Nibbles

Nibbles: Genebank, Rice, State of the World, Experiments, Lathyrus, Malaria and lactase persistence, Advice, CWR, Feed

The Ethiopian Institute of Biodiversity has been up to something, but it is hard to be sure what.
IRRI is also up to something — Green super rice — but again it is hard to be sure what. Not golden at any rate.
CIAT picks its favourites from the State of the World 2011 report.
More than anyone has any right to want to know about the history and future of agricultural experimentation, but fascinating nonetheless.
The nutritive value and toxicity of grasspea and its relatives.
Milk may or may not provide some protection from malaria.
Nutrition advice, filtered for you. Jeremy sez “I like No. 6.”
Irish launch crop wild relatives website.
The feed quality of crop residues gets the treatment.

It’s always good to be able nibble a paper with “wild asses” in the title. Especially since there’s nothing else on the internet today.

Celebrating Charles Heiser and Bob Chambers.
Quinoa coming into its own in Bolivia.
Earthscan and Bioversity International team up for new Issues in Agricultural Biodiversity book series.
Crop wild relatives not just useful to breeders, eggplant edition.
Vitamin D 101 in pictures.
Improving pitaya.
Cassava production trends in Africa in 28 slides. Twenty slides too many, but it’s always good to have the data.
Beetroot’s colour deconstructed.
Worldwatch’s 2011 State of the World was released yesterday. Gives a “compelling look at the global food crisis, with particular emphasis on global innovations that can help solve a worldwide problem.” At $19.95 a pop. But supporting material available. Here comes the commentary.
The genebank at the UK’s Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council gets its 15 minutes of fame.

Neanderthals cooked and ate plants, but did not use toothbrushes.
Andy Jarvis talks up a crop wild relatives storm.
Towards an information infrastructure for the global genebank system. Maybe.
Aussies send seeds to wrong Global Seed Vault.
Oldest winery found in Armenia. Search still ongoing for oldest wino. Maybe in Lebanon?
Oh, to be at the Bigleaf Maple Syrup Festival!
The most important thing to happen in botany in, what, a couple of weeks? Ah, but the backlash is here.
Colbert finally works out why his high school teacher put condoms on bananas. Here’s his informant.

Interesting take on Sudan’s vote; the South has the water, and yet, currently, the food insecurity. What next?
Quinoa “isn’t lifting us out of poverty … But we are living better.”
Agrobiodiversity Management for Food Security: A Critical Review. Book, due in April. h/t PAR.
US seed industry concentration continues. Through an intellectual property lens.
New IFPRI publication on agriculture, nutrition, health. “Agriculture is the only realistic way for most people to get the nutrition they need.” Can I get a “ramen”?
USD32 million “to harness science to improve food security for millions of people in the developing world”. Get some while it lasts.