The second issue of the e-newsletter of the Germplasm Resources Unit of the John Innes Centre (JIC), for Spring 2011, is out. It comes with a nice name-check for the Agricultural Biodiversity Weblog, for which we are very grateful. Always happy to spread news about genebanks.
On this occasion, I was particularly taken with the piece on the demonstration plot for heritage wheats, including landraces. This on the left, for example, is Blue Cone, “an old wheat cultivated often in the 17th Century through to the 1930’s.” The piece struck me because as I read it I had just finished writing yesterday’s post about things that can be done to promote the on-farm management of landraces such as Blue Cone. One of those things, according to the paper I summarized in the post, is to re-introduce materials from ex situ collections. Clearly, the demonstration plots at John Innes are part of such an effort:
As previously, the plots will be available for viewing by prior appointment either as individual or group visits. In addition, an open day will be organised where interested parties will have the opportunity to view the plots with a view to identifying any material of potential interest that they might care to grow and evaluate for themselves. This initiative will be publicised in the farming and local press. Anyone interested is encouraged to contact us to arrange viewing and inspection of the material with a view to requesting small quantities for their own evaluation following harvesting and processing.
