Nibbles

April 11, 2008April 11, 2008

Nibbles: Collards, Genebanks

USDA goes hunting for long-lost heirloom collard greens: Indiana Jones unavailable for comment.
USDA leader of genetic resources explains why genebanks matter: Indiana Jones laps it up.

April 9, 2008April 9, 2008

Nibbles: Alabama genebank, sunflower, fruit dispersal, IAASTD

Seed bank saves Alabama heirloom varieties, y’all.
Retrotransposons go wild in sunflower. Kansas to the rescue.
Avocados and gomphotheres. Apples and bears. Welcome back, Evil Fruit Lord!
More about the IAASTD and its paradigm shift thing.

April 8, 2008April 10, 2008

Nibbles: Bananas, health, IAASTD, Israeli genebank

IITA blankets Ghana with micro-propagated bananas. How many varieties?
Hey, yesterday was Biodiversity and World Health Day. Who knew? (Agriculture not relevant.)
IAASTD says agriculture needs “…a new paradigm…” Discuss.
Israeli genebank has to fight for cash. Jeremy comments: alert the media.

April 7, 2008April 7, 2008

Nibbles: IITA, Bats, GBIF, Avocado disease

IITA’s Hartmann on the BBC.
Bats protect coffee plants from insect pests.
GBIF grants awards, pollinators well covered.
New fungal disease threatens avocado production.

April 4, 2008April 5, 2008

Nibbles: Donkeys, UG99, fruit GI, negected species, Spore

Cypriot wild donkeys in trouble.
Gates Foundation tackles wheat rust UG99. Phew!
Malaysians measure fruit glycemic indices, no mention of varieties.
English exposed to neglected species.
Sorry, missed the redesigned Spore.

1. Why the modern food system prizes uniformity even though resilience depends on diversity. Spoiler alert: follow the money.
2. Historic crop varieties are finding renewed relevance as farmers contend with more volatile weather, emerging pests and changing markets. Let’s hope there’s money to conserve them.
3. India’s traditional wheat varieties contain diversity that could help breeders develop crops better able to withstand heat and drought. Let’s hope there’s money to conserve them.
4. India announces significant progress in conserving its wild rice genetic resources. Great that there was money to conserve them.
5. Community seed banks across Kenya are calling for formal recognition and sustained support, arguing that locally managed collections strengthen seed sovereignty, preserve traditional varieties and help farming communities adapt to climate change. Yes, but are they enough without national genebanks?
6. Researchers are racing to conserve wild coffee species whose genetic diversity may provide the resistance and resilience needed to secure tomorrow’s morning cup. Is the industry contributing, though ?
7. New history of the macadamia traces its remarkable journey from Australia’s native forests to a global crop, while underscoring why conserving the remaining wild populations is essential for the crop’s long-term future.
8. Researchers at the University of the South Pacific investigate how taro can withstand climate change, combining research with conservation to help protect one of the region’s most culturally and nutritionally important staple crops.
9. Chester Zoo collects seeds from highly threatened cacti, because why not?
Published on July 14, 2026