seed bank News
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The ethics of the Svalbard global seed vault
When the Svalbard Global Seed Vault opened in Norway in February 2008, it was hailed as a 'Noah's Ark' for protecting biodiversity for future generations. But critics are concerned about the possibility of large corporations exploiting small seed banks' collections deposited at the vault. Seed banks from around the world are encouraged to deposit their collections at Svalbard. But, according to ...
By SciDev.Net
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Seed bank targets food security in Asia
Many neglected indigenous plants can play an important role in fighting hunger, soil erosion and loss of biodiversity in developing countries. The ECHO Asia Seed Bank in Thailand encourages the use of such plants by saving their seeds and distributing them to development workers throughout Asia for free. Ratakarn ‘Wah’ Arttawuttikun, who manages the daily operations of this unique ...
By SciDev.Net
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The value of seed harboured in Mediterranean temporary ponds
Temporary ponds and their varying water levels provide the conditions for valuable wildlife habitat. A study in Crete, conducted under the LIFE-Nature project1 Actions for the Conservation of Mediterranean Temporary Ponds in Crete, has demonstrated these ponds contain varied collections of seeds and that these ‘seed banks’ could play an important role in vegetation recovery after ...
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The value of seed harboured in Mediterranean temporary ponds
Temporary ponds and their varying water levels provide the conditions for valuable wildlife habitat. A study in Crete, conducted under the LIFE-Nature project1 Actions for the Conservation of Mediterranean Temporary Ponds in Crete, has demonstrated these ponds contain varied collections of seeds and that these ‘seed banks’ could play an important role in vegetation recovery after ...
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East Central Workshop: Sustainable Vegetable Seed Production for Farmers
SFA East Central Chapter is hosting a workshop featuring Zachary Paige, “Sustainable Vegetable Seed Production for Farmers, from 10 a.m. to noon Sat., March 23, at the community room in Coborn’s, 209 6th Ave NE, Isanti. Paige (right), who leads SFA’s Soil Health for Fruit and Vegetable Producers program, will go over the three legs of sustainability (Ecological, Economic and ...
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A worldwide network of seed information is taking root
As an increasingly bloody civil war raged around them, a team of scientists in the Syrian capital Aleppo quietly packaged and shipped a series of nondescript cardboard boxes to an island not far from the North Pole. The boxes bore no sign of the conflict that had surrounded them or the precious material they contained. The scientists, from an International Centre for Agricultural Research in the ...
By SciDev.Net
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Global map of seeds, food and biodiversity launched
A recently launched (15 October) website aims to provide news and resources on crop seeds and biodiversity threats for researchers, policymakers, educators and farmers. The site’s interactive map presents more than 375 case studies from around the world that address issues of food diversity, its threats and potential solutions. But some experts say that, while on the right track, the site ...
By SciDev.Net
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Environment: Commission proposes measures to tackle `biopiracy` and facilitate nature-based research
Researchers and companies in the EU received a boost today with a new proposal that should provide reliable access to genetic resources from outside the Union. The proposal – a draft Regulation that would implement the 'Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and Benefit-sharing' – is designed to protect the rights of countries and of indigenous and local communities that allow ...
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Genetic makeup of thousands of rice varieties placed in global seed data pool
Genome sequences of more than 3,000 rice varieties have been placed with the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) by the world's leading rice research institute in a move boosting plans to set up a global data exchange system for crop genetic resources. The Philippines-based International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and the Treaty (ITPGRFA) made ...
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Global wild seed hunt begins
An international project to collect seeds from the wild relatives of 23 of the world's major food crops including maize, rice, wheat and potato, has received its first funding. Last week (10 December) Norway, home to the world's largest seed bank, in Svalbard in the Arctic, pledged US$50 million towards the collection, which is expected to take ten years to complete. Research and planning will ...
By SciDev.Net
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Strong focus on soils at Cummins GRDC Update
Probing soil moisture and building soil carbon will be key topics explored at the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) Update at Cummins on August 11. GRDC Southern Regional Panel chair David Shannon said growers on the lower Eyre Peninsula often dealt with ‘difficult’ soils and were keen for information to assist them in managing their soils. “The lower Eyre Peninsula is a very ...
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Choice of tree species and site can increase plant diversity in plantation forest
Careful choice of tree species and sites could transform plantations into refuges for woodland plant diversity, new research from Ireland suggests. Plantations of native species on or near historic woodland and those with adequate light levels below the tree canopy were found to support more plant species. Europe’s forests cover 45% of the land area, and provide important habitat for many ...
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`Banana has a future after all`
The banana has been severely affected by fungal diseases that can only be combated by using omore and more plant protection products. In the last century, the much-loved Gros Michel banana variety was wiped out as a result of Panama disease. But now the replacement variety Cavendish – available in every supermarket – is at risk. At his inauguration as professor by special appointment ...
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FAO launches new standards for plant genebanks
A new FAO publication is aimed at improving conservation of food crops, many of which are crucial to the world’s food and nutrition security. The publication, Genebank Standards for Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, outlines voluntary, international standards for the many repositories – or genebanks - around the world that store seeds and other materials used to ...
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Seeds last much longer without oxygen
If seed breeding companies, gene banks and the Svalbard Global Seed Vault on Spitsbergen should store plant seeds under oxygen-poor conditions, it would be possible to store them for much longer while still maintaining their germination capacity. This is indicated by research carried out by seed physiologists from Wageningen UR and seed experts from the Centre for Genetic Resources, the ...
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A new generation of Indian farmers rejects industrial food production
Supported by the Amrita Bhoomi Agroecology Centre, young farmers are experimenting with natural farming methods, while saving money and lives in the process. India may be famous for its food, but the way in which it grows its ingredients is notoriously bad. Stories of the nation’s chemical spills, soil contamination, groundwater depletion, and lost biodiversity are depressing, not to ...
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Ancient crops preserved for future generations in Arctic seed vault
Varieties of one of the world's most important staple crops will be stored for perpetuity deep in the Arctic ice today. José Graziano da Silva, Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is joining scientific experts and delegations from Peru, Costa Rica and Norway to witness a ceremony here this afternoon that will help to preserve these vital ...
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Climate change will hit Indian cereals, benefit legumes
Indian farmers could be producing less rice and wheat and more legumes as a result of global warming, a senior crop scientist has said. Climate change would have a negative impact on cereal crops such as wheat and rice, Bandi Venkateswarulu, director of Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture, Hyderabad, told a South Asia media workshop on climate change in Delhi this month (17 ...
By SciDev.Net
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