"crop" news and stories

A team of archaeologists has recently made a discovery that, while it probably won't make it into may children's picture books - unlike many of the discoveries about past civilizations - could very well make it into a cookbook someday. They discovered the remains of the world's first home-grown chili peppers in what is now western Ecuador. The discovery derailed the long-standing belief that residents of higher and more arid areas, like what are now Peru and Mexico, were the first to grow chilies by more than 1,000 years. There is no question about the time frame for the existence of the chili plants that were identified by "microfossils from grinding stones and charred ceramic cookware" because there has been so much study done of the pottery that "the dates [are] all very tight."

This discovery shows that chili peppers were one of the oldest domesticated foods in the world. More research is planned to try and discover exactly how the people living in villages in Ecuador at that time used the chilies.

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In light of the E. coli and botulism problems over the past few months that have been linked to California growers, there has been a proposal that new standards should be implemented to ensure that consumers will feel safe and comfortable buying California produce. Most growers have already increased the amount of oversight that their produce recieives, but the new plan involves the creaton of a "seal of approval" for all leafy vegetables. The standards for the seal have not yet been determined, but growers and lawmakers plan to iron out the details later this spring. Issues being considered are how to more effectively test irrigation water and how to keep livestock, primarily cattle, away from cropland.

In spite of the fact that there is no actual plan in place yet, the idea of a "seal of approval" is already being met with opposition, with critics saying that "the industry's proposal relies too heavily on policing itself." This could be a strong argument in other industries, but when it comes to food safety, no one wants to make sure consumers are protected more than the growers whose livelihoods depend on consumer satisfaction with, and confidence in, their products.

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Rice is a crop that needs a lot of water to grow successfully, but too much water can be devastating, and as rice fields are usually in very low-lying lands, a flood can mean the difference between feast and famine in some parts of the world. Researchers at the University of California, Davis, in collaboration with UC Riverside and the International Rice Research Institute in the Philippines, are breeding a type of rice plant that can survive - and thrive - under water for up to two weeks, which is far longer than the three or so days that the plants generally last.

The gene that is responsible for the this submerged survival has been known or about fifty years, but it has only been in the past decade that scientists were able to isolate it and figure out how it worked. One of the primary goals is to bring the rice into areas that are at high risk of flash flooding, particularly in rural areas in Asia where the population could be devastated by a ruined crop. Another main goal is to take advantage of the ability to keep crops underwater for extended periods of time to keep weeds under control without increasing the use of pesticides or herbicides on the crops. This reduction in the use of potentially harmful chemicals could result in cleaner water supplies as the floodwaters run off the fields, less expensive rice production and higher yields. The new strain will also appeal to organic farmers, who will be able to reap the same weed-reducing benefits.

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In addition to the recalls on California-grown spinach and lettuce on recent weeks, there have also been three cases of botulism liked to carrot juice produced in California, two in Canada and one in the US. It may seem as though the golden state is a hotbed of disreputable produce, but in fact so much is grown in the state that these incidents should hardly be enough to provoke widespread panic.

As much as 80% of Canadian produce, and a huge amount of US produce, comes from California and, though these few cases are certainly discouraging, the vast majority of it is fine. Companies are working to eliminate the possibility of E.coli contamination in their processing centers. Botulism is from a naturally occurring organism found in soil and, with most produce, processing should eliminate any and all traces of it from food. Raw vegetables, particularly "sugary, root vegetables " like carrots, still carry a risk factor, which is how it got in to the carrot juice in the first place.

Trying for locally grown products can provide some piece of mind, but local farmers can have the same problems, for example, by potentially exposing their crops to E.coli by using manure as fertilizer. To reduce any risks as much as possible, especially when there has been a recall of any kind, wash everything as well as you can and, if seriously in doubt, you can always cook you vegetables instead of eating them raw, which will increase the chances of killing off anything undesirable that might be in them.

Now, I'm usually not one to split hairs, but as I read this AP story about this year's crop of watermelons in Georgia, I found the following sentence a little odd: "Watermelons are often viewed as a fruit, but they technically are a vegetable, related to cucumbers, pumpkins and squash." Last I checked, all of those were fruits. I'm no botanist, but I know that watermelons are the seed-bearing parts of the vines that they grow on. Anyone with more knowledge of the plant kingdom care to weigh in? As for this year's Georgia watermelons, they're supposed to be some of the sweetest ones seen in recent years. Apparently all the recent dry heat has something to do with that.