12/19/2023 0 Comments Doomsday vault in spitzberg![]() Often, the stalks are further apart, an individual plant has fewer grains, and these are usually enclosed in a hard, protective shell, the spelt, that is difficult to remove. It is a matter of quality, not quantity, Sorrells stresses, because old grain has a much smaller yield than modern wheat varieties. One example of this interaction comes from New York State, where plant geneticists and restaurant operators pondered the question of which type of emmer would provide the best bite and flavor for pasta. The reintroduction of an old variety requires a finely coordinated, local mechanism made up of producers, representatives of the retail and catering sectors, and consumers. “Nevertheless, there are some varieties that are worthwhile using commercially, although not on a large scale,” Sorrells says. Ultimately, it turned out that although some of the old new grain varieties could indeed grow without difficulty in their own specific environment, they were of only limited suitability for baking. Once in the ground, the organically grown, rare varieties suffered from diseases such as loose smut. This means it takes some time until you have enough seed to test one variety in the field,” he says. “When you request seeds from seed banks, you usually receive only three to five grams. The only solution: trial and error in the fields, which was often laborious. There were hardly any records to indicate which old grain varieties would flourish best in the soil and weather conditions of the Northeastern and Midwestern United States. “We had to start virtually from scratch,” the geneticist explains. Ten years ago, he launched a regional research project to find out what benefits the use of old varieties could have – not only for farmers and consumers, but also for restaurants and bakeries. “These old grain varieties also have a more aromatic flavor,” Sorrells finds. Especially for people who suffer from the inflammatory celiac bowel disease, bakery products made from einkorn, an ancestor of spelt and wheat, could be more digestible than products based on modern, higher-yield wheat varieties. The search for something authentic is usually about more than just romantic nostalgia, as old varieties can have tangible benefits for consumers, stresses Mark Sorrells, Professor of Plant Breeding and Genetics at Cornell University in the U.S. Old, almost forgotten plant varieties are experiencing a boom: bakery products made from ancient types of grain, like emmer or einkorn, are selling literally like hotcakes and fruit and vegetables with a history, like the venerable German Gravenstein apple, are conquering weekly markets in the trendy quarters of major western cities. Human beings seem almost instinctively to seek stability in biological and civilizational roots when faced with increasing threats. Back to the origin of things is more than just a slogan for scientists like the researcher Laimer.
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