i have been interested in this topic in the russian language sceintific space for... let's see, since 1989 when i read a russian publication of an unusual method of doing the subject... so 28 years by now then. damn i am old, am i not...
looking at the latest russian research on topics of interest to me today, a strange title caught my eye, a russian conference publication from 2012. it describes a rather low-tech, and yet, very very impressive method. i was reading it and i was like, you gotta be kidding me.. authors work in siberia with wheat. their aim is to make better wheat in bigger quantities in rather cold climate, so they are looking at modifying only a handful very specific traits of importance to agri-food industries. additionaly searching further google tells me that by 2016 they perfected the method and they say the following about it "as a result of many years of research, we have created a
unique technology", translation from russian mine.
do you see what i am aiming at here? what are the chances that we could introduce or make stronger certain traits of interest specific to this forum? well, we could always make a hardier caapi if anything else fails methinks
the publication i read is in russian, and there is more than enough info here for google to serve it to you.
the publication is related to a circle of fundamental (yet very practical) topics i have been interested in for 3 decades by now and is probably a kind of a russian thing, since i have not noticed much related relevant research publicly available anywhere else. it's still possible that such research is conducted in secret and/or commercial labs outside russia due to a complex mix of historical, cultural and business factors. anyway based solely on publicly available google information russians are at least several decades ahead of everyone else on the topic, but there are indications that this is just the tip of the iceberg in russia as well, as on specialized forums, some of the people i have discussed things with told me ndas bind them for at least a decade from now...
i suppose we could be looking at a long term project here, that may require close collaboration of serious people with broadly scientific, yet open minds. also, realistically, i do understand that chances of actually finding people and doing the project are infinitesimal.
be that as it may, i have been following that for 3 decades, why not post a little something here suggesting that engineering plants with custom properties could be wayyyy easier then what those with money would make you believe, low tech and in reach to everybody at home and not only to corporations with big pockets.
wheat is for square types, i have my sights set on brugs