World Food Prize

[plantsnobin]

Here's a link that some might find interesting.
www.agriculture.purdue.edu/connections/fall2009/01_world_food_prize_winner_02.shtml

I haven't had time to check out the links in the link, but I will check out the sorghum improvement. I'm sure there may be some genetic engineering, but I think it is important to get a look at it from a different perspective. We all think of the corporations as evil, when in reality they are doing exactly what their shareholders expect them to do-increase their market share and make as much profit as possible. I think it is possible that there are plenty of people who got into plant breeding who truly wanted to do good, things just got skewed when the companies they work for expect profit above all else. But again, that is what corporations are for. I know I am rambling, haven't had my tea yet today. I am just saying that with enough people breeding on their own farms, doing the research and letting the world know what it possible, things could be turned around for the better. Just like what Mike and Tom have done/are doing with their tour. The time is right for a 'growing' revolution. If we stopped wasting time worrying about what Monsanto is doing so much, and really got ourselves organized to get the word out about what traditional methods can do, we could do more good for more people. Don't misread me about Monsanto, but think about how much more can be accomplished when fighting for something instead of just against something.
We could all start in our own little neighborhoods-I haven't done anything to help local people learn about gardening and I am ashamed of that fact. Sure, we all share seeds with others here in our little world, but that is like preaching to the choir. Geez, I really gotta go make my pitcher of tea. Sorry

Guess I should have said 'people breeding crops' on their farms, rather than just 'people breeding on their farms' we really don't need to much more people breeding going on.

[silverseeds]

II still think those companies ARE evil. Im sure theres plenty of people working for the, even doing things I think are negative who are good people, actually thinking they are helping.
I do feel however the ones leading those charges are doing mor e then trying to expand market share.

But you right, we are better served fighting for something rather then only against something, but I think most here learned that lesson well.

Ive taken it upon myself to bred and identify the crops which will work for farming wher eI live, under challenging conditions. Irrigation being hard to come by, and this much soil hard to readily improve. Local IS the future if we are to have one imo.

I havent spread any knowledge locally yet, I do plan to once I start finding things which will work. I have high hopes for these "miracle" barleys from kusa.

[bunkie]

ss, i like the idea of for instead of agaonst.

tell me more about these "miracle" barleys from kusa please...

[grungy]

Actually we have to do both. Every pebble in the pond causes ripples.

[silverseeds]

www.ancientcerealgrains.org/

here is the description of the barleys I mentioned from kusa. They have alot of other neat things, but I just ordered this, the millet, and the lentil offerings. I have high hopes for the barley, with proper managemnet of water, I think I might be able to grow them with little or no irrigation even here. I will share seeds, once I get to growing them out of course.

“Miracle Seeds” Barley Offer Order Code: SS-MSB Price $ 19.95
The “Miracle Seeds” Barley Offer consists of five (5) packets of naked-barley (Hordeum
vulgare var. nudum). Each of the five individual cultivars is of outstanding agronomic and
culinary quality. All of the cultivars are spring growth-habit. These are food-quality barleys
with fast maturity and high yield potential (5,000lbs/ac). The grain can be eaten whole like
rice, put whole into soups, milled into flour for bread, noodles, sauces, porridges and dessert
preparations. One-third of the world’s 850-million hungry people are located in India. These
“Miracle Seeded” food-barleys were created by an Indian agricultural genius 25 years ago
(using “old school,” low-tech, classical plant-breeding methods of hand-crossing and selection),
and were intentionally designed (“from the ground up”) to add millions of tons of grain to
the national pool annually to ameliorate India’s hunger problem. The plants are small and
miniaturized, lodging-proof (they have double the stem-strength of “green-revolution” wheats),
and are richer in protein than the best, top-of-the-line, green-revolution bread wheat. The
plants are superbly suited to mini-farming under natural conditions, as they possess high input-
conversion efficiency, including a more-efficient tapping of solar-energy and other enhanced
plant-function factors. The plants’ nitrogen-conversion efficiency is higher than that of India’s
commercial “green-revolution” wheats. The project that produced these special and rare food-
barley cultivars originated at the top-levels of the national government of India. But when
the project resulted in a “landmark invention” (the high-quality barleys featured in this Offer)
things began to go very, very wrong. The highly successful project was abruptly stopped in
mid-stride. The genetic genius in charge of the project, the man who created the barleys with
the dream of eradicating both India’s and the world’s hunger, was “scientifically assassinated”
(his career up-ended). All of the scientifically nurtured barley genetic stocks (thousands of
advanced lines of food-barley) were intentionally destroyed in an act of malice by forces dead-
set on suppressing the invention. Only these five cultivars listed in this Offer survived (sent to
the Kusa Seed organization in a diplomatic bag before the assassination). This “seed story of
the century” with its tragic ending is told in complete detail in the paper India’s Miracle Seeds
(see the Literature section of this Catalog for ordering information). India’s Miracle Seeds, a
16
true story, is recommended reading. Each of the below five cultivars were exposed in the field
in Ojai, California, to multiple nights of 16° F. temperatures at 30 days of age without harm. All
varieties have lustrous grain, amber-wheatish in color. The limited circulation of some of these
seeds in the mini-farming community of the United States during the past ten years has set-off a
cult-like buzz about these phenomenal plants. The five varieties are offered here intact as a set
for the first time. These are true “survivors.”
KARAN-3
Plants of Karan-3 tiller vigorously, reaching a height of about 20-28”. In the Kusa Seed
organization grow-outs, the grain-heads were visible (“exerted”) in 60 days with the ripe grain
harvest-ready at 90 days after planting. Kernel protein is 16 percent. Successful under limited
irrigation and inputs. Can perform on sick soils with saline-alkaline deposits. 3.5-3.8 percent
kernel lysine content. Very good threshability.
KARAN-16
Plants of Karan-16 tiller vigorously, reaching a height of 12-14”. In the Kusa Seed organization
grow-out the plants matured (harvest ready) in less than 80 days. Agronomically successful
under limited irrigation and inputs. 12.58 percent kernel protein.
KARAN-19
“Star performer” in the Kusa Seed organization grow-outs. 115-119 days. Semi-dwarf stature. Successful under limited irrigation and inputs. Successful on non-irrigated drylands. Can
perform on sick soils with saline-alkaline deposits. 14 percent kernel protein.
KARAN-163
115-120 days. Dwarf stature. 16 percent kernel protein. Successful under limited irrigation and
inputs. 3.5-3.8 percent kernel lysine content. Very good threshability.
KARAN-351
115-120 days. Dwarf stature. Does not sprout in ear. High-yielding. Averages 250 seeds per
plant (plant one seed, receive 250). Plant 250 seeds, receive 62,500. How’s that for divine, non-
capitalist, open-source performance?