Nibbles

Nibbles: WEMA, AGRA, African universities, Taining breeders, Millets @ICRISAT

CIMMYT pushes its newly-bred water-efficient maize in Africa.
AGRA not mentioned in the above but surely they were involved? If only in the extension part.
African universities also not mentioned, but probably less likely to have been involved. Alas.
Register for the next class of the European Plant Breeding Academy, which starts in October 2015. Not at an African university. At a US university.
ICRISAT pivots towards millets. Will probably involve breeding. And maybe universities.
As for genebanks, I’ve given up expecting namechecks in any of the above.

Video of Robin Allaby on that find of underwater Mesolithic wheat DNA off England. Well, that’s just the intro. Most of the rest is about the movement of flax north through Europe.
There’s a great Facebook group on the taros (or kalos) of Hawaii.
Weird coloured potato could be a hit Down Under.
New yams for Guadeloupe. No news on their colour.
Nice scenery and wine. Sign me up.
Also on the UNESCO heritage list: China’s rice terraces.
The Russian rye is coming! The Russian rye is coming!
Learn about the Oregon Wolfe Barley population. Thanks to Trust Me, I Am a Seed “Scientist”, another Facebook group worth following.

Choose the right seeds. For Kenya.
Cross the right goats. In Kenya.
Eat the right underutilized crops. In Kenya.
Grow the right Brachiaria. In Kenya.
Pick the right people. From Kenya.
Breed the right, i.e. tasty, sweetpotatoes. In Kenya. And elsewhere, admittedly.