- Conservation needs to break free from global priority mapping. Couldn’t agree more. And less.
- National climate and biodiversity strategies are hamstrung by a lack of maps. Wait, what?
- The evolutionary genomics of species’ responses to climate change. You need to combine niche modelling with genetic adaptation to get the best maps.
- Payoffs to a half century of CGIAR research. A benefit-to-cost ratio (BCR) of 10:1. Not counting the genebanks. And all the maps.
- A case for conserving plant pathogens. But will it be worth it?
- Poor data stewardship will hinder global genetic diversity surveillance. What’s the BCR for decent metadata?
- Mitigating tradeoffs in plant breeding. Cutting out the cross-talk changes tradeoff to payoff.
- Comparing Productivity of Organic and Conventional Farming Systems: A Quantitative Review. Conventional is more productive. But should yield be the only criterion?
- Priority micronutrient density in foods. Right. Micronutrients are also important.
- Reconciling yield gains in agronomic trials with returns under African smallholder conditions. And how was yield measured anyway?
- Data-driven, participatory characterization of traditional farmer varieties discloses teff (Eragrostis tef) adaptive and breeding potential under current and future climates. This might well be an example of applying the lessons of the above.
- Genetic Diversity and Utilization of Cultivated Eggplant Germplasm in Varietal Improvement. The wild relatives will save us.
- Quinoa Phenotyping Methodologies: An International Consensus. But will it work for the wild relatives? Just kidding, this is an important development for another crop (with the above) which doesn’t have something like the CGIAR and its 10:1 BCR behind it…
Nibbles: Training materials double, Tree platform double, Wild rabbit, Economic value
- Crawford Fund training materials for high schools include discussion of genebanks.
- And that would go quite well with this graphic novel on natural selection in Mimulus from Health in Our Hands.
- There’s a Global Tree Knowledge Platform from ICRAF…
- …which could probably be usefully mashed up with the restoration platform Restor.
- The Sumatran striped rabbit makes a rare appearance. On Facebook.
- The World Bank makes the economic case for all of the above. Well, maybe except the Sumatran rabbit.
Nibbles: Payment for services, Spud pix, Botanical paintings, Local food, Wild Malus
- Paying for the conservation of quinoa varieties.
- Not sure I’d pay for some of these potato photos.
- Would definitely pay for some of these botanical illustrations.
- Local food pays, just not necessarily in emissions.
- Why it pays to save wild apples despite the fact that they taste like crap.
Brainfood: Insurance, Maize roots, Grass strips, Banana nutrients, Fish nutrients, Wild potatoes, Apple genes, Wheat resistance, Killer tomatoes
- Biodiversity as insurance: from concept to measurement and application. It’s important to draw a distinction between the effect of biodiversity on mean and on variance of ecosystem properties.
- Reproductive resilience but not root architecture underpins yield improvement under drought in maize (Zea mays L.). Which presents an opportunity.
- Functional traits driving pollinator and predator responses to newly established grassland strips in agricultural landscapes. Biodiversity takes its time.
- Genetic diversity in fresh fruit pulp mineral profile of 100 Indian Musa accessions. Plenty of diversity, though different micronutrients are correlated, and 100 g contributes only 5-10% of daily mineral requirements.
- Declining diversity of wild-caught species puts dietary nutrient supplies at risk. Let them eat bananas. More nuance.
- A Metric for Species Representation in the US Potato Genebank. Sort of like a core collection, but across species.
- Pyramiding resistance genes and widening the genetic base of the apple (Malus × domestica Borkh.) crop. From 36 cultivars, via 110 cross combinations, to 7,876 offsprings, to 2,969 after screening, to 75 genotypes each with 2-3 of the 20 Rvi6 genes. Hard row to hoe.
- Resistance to diseases in samples of rare wheat species from the N.I. Vavilov All-Russian Institute of Plant Genetic Resources. Very hard row to hoe. Septoria nodorum blotch seems to be particularly tricky.
- Alien introgression and morpho‑agronomic characterization of diploid progenies of Solanum lycopersicoides monosomic alien addition lines (MAALs) toward pre‑breeding applications in tomato (S. lycopersicum). I particularly like the bit where it bursts through John Hurt’s chest.
The value of seeds
Douglas Gollin, Professor of Development Economics at the University of Oxford will speak about genebanks tomorrow, and you really mustn’t miss it. The talk’s title? “In Praise of Seed Morgues.” See what I mean?
LATER: The recording is on the GROW webpage. And here’s a spoiler…
