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The Japanese Art of Gourmet Apples

Category(-ies): Botanical Art , Plants, Food and Medicine

Thank you to Claire Thompson, a UBC Botanical Garden work-study student, for providing this write-up. Claire writes:

The $150 apple? This article highlights photographer Jane Stevens' exploration of the Japanese craft of gourmet apple farming. Developed in the 19th century, this labour-intensive technique involves the meticulous work of farmers to produce the biggest and most beautiful apples. Farmers will tend to apples up to 12 times before cultivation, hand turning and using specialized techniques to increase their sugar content and produce delicious and uniform fruits for sale in Japanese markets.

From the University of Cincinnati Magazine, continue reading: Perfect to the Core.

Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 3:47 PM | Comments (1)

 


"A Guardian of Grasses"

Category(-ies): Plant Discoveries , Plants, Food and Medicine

Researchers from Purdue University and the USDA's Agricultural Research Service have discovered that many of the world's grass food crops (e.g., corn, barley, rice, rye) depend on the Hm1 gene or one of its homologues (genes similar in structure and evolutionary origin) to prevent death from a leaf blight and mold disease caused by the fungus Cochliobolus carbonum race 1 (CCR1). As the abstract for the scientific article states, "Given the devastating ability of CCR1 to kill maize, these findings imply that the evolution and/or geographical distribution of grasses may have been constrained if Hm1 did not emerge."

Grasses' Guardian Gene Found via the USDA's Agricultural Research Service.

Sindhu et al. 2008. A guardian of grasses: Specific origin and conservation of a unique disease-resistance gene in the grass lineage. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA. 105(5): 1762-1767. 10.1073/pnas.0711406105

Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 3:37 PM | Comments (0)

 


Bamboo, Rats and Famine

Category(-ies): Plants, Food and Medicine

Flowering of a ubiquitous bamboo, Melocanna baccifera, in the Indian state of Mizoram occurs in roughly fifty year cycles. This mass flowering event results in the production of innumerable bamboo seeds and, subsequently, a boom in the population of rats. The mass population of rats eat more than the bamboo seeds, however — food crops are devastated causing famine and political unrest.

Bracing for a famine caused by rats via the BBC (April 2007)

Bamboo puts India on famine alert via the BBC (October, 2004)

Indian farmers braced for rat plague via the Telegraph (May, 2007)

Bamboo in Mizoram via the Bamboo Development Agency

Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 9:47 AM

 


Svalbard International Seed Vault

Category(-ies): Plant Conservation , Plants, Food and Medicine

The design for the Svalbard International Seed Vault, a “Living Fort Knox”, has recently been shared. Three million seed samples of the world's agricultural crops will be stored in the Arctic vault, due to be completed in 2008. The vault will be The seed vault will be built inside a mountain on Spitsbergen, an island one thousand kilometres north of mainland Norway.

Thank you to Stannous F and Aussiebob@UBC Botanical Garden Forums for suggesting the link!

Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 5:06 PM

 


Discoveries from the Past

Category(-ies): Plants, Food and Medicine

The study of a 252 year old text on the plants of Ambon (an Indonesian island) has resulted in the discovery of a new potential antibiotic. The (increasingly rare) atun tree (Atuna racemosa) of Indonesia contains a compound that has been shown to kill certain types of methicillin-resistant bacteria.

17th-Century Remedy; 21st-Century Potency from The New York Times

Thanks to David Brownstein for sending along the link!

Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 11:06 AM

 


Woolly Weed Whackers

Category(-ies): Plants, Food and Medicine

How does one suppress weeds, improve the soil and save money in a vineyard? The answer might be sheep.

Vintners' Solution to Weeds: an Attack by Mild Animals from the Los Angeles Times

Thanks to “Junglekeeper” on the UBC Botanical Garden Forums for pointing out this story.

Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 4:14 PM

 


Venezuela Pushing Organic Agriculture

Category(-ies): Plants, Food and Medicine

How Green Is That Garden? – With Oil Revenue, Venezuela is Pushing Organic Agriculture. Via E/The Environmental Magazine.

Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 1:07 PM

 


Doomsday Seed Bank

Category(-ies): Plant Conservation , Plants, Food and Medicine , Snippets

One hundred countries have backed a “doomsday seed vault”, deep inside a frozen arctic mountain on the Norwegian island of Svalbard. The vault, guarded by polar bears and steel airlock doors, is planned to contain seeds of all the world's crops, as an insurance against global catastrophe.

Work Begins on Arctic Seed Vault – BBC

Fort Knox For Seeds via The Little Garden weblog.

Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 10:17 PM | Comments (0)

 


Ripe for Change: Agriculture's Tipping Point

Category(-ies): Climate Change , Plants, Food and Medicine

“Conventional and sustainable agriculture have long debated the question: what kind of agriculture works best for both people and nature? Then suddenly, as in any good drama, while the forces of good and evil are having it out, something happens to raise the stakes. Now, lumbering onto center stage comes a real monster, global warming, and the conflict shifts from being about how we feed ourselves to whether we survive at all.”

Ripe for Change: Agriculture's Tipping Point, an essay from Claire Hope Cummings for World Watch Magazine

Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 11:16 AM | Comments (0)

 


Thomcord Grape

Category(-ies): Plants, Food and Medicine

“Two of America's favorite grapes – Concord, of peanut-butter-and-jelly-sandwich fame, and Thompson Seedless, a summertime classic – are proud parents of a tasty seedless grape called Thomcord.”

Thomcord Grape – Flavorful, Attractive and Seedless! from the USDA's Agricultural Research Service News Bulletins

Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 10:41 AM | Comments (0)

 


The Sixty-Four Dollar Tomato

Category(-ies): Plants, Food and Medicine , Snippets

$64 Tomato: A Quest for the Perfect Garden from NPR

Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 9:28 PM | Comments (0)

 


A New Green Revolution in India?

Category(-ies): Plant Legal News and Issues , Plants, Food and Medicine

India and the US have recently entered an agreement to conduct joint agricultural research in biotechnology. The research will focus on the development of drought- and heat-resistant crops suitable for the Indian climate. There is little new land available for agricultural development in the Asian nation, but increased food production is needed to feed the growing population. Analysts note that India's agricultural production lags behind countries that grow biotech crops. Leaders hope that biotechnology can increase farm productivity enough to help the country meet its economic and development goals.

Critics are concerned that farmers will become dependent on large biotech firms and doubt the claims of increased productivity promised by the industry. Farmers have definitely shown interest in modified crops however, rapidly expanding their planting of genetically modified Bollgard cotton seeds since Monsanto was first allowed to sell them in India in 2002.

Link:
Bush, Biotech Can Transform India’s Countryside from Bloomberg

Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 11:42 AM | Comments (0)

 


Japan Tries to Save Giant Radish

Category(-ies): Plants, Food and Medicine

Japan has been following the progress of an unlikely hero after it was ruthlessly attacked. Last summer in the town of Aioi, Japan, residents were impressed by a daikon radish that was sprouting up through an area of asphalt pavement. They named the little plant Dokonjo Daikon, or the radish with fighting spirit. When Dokonjo was found with its top sliced off in an apparent attack, one morning last November, Japanese news picked up the story. Public sympathy caused the assailant to return the severed head. Since that fateful day the townspeople of Aioi have kept the severed head alive in hopes of reviving the plant. Now biologists are proposing tissue culture to create new Dokonjos.

Links:


Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 3:34 PM

 


Viet Nam's "Robinson Crusoe"

Category(-ies): Plants, Food and Medicine

A little over ten years ago, Luong Kim Loan, a 63 year-old Vietnamese woman began a challenging adventure after her son found a large area of land available for cultivation on nearby Lom Bo Island. Loan was inspired by the remains of fruit orchards abandoned on the island during the war and decided to start a fruit cultivation project on the land. She quit her job and applied to the regional government for permission and a grant to fund the project. Some of the money was used to build a transport ship and the remainder paid for litchi seeds. Unfortunately Loan could not convince anyone from her family or friends to work with her on the project, so, although initially very lonely she pushed on by herself.

Just a little over ten years later, the island is covered with valuable fruit trees. Friends visit more frequently and four workers on the island help care for the orchard, which now produces 4-5 tonnes of litchis every year.
Link:
Lone woman plants trees on Bay isle from Viet Nam News

Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 1:11 PM | Comments (0)

 


Pyrethrins

Category(-ies): Plant Legal News and Issues , Plants, Food and Medicine

As the dangers of some of the chemicals used as pesticides have come to light, gardeners and farmers have sought less damaging compounds to battle pests. The use of organic pesticides, such as pyrethrins derived from chrysanthemum flowers, has increased. Organic does not necessarily mean non-toxic. Gardeners should use caution when handling the pesticides and resist overusing them. Overuse can kill beneficial insects, may lead to the development of resistance in pest species and surplus chemicals in runoff from fields and gardens may concentrate in streams.

Continue reading "Pyrethrins"

Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 1:42 PM | Comments (1)

 


Native Seeds/SEARCH

Category(-ies): Botanical Resources , Plant Conservation , Plants, Food and Medicine

"Ancient seeds for modern needs," is the motto of Native Seeds/SEARCH, a non-profit organization based in Tucson, Arizona. Since 1983 the group has been collecting seeds of food plants used by the native cultures in the arid region of the southwestern US and northwestern Mexico, sometimes referred to as the Chile Pepper Nation (see NPR link). Their mission has led them not only to conserve the rare crops adapted to arid lands, but also to preserve cultural traditions by distributing crops back to Native American communities.

Continue reading "Native Seeds/SEARCH"

Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 4:18 PM | Comments (2)

 


Botanists Seek Genes of Tomato Relatives

Category(-ies): Plant Conservation , Plants, Food and Medicine

Biologists from University of California-Davis and the University of Chile-Santiago, hoping to improve the common tomato, Lycopersicon esculentum, completed their second expedition to Chile last year. The researchers struggled through rugged terrain from the coast to the high Andes in search of seed from tomato relatives to add to the genebank of the C.M. Rick Tomato Genetics Resource Centre. Although the varieties retrieved on the Chilean trek are not appealing as food, they may harbour genes that could be used to improve the quality of the tomato, lending pest resistance or increased hardiness for example.

Links:

Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 4:47 PM | Comments (0)

 


South African Healing Plants to be Studied

Category(-ies): Plants, Food and Medicine

"South Africa is home to more than 200,000 traditional healers who care for more than 27 million people," according to Medical Research News. The International Center for Indigenous Phytotherapy Studies (TICIPS), a collaborative research effort between the University of Missouri-Columbia and the University of the Western Cape, South Africa, will look at the safety and effectiveness of some of the plants used by the traditional healers.

Native healers use plants to treat conditions from the common cold to AIDS. Two of the more widely used plants will be the focus of the first studies: Lessertia frutescens, commonly used to prevent wasting in AIDS patients and Artemisia afra, which is used to treat respiratory infections and may be effective against tuberculosis and cancer.

Link: $4.4 million, 4-year grant aims to bridge gap between Western and African medicine from News-Medical.Net

Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 11:16 AM

 


Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN

Category(-ies): Botanical Resources , Plants, Food and Medicine , Sources of Botanical News

Since its founding in 1945, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has worked to promote food security and end hunger. FAO provides resources and expertise to member countries to aid research and development of agricultural and food systems. The organization serves as a neutral international forum for nations to discuss policy and negotiate agreements. A wealth of books, reports, newsletters and other digital media have been produced to meet the needs of these efforts.

Continue reading "Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN"

Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 12:59 PM | Comments (2)

 


Preserving British Columbia's Agricultural Lands

Category(-ies): Plant Legal News and Issues , Plants, Food and Medicine

British Columbia, like the rest of Canada, has vast land area with overall low population density. Although abundant, only around five percent of the land in the province is suitable for agriculture. Fertile soils can take thousands of years to develop. Land suited to agriculture is often the most desirable for other human uses as well. Recognizing that BC's agricultural land was a precious limited commodity that would come under increasing pressure for development, the provincial government established the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR), in the mid 1970s.

Continue reading "Preserving British Columbia's Agricultural Lands"

Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 2:16 PM | Comments (0)

 


Good Harvests Bring Hope to Survivors of Indonesian Tsunami

Category(-ies): Plants, Food and Medicine

The devastating tsunami that struck 11 countries in the northern Indian Ocean on December 26 last year, destroyed vast areas of agricultural land. Initially scientist thought it would take years for the land to recover enough to produce crops, but many farmers have had great increases in crop yields from fields flooded by the massive wave. "According to U.N. surveys, 81 percent of the 116,000 acres of agricultural land damaged by tsunami waves in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Maldives, India and Thailand is again cultivable," writes Chris Brummitt of the Associated Press.

Agriculture in the region still suffers greatly. Large areas are still underwater or covered by sand, drainage systems are broken and many established trees were destroyed. Restoration and replanting will take time. In many villages there is a shortage of labour because so many people lost their lives.

Link: Tsunami Actually Aided Crops in Indonesia from Environmental News Network

Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 1:22 PM

 


A Plot of One's Own

Category(-ies): Plants, Food and Medicine

In 1975 the late Irma Scavenius, a schoolteacher from Anchorage, Alaska proposed that the city create community gardens to help residents with rising food costs. For thirty years city plots have nourished people who do not have land of their own. The use of the city land has been particularly helpful for Hmong refugees who have settled the area. Farming was a way of life for many of the refugees. The gardens present a way for the new immigrants to save money while providing familiar foods for the family.

Link: Community gardens nourish those with no land from the Anchorage Daily News

Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 12:36 PM

 


The Hundred-Mile Diet

Category(-ies): Plants, Food and Medicine

Alisa Smith and James B. MacKinnon are concerned about the environment and our food distribution systems. Troubled by the amount of fossil fuels being used to transport foods around the planet, the pair decided to try to survive for a year on only foods that were locally grown and produced. They defined local as a radius of 100 hundred miles from their home. Their adventures in finding local sources for their food needs is being told in a series of articles in the Tyee.

In the latest instalment, the duo travels to the sparsely populated northern region of the province for a vacation. Contrary to their expectation of having only wild berries to eat for a month, they found that area markets had an abundance of local produce and that fish and other wild foods were available to add to the pantry.

Link: The Hundred-Mile Diet Goes North from the Tyee. Links to the previous articles in the series follow the article.

Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 10:43 AM | Comments (0)

 


Biodiversity Up On the Organic Farm

Category(-ies): Plant Conservation , Plants, Food and Medicine

Surveys of organic farms, including a recently completed five-year study in Britain, are showing an increase in biodiversity. The absence of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers accounts for much of the greater level of species diversity, but other organic farming practices also benefit wildlife, such as planting hedgerows to attract beneficial insects and birds. Activities that incorporate the organic farm into the natural landscape often have benefit for both.

The link between agriculture and biodiversity is being recognized by various groups. The Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity is preserving heritage crops and promoting markets for them. The Wild Farm Alliance envisions sustainable food systems where "…ecologically managed farms and ranches are seamlessly integrated into landscapes that accommodate the full range of native species and ecological processes." And Salmon Safe has developed criteria for an eco-label that goes beyond organic certification to include practices that promote wildlife preservation.

Links:

Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 3:34 PM

 


Carolina Gold Rice

Category(-ies): Plant Conservation , Plants, Food and Medicine

A century after being displaced by new rice varieties, Carolina Gold rice, sometimes called "America's first rice," is returning to modern tables. The rice strain was first brought to S. Carolina in the late 1600s and quickly became a popular staple. Over the next two centuries a new cuisine, called Carolina Gold Kitchen, developed around the grain.

Scientists using genetic markers to analyze strains of rice have been able to distinguish Carolina Gold and its derivatives. The refined cultivar from this process is now called Carolina Gold Select. Findings from this research and other projects were recently presented at a symposium organized by the Carolina Gold Rice Foundation, an agency dedicated to the preservation of the heirloom rice and other historic grains.

Continue reading "Carolina Gold Rice"

Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 2:08 PM

 


New Dwarfing Rootstocks for Peaches Developed

Category(-ies): Plant Discoveries , Plants, Food and Medicine

After a decade of testing in California's prime peach growing region, two new dwarfing rootstocks have been developed and patented for use with peach and nectarine trees. The new rootstocks produce trees 10% to 50% shorter than standard orchard varieties. With closer spacing the trees should produce about the same quantity of fruit as traditional orchard trees, but will be easier to maintain and harvest.

Link: Peach and Nectarine Trees: Picking the Perfect Height from the Agricultural Research Service of the US Department of Agriculture.

Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 1:41 PM | Comments (0)

 


A Taste for Bitter

Category(-ies): Plants, Food and Medicine

Being able to discern bitter tastes was probably an advantage for early humans; it helped them avoid toxins. New research has found evidence of evolutionary selection for the ability in humans. Scientist have found that some of the genes responsible for bitter taste recognition expanded rapidly in the human population during the Middle Pleistocene, before the expansion of early humans out of Africa.

While this ability may have helped early populations avoid toxic meals, it may also limit the consumption of foods that contain healthful compounds that also taste bitter. Many foods rich in antioxidants are avoided in modern diets because of their bitter flavours.

Link: Toxins Drove Evolution of Human Taste Sense, Global Study Reveals a news release from Duke University Medical Centre

Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 10:16 AM | Comments (0)

 


Researchers to Improve the Nutritional Content of Cassava

Category(-ies): Plants, Food and Medicine

Cassava, Manihot esculenta is the primary food source for nearly 700 million people worldwide and is the most important food crop in Africa. It provides a good source of starch, but is lacking in protein and other nutrients. The Agricultural Research Service of the USDA has announced the launch of BioCassava Plus, a five-year, $7.5-million research project involving ten institutions. The project, to be lead by Ohio State University, will develop new varieties of cassava with higher nutrient levels, greater shelf life, and resistance to geminivirus, a serious pest of the crop.

Continue reading "Researchers to Improve the Nutritional Content of Cassava"

Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 6:34 PM | Comments (0)

 


Brightening Summer Feasts With Flowers

Category(-ies): Plants, Food and Medicine

It is summer for those of us in the Northern hemisphere and flowers are blooming everywhere. Although not commonly eaten, many flowers are edible and can really brighten up your culinary creations. Colourful pansies and nasturtiums make wonderful additions to salads; violets and rose petals can decorate the dessert plate.

Christine Green has written an informative article for the New Zealand Herald on how to use flowers in your cooking. For gardeners a source of fresh untreated flowers will be readily available, for others be careful to use only flowers grown for edible use. Caution should be taken when trying any new food in case of allergy or sensitivity.

Link: The culinary delights of flowers from the New Zealand Herald - The links at the end of the article are definitely worth investigating.

Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 2:25 PM | Comments (0)

 


The Science of Gardening

Category(-ies): Botanical Resources , Plant Relationships , Plants, Food and Medicine

In a recent issue of the Christian Science Monitor, writer Jim Regan reviews the latest addition in the Accidental Scientist series from the Exploratorium, the website of the Museum of Science in San Francisco. Even if, like Mr. Regan, you are not a gardener, you will enjoy the friendly perspective in which the photos, videos and interactive displays are presented.

Continue reading "The Science of Gardening"

Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 4:07 PM | Comments (0)

 


Human Selection Shrinks Himalayan Snow Lotus

Category(-ies): Plant Discoveries , Plants, Food and Medicine

Recently collected samples of the Himalayan snow lotus, Saussurea laniceps are considerably shorter than samples collected just 100 years ago. The plant is harvested as a medicine in China and Tibet, where it grows at high altitudes (around 4000 metres). Scientists studying the plant believe that human selection is resulting in the diminished stature of the plant.

Continue reading "Human Selection Shrinks Himalayan Snow Lotus"

Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 5:09 PM | Comments (0)

 


Tracing the Development of Corn

Category(-ies): Plant Discoveries , Plants, Food and Medicine

Native Americans developed modern corn from a grassy relative, teosinte in a period of agricultural selection between 6000 and 10,000 years ago. Using population genetics to compare the genes of teosinte and modern cultivated corn, a research team led by UC Irvine's Brandon Gaut, has identified 1200 of the 59,000 genes in the corn genome that are thought to have been targeted during domestication.

Continue reading "Tracing the Development of Corn"

Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 5:02 PM | Comments (1)

 


Cancer Therapy Uses Chlorophyll Based Drug

Category(-ies): Novel Uses of Plants , Plants, Food and Medicine

The illness of a family member prompted Avigdor Scherz, a plant biochemist based at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel, to develop a new treatment for prostate cancer. He knew that when chlorophyll is hit by light it releases “highly reactive molecules capable of destroying nearby cells” (from the article). He theorized that a drug made from the plant pigment could be activated by light focused on a specific area of the body.

Continue reading "Cancer Therapy Uses Chlorophyll Based Drug"

Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 5:01 PM | Comments (2)

 


Zimbabwe Cracks Down on Urban Gardeners

Category(-ies): Plant Legal News and Issues , Plants, Food and Medicine

Authorities in Zimbabwe are destroying vegetable gardens, planted in vacant areas by the urban poor, claiming that they are causing "massive environmental damage" (SignOnSanDiego.com). Years of drought and low agricultural production caused by government redistribution of farmland have resulted in a severe shortage of food. Even residents of more affluent neighborhoods had taken to planting crops in their yards.

Government officials claim that the urban agriculture is degrading city water sources. Land had been set aside at the edge of Harare for city dwellers to grow crops last year. It is not yet clear how those areas will be affected by the crackdown.

Links:

Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 4:38 PM | Comments (0)

 


Ordinary Apples Rich in Antioxidants

Category(-ies): Plants, Food and Medicine

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada researchers have ranked the eight apple varieties most commonly eaten in Canada by their antioxidant content. Many fruits contain more antioxidants than apples, but popularity and year-round availability make them an important source of antioxidants. The red delicious apple tested highest and in all apples the peel contained the greatest amounts of the healthful chemicals.

Link: Everyday apples pack antioxidant punch from MSNBC

Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 4:27 PM | Comments (1)

 


USDA Stops Organic Certification of Cosmetics

Category(-ies): Plant Legal News and Issues , Plants, Food and Medicine

When the US Department of Agriculture created its organic certification program in 2002, it created a seal to indicate that goods were organically produced for cosmetics, pet food and even textiles. Now the agency has reversed itself, claiming there is no legal basis for the official organic label on such products. The law that created the program covers only food products.

Continue reading "USDA Stops Organic Certification of Cosmetics"

Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 5:20 PM

 


California Rare Fruit Growers

Category(-ies): Plant Explorers , Plants, Food and Medicine

California is home to some of the most productive fruit growing land in the US and the world, so it is natural that an organization dedicated to the promotion of rare fruit cultivation would start up there. Since 1968 the California Rare Fruit Growers, Inc. has encouraged public interest in fruits and edible plants that are not common in commercial production and now has members in over 35 countries worldwide.

Continue reading "California Rare Fruit Growers"

Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 5:24 PM | Comments (0)

 


Israeli Scientists Germinate 2000 Year-Old Palm Seed

Category(-ies): Plants, Food and Medicine

Scientists in Israel have germinated the 2000-year-old seed of a date palm, taken from archeological excavations at Masada. The seedling, named Methuselah by the researchers, now stands 30 centimetres tall. Investigators are curious to see what variations appear in the plant compared to modern date palms. Newer strains have replaced the ones found in the region 2000 years ago, when dates were used to treat infection. It is hoped that DNA testing will reveal the plant's medical secrets.

Link: 2,000-year-old palm seed germinates from the CBC

Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 4:53 PM | Comments (0)

 


In Search of the Holy Grail of Popcorn Breeders

Category(-ies): Plant Discoveries , Plants, Food and Medicine

If you have ever wondered why some popcorn kernels don’t pop, researchers at Purdue University in Indiana have an answer. In order for popcorn to pop, the pressure of steam inside the grain has to hit 135 pounds per square inch to burst the pericarp (the outer hull of the grain). In the final moments of heating, chemical changes occur in the pericarp to strenthen it, so that it can hold in sufficient steam to build up the pressure. Kernels with weak pericarps don't build up enough pressure to pop.

The research will help breeders target pericarp strength for better popping and brings them one step closer to the Holy Grail of popcorn breeding — a popcorn where the pericarp disappears, leaving only the fluffy white treats.

Links:

Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 4:32 PM | Comments (0)

 


Scientists Modify Plants to Produce Anticancer Antibodies

Category(-ies): Novel Uses of Plants , Plants, Food and Medicine

Scientists at Jefferson Medical College have inserted DNA coding into tobacco plants that causes the plants to produce monoclonal antibodies against colorectal cancer. After demonstrating that modified tobacco could generate antibodies that were shown to be effective against rabies in mice, the researchers turned their attention to developing a cancer treatment.

Continue reading "Scientists Modify Plants to Produce Anticancer Antibodies"

Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 4:00 PM

 


Genome of Fungal Threat to Rice Crop Sequenced

Category(-ies): Plant Discoveries , Plant Diseases and Pests , Plants, Food and Medicine

Researchers at the International Rice Blast Genome Consortium at North Carolina State University have unravelled the genome of Magnaporthe grisea, one of the worst threats to the world�s rice crop. Scientists hope the work will uncover new methods of control for the pest. It is the first pathogenic plant fungus to have its genetic code sequenced.

Continue reading "Genome of Fungal Threat to Rice Crop Sequenced"

Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 4:48 PM

 


Is the Produce of Our Food System Healthful?

Category(-ies): Plants, Food and Medicine

In a recent survey, done by the CropLife Canada Food Protection Council, 77% of Canadian women felt that the level of pesticide residue on fruit and vegetables was harmful to their health. The council, a trade organization concerned with plant science innovations, wants consumers to know that fruits and vegetables sold in Canada are safe and healthful; most contain little or no pesticide residues.

Continue reading "Is the Produce of Our Food System Healthful?"

Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 4:14 PM

 


India Protects Traditional Use of Neem

Category(-ies): Plant Legal News and Issues , Plants, Food and Medicine

The European Patent Office in Munich dismissed an appeal to the revocation of a patent it had previously granted for the use of neem as an antifungal agent. The plant has been used to control fungal infection by Indian farmers since ancient times. Advocates trying to protect the traditional knowledge of indigenous peoples from exploitation welcomed the decision.

Continue reading "India Protects Traditional Use of Neem"

Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 2:00 PM

 


Daylilies - Beautiful and Delicious

Category(-ies): Novel Uses of Plants , Plants in the Landscape , Plants, Food and Medicine

Easy to grow with few pest problems, daylilies have become quite popular; so popular that some gardeners eschew them. If too common for the flowerbed, gardeners may want to plant some in the vegetable garden. All parts of Hemerocallis are edible. The Chinese have used the plant for food and medicine for centuries.

Continue reading "Daylilies - Beautiful and Delicious"

Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 4:56 PM

 


Human Gene Inserted into Rice

Category(-ies): Plants, Food and Medicine

Researchers at the National Institute of Agro-Biological Sciences in Tsukuba, Japan have developed rice containing a human gene, which causes the liver to produce enzymes that break down toxins. Currently GM rice is resistant to only one herbicide, but the new rice may be able to tolerate thirteen herbicides. The development could give growers options for weed control and help prevent the build up of toxins in the soil.

Continue reading "Human Gene Inserted into Rice"

Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 8:00 AM

 


Poison Garden Created to Protect Children

Category(-ies): Plants in the Landscape , Plants, Food and Medicine

Having seen children brought into the emergency room after ingesting poisonous plants found in their houses and yards, Gloria Leifer, an associate professor of pediatric nursing at Riverside Community College decided to design a special garden to educate nursing students about dangerous plants commonly found around the home. The garden, started in 1998, serves as a teaching tool for the college and is popular with students from all fields of study

Continue reading "Poison Garden Created to Protect Children"

Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 2:32 PM

 


Many Americans Eat Biotech Foods Unknowingly

Category(-ies): Plant Legal News and Issues , Plants, Food and Medicine

A survey conducted by the Food Biotechnology Program at the Rutgers Food Policy Institute found that even though genetically modified ingredients are present in about three quarters of processed food products in the US, most Americans are unaware of them. Less than half the people surveyed knew that biotech products were being sold.

Continue reading "Many Americans Eat Biotech Foods Unknowingly"

Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 3:24 PM

 


Work With Arabidopsis Could Lead to Cancer Treatment

Category(-ies): Plant Discoveries , Plants, Food and Medicine

UCLA plant biologist, Steven E. Jacobsen has been named an investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Jacobsen is noted for using Arabidopsis as a model for understanding DNA methylation. “This process of methylation is fundamental to controlling growth and development in both plant and animal cells, and is important in some cancers: for example, cancer cells silence tumor suppressor genes through methylation and, as a result, uncontrolled cell growth occurs”(UCLA News).

Continue reading "Work With Arabidopsis Could Lead to Cancer Treatment"

Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 3:10 PM

 


Economic Botany at the Field Museum

Category(-ies): Botanical Resources , Herbaria , Plants, Food and Medicine

The Field Museum in Chicago has had an interest in the study of how people use plants, since it's founding. Its economic botany collection is one of the most comprehensive in the world. The collection includes over 12,000 specimens of raw materials and finished products of plant origin, such as: gums, resins, food crops, spices, medicinal plants, fibers, woods and many other useful plant products.

Continue reading "Economic Botany at the Field Museum"

Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 1:56 PM

 


Developing New Fruit Crops for Market Introduction

Category(-ies): Plants, Food and Medicine

Few people had sampled a kiwi fruit in North America before 1970. Now the popular fruit is common in markets. The USDA's Agricultural Research Service is experimenting with minor crops to develop them for a wider market. There are over 600 plants grown in the US defined as minor crops, those grown on 300,000 acres or less. Researchers are also looking at major crops from other regions for possible use in North America.

Continue reading "Developing New Fruit Crops for Market Introduction"

Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 2:06 PM

 


The Value of Wild Relatives for Domestic Crops

Category(-ies): Plant Conservation , Plants, Food and Medicine

Beloved by gardeners for their big dazzling yellow blooms, sunflowers are also an important oilseed and food crop. Agricultural Research Scientists have been collecting wild Helianthus species since 1976. The specimens are evaluated by the ARS Sunflower Research Unit staff for potential economically important traits before being stored at the ARS National Plant Germplasm System.

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Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 4:30 PM

 


America’s Pistachio Collection

Category(-ies): Plant Conservation , Plants, Food and Medicine

More than 750 pistachio trees from ten different species and various hybrids are maintained by the Agricultural Research Service at America's official pistachio collection in Davis, California. Although less than a century old, California’s industry is the second largest producer of pistachios in the world.

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Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 4:03 PM

 


Respecting the Knowledge of Healers

Category(-ies): Botanical Resources , Plant Conservation , Plant Legal News and Issues , Plants, Food and Medicine

The elders of the Haida Nation, like other indigenous peoples, have a wealth of knowledge about the plants in their environment. This knowledge has been passed down through generations, usually in oral form to specialists within the group. The benefit to the community is their incentive for preserving and administering the knowledge of healing plants.

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Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 11:12 AM

 


UBC Scientists Work to Stop Deadly Fungal Infections

Category(-ies): Plant Discoveries , Plants, Food and Medicine

Researchers at the University of British Columbia and the BC Cancer Agency's Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre in Vancouver have contributed genome mapping expertise to an international effort to develop treatments for fungal meningitis.

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Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 11:42 AM

 


Therapeutic Compounds from Weeds

Category(-ies): Plants, Food and Medicine

Since the formation of the National Health Service in 1945, pharmaceuticals have replaced once-common herbal remedies in Great Britain. A group of RBG Kew scientists is re-examining plants traditionally used as therapeutic remedies to potentially discover compounds for new medicines.

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Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 1:56 PM

 


Coffee's Genetic Code Unravelled

Category(-ies): Plant Discoveries , Plants, Food and Medicine

Brazilian scientists have identified the 35000 genes that make up the genome of coffee. Researchers will use the findings of the two year government study to develop superior new coffee strains.

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Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 9:56 PM

 


The Olive Tree and the 2004 Olympics

Category(-ies): Plants, Food and Medicine

In this year's Olympic Games in Athens, winning athletes are awarded olive wreaths. These wreaths, called “kotinos”, mirror the sacred prizes awarded to champions at the ancient Olympic Games. Coloured in blue and white, the kotinos is also the emblem of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games.

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Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 9:46 PM

 


Creating Memories to Promote Organic Produce

Category(-ies): Plants, Food and Medicine

David ‘Mas’ Masumoto is a writer and organic peach farmer in central California who creates memories. He links these memories of places, friends, and family to people's experiences of the flavours and aromas of fresh organic produce. And, he feels, these shared experiences and memories are a valuable tool in promoting small farms.

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Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 3:14 PM

 


Young Actor Dies of Monkshood Poisoning

Category(-ies): Plants, Food and Medicine

Andre Noble, a 25 year-old actor from Newfoundland, died July 30 after coming in contact with a poisonous plant on an outing to Silver Fox Island near his family's home in Centreville. A medical examiner in Newfoundland confirmed that poison from a monkshood (aconite) plant caused the death.

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Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 1:13 PM

 


Raspberries

Category(-ies): Plants, Food and Medicine

For Raspberries, Ubiquity (at a Price) (New York Times article hosted on AZcentral.com, contains advertisements) discusses the challenges and opportunities of the North American raspberry-growing industry.

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Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 1:33 AM

 


Preserving Agricultural Biodiversity

Category(-ies): Plant Conservation , Plants, Food and Medicine

“Thirty thousand vegetable varieties have become extinct in the last century, and one more is lost every six hours”, according to the Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity.

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Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 11:05 AM

 


Much Ado About Saskatoons

Category(-ies): Plant Legal News and Issues , Plants, Food and Medicine

Saskatchewan's agriculture minister, Mark Wartman, is not pleased with Britain's Food Standard Agency. The agency has removed products containing saskatoon berries from store shelves and has ordered a market safety evaluation because of a lack of evidence of the safety of the fruit for consumption by Europeans.

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Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 11:40 AM

 


A Delightfully Horrible Garden

Category(-ies): Other Botanical Gardens , Plants, Food and Medicine

The Alnwick Garden in Britain is opening the “Poison Garden” in August of 2004. The Poison Garden will feature some familiar plants such as belladonna and foxglove (which can both be seen in the UBC Physic Garden), but visitors to the Alnwick Gardens will also see many plants that they are unlikely to encounter elsewhere, such as coca and strychnine.

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Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 1:14 PM

 


Ancient medicinal use of saffron

Category(-ies): Plants, Food and Medicine

Dr. Gordon Bendersky at the University of Pennsylvania, and Susan C. Ferrence, a doctoral candidate in art history at Temple University, are publishing a paper in Perspectives in Biology and Medicine that suggests saffron was used medicinally 3500 years ago, based off of interpretations of frescoes from Thera, a Greek island in the Aegean Sea.

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Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 11:47 PM

 


An Appetite for Destruction

Category(-ies): Plant Conservation , Plants, Food and Medicine

The harvesting of fungi, mosses and plants for gourmet food dishes and natural-material crafts is a cause for concern in Britain; unsustainable picking and wasteful practices threaten species and habitats. Some areas in British Columbia have a similar problem, for example with the picking of salal (Gaultheria shallon) for floral greens.

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Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 11:42 PM

 


Medicinal plants threatened

Category(-ies): Plant Conservation , Plants, Food and Medicine

From the BBC: Increasing interest in herbal medicines has led to pressures on natural populations of the plants harvested for the medicines. Unsustainable harvesting techniques, such as uprooting an entire plant instead of taking a few leaves, are increasing the probability that some species may become extinct.

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Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:58 AM

 


Canadian Heritage Plants

Category(-ies): Plant Conservation , Plants, Food and Medicine

Seeds of Diversity has released its list of "Seedy Saturdays" for 2004. Who is Seeds of Diversity?

From their website:

“Seeds of Diversity is a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to the conservation, documentation and use of public-domain non-hybrid plants of Canadian significance. Our 1700 members from coast to coast are gardeners, farmers, teachers, scientists, agricultural historians, researchers and seed vendors. Together we grow, propagate and distribute over 1500 varieties of vegetables, fruit, grains, flowers and herbs. We are a living gene bank.”

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Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 2:37 AM