Vegetables

October 30, 2011October 30, 2011

John Innes’ peas on the BBC

The John Innes Centre announces on Facebook that, on the latest episode of the BBC2 programme Great British Food Revival, the Centre’s genebank curator, Mike Ambrose…

…talks to celebrity chef Ainsley Harriot about peas, and introduces him to the JIC collection of 3,500 types of pea. Available in the UK until 6:59PM Tue, 22 Nov 2011 (pea segment starts after 29 mins).

Alas, not available here in Italy. Can someone in the UK watch the pea segment and tell us about it, please? The JIC pea collection is one of the largest in the world.

LATER: Or, you can watch this: ¹

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6PSNMFV20k

October 28, 2011October 28, 2011

Nibbles: Bangladeshi horticulture, USDA-ARS impact, NY native seeds, Spate irrigation, FIGS, Livestock trifecta

The floating gardens of Bangladesh.
So, USDA-ARS, what have you done for me lately?
The story of Ed Toth, the director of New York City’s native plant center on Staten Island. In other news, New York City has a native plant center.
Not all floods are bad.
The Consortium discovers FIGS.
Livestock genetic resources for the poor: The interview. And the PowerPoint. And the Fancy Science.

October 27, 2011October 27, 2011

Nibbles: Cuba gardens, Dual purpose pumpkins, GRIN-Global, Wheat belly, Agroforestry, Zambian malnutrition, Libyan agriculture, Certification

Visit Cuba with boffins of the University of Washington Botanic Gardens. Well that sounds like fun.
You liked naked oats? Get a load of naked pumpkins. Comments disabled for Manitoba farmers.
Psst, wanna genebank data management system? Only slightly used…
Something else you can blame your beer belly on: wheat.
Have your forest and eat it too.
Solving malnutrition in Zambia. I wanna know more about those “improved seed varieties.”
And about these too for that matter: “…ICARDA is urgently sending to Libya seeds of wheat, barley, legume and forage crops for the 2011-2012 cropping season…” Incidentally, any news about the Agricultural Research Centre in Tripoli?
Forest certification helps nearby Heritage Sites.

October 24, 2011October 19, 2011

Brainfood: Football nutrition, Sorghum markers, Alpine herb, Gap analysis, Evolutionary breeding, Aphids, Birds and farmland, Cameroon forests

Nutrition and culture in professional football: A mixed method approach. Footballers need a more diverse diet. Well, kinda. I just wanted to get this paper in here because wouldn’t it be cool if we could get Lionel Messi to talk about agrobiodiversity-rich diets?
Diversity analysis using ISSR markers for resistance to shoot pests in sorghum. There may be a diversity of resistance mechanisms.
Domestication of Alpine blue-sow-thistle (Cicerbita alpina (L.) Wallr.): six year trial results. I know. Why would you want to, right? Takes all sorts to make a diverse diet, I guess. Maybe we can get Lionel Messi to eat it?
Improving representativeness of genebank collections through species distribution models, gap analysis and ecogeographical maps. Fancy GIS-based prioritization results in more, better germplasm collecting. Nice to have the data.
Evolutionary Plant Breeding in Cereals—Into a New Era. Martin Wolfe and colleagues lay it on the line; why it is a good idea, and what the obstacles are.
Genetic interactions influence host preference and performance in a plant-insect system. Aphids and barleys have genetic preferences for one another.
Pasture area and landscape heterogeneity are key determinants of bird diversity in intensively managed farmland. As in the northern hemisphere, so too in Argentina.
Tree diversity and conservation value of Ngovayang’s lowland forests, Cameroon. Both high, and I’m betting some economically important trees are among them.

October 19, 2011October 19, 2011

Nibbles: Compost, Breeding, Tree grower, Diseases, Seedsperson, Cordyceps, Illicium verum, Maize size, Microfauna, Participatory research, Art

Compost can boost yields, save water shock.
Tom Wagner shows off new tomatoes and potatoes.
Our pal Neil tells one tree man’s story: Maurice Kwadha: farmer, entrepreneur, and climate-smart.
The UK has a policy on animal and plant diseases in the 21st century. Doesn’t everyone?
NPR nips at our heels, with stories on heirloom seeds and that Chinese zombie insect fungus Cordyceps.
What to do with star anise.
Size matters; corn ear edition.
Soil microfauna really diverse everywhere shock.
How scientists should work with indigenous people (in the Arctic).
“On the matter of seeds.” Art meets PGR. Danny, this one’s for you.