Comments on: Ancient strain of rice rediscovered in China http://boingboing.net/2013/01/31/ancient-strain-of-rice-redisco.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Mon, 20 May 2013 06:23:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: Antinous / Moderator http://boingboing.net/2013/01/31/ancient-strain-of-rice-redisco.html#comment-1643443 Antinous / Moderator Fri, 01 Feb 2013 06:46:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=209941#comment-1643443 It might take them centuries or millennia to do it. It might take them centuries or millennia to do it.

]]> By: Robert Holmén http://boingboing.net/2013/01/31/ancient-strain-of-rice-redisco.html#comment-1643423 Robert Holmén Fri, 01 Feb 2013 05:59:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=209941#comment-1643423 Why can't insects adapt to overcome whatever makes this rice insect resistant much as they adapt to overcome anything else that resists them? Why can’t insects adapt to overcome whatever makes this rice insect resistant much as they adapt to overcome anything else that resists them?

]]> By: fuzzyfuzzyfungus http://boingboing.net/2013/01/31/ancient-strain-of-rice-redisco.html#comment-1643296 fuzzyfuzzyfungus Fri, 01 Feb 2013 02:27:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=209941#comment-1643296 It might well have all sorts of neat tricks up its sleeve (because heirloom types weren't developed with the luxury of cheap fertilizer and plenty of pesticides, they are often less feckless in various interesting ways than their more common counterparts); but it would be a <em>major</em> surprise to hear that yield is one of them. They made some assumptions that turned out to be less sustainable than anticipated (pathogens evolve resistance to agrochemicals faster than customers do, and Haber process nitrogen indexes the price of food to the price of natural gas); but the people who did the whole 'green revolution' thing, and their successors, <em>Did Not</em> aim to leave anything on the table when it comes to yields under the prescribed conditions. It might well have all sorts of neat tricks up its sleeve (because heirloom types weren’t developed with the luxury of cheap fertilizer and plenty of pesticides, they are often less feckless in various interesting ways than their more common counterparts); but it would be a major surprise to hear that yield is one of them.

They made some assumptions that turned out to be less sustainable than anticipated (pathogens evolve resistance to agrochemicals faster than customers do, and Haber process nitrogen indexes the price of food to the price of natural gas); but the people who did the whole ‘green revolution’ thing, and their successors, Did Not aim to leave anything on the table when it comes to yields under the prescribed conditions.

]]> By: Boris Bartlog http://boingboing.net/2013/01/31/ancient-strain-of-rice-redisco.html#comment-1643042 Boris Bartlog Thu, 31 Jan 2013 23:15:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=209941#comment-1643042  Yeah, this was kind of a foregone conclusion from 'doesn't need fertilizers'. Unless it's some sort of freak rice that fixes its own nitrogen, there will be limits to how much you could grow without nitrogen supplementation; and even then, you'd just end up hitting other limits based on potassium or phosphorus. Crops take (fairly specific) stuff out of the soil; without fertilizer to replace it, you run out and can't grow more plants.  Yeah, this was kind of a foregone conclusion from ‘doesn’t need fertilizers’. Unless it’s some sort of freak rice that fixes its own nitrogen, there will be limits to how much you could grow without nitrogen supplementation; and even then, you’d just end up hitting other limits based on potassium or phosphorus. Crops take (fairly specific) stuff out of the soil; without fertilizer to replace it, you run out and can’t grow more plants.

]]> By: GawainLavers http://boingboing.net/2013/01/31/ancient-strain-of-rice-redisco.html#comment-1642960 GawainLavers Thu, 31 Jan 2013 22:11:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=209941#comment-1642960 The height was the tip off: the green revolution in wheat came from developing <i>shorter</i> stalks that could carry the weight of heavier heads.  The height advantage for seed dispersion and competition in wild grasses can obviously be abandoned by sewn crops. The height was the tip off: the green revolution in wheat came from developing shorter stalks that could carry the weight of heavier heads.  The height advantage for seed dispersion and competition in wild grasses can obviously be abandoned by sewn crops.

]]> By: Mordicai http://boingboing.net/2013/01/31/ancient-strain-of-rice-redisco.html#comment-1642902 Mordicai Thu, 31 Jan 2013 21:37:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=209941#comment-1642902  Wait, so it isn't magical super rice?  Huh, going by the journalism going on around it, you'd think it was.  Huh, how about that.  Wait, so it isn’t magical super rice?  Huh, going by the journalism going on around it, you’d think it was.  Huh, how about that.

]]> By: creesto http://boingboing.net/2013/01/31/ancient-strain-of-rice-redisco.html#comment-1642821 creesto Thu, 31 Jan 2013 20:32:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=209941#comment-1642821 Damn you China and your world-dominating heirloom rices!! Damn you China and your world-dominating heirloom rices!!

]]> By: jandrese http://boingboing.net/2013/01/31/ancient-strain-of-rice-redisco.html#comment-1642808 jandrese Thu, 31 Jan 2013 20:25:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=209941#comment-1642808 Thank you.  I was about to ask why, if the rice has all of the nice properties listed in the header, that it was discarded centuries ago.  1/3 of the yield (I assume this is because regular rice can be grown several times per season, while this ancient rice is probably takes much longer to mature) compared to other rice is a compelling reason to skip this over more conventional rice, even if they do require more care.  Thank you.  I was about to ask why, if the rice has all of the nice properties listed in the header, that it was discarded centuries ago.  1/3 of the yield (I assume this is because regular rice can be grown several times per season, while this ancient rice is probably takes much longer to mature) compared to other rice is a compelling reason to skip this over more conventional rice, even if they do require more care. 

]]> By: fuzzyfuzzyfungus http://boingboing.net/2013/01/31/ancient-strain-of-rice-redisco.html#comment-1642783 fuzzyfuzzyfungus Thu, 31 Jan 2013 20:09:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=209941#comment-1642783 So, how's the yield compared to the contemporary stuff? Ah, here we are: "The ancient rice produces 3 tons per hectare, compared to the average 9 tons per hectare for the ordinary rice varieties in one season, local figures show." No wonder it can handle poor soil and does a bunch of extra non-grain growing... So, how’s the yield compared to the contemporary stuff?

Ah, here we are: “The ancient rice produces 3 tons per hectare, compared to the average 9 tons per hectare for the ordinary rice varieties in one season, local figures show.”

No wonder it can handle poor soil and does a bunch of extra non-grain growing…

]]> By: jsd http://boingboing.net/2013/01/31/ancient-strain-of-rice-redisco.html#comment-1642725 jsd Thu, 31 Jan 2013 19:34:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=209941#comment-1642725 Coming soon to a Whole Foods near you.  Coming soon to a Whole Foods near you. 

]]> By: Greg Wobbema http://boingboing.net/2013/01/31/ancient-strain-of-rice-redisco.html#comment-1642707 Greg Wobbema Thu, 31 Jan 2013 19:23:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=209941#comment-1642707 Don't worry, MONSANTO will make it better for us!  Bastahds! Don’t worry, MONSANTO will make it better for us!  Bastahds!

]]> By: Conan Librarian http://boingboing.net/2013/01/31/ancient-strain-of-rice-redisco.html#comment-1642687 Conan Librarian Thu, 31 Jan 2013 19:07:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=209941#comment-1642687 Not long, all they have to do is classify some of the DNA, and presto! Patent on Rice! Not long, all they have to do is classify some of the DNA, and presto! Patent on Rice!

]]> By: cub http://boingboing.net/2013/01/31/ancient-strain-of-rice-redisco.html#comment-1642674 cub Thu, 31 Jan 2013 18:53:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=209941#comment-1642674 how long before Monsanto finds a way to screw with it? how long before Monsanto finds a way to screw with it?

]]>