September 1998
Electronic version slightly revised, March 1999
Compiled By:
Suzanne P. DeMuth
Alternative Farming Systems Information Center, Information Centers Branch
National Agricultural Library, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture
Beltsville, Maryland 20705-2351
The publication Vegetables and Fruits: A Guide to Heirloom Varieties and Community-Based Stewardship was published in three printed volumes. The following sections were repeated in each volume: 1) Table of Contents for 3 volumes, 2) Introduction (including Notes and References) to 3 volumes, 3) Acknowledgements, 4) Alternative Farming Systems Information Center overview, and 5) document access instructions. To reduce duplication in the electronic versions, these sections have been extracted and placed in one document, http://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/AFSIC_pubs/heirloom/heirloom.htm.
The remainder of each volume is contained in a separate file which includes its respective citations, indices, and table of contents. These files are:
Volume 1. Annotated Bibliography, http://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/AFSIC_pubs/heirloom/srb9805.htm [below]
Volume 2. Resource Organizations, http://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/AFSIC_pubs/heirloom/srb9806.htm
Volume 3. Historical Supplement, http://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/AFSIC_pubs/heirloom/srb9807.htm.
There are many cross-reference links to related entries, either within the same document, or to another document in this heirloom series. When you activate a link to another document, use your browser's "back" button to return to the document from which the link was selected.
Additional related entries can be located through use of the indices that accompany each document. Separate indices to publication titles, organization names, and persons (as authors or contacts) are found at the end of Volume 1, Volume 2, and Volume 3. (Note that there is no comprehensive index that covers all three documents. Therefore, to find all substantive references to particular publications or organizations, you will need to follow the links from each document's indices.)
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Acknowledgements
The author is grateful to AFSIC staff, especially Mary Gold and Jane Gates, for their review of this document, helpful suggestions offered, and continuous encouragement thoughout its development. Sincere thanks are extended also to the individuals from stewardship organizations, seed companies, and nurseries who provided an array of useful and interesting materials and other information on their respective missions, activities, products, and services.
DeMuth, Suzanne
Vegetables and fruit : a guide to heirloom varieties and community-based stewardship.
(Special reference briefs ; 98-05 -- 98-07)
1. Fruit--Heirloom varieties. 2. Vegetables--Heirloom varieties. 3. Fruit--Germplasm resources. 4. Vegetables--Germplasm resources. 5. Agrobiodiversity conservation. I. vol.1. Annotated bibliography. II. vol.2. Resource organizations. III. vol.3. Historical supplement. IV. Title.
aS21.D27S64 no. 98-05 -- 98-07
Go to: Top of Volume 1 | Contents of Volume 1 | Introduction | Notes and References | Part I. Vegetables and Fruits | Part II. New World Crops: Heirloom Varieties and Genetic Diversity | Bibliography, citation no.: 1, 20, 40, 60, 80, 100, 120, 140, 160, 180, 200, 220, 240, 260, 280, 300, 320, 340, 360, 380, 400, 420, 460 | Appendices (Volume 1): 1) Current Books, 2) AFSIC, 3) Publication Titles Index, 4) Periodical Articles Index, 5) Persons / Organizations Index
See http://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/AFSIC_pubs/heirloom/heirloom.htm for the following information about this 3-volume series: 1) Table of Contents for 3 volumes, 2) Introduction (including Notes and References) to 3 volumes, 3) Acknowledgements, 4) Alternative Farming Systems Information Center overview, and 5) document access instructions.
1. Books, Book Chapters
A. Heirloom Vegetables and Gardening Today
B. Seed Production and Plant Breeding--Practical Aspects
C. Fruits, Including Heirlooms and Genetic Diversity
D. Heirloom Apples and Genetic Diversity
E. Food Crops--Conserving Genetic Diversity and Related Topics
F. Food Crops--Community- and Farmer-Based Conservation
2. Periodical Articles
A. Heirloom Vegetables and Gardening Today
B. Seed Production and Plant Breeding--Practical Aspects
C. Apples and Other Fruits, Including Heirlooms and Genetic Diversity
D. Food Crops--Conserving Genetic Diversity and Related Topics
E. Food Crops--Community- and Farmer-based Conservation
3. Videos
4. Current and Recent Periodicals
A. Heirloom Vegetables and Gardening
B. Crop Genetic Resources and Vegetable Seed Industry
C. Gardening Magazines with Seed Exchanges and Other Heirloom Resources
5. Resource Guides
A. Heirloom Vegetables and Fruits--Plant-Finding Tools
B. Other Resource Guides
6. Bibliographies and Guides to the Literature
A. Heirloom Varieties and Gardening Today
B. Food Crops--Biodiversity and Genetic Conservation
7. Additional Internet Sites
A. Vegetables and Fruits
B. Native American Agriculture and New World Crops
C. Online Seed Exchanges
D. Food Crops--Biodiversity and Genetic Conservation
1. Native American Agriculture and New World Crops
A. Bibliographies
B. Books, Book Chapters, Periodical Supplement
C. Periodical Articles
2. Corn (Maize)
A. Books, Book Chapters, Agricultural Reports
B. Periodical Articles
3. Tomatoes
A. Books, Book Chapters
B. Periodical Articles
4. Capsicum Peppers
A. Bibliographies
B. Books, Book Chapters
C. Periodical Articles
5. Phaseolus Beans
A. Books, Book Chapters, Special Periodical Issue
B. Periodical Articles
6. Squashes and Pumpkins (Cucurbita species)
A. Books, Book Chapters
B. Periodical Articles
7. Potatoes (Solanum tuberosum)
A. Books, Book Chapters
B. Periodical Articles
A. Heirloom Vegetables and Gardening Today
Books in this section provide information on creating and caring for heirloom gardens, including the present-day attributes of heirloom vegetables, and heirloom gardening as a popular movement. Books dealing with food plants as genetic resources, including farmer- and community-based conservation projects and governmental programs in the U.S. and abroad, are found in Sections 1E and 1F in Part I, this volume. Historical publications offering contemporary descriptions of garden vegetables and fruits of the 19th C. to early 20th C. are found in Volume 3, Historical Supplement. Also contained in Volume 3 are current (i.e., 1970s-1990s) books and articles on historical development and use of vegetables and fruits in North American gardens, including plant introductions to North America, and also plant domestication and early development, in general. Several books in this section offer much historical information also. For instance, while its main subject is the variety of choice heirlooms available to today's gardeners, William Weaver's Heirloom Vegetable Gardening stands out with respect to the wealth of historical information provided. Current books (and also periodical articles and bibliographies) on Native American heirlooms, featuring corn, tomato, Capsicum pepper, Phaseolus bean, squash and pumpkin, and potato varieties, are cited in Part II of this volume; historical works and current histories on these subjects are cited in Volume 3, Historical Supplement.
1. Ausubel, Kenny. Seeds of Change: The Living Treasure: The Passionate Story of the Growing Movement to Restore Biodiversity and Revolutionize the Way We Think About Food. San Francisco, CA: HarperSanFrancisco, 1994. 232 p. 1994. NAL SB117.35.N6A9 1994
The author and other like-minded individuals founded Seeds of Change, a Santa Fe-based seed firm, in 1989. It was conceived as a "value-driven" company enlisting the aid of backyard gardeners to protect crop biodiversity and to sell organically grown seeds that served to close the organic food cycle. Seeds of Change is a highly personalized account of author Kenny Ausubel's philosophy (and that of close associates, such as Alan Kapular, research director of Seeds of Change and founder of Peace Seeds) concerning the ways much of our food is typically grown and the larger effects (generally perceived as negative) on human and environmental health. The narrative weaves connections among these interrelated themes: plant biodiversity, food security, and ecological stability; human diet, health, and vegetarianism; native and local farming and local cuisines; and organic agriculture, modern agribusiness, and mainstream plant breeding. Hybrid seeds are seen as the "soft center of [the] food system." The book includes a collection of recipes from chefs such as Alice Waters and Mark Miller, whose culinary approaches "emphasize fresh healthful food based on a diet of diversity." Chapters are appended with notes and literature references. Some of the topics pertaining to genetic resource issues are covered in greater depth and with more balanced treatment in other publications. With color photos, plus list of resource organizations and mail-order suppliers. Volume out of print. (See Volume 2, Resource Organizations, entry 120, for more on Seeds of Change, the seed company.)
Related work: More recently, Mr. Ausubel has written Restoring the Earth: Visionary Solutions from the Bioneers (HJ Kramer, 1997, 288 p., volume current in print). For more on the Bioneers and the Collective Heritage Institute, with which the author is currently affiliated, see Volume 2, Resource Organizations, entry 63.
2. Creasy, Rosalind. Cooking from the Garden. San Francisco, CA: Sierra Club Books, 1988. 547 p.
NAL SB321.C73
For gardeners who cook and cooks who garden, a sumptuous and informative publication celebrating garden beauty and bounty-- "the unbroken arc from the garden to table." Skilled gardeners, knowledgeable seeds people, and master chefs assisted the author by growing theme gardens and creating complementary cuisines that demonstrated their particular area of expertise. The book is divided into five sections, the first three presenting the gardens, and the last two serving as reference material. Part I describes seven types of gardens illustrating North American history; Part II, five types of international gardens; and Part III, five types of avant-garde gardens featuring new approaches to food (such as spa gardens serving nutritional menus). For each garden type, there is generous information on how to create it, suitable plants, and a cooking section with recipes, as well as information on seed and plant sources and demonstration gardens, and suggested gardening and cooking publications. Part IV, "An encyclopedia of superior vegetables," provides specific growing information and recommended varieties. Part V consists of resources and references, including general advice on planting and maintenance; comprehensive list of suppliers of seeds, plants, and garden and kitchen sundries; annotated bibliography; and general index. Since one of the author's goals was to celebrate our great legacy of garden plants, the gardens and recipes emphasize open-pollinated vegetable varieties, although some notable hybrids are identified in Part IV. Heirlooms receive special attention in the chapters on historical gardens (including heirloom, baked bean, Native American, and chili pepper gardens), and several gardens in other sections (especially Italian, Oriental, and rainbow) emphasize classic vegetable varieties. Illustrated with numerous color plates. Volume out of print. ( Edible Heirloom Vegetable Garden is a new book by Ms. Creasy, which is due out in mid-1999.)
3. Jabs, Carolyn. The Heirloom Gardener. San Francisco, CA: Sierra Club Books, 1984. 310 p. NAL SB324.73.J33
This 1984 book from journalist Carolyn Jabs assembled a wealth of information on the burgeoning garden heirloom movement and served as further stimulus to preservation initiatives. Although its resource information has lost some of its currency, the publication remains a useful single source for explaining the whys and hows of grassroots preservation of garden plants, since the author's purpose was to inform gardeners, scientists, collectors, commercial seed purveyors, and historians about the problem of extinction of many old and endangered varieties, and to help create common ground among these groups with differing interests. Included are portraits of individual collectors, seed exchanges, historical garden programs, and regional seed companies; historical perspectives on particular vegetables and fruits; and information on the U.S. National Plant Germplasm System and institutional efforts to preserve crop genes, the seed industry and seed politics, and backyard seed-saving methods for preservationists or breeders. One chapter offers guidance for locating heirlooms and documenting information. The appendices provide brief descriptions of seed exchanges, commercial suppliers, and living history farms; cite research libraries, federal germplasm repositories, and sources for old books; and include a bibliography of selected historical sources, general bibliography, and detailed subject index. Page margins are illustrated with line drawings from 19th-C. horticultural publications and source notes. Volume out of print.
4. Kline, Roger A., Robert F. Becker, and Lynn Belluscio. The Heirloom Vegetable Garden: Gardening in the 19th Century. Ithaca, NY: Cornell Cooperative Extension, 1981. 28 p.
A guide to some of the existing garden vegetables that embody the names, tastes, and physical and genetic traits of prominent 19th-C. American varieties. Following a survey of changes in vegetable production over the last century, there are sketches of a dozen commonly-grown vegetables, including their histories in the New World, and for each, descriptive notes on several named cultivars. The roster includes carrots, sweet corn, lettuce, onion, parsnips, peas, potatoes, radishes, squash and pumpkins, tomatoes, and turnips. The authors note that some of the varieties are authentic in their lack of quality and disease resistance, emphasizing the need for proper garden care, such as crop rotations. (Old varieties of celery, cucumbers, and muskmelons, with especially poor performances compared to modern introductions, are left out of the booklet.) The text is enlivened with a number of old-time recipes, with line drawings throughout. Includes bibliography that cites original 19th-C. sources for vegetable descriptions. (Available from Cornell Cooperative Extension, Resource Center-GP, 7 Business & Technology Park, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, tel. 607-255-2080, fax 607-255-9946, e-mail dist_center@cce.cornell.edu.)
5. Lerner, Steve. Eco-Pioneers: Practical Visionaries Solving Today's Environmental Problems. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1997. 462 p. NAL GE150.L47 1997
A new book profiling ecological innovators in the U.S. who work on a variety of fronts to create practical solutions to environmental problems. Each chapter is devoted to one of 25 eco-pioneers who are "modeling ways to log forests, grow food, raise livestock, manufacture goods, construct houses, generate power, reuse materials, reduce waste, and design sustainable communities while minimizing damage to the web of life." The work of several of these men and women involves crop preservation and improvement, and cultural preservation and local self-reliance. Ch. 21 (p. 309-319), "Saving the seed: rescuing important foods and medicinal crops from extinction," profiles Kenny Ausubel, catalyst and former president of Seeds of Change, a New Mexican company that sells organically-grown seeds of heirlooms and open-pollinated vegetables and herbs. The piece provides background on Ausubel's motives and accomplishments, and the company's operations and impact. (Ausubel is author of the 1994 book, Seeds of Change, cited in entry 1, this volume; the company is described in Volume 2, Resource Organizations, entry 120.) Ch. 7 (p. 101-113), "Breeding naturally colored organic cotton eliminates the need for toxic dyes and pesticides," profiles Sally Fox, who turned her fascination with textiles into a highly profitable and revolutionary business, Natural Cotton Colors. Starting in the 1980s, Fox, who trained as an entomologist, worked on her own to create long-fibered, intensely-colored cotton varieties, which she selected and cross-bred from brown cotton grown traditionally in Central America. Ch. 20 (p. 299-308), "Zunis launch a sustainable action plan to manage tribal resources," describes the work of James Enote, director of the Zuni Conservation Project (ZCP) in Zuni, New Mexico. The Project centers on reversing ecological damage from prior mismanagement of Zuni lands, and reviving the Zuni's traditional dryland farming techniques and crop varieties. ZCP is parent organization to the Zuni Folk Varieties Project, described further in Volume 2, Resource Organizations, entry 23. The volume contains black-and-white photos, with bibliography and subject index. Author Lerner is currently director of the Commonweal Research Institute in Bolinas, California. Currently in print.
6. Nazarea, Virginia, et al. Yesterday's Ways...Tomorrow's Treasures: Heirloom Plants and Memory Banking. Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Co., 1997. 31 p.
A concise guide to exploring and preserving the local cultural knowledge embodied in old garden varieties. The book is part of an effort undertaken by the Southern Seed Legacy (SSL) Project Network to preserve the biological and cultural diversity found in "old-timey" southern vegetable varieties. In step-by-step fashion it provides "a map to memory banking," a systematic approach to document and perpetuate the knowledge associated with traditional crops and wild plants, which was first developed and used successfully by the lead author (an anthropologist) in the Philippines. Ch. 1 explains how to find the people in one's community who have special memories or knowledge, and the tools and procedures needed to interview them and collect seed and plant samples. Ch. 2 explains how to conduct a life history interview. Ch. 3 tells how to organize and evaluate the plant information collected. Ch. 4 suggests ways to use the information gained, including educating others. With numerous charts and diagrams, and sample worksheets. (For more on SSL, see Volume 2, Resource Organizations, entry 58.)
Related work: Dr. Nazarea has written more recently an academic study, entitled Cultural Memory and Biodiversity (Tucson, AZ: University of Arizona Press, 1998, 189 p., NAL GN476.N39 1998). In it she argues for the pressing need to conserve human cultural memory, along with crop biodiversity, and the values offered by memory-banking. The focus is on her work in the Philippines.
7. Proulx, E. Annie. The Gourmet Gardener: Growing Choice Fruits and Vegetables with Spectacular Results. New York: Fawcett Columbine, 1987. 197 p. NAL SB324.3.P7 1987
From a garden writer (and also award-winning novelist), this book is both a guide to gardening techniques and to selecting choice plants and varieties, including exotic vegetables and heirlooms. The opening chapter offers "how-to" information on planting an organic kitchen garden, from soil types and starting seeds, to harvest. Following are four chapters on the following topics: salad vegetables ("Magnificent crudites," Ch. 2), "Exotic, curious, and special vegetables" (Ch. 3); culinary herbs (Ch. 4), and "Choice fruits" (Ch. 5). The vegetable profiles in Ch. 2 and 3 include anecdotes on historically-interesting varieties, with discussion of varieties currently available and specific commercial suppliers. The fruit section considers more unusual types: gooseberries, dessert grapes, medlars, and several others. Text is illustrated with line drawings. With listing of U.S. sources for seeds, plants, and supplies, plus bibliography citing modern and historical publications, and subject index. Volume out of print.
8. Rupp, Rebecca. Blue Corn and Square Tomatoes: Unusual Facts About Common Vegetables. Pownal, VT: Storey Communications, 1987. 222 p. NAL SB320.9.R87 1987
A compilation of eclectic biographies of garden vegetables, including New World crops (tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, corn, beans, etc.) and 16 others with diverse origins. The author's entertaining narrative considers historical aspects (such as the rise and fall of vegetable reputations), the wide-ranging travels of some crops, modern usage and nutrition (including current science-based plant improvements), the stories behind plant names, and some practical garden tips. How plants arrived in Colonial America and how they were received is typically described, and for some vegetables, the array of types formerly or currently available, and the status of genetic resources for crop improvement, are outlined briefly. (Readers learn, for instance, that a ripe tomato's flavor derives from a complex mixture of more than 118 flavor components; that pre-16th-C. carrots were purple rather than orange; that although 5000 potato varieties are known, 80 percent of the American crop derives from only six cultivars; and that the turnip was a favorite in 19th-C. American gardens.) Supplementing the vegetable narratives, an introductory chapter traces briefly the rise in "vegetable consciousness" from classical Greece to 20th-C. Europe and America. With black-and-white line drawings, plus a handful of old-time recipes (such as "pumpion-pye"). Includes annotated listing of seed companies, plus lengthy bibliography and subject index. Volume out of print.
9. Stickland, Sue, foreword by Kent Whealy. Heirloom Vegetables: A Home Gardener's Guide to Finding and Growing Vegetables from the Past. New York: Fireside Books, 1998. 191 p. NAL SB324.73.S75 1998
A timely and informative volume on preserving and using the vast diversity of heirloom vegetables available to today's gardeners. This well-illustrated book is divided into two sections; Part I, consisting of five chapters, offers background on various reasons for gardening with heirloom varieties, and related issues. Among the topics considered: the historical origins of crop plants (including how and where they have traveled), trends in modern plant breeding, the relevance of diversity from plant breeders' and gardeners' perspectives, economic and social pressures towards genetic uniformity, and community-based conservation initiatives (from seed savers networks to alternative seed companies). Ch. 5 offers guidelines for saving vegetable seeds, including some plant-specific tips. (This section contains several maps, plus more than three dozen vivid color photos of vegetables.) Part II (p. 100-168) is a directory of heirloom varieties, intended to identify some that are "well-loved and highly recommended," most of them maintained in the past as family or community heirlooms, and all available today from commercial sources. Three dozen plants (from beans and beets, to tomatoes and watermelons) are included. For each, there is general information on garden cultivation, followed by profiles of named varieties, each with notes on history, appearance, and garden aspects. Codes for each variety identify commercial seed sources in the U.S. and Canada. A resource section provides contact information, with short descriptions of 100+ seed suppliers, plus a dozen seed saving networks. (Includes a number of seed companies not cited in this resource guide.) Appended also with a reading list, and subject index. Kent Whealy of Seed Savers Exchange served as consultant; photos by David Cavagnaro. Currently in print; available BG,SS.
10. Watson, Benjamin, ed. Taylor's Guide to Heirloom Vegetables. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin, 1996. 343 p. NAL SB324.73.T38 1996
A recent addition to Taylor's Guide series, this book presents information on more than 500 varieties of the "best historic, regional, and ethnic vegetables." Heirlooms are defined as open-pollinated varieties that reproduce true-to-type, were introduced over 50 years ago, and possess a history that is more-or-less well documented. Plant descriptions, arranged alphabetically, are offered in the main section of the book. Recommended named varieties (the vast majority heirlooms in the strict definition above and each available from at least one commercial supplier) are described briefly, with horticultural and historical notes, plus general growing and harvest advice. More than 70 beans of all types, 23 corns, and 34 tomatoes, plus fewer selections among other garden crops (from amaranth to watermelon) are profiled. Includes a section of color plates along with notes depicting 200 varieties, plus sections outlining heirloom popularity, seed-saving procedures, and organic control of pests and diseases. Many of the color photos were taken at Seed Savers Exchange's Heritage Farm. Supplemented with bibliography and mail-order seed sources and descriptions of 11 North American seed trusts and historic seed programs (most of them updated for this publication). Currently in print; available AL,FE,SS.
11. Weaver, William Woys, foreword by Peter Hatch. Heirloom Vegetable Gardening: A Master Gardener's Guide to Planting, Growing, Seed Saving, and Cultural History. New York: Henry Holt and Co., 1997. 439 p. NAL SB324.73.W43 1997
A superb, encyclopedic reference to the histories and present-day garden attributes of distinguished heirloom vegetables, from a master gardener and food historian who views the book as "a family album of what America has eaten." Monticello's Peter Hatch, in the foreword, calls it a "landmark study" that effectively revives the identities of our vegetable heritage. The heart of the book, "A grower's guide to selected heirloom vegetables" (p. 33 onwards), describes some 700 historical and heirloom varieties, 250 of the latter grown in the author's southeastern Pennsylvania garden and still available to gardeners through seed savers' networks or commercial sellers. For each of some three dozen common and unusual garden vegetables there is an essay on its horticultural history, with growing and seed-saving advice and culinary tips. The heirloom roster consists of 30 beans (kidneys, limas, and runners), 22 lettuces, 17 melons, 11 corns, 15 squashes, and 20 tomatoes, plus many others. Antique plants and varieties less typically grown (e.g., cardoon, chayote, and martynia), which are regional, ethnic, or historical favorites, are featured also. For each named heirloom, there are details on its ancestry, historical importance, and popular lore, plus current garden virtues and availability. Some varieties are especially well-documented in the historical literature, including 30 or so 19th-C. French varieties known from Vilmorin's Vegetable Garden (cited in Volume 3, Historical Supplement, entry 39), and some are the author's flavor favorites. (Some of Mr. Weaver's varieties are offered through Seed Savers Exchange network.) This section includes old-time recipes for a number of vegetables, primarily to illustrate classic kitchen uses. There are also two chapters on the evolution of the kitchen garden in North America, from its classical roots, to important figures and publications of the 19th C. to early 20th C., and on the nature of today's heirloom garden movement, respectively. Well-researched and engaging, written in nontechnical language for novice gardeners and seed savers. Contains black-and-white drawings from old texts, plus a section of vivid color plates. Also includes a list of commercial seed and plant sources, suggested periodicals and other publications, extensive list of historical works cited, and subject index. Currently in print; available PN,SC,SE,SS.
12. Whealy, Kent and Arllys Adelmann, eds. Seed Savers Exchange: The First Ten Years. Decorah, IA: Seed Savers Publications, 1986. 416 p. NAL SB117.S412
This book gathers together some of the best information from Seed Savers Exchange (SSE) 's two semi-annual publications produced during the organization's first 10 years, 1975 to 1985. As it depicts the evolution of the organization, it is an invaluable guide for seed savers, offering much in the way of practical information and resources, especially for those who missed the original publications. Excerpts are grouped under the following topics: interviews with seed collectors (including John Withee of Wannigan Associates and Carl Barnes of CORNS); annual SSE campout conventions, with the text of talks by collectors and others; plant patenting issues; Seed Banks Serving People Workshop (including talks by Cary Fowler, Gary Nabhan, and others, presented at the 1981 event in Tucson); SSE's growers network; heirloom vegetable stories; historical gardens (including sketches of historical garden projects); preservation projects by nonprofit organizations; heirloom seed companies; and saving garden seeds (including methods, glossary, supplies needed). Supplemented with a section containing miscellaneous, brief items of news, techniques, and other information; excerpts from members' correspondence on a multitude of topics; and SSE's manifesto (a status report on the loss of old garden varieties and organization goals). Includes a detailed seed-saving guide (p. 292-324) covering numerous garden crops. With black-and-white photos. (For availability, contact Seed Savers Exchange, Volume 2, Resource Organizations, entry 17.)
1B. Seed Production and Plant Breeding--Practical Aspects
Books in this section have been selected for their potential value to home gardeners, small-scale market growers, and seed bank curators who are interested in the fundamentals of seed saving, and plant preservation and improvement. In addition, these topics are considered, to varying degree, in some of the books found in Section 1A (Part I, this volume). Additional seed-saving guides are available from several of the seed companies listed in Volume 2, Resource Organizations; see Part VI, "Commercial Seed Companies." Some information on seed production and plant breeding as it relates to five of the New World crops that are the subjects of Part II of this volume (including corn, tomatoes, Capsicum peppers, Phaseolus beans, and squash and pumpkins) is found in the books, book chapters, and periodical articles cited in that section.
13. Ashworth, Suzanne; Kent Whealy, ed. Seed to Seed: Seed Saving Techniques for the Vegetable Gardener. Decorah, IA: Seed Savers Publications, 1991. 222 p. NAL SB324.75.A8
An invaluable reference for the novice or more advanced seed saver, offering detailed and clear instructions for collecting and preserving seeds from common and unusual food plants (mostly vegetables). Section I offers general information on seed saving to preserve rare heirloom varieties, covering topics such as pollination and seed biology, procedures to maintain varietal purity, seed cleaning methods, and seed storage techniques. Section II covers the main vegetable families (alliums, brassicas, composites, cucurbits, legumes, umbellifers, and solanaceous species). Section III covers other families with important members: amaranths, corn and its relatives, mints, and others. Both Sections II and III describe botanical relationships among species, specific pollination and isolation requirements, seed collecting and processing techniques, and seed viability data. A number of unusual species are covered in both sections. Information was based on current research and the author's experience in growing all of the featured plants in her central California garden. Supplemented with descriptions of national seed-saving organizations, plus bibliography, glossary, and indexes to common names; some sources for seed-saving equipment are mentioned in Section I. Currently in print; available AL,BG,FE,GC,HA,HS,MS,NS,PN,SC,SS,TS.
14. Bassett, Mark J., ed. Breeding Vegetable Crops. Westport, CT: AVI Pub. Co., 1986. 584 p. NAL SB324.7.B74
A treatise on the genetic improvement of vegetable crops, emphasizing the practical aspects of applying breeding techniques and knowledge. In 14 chapters, the book covers the more economically important U.S. vegetables: sweet potato, watermelon, Capsicum pepper, tomato, cucumber, squash, snap bean, peas, carrot, onion, cabbage, lettuce, sweet corn, and asparagus. For each vegetable, there is a brief overview of U.S. commercial production, then discussion of floral biology and controlled pollination, important commercial breeding achievements (mostly of the more recent past) and objectives, and commonly used techniques for hybridization and selection. Reviews the predominant breeding objectives for commercial improvement of each plant, including traits such as insect and disease resistance, early or uniform maturity, growth habit and concentrated fruit set (for machine harvestability), and other qualities (e.g., aesthetic, texture, flavor, nutritional)). Some chapters devote more attention to early breeding history and cite important publications (e.g., Ch. 4, "Tomato breeding," p. 135-171), or provide information on horticultural groups and traits (e.g., Ch. 3, "Pepper breeding," p. 67-134), which may interest seed savers and collectors. For keen amateur breeders, this text is most useful as a supplement to Carole Deppe's book, Breeding Your Own Vegetable Varieties (cited in entry 16, this volume). Readers may need to look elsewhere for the basic fundamentals of genetics and plant breeding, as these subjects aren't covered. A bibliography supplements each chapter. Volume out of print.
15. Cleveland, David A. and Daniela Soleri. Food From Dryland Gardens: An Ecological, Nutritional, and Social Approach to Small-Scale Household Food Production. Tucson, AZ: Center for People, Food, and Environment, 1991. 387 p. NAL SB323.C63
This book was the first major project from the Center for People, Food, and Environment (CPFE), an Arizona-based nonprofit group devoted to supporting sustainable food systems. The book's subject focus is the creation of household gardens that serve local needs and build on local knowledge, and conserve natural resources and local environments. It is intended primarily to serve development and extension workers in community-based agriculture in the Third World, but some content may apply to self-reliant, arid-region gardeners in the U.S. Broadly considering small-scale gardens in dryland regions, including those in the Third World and developed nations, the book is included here because of its focus on using traditional garden crop varieties and associated knowledge systems within an ecological framework. Part I (Ch. 2-4) examines issues involved in developing household gardens, focusing on nutrition, household economics, and marketing. Part II (Ch. 5-13) covers garden management, including basic principles of plant biology and propagation, and indigenous practices for managing soils, water, plants, and pests and diseases, emphasising ecological management to enhance household and community well-being. Part III (Ch. 14-16) centers on using the garden harvest. Seed saving and garden diversity are the subjects of Ch. 14 (p. 285-306); topicsinclude issues and values associated with garden diversity and locally-adapted crops, and practical aspects of seed collection and storage. Additional resource materials and lengthy publications list provided. Part IV (Ch. 17-20, plus index) consists of general resource and reference information, including a glossary, list of garden crops mentioned in the text, international resource organizations, and an extensive (partially-annotated) bibliography. Supplemented with numerous diagrams, charts, and drawings. Currently in print; available NS.
Related work: For a brief overview of the characteristics and values of dryland household gardens, see D. Soleri and D.A. Cleveland's article, "Dryland household gardens in development," Arid Lands Newsletter 29: 5-10 (Fall/Wtr. 1989), NAL S612.A753. For further information on the Center for People, Food, and Environment, write to CPFE, 344 South Third Ave., Tucson, AZ 85701; tel. 520-884-8565; e-mail cleveland@lifesci.ucsb.edu. (Besides serving as co-director of CPRE, Dr. Cleveland is professor at the University of California, Berkeley, Dept. of Anthropology.)
16. Deppe, Carol. Breed Your Own Vegetable Varieties: Pop Beans, Purple Peas, and Other Innovations from the Backyard Garden. Boston, MA: Little, Brown & Co., 1993. 303 p. NAL SB324.7.D47 1993
An excellent guidebook and reference for adventuresome gardeners, amateur breeders, and serious seed savers who want to preserve their favorite garden varieties, or to improve upon them or others. The author, a professional geneticist and self-professed amateur, describes the advantages and rewards gained from developing one's own vegetable varieties, asking "[W]hy should we let professionals have all the fun?" The book contains abundant, practical information on garden vegetables and their wild relatives, as well as other wild plants with potential for domestication, which in modern times have been largely ignored by professional breeders. Major topics include how to carry out variety trials and garden research; finding and evaluting experimental materials (including suggestions for obtaining materials from the U.S. germplasm system; basic protocols for performing crosses, making selections, and saving seed; and additional considerations for would-be breeders (such as time and space aspects). Includes useful discussion of various types of vegetable breeding systems, the merits of commercial hybrids versus open-pollinated varieties, and how to develop one's own hybrids or turn commercial hybrids into stable open-pollinated lines to suit one's needs. The concepts and methods of modern genetics and heredity that are germane to amateur plant breeding are discussed in clear language. There are numerous examples of various gardener's vegetable development projects with corn, tomatoes, brassicas, and others, as well as Deppe's own work with chickpeas, popbeans, purple peas, and others. Supplemented with reference information on 801 "interesting plants" (including scientific names, isolation distances, pollination mechanisms, their location in the U.S. National Plant Germplasm System, and literature references). Includes an annotated bibliography of numerous plant-breeding and seed-saving publications (most of them not duplicated in this guide), plus contact information for 30 U.S. germplasm working collections, commercial seed sources and noncommercial exchanges, and other equipment suppliers. With a glossary of terms and subject index. Currently in print; available PS.
17. Fanton, Michel and Jude Fanton, preface by Bill Mollison. The Seed Savers' Handbook for Australia and New Zealand. Byron Bay, NSW, Australia: Seed Savers' Network, 1993. 176 p. NAL SB117.4.A8F35 1993
From the co-founders of Australia's Seed Savers' Network (SSN), a practical guide and reference publication for Australian seed savers, emphasizing permaculture practices and principles. Part 1 provides background discussion on crop biodiversity and preservation issues and alternatives, and on the founding and focus of SSN. Part 2 offers guidance in seed-saving practices; topics include selecting varieties, maintaining seed purity, seed harvest and cleaning methods, vitality testing, and raising seedlings. This section includes a chapter on working with members of the cucurbit family, which present some challenges to seed savers. Part 3, the main portion of the book, covers an array of food plants (vegetables, culinary herbs, and edible flowers) available to Australian and New Zealand gardeners; 117 crops--amaranth to yam bean--are treated in turn. Includes plants known to most temperate zone gardeners, and some lesser known, mostly warm-weather or high-altitude crops such as taro, winged bean, ginger, and others. Descriptions for each include botanical species and family names, plus background on the plant's geographic origins, botanical features, garden cultivation (including suitable locales in Australia), seed-saving aspects, and each plant's food and non-food uses in various cultures. Also includes notes on interesting or especially endangered varieties of each plant, and simplicity ratings to guide readers to plants suited to their experience level. Appendices contain useful reference charts on plant characteristics, plus indexes to plant names, glossary of terms and bibliography listing books and periodicals (Australian and otherwise) for reference. With numerous black-and-white line drawings. Currently in print; available SN. (For more information on Seed Savers' Network, see Volume 2, Resource Organizations, entry 19.)
Related work: The Fantons have collaborated with Jeremy Cherfas of the U.K.'s Henry Doubleday Research Association (HDRA) on an updated seed-saving guide, The Seed Savers' Handbook (by J. Cherfas, M. Fanton, and J. Fanton, Bristol, UK: Grover Books, 1996, 168 p.) Currently in print; available HD,SN.
18. Jason, Dan, foreword by Helen Nearing. Greening the Garden: A Guide to Sustainable Growing. Philadelphia; Gabriola Island, BC: New Society Publishers, 1991. 196 p. NAL SB453.5.J38 1991
Practical information plus philosophical commentary on ecological gardening with a bioregionalist perspective (i.e., "ground[ing] human cultures within natural regions"), from the owner of Salt Spring Seeds, a British Columbian seed company. (Salt Spring Seeds is cited in Volume 2, Resource Organizations, entry 142.) Part I presents organic methods, including basic principles and techniques for soil regeneration. Part II, "Foods for nutrition and health," is comprised of eight chapters on particular plant groups that offer fundamental nutriments, among them protein-rich beans (Phaseolus vulgaris beans, soybeans, and cool-weather types--favas, chickpeas, and lentils) and the pseudocereals amaranth and quinoa, as well as useful herbs, a variety of vegetables, and some edible wild plants. This section includes a number of recipes, along with a chapter describing methods for extending the gardening season. Part III, "Ecological perspectives," discusses seed-saving methods and particulars for various garden plants, seed politics that influence the availability of heirloom and hybrid seeds, spiritual elements inherent in gardening, and how our food choices affect environmental balance and vitality. Bibliography cites recommended seed companies, and useful magazines and books. Illustrated with black-and-white line drawings, with subject index. Currently in print; available AL,GC,SP.
Related work: New from Dan Jason is the book entitled, Living Lightly on the Land: Self-reliance in Food & Medicine (self-published, 1998, 142 p.). It contains growing, seed-saving, varietal, and cooking information. For availability, contact the author at Salt Spring Seeds (see above).
19. Klein, Mary Ann. Seed Saving Techniques of the National Colonial Farm. Accokeek, MD: Accokeek Foundation, 1984. National Colonial Farm Research Report no. 25. 56 p.
A how-to-do-it guide for saving seeds from common vegetables and herbs of temperate climates, written to aid living historical farms in developing and maintaining heirloom seed and plant collections. Part I provides a brief overview of standard varieties (including heirlooms) and seed biology. Part II includes a glossary of seed-saving terms, an outline of botanical family relationships, and specific information on seed production, including pollination biology and harvesting, and techniques for various plants, which are grouped by 10 plant families. Part III covers seed storage procedures. Part IV, entitled "Diversity--What it means in the long run," offers discussion of the contribution of heirloom varieties to a diversified crop gene pool. A reference list accompanies each section. Currently out of print. (For more information on National Colonial Farm's heritage crops program, see Volume 2, Resource Organizations, entry 33.)
20. Loewer, Peter. Seeds: The Definitive Guide to Growing, History, and Lore. New York: Macmillan, 1996. 230 p. NAL SB117. L59 1995
For general readers, this book provides broad coverage of the world of seeds. Major topics include an overview of seed biology and ecology (including seed development, dispersal, and germination), starting garden seeds (soil mixes, equipment, and planting out), profiles of contemporary seed collectors, and "the big business of seeds." Includes discussion of seed storage for food security (with a visit to the U.S. National Seed Storage Laboratory) and also brief looks at seed dealers and products, and sketches of several American seed houses (Burpees, Seeds Blüm, and others). Ch. 13 consists of an annotated listing of nearly 100 commercial mail-order seed companies (mostly U.S. and Canadian), and several dozen seed exchanges connected with plant societies of various sort (most of them dealing with other than garden vegetables, such as native plants, ornamentals, and others). Included here are descriptions of several sourcebooks for seed growers and collectors (those publications dealing with vegetables are cited also in this resource guide). Seed-saving methodologies are covered only briefly in Ch. 18. With subject index. Currently in print.
21. McDonald, Miller B. and Lawrence Copeland. Seed Production: Principles and Practices. New York: Chapman & Hall, 1997. 740 p. NAL SB117.M36 1997
A modern text providing fundamental information on the practical aspects of producing high-quality seeds, with methods for specific agronomic and horticultural crops. Part I consists of 12 chapters covering plant biology and seed production topics (including flowering; seed development; planting to harvesting, including tools and equipment;conditioning; drying and storage; and seed quality and performance), plus the seed industry in North America (its evolution, plus seed certification, seed marketing, and seed legislation and law enforcement). Part II (the bulk of the book) covers the cereals (Ch. 13 on corn, p. 193-205, along with five others), oil seeds, forage legumes, cool- and warm-season grasses, field and garden beans (common, lima, faba beans, and several others in Ch. 18, p. 554-589), vegetables, flowers, and tree seeds. The vegetable section (Ch. 19, p. 590-643) presents general considerations for vegetable seed production, then discusses, in turn, onions, tomatoes, cabbages, lettuces, cucumbers, and sugarbeets. (These were selected for their economic values, and also botanical qualities, to illustrate different seed production methodologies.) For each crop or crop group there is information on commercial production, vegetative and reproductive development, and production and seed harvest methods, along with a short bibliography. With useful diagrams of equipment, illustrations of selected seeds, and subject index. Text coverage was intended to serve the needs of larger seed growers, although some portions may be useful to smaller growers and seed bank curators, especially as a reference and supplement to Suzanne Ashworth's Seed to Seed (cited in entry 13, this volume). Currently in print.
Related work: These same authors have collaborated on the 1995 publication, Principles of Seed Science and Technology (3rd ed., Chapman & Hall, 409 p., NAL SB117.C73 1995). Intended for "students, laypersons, and practitioners," this volume, first published in 1976, provides comprehensive coverage of seed biology, production, enhancement, evalution, and distribution. Currently in print.
22. Rogers, Marc. Saving Seeds: The Gardener's Guide to Growing and Storing Vegetable and Flower Seeds. Pownal, VT: Storey Communications, 1990. 185 p. NAL SB324.75.R633
A popular guidebook offering practical instructions for raising, harvesting, and storing garden seeds. Part I presents general background information on seed biology, collecting, and storing. The main portion of the book deals with individual plant groups and species: Part I with vegetables, Part II with ornamental flowers, mostly annuals. In the vegetable section (p. 51-135), plants are grouped by family, with species characteristics, pollination information, and specific seed collection procedures. Includes black-and-white line drawings. The book is supplemented with a list of mail-order sources, references, and glossary. Currently in print; available AL,BG,HA,HS,NS,SC.
Related work: Also from Marc Rogers is a 1978 book, Growing and Saving Vegetable Seeds (Garden Way Publishing, 139 p., NAL SB324.75.R6). This older work offers very similar coverage to Saving Seeds, but it deals with food plants only. Reissued in 1983, currently out of print.
23. Solomon, Steve. Growing Vegetables West of the Cascades: Steve Solomon's Complete Guide to Natural Gardening. Seattle, WA: Sasquatch Books, 1989. 339 p. NAL SB324.3.S67 1989
This book presents practical information for gardeners in the mild--but often challenging--climate of the maritime Pacific Northwest, with its mild, moist winters and warm, rainless summers. In the words of the author (an experienced subsistence gardener, garden writer, and once-professional seedsman), the book conveys the Oregonian's approach to self-reliant food gardening, which "combines organic gardening with the best of an 'establishment' scientific outlook." Ch. 2, on plant biology and ecology, and Ch. 3, on soil science and management, each distill fundamental scientific tenets central to gardening success. Ch. 4 through Ch. 9 deal with planning the maritime garden, including methods for extending the season; managing water use, including irrigation for dryland gardening; growing plants from seeds or transplants; and managing pests and diseases. Ch. 6, entitled "Seeds," deals with seed vigor, germination, and quality; open-pollinated and hybrid vegetables available to today's gardeners are compared, with an insider's view of the garden seed trade, including appraisal of some seed companies. (In the late 1970s author Solomon founded Territorial Seeds, a bioregional seed firm.) Ch. 9 presents "family-by-family and species-by-species" information, including culture specifics for a variety of solanums, legumes, various "greens" and root crops, brassicas, cucurbits, alliums, and others. This section, covering one-third of the book, offers advice on seed-saving, and vegetable varieties (both good open-pollinated and hybrid types) optimal for the maritime climate, with their commercial sources. Much of the book's content, including varietal suggestions, is suited to the specific soils and climate of northwestern gardens; yet the book contains much information with more general application, including the author's insights and philosophy on topics relevant to seed saving and factors that might inform varietal selection. With subject index; chapters include suggestions for further reading and black-and-white illustrations. Currently in print.
Related works: This book has been revised from the author's 1981 publication, Complete Guide to Organic Gardening West of the Cascades (Seattle: Pacific Search Press, NAL SB324.3.S67) and its 1985 revision, Growing Organic Vegetables West of the Cascades. (The 1989 revised edition is currently in print.) Also by Mr. Solomon, and likewise, with varietal recommendations, is the 1993 book, Water-wise Vegetables for the Maritime Northwest Gardener (Sasquatch Books, 93 p., NAL SB321.S644 1993.) Currently in print.
24. U.S. Dept. of Agriculture. Seeds. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1961. U.S. Dept. of Agriculture Yearbook 1961. 591 p. NAL 1 Ag84Y
A useful single-volume reference for seed savers, producers, and sellers, this Yearbook from USDA scientists compiled current knowledge on seeds during "World Seed Year" (as 1961 was designated by the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization), continuing the agency's long service of collecting and improving crop seeds for American farmers and gardeners. Six sections cover the following topics: the importance of seeds (including seeds as propagators and protectors of life, as foods, and more; types of seeds; seed development; and age-old uses for seeds); the life processes of seeds (physiology of flowering and seed production, role of growth regulators, seed dispersal, seed viability and life processes, seed dormancy, and plant breeding goals and basic procedures); commercial seed production of grain, legume, flower, and forest tree seeds, with hybrid corn seed production, pests and diseases of seed crops, and seed treatments for disease control; seed processing (seed drying, cleaning, packaging, storage, and pest control); seed certification (policies on seed releases, producing stock seed for field crops and new horticultural varieties, and seed certification in the U.S.); and seed testing (methods for testing purity, origin, moisture, trueness to variety, and seed-borne disease agents; and seed marketing, seed trade associations, seed laws, and seed production economics). Appendix provides tabular data on seeds from a variety of cultivated plants (e.g., germination data, weights), and economic information. Includes black-and-white photos, a detailed glossary of seed terms, and general subject index.
1C. Fruits, Including Heirlooms and Genetic Diversity
Books in this section provide information on garden fruit diversity and fruit varieties, especially on fruits grown more commonly in temperate-zone gardens in North America. Practical aspects of fruit culture and propagation are considered only peripherally. Several books in this section, along with bibliographies and resource guides cited elsewhere in this volume, suggest publications on these topics, which may be useful to amateur fruit growers. (See, for instance, John Hildebrand's bibliography in this volume, entry 248.) Books on apples, including heirloom varieties, are cited in Section 1D, this volume.
25. Fishman, Ram. The Handbook for Fruit Explorers. Chapin, IL: North American Fruit Explorers, 1986. 145 p. NAL SB354.F5 1986, ARB SB354.F5
For contemporary fruit enthusiasts, a practical and philosophical guidebook from the North American Fruit Explorers (NAFEX). Part I ("Spirit") centers on NAFEX's origins and the various interests and activities of its fellowship of modern fruit explorers. Part II ("Structure") addresses the group's self-governance, education, and communication vehicles, including the quarterly periodical Pomona, natural orchard management consulting staff, fruit testing groups, NAFEX library, annual meeting, and other topics. Part III ("Skills") is a compendium of basic skills for responsible fruit growing, including basic grafting methods (with diagrams and tool information), plus discussion of scionwood collection, varietal selection, choosing and growing rootstocks, and other topics. This part concludes with a bibliographic chapter citing the best pomological books on these topics: variety selection and identification, propagation/nursery management, fruit breeding and genetics, dwarfs and espaliers, pruning, pest identification, general fruit and nut culture, and pomological history. (Numerous publications not duplicated in this resource guide are cited). With black-and-white photos and drawings. Volume out of print. (The author is co-owner of Greenmantle Nursery; for contact information, see Volume 2, Resource Organizations, entry 155.)
26. Holmes, Roger, ed. Taylor's Guide to Fruits and Berries. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin, 1996. 451 p. NAL SB355.T25 1996, ARB SB355.T25 1996
From the highly rated Taylor's Guide series on various horticultural subjects, this volume offers guidance on the "best selections for the home garden," covering tree fruits (apples, pears, cherries, plums, peaches and nectarines, citrus), fruiting shrubs or vines (raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, grapes, currants and gooseberries), strawberries, and other less common hardy and tender fruits. Each of 12 chapters from individual contributors is self-contained, offering background information on each fruit or berry type, criteria for varietal choices (including pest and disease considerations), and a list of recommended cultivars. Antique apple varieties are included among the group of 38 hardy apples and 15 with low-chill requirements, with brief notes on fruit type, notable resistance qualities, and uses. Older varieties are noted also among the pears (including 11 "old favorite" European pears) and plums, although historical information is otherwise scant. Includes chapters on planting, pruning, and maintenance. The book is particularly useful for those considering the comparative merits of antiques and newer varieties, within a fairly comprehensive guide to growing fruits and berries. All varieties mentioned are commercially available, each fruit group keyed to specialist mail-order nursery sources. With color photos and black-and-white illustrations. Currently in print.
27. Janick, Jules and James N. Moore, eds. Advances in Fruit Breeding. West Lafayette, IN: Purdue University Press, 1975. 623 p., [1] leaf of plates. NAL SB357.3.A38, ARB SB357.3.A38
A reference work for professional breeders, amateurs, and students that assembles contemporary scientific knowledge on breeding temperate and subtropical fruit and nut species. It was intended to update the previous synthesis of fruit breeding information presented in USDA's 1937 Yearbook of Agriculture (also known as Better Plants and Animals--II, see Volume 3, Historical Supplement, entry 27). Information is presented on a species-by-species basis; there are 20 chapters from recognized fruit specialists from around the world. Plants covered include the following: apples, pears, brambles, grapes, blueberries and cranberries, currants and gooseberries, minor temperate fruits, peaches, plums, cherries, apricots; plus temperate nuts, almonds, pecans and hickories, walnuts, filberts, chestnuts; and subtropical fruits, citrus, avocados, and figs. For each fruit or nut type, there is a review of the plant's origins and early horticultural development; modern breeding objectives; breeding techniques (including floral biology and pollination, plant development, selection procedures, fruit evaluation, record keeping, and breeding systems); and breeding for special plant characters (e.g., vigor, cold hardiness, season of flowering, spur types, fruit flavor, and disease resistance); there is also an assessment of current achievements and future outlook. Chapters vary in their emphasis on horticultural history. The pear chapter (p. 38-70) is one that discusses in some length the history of fruit improvement in Europe and elsewhere, citing a number of historical sources. Most chapters review important disease and pest problems in relation to breeding, and to some extent consider genetic resources, in conjunction with breeding objectives. The text is a useful reference for growers, collectors, and breeders, with lengthy bibliographies supplementing each chapter (primarily 20th-C. references). Volume out of print.
Related work: The 1983 publication, Methods in Fruit Breeding (James N. Moore and Jules Janick, eds., Purdue University Press, 464 p., NAL SB357.M4), serves as companion volume. Volume currently in print.
28. Moore, James N. and James R. Ballington, Jr., eds. Genetic Resources of Temperate Fruit and Nut Crops. Wageningen, Netherlands: International Society for Horticultural Science, 1990. Acta Horticulturae series no. 290. 2 vols., 980 p. NAL 80 Ac82 no.290
This two-volume work provides comprehensive description and assessment of temperate fruit and nut germplasm. Fourteen chapters in Vols. 1 and 2 cover the fruits, including apples, apricots, cherries, peaches, plums, grapes, blackberries and raspberries, blueberries and cranberries, currants and gooseberries, strawberries, Amelanchier species, pawpaw, kiwifruit, and pears; in addition, five nut species are considered in Vol. 2. Each chapter reviews the genetic base of current commercial cultivars, known genetic resources in existing crop varieties and wild species, genetic solutions to fruit problems, and the current conservation status of each species. Intended to inform fruit breeders and conservationists, these volumes may serve as useful references for amateur breeders, collectors, and historians. Ch. 1 on apples, for instance, reviews the status of commercial cultivars and production, apple diseases and pests, and fruit qualities, with a synopsis of the apple gene pool, botanical nomenclature and relationships, genetic status of current cultivars and international Malus germplasm programs, and apple cultivars and rootstock breeding. With summary and bibliography appending each chapter; for the apple chapter and others, most references are recent 20th-C. publications. Vol. 2 includes index to plant and other organism names.
29. Westwood, Melvin Neil. Temperate-Zone Pomology: Physiology and Culture. 3rd. ed. Portland, OR: Timber Press, 1993. 523 p. NAL SB355.W43 1993
For practicing pomologists and students, a reference work and textbook concerned with the scientific principles and practical culture of tree and small fruits and nut species of temperate climates. Although written primarily for commercial growers, some content may serve amateurs, particularly those with general botany and horticulturalbackgrounds. The book is organized into 19 chapters. Preliminary chapters deal with the history and current influences on fruit culture, production areas in the U.S. and the world, and the genetics of commercially-important species and varieties. Ch. 4 in this section deals with genetic resources preservation, varietal improvement, and commercially important varieties. Succeeding chapters cover various cultural practices and physiological development (flowering, fruiting, crop maturity, harvest), plus growth regulators, dormancy, and disease and pest management. Additional topics include special cultural requirements for growing temperate fruits in the tropics and subtropics, and factors involved in optimizing the commercial fruit farm. Text contains useful diagrams and tables; supplemental materials include a glossary, bibliography, and name and subject indexes. With black-and-white photos, plus section of color plates. First published in 1978 (San Francisco: W. H. Freeman, NAL SB355.W43); revised and reissued by Timber Press in 1988 (NAL SB355.W434 1988). Third edition currently in print.
1D. Heirloom Apples and Genetic Diversity
30. Bultitude, John. Apples: A Guide to the Identification of International Varieties. London: Macmillan Press, 1983. 325 p. NAL SB363.3.A1B79
A field guide to aid more experienced apples growers in identifying the more common--and also unusual types--that are for the most part still available. It covers some 250 commercial and noncommercial (garden) varieties, and also those of historical interest. The author notes that inclusion indicates only that particular varieties are currently grown and thus "liable to need identification from time to time," and doesn't imply recommendation per se. Descriptions are based on the author's own experience with apples grown at the U.K.'s National Fruit Trials and Brogdale Experimental Horticulture Station. Concise descriptions of mostly English cultivars, plus North American and others (Adams's Pearmain to Zabergäu) are arranged alphabetically, each with black-and-white photos of apple cross-sections and color plates. Descriptions include tree and flowering characteristics, fruit appearance and size, history, synonyms, brief comments on use and value, and literature references. Other chapters tell how best to use the book, with overviews of apple history and current commercial apple production; an additional chapter describes identifying characteristics and apple groups (based on use and appearance). Supplemented with a list of synonyms, and bibliography citing mostly English works. Volume out of print.
31. Crawford, Martin. Directory of Apple Cultivars. Subiaco, WA, Australia: Cornucopia Press (for Agroforestry Research Trust), 1996. 234 p. NAL SB363.3.A1M37 1996
Directory contains a wealth of information on 2650 apple cultivars, including varieties currently available commercially in the U.K. and North America. Within the main section individual cultivars are grouped as dessert/dual apples, cooking apples (i.e., acidic apples that cook down to a puree--a European distinction), cider apples, or crab apples (being those with edible fruits, or good pollinators). For each variety there is information on flowering and pollination, picking, and ripening dates (these aspects based on southern England), plus brief notes on disease resistance/susceptibility, fruit and tree qualities, origin and parentage, and suppliers. (U.K. suppliers only are provided; readers are referred to Seed Savers Exchange's Fruit, Nut and Berry Inventory (cited in entry 242, this volume) for North American sources, thus the publication has less utility on its own as a plant-finding tool for North American readers.) A separate section includes detailed explanation of the descriptors used, a chart listing the characteristics of 150+ rootstocks, and lists of sports included in the directory, plus varietal lists and their pertinent traits for the following groups: self-fertile cultivars, tip bearers, spur bearers, and apples suited to particular uses (no-prune culture, areas with late frosts, alkaline soils, organic cultivation, drying apples, juice or cider production, etc.). The appendix provides a source list for the U.K., selected bibliography, and index to names and synonyms. (For availability, contact Cornucopia Press, P.O. Box 27, Subiaco, WA 6008, Australia, fax 09-385-3400.)
32. Larsen, R. Paul. "The quiet revolution in the apple orchard." In: That We May Eat. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1975. U.S. Dept. of Agriculture Yearbook 1975. p. 158-168. NAL 1 Ag84y 1975
Provides a mid-1970s overview of commercial apple production, describing progress in terms of improved apple varieties and strains, disease and pest management, and production and storage techniques, which together have produced today's "high quality apples [available] 365 days a year." At the time of this writing, the top eight U.S. varieties were seedling apples "hybridized by nature before 1900."
33. Manhart, Warren. Apples for the 21st Century. Portland, OR: North American Tree Co., 1995. 274 p., plus appendices. NAL SB363.3.A1M36 1995
A practical and informative guide to selecting and growing superior apple cultivars, based on the author's extensive experience in evaluating varieties. Intended for hobbyists as well as professional growers, it provides guidance on varieties suited to particular climates and other conditions, and identifies particular virtues and faults. Part I introduces the book's content, considering several topics relevant to orchardists, such as climate, chill time, and apple biology. Part II describes 50 superior apple cultivars, all readily-obtained; included are U.S. and European apples, and others that are sold commercially, as well as varieties better suited to home growers or connoisseurs (the latter group either not well-tested or less profitable). Descriptions, which have been modeled after Beach's Apples of New York (see Volume 3, Historical Supplement, entry 47), include notes on origins, tree productivity and characteristics, fruit quality, general quality rankings, and comparisons with similar varieties. Since many of the 50 are pre-20th-C. varieties, this work provides useful comparisons among the antiques and the best of the newer introductions, including some up-and-coming varieties and new apples from prominent breeding programs. Part III provides data on flowering periods and commercial apple statistics; Part IV, guidance on selecting apple rootstocks; Part V, physiological apple problems, insects and pests, orchard management, and direct marketing for small commercial orchards; and Part VI, the author's favorite apples. Appendices provide a listing of North American (mostly U.S.) nurseries, and brief glossary, plus a list of literature cited and recommended books and periodicals. Currently in print; available SA.
34. Morgan, Joan and Alison Richards. The Book of Apples. London: Ebury Press (with Brogdale Horticultural Trust), 1993. 304 p. NAL SB363.M64 1993
An informative and attractive volume published in association with the U.K.'s Brogdale Historical Trust. The main section consists of a directory of the 2000 varieties maintained in the Apple Collection at Brogdale in Kent, with notes (ranging from a few lines to several paragraphs) on appearance, culture, and flavor characteristics, plus synonyms and history. Included are varieties from North America and continental Europe, although apples originating in the British Isles are best represented. The directory section is preceded by chapters on the apple's history, its many cultural uses (for decoration and drink as well as food), and developmental influences, with focus largely although not exclusively on Great Britain. Topics include the growth of the commercial apple industry and efforts to catalog and preserve British apple heritage. Appendices highlight the main themes of apple cookery, provide apple-growing basics, and include an annotated list of apple collections and nurseries in Europe and North America. Includes also an extensive reference listing and index to the main text. Supplemented with handsome color plates painted from life, by Elisabeth Dowle. Currently in print.
35. Yepsen, Roger B. Apples. New York: W.W. Norton, 1994. 255 p. NAL SB363.3.A1Y46 1994
A handy (palm-sized, only 5 inches by 6 inches) and attractive book, full of interest for apple enthusiasts. Preliminary chapters offer background information on "the fruit of legend and lunchboxes," including apple lore and facts (such as how to buy and eat apples, using apples in the kitchen, hard and soft cider, and the apple orchard). The heart of the book (p. 61-243) is a gallery of some 90 varieties, a mix of recent disease-resistant introductions and esteemed antiques--Akane to Zabergau Reinette. Among the old and new apples are those both obscure and well-known, from North America and elsewhere. Descriptions (ranging from a couple of paragraphs to a full page of text) touch on ancestry, fruit qualities, and relative maturity and keeping quality. Each is supplemented with a full-page watercolor illustration by the author. Supplemental materials includes a glossary ("apple argot"), a list of mail-order tree sellers, and brief lists of cider and wine-making suppliers, resource organizations, and apple publications. Currently in print; available FE,SS.
Related work. A Celebration of Heirloom Vegetables: Growing and Cooking Old-Time Varieties is a new volume written and illustrated by Roger Yepsen (New York: Artisan, 1998, 192 p.). It contains historical information, growing advice, recipes, and seed and plant sources. Currently in print; available SS.
1E. Food Crops--Conserving Genetic Diversity and Related Topics
This section cites books, book chapters, and technical reports that provide information on governmental plant germplasm preservation systems or facilities (i.e., "genebanks" or "seedbanks") in the U.S. and Canada, and also selected international programs. Included also are publications on various aspects of varietal diversity and genetic resources management of food crops. Publications whose major focus is crop origins and domestication, or the introduction of non-native vegetables and fruits to North America and their early histories in domestic food production, are cited in Volume 3, Historical Supplement, in Part III, "Histories of Vegetables and Fruits." Publications dealing with various dimensions of grassroots conservation programs (i.e., those initiated and supported by gardeners and farmers), are found in this volume in Section 1F, "Food Crops--Community- and Farmer-based Conservation." Several books in Section 1A, "Heirloom Vegetables and Gardening Today," and in Section 1B, "Seed Production and Plant Breeding--Practical Aspects," also consider, to varying degree, the conservation aspects of heirloom gardening, especially in the U.S. and Canada, and similar settings.
36. Council for Agricultural Science and Technology. Plant Germplasm Preservation and Utilization in U.S. Agriculture. Ames, IA: The Council, 1985. CAST Report no. 106. 35 p. NAL S22.C6 no.106
A mid-1980s assessment by a team of USDA and university scientists, intended for a nonspecialist readership. Topics considered include genetic diversity; genetic erosion; acquiring germplasm by plant exploration and introduction; germplasm use by plant breeders; systems for collecting, preserving, and utilizing germplasm; historical roles of public breeders and the private seed industry; and the impacts of the 1970 U.S. Plant Variety Protection Act on germplasm resources, plant breeding, competition in the seed industry, and seed prices. Includes brief profiles of the International Board for Plant Genetic Resources (IBPGR) and components of the U.S. National Plant Germplasm System, with an assessment of the latter's adequacy in meeting current and future needs. With summary statement, p. 1-2, and appended with bibliography. (For availability, contact CAST, 4420 West Lincoln Way, Ames, IA 50014-3447, tel. 515-292-2125, fax 515-292-4512, e-mail cast@cast-science.org, Web site http://www.cast-science.org/index.html.)
37. Doyle, Jack. Altered Harvest: Agriculture, Genetics, and the Fate of the World's Food Supply. New York: Viking Penguin, 1986. 502 p. NAL HD9006.D65 1986
Still an important book for those concerned about where their food comes from--and where it may be going. Altered Harvest traces the emergence, to the early 1980s, of the agricultural genetics industry as a profound economic and political force with expanding global reach. It explores the implications of increasing concentration of money and power behind multinational agrichemical corporations, backed by government and science interests, which together promise to exert unprecedented control of the "genetic variable" in the food system. The narrative provides a close look at ways that use of new biotechnologies to manipulate genes, along with legal expansions of patent-type protections to control life forms and processes, may affect biological diversity in domesticated crops and livestock, environmental quality, and food safety and security. It documents homogenizing influences within the North American farm and garden seed industries, and links to similar, system-wide trends in agriculture as a whole, and examines the goals and products of public- and private-sector plant breeding (including creation of hybrid corn, the Green Revolution, and historical examples of the downsides of breeding for uniformity). Also considered are the growth during this century of legal means to control ownership and distribution of seeds and plant materials, and growing politicization of gardeners and farmers with respect to seed access issues. The author suggests that genetic technologies might be used to create agricultural and economic diversity, and to expand options for farmers, gardeners, and consumers, but he believes that, over the long term, the business-as-usual approach to genetic engineering "will mean greater vulnerability in the food system [as] more of the technological 'pieces' of agriculture essential to food production--seeds, livestock embryos, microbes, and gene-keyed agrichemicals--will be in fewer and fewer hands..." (p. 30-31). Doyle's lively critique is based on extensive research, including interviews with key participants in government and science. The text contains detailed footnotes and bibliography, plus an appendix with data outlining U.S. business investments in agrigenetics and biotechnology research during the early 1980s. At the time of publication, the author was affiliated with Environmental Policy Institute, a Washington, D.C.-based, nonprofit, public-interest organization. Volume out of print.
38. Duvick, Donald N. "Possible effects of intellectual property rights on erosion and conservation of plant genetic resources in centers of crop diversity." In: International Crop Science I. D.R. Buxton et al., eds. Madison, WI: Crop Science Society of America, 1993. Ch. 66, p. 505-509. NAL SB16.A328 1992
Following an introduction to historical plant improvement and conservation, the author addresses potential ways that implementation of legal restrictions on plant genetic materials (i.e., patents and plant variety protection, also called breeders' rights) may affect use of plant germplasm by farmers and professional breeders, and enhance its value. He concludes that intellectual property rights will further amplify the need to conserve local farmer varieties in their centers of diversity in developing countries, and calls for measures that will use those rights designed "for private gain to promote public good." With bibliography. This paper is one of many presented at the International Crop Science Congress held in Ames, Iowa, during July 1992. Plant germplasm management and related issues (especially intellectual property rights) were prominent among the subjects covered by the scientific gathering, the volume containing papers by J.T. Williams, J.I. Cohen, Garrison Wilkes, Henry Shands, and others. (A conference overview appears in Diversity 8(3): 10-12 (1992), NAL SB123.3.D5.)
39. Fowler, Cary. "International conflicts in 'new crops'policy." In: New Crops. National Symposium New Crops: Exploration, Research, and Commercialization (2nd; 1991; Indianapolis, Ind.); Jules Janick and James E. Simon, eds. New York: Wiley, 1993. p. 22-27. NAL SB160.N38 1991
The author traces developments related to the rising value of plant genetic resources, from the plant migrations following the "Columbian Exchange," to consequences of the Keystone Center's International Dialogue Series held in 1988, 1990, and 1991 [and later in 1994--see below]. His aim: to help those working with "new crops" to "be mindful of the context" of their work. According to the author, the Dialogues "recognized that questions of ownership, control, and the realization of value of genetic resources were linked to the problem of [their] conservation." The volume consists of presentations made to the second national symposium on new crops, which dealt with aspects of policy, research and development, and genetic resources for a wide array of specific crops. Most presentations dealt with new species or new plant products, versus crop varieties, an exception being Duane L. Johnson and Mitra N. Jha's article, "Blue corn," (p. 228-230), presenting a modern evaluation of protein-rich Hopi blue corn. (For H. Eshbaugh's article on chile peppers, see entry 405, this volume.) Bibliographies append each article; volume includes indexes.
Related works: The following four publications resulted from the Keystone Center-sponsored dialogues on plant genetic resources management issues, held during the period 1988 to 1994. (For availability of the first three documents, see the Keystone Center's Web page at http://www.keystone.org/.)
Keystone International Dialogue Series on Plant Genetic Resources. Final Report of the Keystone International Dialogue on Plant Genetic Resources: Session I: Ex Situ Conservation of Plant Genetic Resources, [First Plenary Session], August 15-18, 1988. Keystone, CO: Keystone Center, 1988. 46 p.
Keystone International Dialogue Series on Plant Genetic Resources. Final Consensus Report of the Keystone International Dialogue Series on Plant Genetic Resources: Madras Plenary Session, Second Plenary Session, 29 January - 2 February, 1990, Madras, India. Washington, DC: Genetic Resources Communications Systems, [1990]. 39 p. NAL QK981.K49 1990
Keystone International Dialogue Series on Plant Genetic Resources (3rd: 1991: Oslo, Norway). Oslo Plenary Session, Final Consensus Report: Global Initiative for the Security and Sustainable Use of Plant Genetic Resources, Third Plenary Session, 31 May - 4 June, 1991, Oslo, Norway. Washington, DC: Genetic Resources Communications Systems, 1991. 42 p. NAL QK981.7.K49 1991
Keystone International Dialogue Series on Plant Genetic Resources (5th: 1994: Madras,India); M.S. Swaminathan, ed. Farmers' Rights and Plant Genetic Resources: Recognition & Reward: A Dialogue. Madras: MacMillan India, 1995. Reaching the Unreached [series]. 440 p. NAL QK981.7.F37 1995
40. Fowler, Cary. Unnatural Selection: Technology, Politics, and Plant Evolution. Yverdon, Switzerland; U.S.A: Gordon and Breach, 1994. International Studies in Global Change no. 6. 317 p. NAL SB123.F68 1994
Examines the historical and social development of control over plant genetic resources. Part I reviews early seed and plant collecting initiatives arising from existing botanical inequity among regions and nations of the world. Ch. 1 in this section surveys the rise of commercial agriculture, from the start of the 19th C., and Ch. 2, scientific plant breeding during the period 1800 to 1930, with focus on U.S. and European events. The latter chapter considers the impacts of the developing market economy on the relationship between farmers and planting materials, using hybrid corn as the focal point and tracing the transition from farmers as seed savers, to seed purchasers. Part II (Ch. 3-5) deals with the creation of intellectual property rights for plants in the U.S. The Plant Patent Act of 1930, secured by commercial nursery interests, is the subject of Ch. 3; Ch. 4 is concerned with the Plant Variety Protection Act (PVPA) of 1970, and Ch. 5, with PVPA expansion in 1980. Part III (Ch. 6) reviews the expansion of intellectual property rights issues to international arenas; the focus here is on the linkage of property rights with trade issues at GATT (Ch. 6); the farmers' rights issues at conferences of the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and negotiations held at the Keystone International Dialogue on Plant Genetic Resources. Each chapter appended with lengthy endnotes. Supplemental materials include a brief survey of the loss of genetic diversity in the U.S. and Third World; glossary of technical terms; explanation of the writer's theoretical basis for the study and sequential accounting of his sources of information and methodology; an extensive bibliography; and subject index. At the time of publication, the author was Senior Officer with FAO, thus a portion of the modern history reflects his "insider" role as participant and observer (Ch. 5, for example, includes his role in opposing the 1980 PVPA amendment.) Currently in print.
Related works: A more comprehensive examination of the origins and threats to crop genetic diversity occurs in the author's previous book, Shattering: Food, Politics, and the Loss of Genetic Diversity (by Cary Fowler and Pat Mooney, University of Arizona Press, 1990, NAL SB175.F68 1990), which was issued in the U.K. under the title, The Threatened Gene: Food, Politics, and the Loss of Genetic Diversity (Cambridge: Butterworth, 1990, SB123.F69 1990). Volume currently in print; available AL,GC,HA,PW,SB. Mr. Fowler served as senior author for the 1988 work, The Laws of Life: Another Development and the New Biotechnologies (Uppsala, Sweden: Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation, 350 p., Development Dialogue no. 1/2, NAL S494.5.B563L3). A cooperative effort from the Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation, Rural Advancement Foundation International (RAFI), and others, this well-documented publication grew out of the Foundation's 1987 Seminar, "The Socioeconomic Impact of New Biotechnologies on Basic Health and Agriculture in the Third World." The series continues with the recent book, The Parts of Life: Agricultural Biodiversity, Indigenous Knowledge, and the Role of the Third System, by P. Mooney (Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation, 1997, 185 p., Development Dialog Special Issue). It can be downloaded from RAFI's Web site, http://www.rafi.ca/publications/dev_dialog.html (or ordered from Dag Hammarskjöld Centre, Övre Slottsgatan 2, SE-753 10 Uppsala, Sweden).
[NOTE: Citation number 41 does not exist.]
42. Hauptli, Holly, et al. "Biotechnology and crop breeding for sustainable agriculture." In: Sustainable Agriculture Systems. Clive A. Edwards et al., eds. Ankeny, IA: Soil and Water Conservation Society, 1990. Ch. 10, p. 141-156.
In this chapter, the genetic modifications resulting from efforts to produce crops that fit into modern, intensive production systems are reviewed. Focus is on the processing tomato, whose biology and history of domestication, combined with the efforts of modern breeders, have yielded cultivars that, by intention, are highly uniform compared to ancestral tomatoes still found in South America. The authors assert that, to develop modern crop varieties suited to sustainable production systems, the "biological principles needed...are analagous to those that underlay the stability of land race varieties under subsistence production conditions"; these principles include lowered reliance on synthetic chemicals, a broader genetic base, and tolerance (rather than absolute resistance) to diseases and pests. They argue that bioengineering through recombinant DNA techniques can be used successfully to produce tomatoes for sustainable systems, citing examples of insect and pest resistance, herbicide tolerance, and other desirable plant traits. The senior author and two others were at the time affiliated with Calgene, a biotechnology company in Davis,California. The volume consists of 40 chapters on technological components and environmental, economic, and policy aspects of sustainable systems in both temperate and tropical zones, which were based on presentations from a 1988 international conference. Currently in print.
43. Hawkes, J.G. The Diversity of Crop Plants. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1983. 184 p. NAL SB185.75.H38
This book from a distinguished British plant scientist reviewed current thinking on how and when crop plants originated, how plant breeders have used the diversity that has accumulated over millennia, and the formal, international undertakings of the last 30 years to safeguard plant germplasm diversity for current and future use. Opening sections (Ch. 1-3) review the geographic origins of major crop plants, the patterns of their dispersal and development, how they differ from their wild progenitors, and the features (such as ecological weediness) that predisposed them to human selection. Ch. 4 examines the nature of genetic diversity, including how it appears as morphological or biochemical variation. Ch. 5 explains how breeders rely on a wide genetic base to enhance yields, quality (such as nutritional content), or adaption to environmental extremes, and the types of plant genetic resources used by breeders, which range from wild relatives, to current and obsolete commercial cultivars. Ch. 6 reviews the loss of genetic richness in cultivated plants in their centers of diversity and replacement by standard varieties (i.e., the problem of genetic erosion), and reviews scientific aspects of plant collection, conservation, and evaluation. A final chapter discusses global strategies and actions to conserve and utilize plant genetic resources. With numerous maps and illustrations throughout, plus bibliography and subject index. Portions of the book are more pertinent to crop scientists and evolutionists, although there is good discussion of plant origins and the nature of crop diversity that is accessible to general readers. The author's viewpoint is largely limited to the scientific sector's interests and activities in plant germplasm resource issues. Professor Hawkes is currently professor emeritus at the University of Birmingham, England. Volume out of print.
44. Iltis, Hugh. "Serendipity in the exploration of biodiversity: What good are weedy tomatoes?" In: Biodiversity. Edward O. Wilson, ed. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 1988. Ch. 10, p. 98-105. NAL QH75.A1N32 1986
A plant scientist tells of his role in collecting certain wild tomato species from Peru, which eventually served as raw materials in boosting the U.S. canning tomato industry by tens of millions of dollars. He argues that botanical exploration continues to be important and that the tomato example represents the many real instances of crop enrichment via gene transfer from wild species. Professor Iltis objects to demands for proof of "economic" value of biodiversity, which may come years after collection, and argues that biologists must insist on investment and support for natural reserves and the study of diversity in situ. The volume, consisting of contributions from distinquished scholars on the issues and challenges presented by global biodiversity conservation, was based on presentations from the 1986 "National Forum on Biodiversity" held in Washington, DC. Many chapters (of 57 total) are more directly concerned with conservation issues and problems of wild plant and animal species and their natural habitats. Two other chapters deal specifically with food crops: Ch. 28, p. 240-247, by J. Trevor Williams, entitled "Identifying and protecting the origins of our food plants"; and Ch. 41, p. 361-369, by Miguel A. Altieri and Laura C. Merrick, entitled "Agroecology and in situ conservation of native crop diversity in the Third World." Currently in print.
45. Janick, Jules, ed. The National Plant Germplasm System of the United States. Portland, OR: Timber Press, 1989. Plant Breeding Reviews vol. 7. 230 p. NAL SB123.P55 v.7 1989, ARB SB123.3.N3
A status report on various aspects of the U.S. National Plant Germplasm System (USNPGS), from "acquisition through preservation, and from evaluation to enhancement." Consists of eight chapters by individual contributors, the subjects including the history of USNPGS, plant exploration, maintenance and storage procedures for seeds and clonal materials, use of biotechnology in germplasm preservation, and germplasm evaluation and enhancement. Each chapter contains a bibliography. The volume is appended with subject and author indexes.
46. Kidd, George H. "The new plant genetics: Restructuring the global seed industry." In: The World Biotech Report 1985. Vol. 1. Europe: Proceedings of Biotech '85 Europe, Geneva, May 1985. Biotech '85 Europe. Pinner, Middlesex, U.K,: Online Publications, 1985. 3 vols. p. 311-321. NAL TP248.2.W682
Industrial analyst presents an overview of the revenues and profits that the new plant genetics (including tissue culture and DNA technologies) applied to improving crop heredity and productivity will add to crops and seeds globally. Includes a look at impacts on the structure of the global seed trade (his prediction in 1985: that soon after the year 2000, "no more than a dozen global companies will dominate the seed markets"). This paper was one of several dozen from scientists, policymakers, and industrialists who convened for an international congress on genetic and other biotechnologies; four presentations dealt with the "new plant genetics." Volume also titled Biotech '85 and Proceedings of Biotech '85.
47. Kloppenburg, Jack, ed. Seeds and Sovereignty: The Use and Control of Plant Genetic Resources. Durham, NC: Duke University Press (for American Association for the Advancement of Science), 1988. 368 p. NAL SB123.3.S44
While agricultural plant biodiversity has long been recognized as vital to the "common good," plants--and more narrowly, their genes--are increasingly treated as privately-owned commodities to be bought and sold. This book examines what came to be called the "Seed Wars," a global conflict that erupted in the 1970s over access to, control over, and preservation of plant genetic resources. Tweny contributors with differing viewpoints (among them Otto Frankel, H. Garrison Wilkes, Jack Harlan, William L. Brown, and others, primarily government, academic, or private sector scientists and administrators) "provide a map of positions in the plant germplasm debate," to identify issues and find solutions. The book is divided into four main sections following a brief introduction. Part I presents a comprehensive overview of the biological and social elements of the "politicization of plant genetic resources." Part II examines the historical and contemporary contexts of plant evolution and biodiversity, plant exploration and collection, and genetic erosion. This section includes chapters on the contribution of exotic germplasm to U.S. agriculture, presenting examples of several important crops (corn, soybeans, wheat, and others), and the use of biotechnology tools to assess genetic diversity and develop new crop varieties. Part III presents differing perspectives on events further fueling the Seed Wars dispute, including a 1983 Undertaking by the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization that broadly defined plant genetic resources (including advanced plant breeders lines and hybrid varieties, as well as farmer-developed landraces) as the "common heritage of mankind." This section explores national interests, farmer interests, institutional responsibilities, and the perspectives of the seed industry and the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research, the latter a network of international centers and programs whose goal is to enhance sustainable food production in developing countries. Part IV offers proposals for institutional changes that control the exchange and use of plant germplasm. A bibliography appends each chapter; volume contains subject index and notes on contributors. Currently in print.
Related work: A second book from the same period, also by Dr. Kloppenburg (who is currently professor of rural sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison), provides background to the debate over rights of access to crop germplasm. First the Seed: The Political Economy of Plant Biotechnology, 1492-2000 (New York: Cambridge University Press, 1988, 349 p., NAL SB117.3.K5) offers historical analysis of plant breeding, including bioengineered crop improvement, and the U.S. seed industry. Volume out of print.
48. Rissler, Jane and Margaret Mellon. The Ecological Risks of Engineered Crops. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1996. 168 p. NAL SB123.57.R564 1996
This book has been revised and expanded from the authors' earlier publication, Perils Amidst the Promise: Ecological Risks of Transgenic Crops in a Global Market. Its authors, who are affiliated with the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), believe that "[A]gricultural biotechnology should be evaluated in the context of efforts to make agriculture more sustainable and less environmentally damaging," and that "[A]n educated public should have a say in choosing among the benefits of the technology." Ch. 1 outlines the book's subject matter, which consists of an analysis of potential ecological damage associated with large-scale commercial use of bioengineered (or transgenic) crops, and the efficacy of current U.S. regulatory schemes. Ch. 2 defines transgenic plants (i.e., those manipulated in the laboratory to contain traits from unrelated organisms) and reviews the "first wave" of bioengineered crops being commercialized from private and government-sponsored research, and the types of existing applications, such as herbicide and pest resistance. Ch. 3 describes and classifies particular kinds of environmental risks: those associated with engineered plants themselves (which may become "weeds" in agricultural ecosystems), and with the movement of transgenes into related plant types, including wild and weedy relatives. Cumulative effects, including reduced biodiversity in local communities and centers of crop diversity, and risks associated with engineered virus-resistant crops, are discussed. Ch. 4 reviews the risk assessment process and presents a novel scheme to analyze crop weediness potential and gene flow, to assess the two kinds of risks outlined previously. Ch. 5 explains the implications of a global seed trade positioned for widespread adoption of transgenics, especially the flow of novel genes into related plants in centers of crop diversity in developing countries (already diminished by habitat loss and replacement by modern varieties). Ch. 6 reviews current U.S. regulations governing bioengineered crops and outlines UCS's conclusions and recommendations concerning commercial development, risk assessment, and regulation of transgenic crops. The text uses clear language to explain scientific concepts and keeps readers "on track" with frequent summaries. Appended materials include a glossary of terms, endnotes and sources, lengthy bibliography, and subject index. Currently in print.
Related work: Perils Amidst the Promise, cited above, was issued in 1993 (Cambridge, MA: Union of Concerned Scientists, 92 p., NAL SB123.57.R57 1993, volume out of print). For more information on work in this area by the UCS Agriculture and Biotechnology Program, see Volume 2, Resource Organizations, entry 77.
49. National Research Council, Committee on Genetic Vulnerability of Major Crops. Genetic Vulnerability of Major Crops. Washington, DC: National Academy of Sciences, 1972. 307 p. NAL SB731.N27 1972, ARB SB731.N27
An influencial assessment of the genetic vulnerability of important U.S. crops to disease and insect attacks.Assembled by a panel of plant breeders, pathologists, and other agricultural scientists, this belwether report followed two years after the Southern corn leaf blight of 1970 destroyed 50 percent of the corn crop in the southern states most affected (and 15 percent overall), and stimulated wider interest in the genetic status of farm crops in the nation and elsewhere. Part I examines disease epidemics in general and the corn blight epidemic in particular, covering the complexities of plant host and disease agent interactions, the types of plant genetic resources that breeders draw upon, and economic aspects of epidemics (including economic and social pressures on plant breeders that lead to genetic specialization and uniformity). With a chapter on the dynamics of insect outbreaks. Part II consists of seven chapters, each focusing on the genetic vulnerability of a particular food or fiber crop or crop group; these include corn; wheat; sorghum and pearl millet; rice; potato, sugar beet, and sweet potato; soybeans and other edible legumes; cotton; and vegetable crops. For each there is review of the diversity present in the species as a whole and in prevailing commercial varieties within the U.S., important disease and insect problems, trends in breeding programs and technologies, and prospects for broadening the genetic base. In Ch. 14 on vegetables (p. 254-268), the authors conclude that "the disappearance of old varieties displaced by productive, uniform hybrids may be a serious loss of germ plasm for future breeders." Part III examines the challenges stemming from highly vulnerable American crops,including devising new breeding strategies that conserve genetic material as well as production increases. The report includes summary statements and recommendations (p. 1-2); among the conclusions: "...most major crops are impressively uniform genetically and impressively vulnerable" to disease epidemics, "this uniformity [deriving] from powerful economic and legislative forces." The text avoids specialized terminology or jargon; Part I, for instance, offers a "short course" on plant disease epidemiology, which is accessible to non-scientific readers, as is the rest of the report. Bibliographic references with each chapter. Appended with list of committee members. Volume out of print.
50. National Research Council, Committee on Managing Global Genetic Resources: Agricultural Imperatives.The U.S. National Plant Germplasm System. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 1991. Managing Global Genetic Resources. 171 p. NAL SB123.3.U17, ARB SB123.3.U17
Part of a major study on agricultural crop genetic resources, this volume presents an in-depth analysis of the U.S. National Plant Germplasm System (USNPGS), including discussion of the challenges of effective management, components and administrative functioning of the system, its role in international plant conservation, and history of germplasm management in the U.S. Non-federal activities, including botanical gardens, grassroots organizations (such as Seed Savers Exchange), are mentioned briefly in terms of their distinctive collections and goals. Executive Summary (p. 1-20) contains recommendations concerning USNPGS' administration, germplasm acquisition and collection, and overall mission. With black-and-white photos and diagrams. Currently in print.
Related works: This book is the first part of a four-volume series, "Managing Global Genetic Resources," which was prepared by a team of U.S. and international scientists. Each volume deals with economically-important plant and animal genetic resources. Other volumes are: Forest Trees (NAL SD399.7.F67), issued in 1991; and in 1993, Livestock (NAL SF105.3.L58 1993) and Agricultural Crop Issues and Policies (NAL SB123.3.A47 1993). Written for a broad readership and designed to serve as the anchor volume of the series, the latter publication examines the scientific, technical, economic, and policy issues relating to germplasm conservation, collection, use, and ownership. It includes an overview of the usefulness of germplasm, conservation options (in situ and ex situ), the worldwide network of genetic collections, impacts of biotechnology, perceptions of germplasm use by breeders and other users, and related topics. With Executive Summary (p. 1-28). Like The U.S. National Plant Germplasm System, these three volumes contain the NRC Committee's recommendations for action on the various topics addressed. Each contains also a bibliography, glossary, and subject index. With black-and-white photos and diagrams. Currently in print.
51. Olson, Richard K. and Charles A. Francis. "A hierarchical framework for evaluating diversity in agroecosystems." In: Exploring the Role of Diversity in Sustainable Agriculture: Proceedings of a Symposium... Richard K. Olson, Charles A. Francis, and Stephen Kaffka, eds. Madison, WI: American Society of Agronomy, 1995. Ch. 1, p. 5-34. NAL S494.5.D58E86 1995
This chapter illustrates the biological (including genetic), social, and economic elements of agroecosystems and the complexity of their interactions. Considered are how to quantify diversity, relationships of diversity to agroecosystem functions, and diversity's role in stabilizing the "agricultural hierarchy" (from the microplot or field level, to farm level, and ultimately to regional and global levels). The volume consists of nine chapters contributed by agronomists, ecologists, anthropologists and others, which examine ways to analyse and use elements of diversity in agricultural production systems. Volume out of print.
52. Patent, Dorothy Hinshaw. The Vanishing Feast: How Dwindling Genetic Diversity Threatens the World's Food Supply. San Diego, CA: Harcourt Brace, 1994. 180 p. NAL S494.3.P38 1994
An excellent introduction to agricultural biodiversity in our food crops and farm livestock, exploring "what diversity can do for us, how it is threatened, and what we can do to preserve it." Part 1 explains the nature of diversity in cultivated and wild plants, and how uniformity imperils continued improvements in food crops. Historical examples of the pitfalls of a narrow gene pool are provided, with discussion of the pressures that have overwhelmed local, traditional crop varieties, highlighting potatoes and corn. Part 2 describes in more detail how scientifically-bred, high-yielding varieties and associated farming systems, which characterize "Green Revolution" approaches to agricultural improvement, have heightened diversity losses. Traditional farming systems that are diversity-enhancing are compared briefly. This section examines changes in the structure and conventions of modern agriculture that affect biodiversity, including the impact of multinational chemical and seed companies, genetic engineering, and legal protections that limit farmers' seed-saving practices. Part 3 is concerned with declining animal diversity, the benefits offered by minor breeds of cattle, pigs, and other farm animals, and trends on modern American farms, especially in the poultry business. Part 4 describes government-sponsored preservation systems, including the U.S.'s genebank network, and grassroots efforts, such as Seed Savers Exchange, North American Fruit Explorers, and American Livestock Breeds Conservancy. The pluses and minuses of preservation, whether in seed bank or garden, are examined, as are "creative solutions" for preserving and sharing biological wealth, and sustainable food production.Supplemented with glossary of terms, suggested reading list, and subject index. The book was written for a young adult audience, and complex issues are thus simplified, yet it is effective also in presenting the major issues for adultreaders (and the bibliography is more suited to adults). The author is a Ph.D-zoologist who has written numerous award-winning science books for young people. Currently in print.
53. Pistorius, Robin. Scientists, Plants and Politics: A History of the Plant Genetic Resources Movement. Rome, Italy: International Plant Genetic Resources Institute, 1997. 134 p. NAL SB123.3.P57 1997
This recently published book analyzes the scientific, historical, and political factors that have shaped today's strategies and policies affecting plant genetic resources at the global level. The narrative presents a detailed chronicle of important conferences, debates, and publications. Drawn from published and unpublished sources and personal interviews, it presents the perspectives of many individuals and organizations with key roles and varying interests in germplasm conservation issues. A preliminary chapter explains "how plant genetic resources became a global issue," starting with the collection and introduction activities of the first half of the 20th C., and proceeding to the development of national and international germplasm collections during the 1950s-1960s. Subsequent topics include rising concern over "genetic erosion" and debates on conservation activities in the 1960s; linkages between breeding and conservation strategies; moves to establish a global genebank network in the 1970s; and varying dimensions of the conservation strategies of the 1980s-1990s, including review of the arguments for and against in situ and ex situ strategies. A comparison of the development of genetic resource issues (emphasizing 'conservation' for 'use') and biodiversity issues (emphasizing 'conservation' per se) is made. Appended materials include a lengthy bibliography, glossary of terms, and subject index. Notes supplementing the text are provided in footnotes. The book resulted from the author's research as a recipient of the Vavilov-Frankel Fellowship, a program established to honor the unique contributions of Soviet botanist, Nikolai Vavilov, and Australian plant breeder, Sir Otto Frankel. (Vavilov's work receives primary focus in a separate volume by Igor Loskutov, Vavilov and his Institute, IPGRI, 1997.) For availability, or more information on IPGRI, see Volume 2, Resource Organizations, entry 52.
54. Prescott-Allen, Robert and Christine Prescott-Allen. Genes from the Wild: Using Wild Genetic Resources for Food and Raw Materials. London: International Institute for Environment and Development, Earthscan, 1988. 111 p. NAL QH433.P7 1988
Presents an analysis of plant breeders' use of genes from wild plant species, to improve agricultural crops, assessing contributions to date and future outlook. The book's main section is preceded by an executive summary, with important points keyed to specific pages within the text. Ch. 1 consists of a brief introduction to the subject and definition of terms. Ch. 2 offers specific examples of how particular plants have been improved by the use of wild plant breeding materials, emphasizing cereal grains and other food staples, and covering also vegetables and fruits, oil and forage crops, fiber crops and timber, and other economically-important world crops. Succeeding chapters address the types of benefits (such as yield increases or environmental adaptions) offered by wild relatives of domestic plants, including how breeding is done and pointing out why wild genes are sometimes a "last resort" (Ch. 3); where wild genes are found, and existing trends and issues (such as privatization) relating to their distribution and use (Ch. 4); threats to wild genetic resources, with examples provided for specific crops (Ch. 5); and conservation strategies for wild plants (Ch. 6). The latter chapter discusses pros and cons, and difficulties associated with ex situ and in situ programs, and their complementarity. With charts and illustrations, plus bibliography, and index to geographical locations and organizations. First published in 1983 (NAL QH433. P7). The authors are independent resource analysts who specialize in the conservation and use of plant and animal resources. Recent edition currently in print.
55. Raeburn, Paul. The Last Harvest: The Genetic Gamble That Threatens to Destroy American Agriculture. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1995. 269 p. NAL SB123.25.U6R34 1995
Intending to raise popular interest and alarm concerning genetic erosion and food security issues, the writer charges that American farmers, and ultimately the American public, are "betting the farm" by relying on a dangerously narrow genetic base of crops, and that current efforts to preserve plant seeds and other materials are inadequate. Raeburn explains how existing uniformity in our important economic crops--uniformity sought by consumers as well as plant breeders, farmers, and other food sector participants--equals vulnerability to pests, diseases, and environmental stresses. The book stems from a 1989 series of award-winning articles, "Seeds of conflict," co-authored by Associated Press colleague Lee Mitgang, which argued that inadequate funding and officialneglect had turned the U.S.'s seedbanks into little more than "seed morgues." One chapter offers an update on the status of the U.S. National Plant Germplasm System; Raeburn supports its mission and praises its directors, but remains critical of its effectiveness. Also examined are the contributions of other organizations charged with safeguarding plant biodiversity, including the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research network, and private, grassroots initiatives in the U.S. (such as Seed Savers Exchange), and related topics, including international conflicts over germplasm access and exchange, and plant variety protection issues. Written for readers without a plant sciences background, the book includes numerous examples and anecdotes to explain scientific issues and to illustrate some of the dilemmas implicit in crop development and preservation. For instance, the chapter "Green gold" cites the production successes created by adoption of high-yielding wheat and rice varieties, which revolutionized Third World agriculture in the "Green Revolution," yet also stimulated replacement of large numbers of farmer's traditional landraces by genetically-uniform varieties. The chapter "Billion-dollar corn" conveys the potential genetic values of wild relati