Nibbles – Page 500 – Agricultural Biodiversity Weblog

May 28, 2007March 4, 2026

Indonesia disrupts WHO system

IPR concerns threaten ‘flu vaccine system as

May 27, 2007May 27, 2007

New natural anti-oxidant source

The seed extract of the South American SapindaceaeÂ berry guarana (Paullinia cupana) has been found to have high levels of anti-oxidant activity.

May 27, 2007March 3, 2026

Another deadly disease

Tomato leaf curl virus has appeared in California, threatening the entire US tomato crop.

May 27, 2007March 3, 2026

Farmers Celebrate Biodiversity Day

Farmers celebrate Biodiversity Day in Ireland …

May 27, 2007March 3, 2026

CABI comms ramps up

CABI has a new e-Zine. ¹ And in the first issue, how farmers in Sri Lanka are using the internets to grow better crops.

1. In the UK, Herefordshire’s Museum of Cider is picking up national recognition for its genebank of heritage apple trees. The BBC’s canonical autumnal apple story comes a little early this year.
2. Speaking of iconic apples, Kazakhstan is scaling up efforts to bring back the Aport, the giant heirloom that once made Almaty famous. No word of museums, though. Or cider.
3. Over in the Philippines, Department of Environment and Natural Resources is beefing up its rattan genebank to keep pace with demand, with forest stewards in Bukidnon planting seedlings to match. Furniture makers need genebanks as much as cider makers.
4. Sri Lanka’s pre-Green Revolution heirloom rice varieties, purana haal, are being eyed for their resilience and disease-management potential. Good thing they’re in the national genebank.
5. Saudi Arabia’s Jazan terraced coffee farms are turning into rural and ecotourism hotspots, proving not all agrobiodiversity needs to be in a genebank to survive. But it helps.
Published on August 9, 2026