
- Biting hard into apple origins.
- Microbes need collections too.
- And cows.
- Inflatable beans. The jokes write themselves.
- Did I already link to my work blog post on the IPCC report?
- Papas or patatas? It’s…complicated.
- I want me a pineapple shirt.