- IRRI explains its rice genebank. Is this new? Why are so many pages on the internets undated?
- Owen takes his Andean roots and tubers to another county. NatGeo not interested.
- FAO recognizes two Satoyama sites as Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems, making eight in total.
- Sub-Saharan Foresty Funding from the 2011 Abdou-Salam Ouédraogo fellowship.
Nibbles: Orissa genebank, Cornish bees, Andean Roots & Tubers, Ag at WCSJ
- Not content with its seed mothers, or a national or international genebank, the state of Orissa in India wants its own genebank.
- Bee biodiversity.
- Andean root and tuber crops. And none of them a potato!
- Some ag-related reporting from the World Conference of Science Journalists. It isn’t pretty.
Brainfood: Medic systematics, Fruit wine, Alfa paper, Marula diversity, Cardamon pollination, Protein, Ants, Peanuts, Truffles, Ethiopian barley, Citrus diversity, Biofuel trees, Honeybush, Czech garlic
- Genetic similarity based on isoenzyme banding pattern among fifty species of Medicago representing eight sections (Fabaceae). People are still using isozymes? I find that oddly endearing.
- Preparation and evaluation of antioxidant capacity of Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam.) wine and its protective role against radiation induced DNA damage. In other news, you can make wine from jackfruit.
- Pulping and papermaking properties of Tunisian Alfa stems (Stipa tenacissima)—Effects of refining process. Yep, a paper on paper.
- Phenotypic variations in fruits and selection potential in Sclerocarya birrea subsp. birrea. There’s a lot of it.
- Pollination studies in large cardamom (Amomum subulatum Roxb.) of Sikkim Himalayan region of India. It needs a native bumblebee.
- Effect of proteins from different sources on body composition. Hard to be sure, but probably no difference between animal and plant protein. If you’re trying to lose weight, that is.
- Ants as biological control agents in agricultural cropping systems. More common than you think, but can’t be taken for granted.
- Origin of triploid Arachis pintoi (Leguminosae) by autopolyploidy evidenced by FISH and meiotic behaviour. Maybe that was they key step on the road to the edible peanut.
- The biochemistry and biological properties of the world’s most expensive underground edible mushroom: Truffles. Not just a pretty smell.
- Ethnobotany, diverse food uses, claimed health benefits and implications on conservation of barley landraces in North Eastern Ethiopia highlands. Landraces “just” liked for culinary qualities are having a hard time.
- Comparative analysis of genetic diversity in Citrus germplasm collection using AFLP, SSAP, SAMPL and SSR markers. Boys with toys.
- Tree legumes as feedstock for sustainable biofuel production: Opportunities and challenges. Pongamia pinnata is the thing, apparently, but it’ll need research. NIMBY!
- Honeybush (Cyclopia spp.): From local cottage industry to global markets — The catalytic and supporting role of research. South African bush tea a blueprint for the development of a neglected/underutilized species? Yeah, why not.
- Diversity of S-alk(en)yl cysteine sulphoxide content within a collection of garlic (Allium sativum L.) and its association with the morphological and genetic background assessed by AFLP. Czech genebank follows up Brassica genetic diversity study with one on garlic. SACS is an important end-use trait, and varies among genetic groups.
Nibbles: Aberdeen, Sahelian agroforestry, Seed companies, Haiti seed donation, Seaweed, Taste, Books, Logging, Cheese boycott
- 100 years of agricultural research in Idaho. Includes genebank since 1988.
- A Great Green Wall to go with Africa’s Green Revolution.
- Selling seed from the back of a car. Jacob unavailable for comment.
- Latest on that Haitian seed story.
- Seaweed farming in Zanzibar. Nice gig if you can get it.
- Taste is a complicated thing.
- Gorge on brainfood. Lots of botanical science books made available by Smithsonian.
- DNA fingerprinting to identify illegal logs?
- Cottage cheese isn’t “just” cottage cheese, say Israeli activists.
Crops for the Future at a crossroads?
I’m conscious of not really having done justice to the recent announcement of considerable Malaysian government funding for a Crops for the Future Research Centre (CFFRC) near Kuala Lumpur.
First of all, I neglected to congratulate the University of Nottingham on securing the money for the Centre. And I didn’t mention that the announcement came at a conference on Crops for the Future – Beyond Food Security organized by the University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus in collaboration with the International Society for Horticultural Science (ISHS) and with support from the ISHS Working Group on Underutilised Plant Genetic Resources, the ISHS Commission on Plant Genetic Resources and the ISHS Section on Tropical and Sub-Tropical Fruits.
But I suppose the main thing I should have discussed is the relationship between this new Crops for the Future Research Centre and Crops for the Future the international organization. Because it is not entirely clear to me that the two are necessarily synonymous, or even overlapping. 1 Will the Centre be like the little worm-like creature that bursts out of John Hurt’s chest and grows and grows and takes over the Nostromo?