Decoded genome paves way for better watermelons [Cornell Chronicle 11/27/2012] – Researchers in the United States, China and Europe discovered that a large portion of disease resistance genes were lost in the domestication of watermelon. “Watermelons are an important cash crop and among the top five most consumed fresh fruits; however, cultivated watermelons have a very narrow genetic base, which presents a major bottleneck to its breeding,” said Zhangjun Fei, a scientist at the Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research (BTI) on Cornell’s campus and one of the project leaders.
Study: Vegetables can make you look like a hero, and a better cook [Cornell Chronicle 11/28/2012] – “Simply put, vegetables make people feel more positive about the main course and the cook who prepared it,” said Brian Wansink, the John S. Dyson Professor of Marketing at Cornell’s Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management and lead author of the study.
Organic farming takes root in Yates County [MPMnow.com 11/26/2012] – “Yates County is a leader in organic farming because we are a leader in farming. Our soils, lakes and positive political climate for agriculture help the county,” says Judson Reid, a vegetable specialist at the Yates County Cornell Cooperative Extension.