- Genetic diversity in shea tree (Vitellaria paradoxa subspecies nilotica) ethno-varieties in Uganda assessed with microsatellite markers. Three geographic populations revealed by SSRs, not much related to the folk classification.
- Malaysian weedy rice shows its true stripes: wild Oryza and elite rice cultivars shape agricultural weed evolution in Southeast Asia. The weed is caught in the middle and swings both ways.
- Farmers without borders—genetic structuring in century old barley (Hordeum vulgare). Nordic barley structured latitudinally, with lots more variation within landrace accessions than now, according to historical specimens.
- The Agrodiversity Experiment: three years of data from a multisite study in intensively managed grasslands. Does increasing plant diversity in intensively managed grassland communities increase their resource use efficiency? No idea, but here’s the data from a huge multi-site experiment. Go crazy.
- Genetic diversity in selected stud and commercial herds of the Afrikaner cattle breed. It’s doing just fine, genetically, despite recent declines in numbers.
- The African baobab (Adansonia digitata, Malvaceae): Genetic resources in neglected populations of the Nuba Mountains, Sudan. Maybe a little more variation in homesteads compared to the wild. Maybe.
- Seeing the trees as well as the forest: The importance of managing forest genetic resources. The first State of the World’s Forest Genetic Resources and the first Global Plan of Action for the Conservation, Sustainable Use and Development of Forest Genetic Resources summarized: exchange, test in common gardens, and be clever with genetics, in breeding, management and restoration.
- Are small family farms a societal luxury good in wealthy countries? Rich countries don’t mind inefficient farms because they look nice.
- DIVECOSYS: Bringing together researchers to design ecologically-based pest management for small-scale farming systems in West Africa. Where do I sign up?
- Ecosystem governance in a highland village in Peru: Facing the challenges of globalization and climate change. Big Dairy doing for Andean crops.
- Intensive agriculture reduces soil biodiversity across Europe. What they said.
- The climate of the zone of origin of Mediterranean durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf.) landraces affects their agronomic performance. 4 main climatic zones, accounting for up to 30% of variation in important evaluation traits. FIGS, anyone?
- Indicators for the on-farm assessment of crop cultivar and livestock breed diversity: a survey-based participatory approach. And only 5 of them too!
Brainfood: Biogeoinformatics, FGR review, Lesser pulses, Slovak orchards, Wheat evaluation network, Iranian olives, Beans & FIGS, Blasted rice, Tibetan pigs, Alpine grass, Development as freedom
- Biogeoinformatics of livestock genomic resources. Don’t forget the “geo” bit. Goes for plants as well!
- Utilization and transfer of forest genetic resources: A global review. They’ve been going on for 200 years, but we’ll need provenance trials and conventional breeding more than ever in the future. Phytosanitary risks involved in tree germplasm movement are now better managed, but the big problem in the future will be Nagoya. Molecular assisted breeding? Meh.
- Genomics and molecular breeding in lesser explored pulse crops: Current trends and future opportunities. We’re mostly still awaiting our jetpacks.
- Orchards as traces of traditional agricultural landscape in Slovakia. About half are left, but they won’t save themselves.
- A wheat phenotyping network to incorporate physiological traits for climate change in South Asia. Local checks significantly earlier than the best CIMMYT can offer. Evaluate the whole genebank?
- Genetic structure of Iranian olive cultivars and their relationship with Mediterranean’s cultivars revealed by SSR markers. The N Iran cultivars are different from everything else.
- Leaf traits associated with drought adaptation in faba bean (Vicia faba L.). Chalk up another success for FIGS.
- Large scale germplasm screening for identification of novel rice blast resistance sources. 289 out of 4246 accessions showed resistance against all five rice blast isolates. The 4246 chosen on basis of “annotated rice blast resistance information” from the IRRI genebank. No word on whether FIGS was considered.
- Genetic Variation of EPAS1 Gene in Tibetan Pigs and Three Low-Altitude Pig Breeds in China. One haplotype seems to be particularly associated with high altitude adaptation. Unclear if that is a really important objective of pig breeding around the world.
- Morpho-physiological variation of Poa alpina L. genetic resources from the Rhaetian Alps, Italy, grown in two altitude-contrasting sites. There was more variation within than among populations, and it’s ok to do seed production for high altitude sites at low altitudes. No word on whether same could be said for alpine pigs.
- Protection of Traditional Knowledge and Origin Products in Developing Countries: Matching Human Rights and IP Protection with Business Development Opportunities. It’s all in the value chain.
Nibbles: Poor research, Salmon conservation, Hemp comeback, Fungal evolutionary history, Sugarcane field day, Urban oaks
Brainfood: AnGR in Europe, Almond evaluation, Jatropha hybrids, Emmer to the rescue, Peanut genomics, Chickpea genomics, Aibika diversity, Cacao improvement, Cynodon drought tolerance
- European Gene Bank Network for Animal Genetic Resources (EUGENA). Compare and contrast with crops situation.
- Oil content, fatty acid composition and tocopherol concentration in the Spanish almond genebank collection. A couple of varieties have very high levels. But only a couple.
- Variability in almond oil chemical traits from traditional cultivars and native genetic resources from Argentina. Local cultivars are best. No word on how they relate to the above.
- Development of interspecific and intergeneric hybrids among jatropha-related species and verification of the hybrids using EST–SSR markers. Even biofuels need wild relatives.
- Evolution of wild emmer wheat and crop improvement. “…arguably best source for wheat improvement and future food production…” Largely untapped, though, as yet.
- Genomewide Association Studies for 50 Agronomic Traits in Peanut Using the ‘Reference Set’ Comprising 300 Genotypes from 48 Countries of the Semi-Arid Tropics of the World. Ok, can we start using these now, please?
- Genome wide SNP identification in chickpea for use in development of a high density genetic map and improvement of chickpea reference genome assembly. Ok, can we start using these now, please?
- Aibika (Abelmoschus manihot L.): genetic variation, morphology and relationships to micronutrient composition. DNA, morphology and chemical composition give different groupings for this PNG veg. In general, environment seems to be more important than genetics as far as micronutrients are concerned.
- Broadening the Gene Pool of Cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) Progenies with Guiana Clones: Establishment and Precocity Traits. That would be the “…recently identified genetic groups with high resistance to black pod diseases.” Progenies with tester clones did really well in Ghana.
- Characterization of Gene Expression Associated with Drought Avoidance and Tolerance Traits in a Perennial Grass Species. 36 genes involved in drought tolerance in Bermudagrass and relative, including for stuff like cuticle wax accumulation, antioxidant defense and dehydration-protective protein accumulation.
Nibbles: Old pig, Good old Twitter, Old apples, Old nuts, Crap coffee, Dutch AnGR, Seaweed food, SP breeding, Women and nutrition, Florida peaches, Poisonous plant garden, Botanic gardens, Future climates in Iowa, Edible insect directory, Big Food wakes up to CC
- The oldest pig in the world is Vietnamese-Canadian.
- Why plant scientists should tweet. And draw.
- Trifecta of apples and other heirloom fruit. Make that four.
- And nuts.
- Making civet crap coffee sustainable.
- Dutch animal genebank moves.
- Will the inmates be fed seaweed? There’s a collection of those, you know?
- More money for to make sweet potato more nutritious.
- Or, you could empower women. Or both.
- Trouble with citrus? No problem, grow peaches.
- World’s coolest garden.
- And why we need even the less cool ones.
- Testing present plants in future climates.
- Who’s who in edible insects.
- Big Food suddenly realizes it has a climate change problem.