Cracking the Shell: Unraveling the Fascinating World of Peanuts and Their Hidden Treasures
The genus Arachis, under the family Fabaceae, consists of 69 species described in the genus and 9 infrageneric taxonomic sections. Only one member of this genus of 20-odd species of annual and perennial legumes from South America is cultivated. It is a very important food crop throughout the tropics and subtropics. All species of this genus are unusual when compared to other legumes as they produce their fruit below the ground. The peanut (Arachis hypogaea) […]
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Sesame Unveiled: Unraveling the Secrets of Nature’s Tiny Treasure Trove
This is a genus of about fifteen species of annuals originating from Africa and tropical Asia, with simple or palmately divided leaves and white, pink, red or purple flowers that are tubular and 2-lipped. Sesamum belongs to the family Pedaliceae. The fruits are oblong capsules that naturally split open when dry to release their numerous small seeds. One notable species (Sesamum orientale) is the crop plant sesame, cultivated mainly for its seeds which are used […]
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The sunflower: A gift from the sun
This genus of the daisy family includes one of the most important oilseed plants in the world. It is also used for livestock fodder, as well as the Jerusalem artichoke with edible tubers, and many ornamentals. Consisting of around 70 species of annuals and perennials, all native to the Americas, they have large daisy-like, usually golden-yellow flowerheads, which are on prolonged display from summer to autumn. The plants have hairy, often sticky leaves and tall, […]
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Rice to meet you!
General description Rice, scientifically known as Oryza sativa, is one of about twenty aquatic or swamp-dwelling, annual or perennial grasses in the genus, occurring wild in warmer parts of Africa, Asia, and Australia. Rice falls under the family of grass, which is Poaceae, which consists of about three hundred and fifty species of different genera that includes seven species of Oryza, which have been reported as weeds of rice. The genus Oryza includes more than […]
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Give peas a chance, Soybean
General description Soybean is one of the most popular foods around the world due to its nutritious and medicinal values. There are over 2500 varieties of soybeans that come in many sizes, shapes, and colors. Glycine is a genus of eighteen slender, twining, or trailing perennial legumes that is under an annual legume of the pea family, Fabaceae. Most Glycine are native to Australia but extend to eastern Asia and the Pacific islands. The only cultivated species, […]
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Not that corny, but a group of diversified individualists – Corn
General Description Corn is an essential crop and one of the most consumed staple foods consisting of about 20% of human’s calorie intake globally. Scientifically named as Zea mays. Indigenous populations in Mexico first domesticated corn around 10,000 years ago, it has evolved through thousands years of intensive breeding and shown powerful usage for food, feed, fiber, and fuel. Known as the mother grain of Americans and the driver of the US economy, the United […]
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Before they are served to our table, crop improvement
Naturally, we judge the foods based on their appearances such as color, shape, smell, and arrangement. Domestic crops have traits that are significantly different from their wild relatives. Undoubtedly tomato is red, banana is yellow, the carrot is orange. But how they end up being what they are on our plates? Can you imagine eating a banana with large seeds, a carrot in purple color, or tomato in black color? What happened to those fruits […]
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