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High-yielding varieties developed in the 1960s and 1970s at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and elsewhere benefited farmers and the public, ultimately increasing yields and reducing the cost of rice to consumers. Most of these varieties, however, did not have the optimum cooking quality that was possessed by many of the traditional varieties they replaced. In 1985, the IRRI-developed indica variety IR64 was released in the Philippines. In addition to its high yield, early maturity and disease resistance, it had excellent cooking quality, matching that of the best varieties available. These merits resulted in its rapid spread and cultivation on over 10 million ha in the two decades after it was released. It has intermediate amylose content and gelatinization temperature, and good taste. It is resistant to blast and bacterial blight diseases, and to brown planthopper. Because of its success as a variety, it has been used extensively in scientific studies and has been well-characterized genetically. Many valuable genes have been introduced into IR64 through backcross breeding and it has been used in thousands of crosses. Its area of cultivation has declined in the past 10 years, but it has been replaced by a new generation of high-quality varieties that are mostly its progeny or relatives. Continued basic studies on IR64 and related varieties should help in unraveling the complex genetic control of yield and other desirable traits that are prized by rice farmers and consumers.

The Brown Goose, the White Case Knife, Ora's Speckled Bean, Radiator Charlie's Mortgage Lifter - these are just a few of the heirloom fruits and vegetables you'll encounter in Bill Best's remarkable history of seed saving and the people who preserve both unique flavors and the Appalachian culture associated with them. As one of the people at the forefront of seed saving and trading for over fifty years, Best has helped preserve numerous varieties of beans, tomatoes, corn, squashes, and other fruits and vegetables, along with the family stories and experiences that are a fundamental part of this world. While corporate agriculture privileges a few flavorless but hardy varieties of daily vegetables, seed savers have worked tirelessly to preserve genetic diversity and the flavors rooted in the Southern Appalachian Mountains - referred to by plant scientists as one of the vegetative wonders of the world. Saving Seeds, Preserving Taste will introduce readers to the cultural traditions associated with seed saving, as well as the remarkable people who have used grafting practices and hand-by-hand trading to keep alive varieties that would otherwise have been lost. As local efforts to preserve heirloom seeds have become part of a growing national food movement, Appalachian seed savers play a crucial role in providing alternatives to large-scale agriculture and corporate food culture. Part flavor guide, part people's history, Saving Seeds, Preserving Taste will introduce you to a world you've never known - or perhaps remind you of one you remember well from your childhood.

Sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench], a staple food crop in Mali, has low yields for several reasons including that many farmers do not have the financial resources to purchase state‐of‐the‐art genetics and fertilizers and information is not available on how to optimize yields for heirloom variety. To improve their economic and environmental sustainability, Mali farmers need to understand how to invest their limited resources. In many situations this involves the use of open‐pollinated varieties that have a range of tillering capabilities. This study determined the best population density and nitrogen (N) fertilization combinations for eight locally available sorghum varieties. The research was conducted in 2018 and 2019 and the experimental design was split‐split‐plot randomized block, the treatments were two plant densities (26,600 and 53,300 plants ha–1), three N levels (0 kg ha–1, 89 kg ha–1, and 178 kg ha–1), and eight varieties that had a range of tillering characteristics. Each treatment was replicated three times and six of the varieties were open pollinated. Results showed that each variety had a different yield response to plant density and N rate. For example, the tall guinea (hybrids FADDA and PABLO) and the short durra‐caudatum A12‐79 cultivar produced higher yields when planted at 53,300 plants ha–1 and fertilized with 178 kg N ha–1 N2D2 treatment. For the short guinea‐caudatum improved varieties C2_007‐03 and C2_075‐15 and caudatum GRINKAN and SOUMBA varieties the optimum seeding rate was 53,300 plants ha–1 that were fertilized with 89 kg N ha–1 (N1D2). For the tall local guinea TIEBILE variety the highest yields were observed when it was seeded at a rate of 26,600 plants ha–1 and fertilized with 89 kg N ha–1. Grain yield increase was associated with yield components and growth traits for eight varieties studied. Panicle numbers per square meter and chlorophyll index were associated with grain yield in guinea hybrid. Grain number per panicle and 1,000 grain weight were involved in increasing grain yield in caudatum varieties. Nitrogen rate and planting density combination in terms of grain yield varied with different sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] varieties studied. Knowledge of optimum combinations will help producers decide which option to promote to booster sorghum production in Mali. Core Ideas Hybrid and durra varieties produced better yield under high N rate and plant density. Caudatum varieties produced better grain yield with N and plant density moderate use. Local guinea variety produced better grain yield with moderate use of N and low plant density. Panicle number and SPAD value were traits explaining grain yield increase of hybrid varieties. Grain number and grain weight were traits explaining grain yield increase of caudatum varieties.

Abstract Objective The present study was done to confirm the relationship between changes in food patterns and nutrition transition in three South-East Asian countries, namely the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia. Design This was a cross-sectional study conducted between August 2008 and August 2009 using three methods: interviews, focus group discussions and analyses of government reports. Setting The study was conducted in rural and urban areas in Manila and Calabanga (Philippines), Selangor and Kuala Selangor (Malaysia), and Padang, Pariaman Tanah Datar and Limapuluh Kota (West Sumatra, Indonesia). Subjects Adults aged 18 to 77 years. Results The results showed that Filipinos, Malaysians and Indonesians have retained many aspects of their traditional diets. In fact, most participants in the study considered Western-style and franchise fast foods as snack or recreational foods to be consumed once in a while only. However, a significant difference was noted between urban and rural areas in food varieties consumed. Participants in urban areas consumed more varieties of traditional foods owing to their availability and the participants' food purchasing power. Although traditional food patterns were maintained by most of the participants, more sugar and vegetable oils were consumed and added to the traditional recipes. Conclusions The rapid nutrition transition in this region may be due, instead, to increasing food availability and food purchasing power, rather than to a shift in food preferences towards modern Western foods.

Varietal data from 27 crop species from five continents were drawn together to determine overall trends in crop varietal diversity on farm. Measurements of richness, evenness, and divergence showed that considerable crop genetic diversity continues to be maintained on farm, in the form of traditional crop varieties. Major staples had higher richness and evenness than nonstaples. Variety richness for clonal species was much higher than that of other breeding systems. A close linear relationship between traditional variety richness and evenness (both transformed), empirically derived from data spanning a wide range of crops and countries, was found both at household and community levels. Fitting a neutral \"function\" to traditional variety diversity relationships, comparable to a species abundance distribution of \"neutral ecology,\" provided a benchmark to assess the standing diversity on farm. In some cases, high dominance occurred, with much of the variety richness held at low frequencies. This suggested that diversity may be maintained as an insurance to meet future environmental changes or social and economic needs. In other cases, a more even frequency distribution of varieties was found, possibly implying that farmers are selecting varieties to service a diversity of current needs and purposes. Divergence estimates, measured as the proportion of community evenness displayed among farmers, underscore the importance of a large number of small farms adopting distinctly diverse varietal strategies as a major force that maintains crop genetic diversity on farm.

The conservation and effective use of crop genetic diversity are crucial to overcome challenges related to human nutrition and agricultural sustainability. Farmers’ traditional varieties (“landraces”) are major sources of genetic variation. The degree of representation of crop landrace diversity in ex situ conservation is poorly understood, partly due to a lack of methods that can negotiate both the anthropogenic and environmental determinants of their geographic distributions. Here, we describe a novel spatial modelling and ex situ conservation gap analysis modelling framework for crop landraces, using common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) as a case study.

The knowledge of the beneficial health properties of underutilised varieties of fruits is very valuable for the conservation of plant genetic diversity and agricultural development. The colour, weight, morphological parameters and total antioxidant activity (TAA) of the edible tissues of nine traditional Citrus fruits, three mandarin varieties, three lemon varieties, ‘Dulce’ lime, ‘Cimboba’ and ‘Blanco’ grapefruit was quantified. In addition, other fruit quality properties, such as organic acids and sugar concentrations in the Citrus juices were analysed, and the evaluation of organoleptic attributes, such as sweetness, aroma, firmness, lack of bitterness, overall impression and notable feature of fruits, was performed by a sensory panel. Results show significant differences among Citrus species and varieties of the analysed parameters. Analysis of the weight of the whole fruit and its edible tissues showed that the relative proportion of each fruit tissue was similar for all the studied Citrus species and varieties. on the other hand, ‘Autóctona’ mandarin and ‘Fino’ and ‘Sanguino’ lemons showed the highest TAA, while the ones most appreciated by consumers according to the sensory panel results were ‘Dulce’ lime followed by ‘Sanguino’ lemon, which could be due to their high fructose concentration and original colour, respectively. The utilisation of certain traditional Citrus species and varieties, such as’Mandarin’ and ‘Autoctona’ mandarins, ‘Sanguino’ lemon and ‘Dulce’ lime, of the south-east of Spain in future breeding programmes to increase agricultural biodiversity. In addition, the consumption of traditional varieties of Citrus fruits with high antioxidant activity would improve the beneficial effect of fruits in human health.