CropsThe eighth deposit from the International Rice Genebank includes rice from Madagascar, wild rice from Costa Rica and Nepalese varieties, and brings backup coverage to 99.59% of curated accessions.
CropsWorking by cross-breeding on his own plots for 21 years, Nalitabari farmer Sentu Chandra Hajong has developed 25 new rice varieties and keeps disappearing local ones alive; the district agriculture office says it will put his name forward for national recognition.
Homestead farmingWriting in Down To Earth for World Food Day, Anushka Gurung and Sonam Yangchen Bhutia describe how Sikkimese households dry and store seed in everyday domestic spaces, and why that knowledge matters as hybrids spread.
VegetablesOregon State University's Dry Farming Program is testing tomatoes, cucumber melons, sorghum and cut flowers that grow on moisture stored in the soil from winter rain, without summer irrigation.
CropsOn the Padma chars of Harirampur, Manikganj, women decide what is sown where and which seed is kept, yet their names are missing from land deeds, farmer lists and the new farmer card applications.
A new agreement will keep more than 50,000 legume seed samples at ICRISAT's genebank in India conserved and available to breeders, with support from the Crop Trust's endowment fund.
