Science on the Land
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Tag Archives: seedbank
Seed banks in soil
Chris at woodlands.co.uk tells us about ‘soil seed banks’. Growers and farmers know very well how seeds can live in soil, ready to germinate when conditions change. This can be wonderful, terrible or both. Chris’s article stirs an old seedbank … Continue reading
Posted in agriculture, ecology, horticulture, knowledge transfer
Tagged bog, bryophyte, conservation, ecosystem, farmer, gardener, habitat restoration, keystone species, landscape, mining, moss, plant_dicot, plant_monocot, seed, seedbank, soil, wetland
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No seeds, no future
Biowatch South Africa shows us a film about agroecology and food sovereignty. ‘We accept maize seeds from the Department of Agriculture, but we don’t plant those GM seeds. We feed them to chickens.’
Posted in agriculture, food
Tagged Africa, agroecology, biotechnology, bird, chicken, corn, crop, crop variety, development, family farm, feed, food, food sovereignty, genetic modification, grain, livestock, local variety, maize, plant_dicot, plant_monocot, poultry, seed, seedbank, smallholder, subsistence, trade, tradition, vegetable, vegetable variety, vertebrate
2 Comments
The homogenisation and globalisation of diets
Originally posted on One Billion Hungry: Can We Feed the World?:
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization has estimated that some 75% of the diversity of cultivated crops was lost during the 20th Century and, by 2050, we could lose…
Posted in agriculture, food, horticulture, human health, money and trade
Tagged Africa, America, Asia, cassava, city, climate, conservation, crop, crop diversity, crop variety, development, disease, Europe, Food and Agriculture Organization, food safety, genetic diversity, grain, human, iodine, iron, law, micronutrient, millet, neglected crop, nutrition, pest, plant_dicot, plant_monocot, population, potato, prosperity, research, rice, rye, seedbank, staple food, sugar beet, sugar cane, sweet potato, trade, tuber, Vitamin A, wheat
6 Comments
Open Source Seeds
Originally posted on Global Food Politics:
A group of researchers and plant breeders based at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, on Thursday announced a new initiative intended to break the monopoly control over plant genetic materials promoted by the use…
Posted in agriculture, horticulture, knowledge transfer, money and trade
Tagged America, brassica, breeding, broccoli, carrot, conservation, crop, crop diversity, development, Europe, farmer, food sovereignty, gardener, genetic diversity, kale, patent, plant_dicot, pseudocereal, quinoa, scientist, seed, seedbank, tradition, umbellifer, vegetable, vegetable variety
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FAO launches new standards for plant genebanks
Plant diversity is essential in so many ways. So it’s good to learn that the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has announced ‘voluntary, international standards for the many repositories – or genebanks – around the world that store … Continue reading
Posted in agriculture, food, horticulture
Tagged biodiversity, conservation, crop, crop diversity, crop variety, food, food security, fruit variety, gene, genebank, genetic diversity, local variety, plant_dicot, plant_monocot, rare variety, seed, seedbank
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Neglected and underutilised species
The New Agriculturalist tells us about neglected and underutilised species. ‘Variety is said to be the spice of life and to make our lives more interesting. And yet, worldwide, a significant proportion of the global treasure chest of plant biodiversity … Continue reading
Posted in food, human health, knowledge transfer
Tagged biodiversity, biotechnology, breeding, conservation, corn, crop, crop variety, development, domestication, extinction, food, Food and Agriculture Organization, food security, genebank, genetic diversity, genetic modification, grain, history, human, knowledge, maize, neglected crop, nutrition, plant_dicot, plant_monocot, population, research, rice, seedbank, selective breeding, staple food, wheat
2 Comments
The importance of seed diversity
Originally posted on One Billion Hungry: Can We Feed the World?:
Seeds might be small, inconspicuous things but they hold a great deal of power. For some, seeds mean survival, ritual, life. They are the basis of much of the…
Posted in food, knowledge transfer
Tagged breeding, conservation, corn, crop, crop diversity, crop variety, development, food, food sovereignty, genebank, genetic diversity, grain, Green Revolution, history, intensive, knowledge, local variety, maize, millet, neglected crop, pearl millet, plant_dicot, plant_monocot, rice, seed, seedbank, selective breeding, staple food, sustainable
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The case for seed saving
Danielle Nierenberg at Food Tank writes, in that organisation’s e-newsletter, about the case for seed saving. ‘There are roughly 100,000 global plant varieties endangered in the world. Extreme weather events, over-exploitation of ecosystems, habitat loss, and a lack of public … Continue reading
Posted in agriculture, food, horticulture
Tagged biodiversity, biotechnology, climate, conservation, crop, crop variety, development, ecosystem, food, genebank, genetic diversity, genetic modification, local variety, neglected crop, rare variety, seed, seedbank, vegetable, vegetable variety
5 Comments
Establishing UK tree seed bank ‘crucial’
Here in Britain, we have a wonderful diversity of native and introduced trees. And we have emerging diseases which threaten our trees, including the dreaded ash dieback. So of course, we have a National Tree Seed Bank to conserve tree … Continue reading
Posted in ecology, horticulture
Tagged alien species, arboriculture, biodiversity, conservation, disease, emerging disease, Europe, garden, genebank, genetic diversity, native species, plant_dicot, plant_gymnosperm, plant_monocot, research, seed, seedbank, tree
4 Comments
Seed Swap Day
Originally posted on Sciencelens:
Today, the last Saturday of January, is Seed Swap Day. Since the day originated in the US, it makes sense that it takes place this time of year – the ideal time for our Northern Hemisphere…
Posted in horticulture
Tagged conservation, crop, crop variety, fruit, garden, gardener, genebank, history, local variety, plant_dicot, plant_monocot, rare variety, seed, seedbank, vegetable, vegetable variety
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