Nibbles – Page 436 – Agricultural Biodiversity Weblog

November 20, 2007

New, bigger ancho pepper

Size is important, at least in peppers.

November 19, 2007November 19, 2007

Many trees grow in Brooklyn

Crop wild relatives etc. in Prospect Park. Betty Smith unavailable for comment.

November 19, 2007

Elephants don’t like it hot

Paris Hilton, then hot peppers. Indian elephants can’t catch a break.

November 19, 2007November 19, 2007

Teaching conservation

School play: biotech for agrobiodiversity conservation. Brecht unavailable for comment.

November 19, 2007

Chimp food gathering behaviour studied

Chimps dig tubers. In both senses.

1. The COUSIN project aims to conserve (trans situ, no less) and use crop wild relatives in Europe.
2. That “use” part can be tough.
3. But that doesn’t stop the fine people at Aardaia. At least where aardaker (Lathyrus tuberosus) is concerned.
4. From alternative potatoes in the Netherlands to alternative beans in Indonesia. All in the cause of diversification.
5. No need to find an alternative to amaranth in the American SW. Not with devoted chefs on the job.
6. The Iraqi Seed Collective is taking seeds from American genebanks to that country’s diaspora in the US, and eventually back to Iraq itself. Maybe chefs will help.
7. Good thing there are genebank backups, eh?
Published on July 9, 2025