Threats

July 31, 2014August 2, 2014

Wheat everywhere

Wheat has been much in the news in the past few days. There’s been the announcement of the draft genome sequence. And some fancy gene editing from China. But I want to point to a couple of more down-stream stories.

From Spain, there’s news of how an old variety — and much effort from a local family — brought back the particular taste of Los Monegros’ bread. Should anyone else be interested, the variety in question, Aragon 03, seems to be available in various genebanks.

And, from an area that is even more inhospitable to the crop, comes an announcement by Nigeria’s minister of agriculture himself that a new variety may turn the country into a major producer:

#Nigeria to be a major wheat producer with new tropical wheat that gives 6 tons per hectare. It will change the north pic.twitter.com/QRDQw9jdrP

— Akinwumi A. Adesina (@akin_adesina) July 27, 2014

Intrigued, I investigated further, and found that the variety in question, called Norman Borlaug in Nigeria, is Norman F2008, which was released by a private company a few years back in Mexico, based on CIMMYT material.

We’re going to need heat resistant wheat like this.

July 29, 2014July 29, 2014

Nibbles: Coconut disease, Maize hybrid history, Measuring nutrition, Pollan on biodiversity & health, Ugandan staples, Shamba Shapeup, Ethiopian wine, South African diversification, Damn dumplings, Disease curation, Quinoa curation, Mango treat, Indian mangoes

Lethal Yellowing doing for coconuts — and livelihoods — in Mozambique. And typhoons in the Philippines.
Potted history of maize hybrids from 1998.
Unusual rice and tomato species sequenced.
The challenges of measuring the impact of nutrition interventions.
Old interview with Michael Pollan on biodiversity and health resurfaces, maybe to coincide with the above.
What will be the nutrition impact of replacing matooke with cassava, I wonder? Maybe if it was yellow cassava it would be ok?
Maybe Shamba Shapeup will tell us.
Well, there’s always wine. Even in Ethiopia.
Or insects. Or roiboos. If you’re in South Africa.
Chinese dumplings responsible for climate change.
New Scoop.it page on downy mildews.
And new Flipboard section on quinoa. And something to add to it.
Eid Mubarak! Celebrate with mango kunafa.
But which variety?

July 29, 2014August 11, 2014

Surviving Glenda

We have finally received news of the Philippines national genebank. Teresita Borromeo, who has worked there for some years, sent us the following email:

Yes, after 8 years, we were again devastated by the typhoon. The storage room is fortunately safe but our regeneration areas were completely damaged as well as our field gene bank. There was not much flood water as in 2006 but the winds were strong which lasted around ten hours. We had electricity just last Friday afternoon, so our freezers were first powered by generator. This again highlights the need for safety duplication within and outside the country. UPLB is greatly damaged, many trees fell down.

Seconded.

July 27, 2014July 25, 2014

Nibbles: Pig genes, Eating pork, Mesoamerican crops, Apple family farming, Global food security, Wild food in Europe, Student crop videos, Important plants, Teff, Finger millet, Pacific NW grains, African veggies, Genius mangoes

Asian genes in European pigs are a good thing.
How about American pigs though?
Great Spanish language cacao infographic. And more along the same lines.
Innovative apple family farming in the Tyrol.
Not sure that will be much use in terms of global food security, as per this recent review, but you never know. Because, you know, climate change?
Well, there’s always wild food. Though in some places more than others.
Student videos on the origin of food plants.
But did any of them change their lives?
Oxfam thinks teff can change lives.
Different part of same continent, different grain to revitalize.
Different continent, different grains to revitalize.
Bah, who needs cereals when you have indigenous vegetables?
Wait, what? Seedless mangoes? Why is this not first-page news?

July 25, 2014

Global rice genebank just fine

Just a quick note to say that Typhoon Rammasun caused some damage at IRRI, but apparently nothing major. The genebank is ok, but the screenhouse used to keep some wild rice plants will clearly have to be repaired. I’m assured that’s going to be a high priority.