Vegetables

Nibbles: Biofuels, Avocado, Seed systems, Himalaya, Umbria

Corn and ethanol, sitting in a tree … it’s complicated.
More than anyone — except us — could ever want to know about the avocado. h/t Nicola.
FAO prescribes seed systems for small farmers. h/t CIAT blog.
Slides about agricultural biodiversity in the Himalaya; wish I knew what to make of it, if anything.
Umbria says “COLTIVIAMO LA BIODIVERSITÀ“.

Test question (no prizes): What’s the link between avocados and orchids?

Nigel Chaffey’s roundup of botanical news is out.
Learn how to grow truffles. For Canadians.
ILRI policy brief on how agriculture and human health are connected. Bottom line: it’s complicated.
AVRDC introduces you to Mali’s Magnificent Cube.
Biofortified on pepper breeding.
Calestous Juma in the New Agriculturist on why he’s optimistic about African agriculture.

AVRDC’s 30th International Vegetable Training Course Vegetables: From Seed to Table and Beyond.
Cameron Peace’s excellent presentation on genomics and fruit genebanks at the recent PAG symposium organized by NPGS staff Chris Richards (Ft. Collins) and Clare Coyne (Pullman).
Kew’s latest Samara newsletter does crop wild relatives.
Exploring the need for specific measures for access and benefit-sharing of animal genetic resources for food and agriculture. Results of a workshop.

Celebrating Charles Heiser and Bob Chambers.
Quinoa coming into its own in Bolivia.
Earthscan and Bioversity International team up for new Issues in Agricultural Biodiversity book series.
Crop wild relatives not just useful to breeders, eggplant edition.
Vitamin D 101 in pictures.
Improving pitaya.
Cassava production trends in Africa in 28 slides. Twenty slides too many, but it’s always good to have the data.
Beetroot’s colour deconstructed.
Worldwatch’s 2011 State of the World was released yesterday. Gives a “compelling look at the global food crisis, with particular emphasis on global innovations that can help solve a worldwide problem.” At $19.95 a pop. But supporting material available. Here comes the commentary.
The genebank at the UK’s Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council gets its 15 minutes of fame.

Vegetable seeds to combat cholera. Really.
“[O]ne person’s tomato is another one’s maintenance nightmare.” School garden backlash shock.
On the other hand “we have to imbue our children with the love of — and consumption of -— … fresh vegetables and fruits”. Lose some, win some.
Malicious pollen? Anastasia turns the tables on the contamination nuts.