Healthy soil and sustainable growing

[dhondt <dhondt@eircom.net>]

If climate were changing linearly, a bit warmer year after year, I can't see it taking 30 years to keep up with evolution of better crops. Just keep your best seed year after year would do the trick nicely.
Our problem is that weather is getting ever more chaotic. Where we used to have very wet Springs, the last two years we had very dry Springs and also warmer than we are used to. Then in the last two years we had severe night frosts for several days at the end of May- beginning of June. Several crops like potatoes, pumpkins and beans died back to the ground but have since regrown quite well.
The question is whether it is possible to get plant crops adapted to unpredictable conditions. Some species that have been in the ground for months are only just now starting to make headway. Most important is that we have such a diversity that some species will do well whatever happens. The peas for instance seemed invigorated after the frosts that nearly killed the pumpkins. And it is still possible that the pumpkins will do quite well if we get another few months of reasonable weather.

What I can not understand that the picture in the article shows a woman with three cobs of corn only one of which is underdeveloped, two look quite nice to me. But why would Africans grow corn when there are at least ten African grains that have done well there for thousands of years. If I were living in Africa I would never even consider to grow corn. Say the result of colonialism? Time people went back to their roots.
John

On 21/06/16 17:35, herb farmer wrote:

b9912d99-18c6-eb86-b355-135c5fef29e3@lobo.net" type="cite">

New crop varieties 'can't keep up with global warming'
http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-36579125?utm_source=Daily%20Carbon%20Briefing&utm_campaign=b6cf89bf1f-cb_daily&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_876aab4fd7-b6cf89bf1f-303467725

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