Re: TianZi Nature's Products - Exciting Possibilities
 

As a start Kev, see Welcome to MGIS for the complete accession data for all the participating genebanks in the MGIS. Search the ITC for info on the international genebank curated by Bioversity International.

One slight concern I have about submitting material to the ITC from hobbyist sources is that often the IDs are not certain or correct and the information known about them is very small. I just suggest that if anyone has material for submission to the ITC, gather as much verified information as possible about the exact accession you have, not just to look up information about what it should be like.

See this document below for the type of information that should be submitted with each accession. It is not required that all or even most of the descriptors be submitted with the accession, but as many as possible are best. The descriptors list was not created for use on plants other than A or A+B triploid edible cultivars, so it will not completely accommodate all the different Musaceae out there, but its a good start. There is some work started on creating a new descriptors list which would work for any banana, but that project is just in its beginning.
http://bananas.bioversityinternation...riptors_en.pdf

Re: TianZi Nature's Products - Exciting Possibilities
 

Hi Kev

I emailed the seed bank at Kew a few months ago and they currently don't have any musa seeds stored. I was a little surprised. Just thought I'd stick my ore in.

Cheers :bananas_b

Re: TianZi Nature's Products - Exciting Possibilities
 

good old Kew, only one of the world's most important food crops, why store seed of that :ha:

Re: TianZi Nature's Products - Exciting Possibilities
 

the photo is var. xishuangbannaensis Kew's Millennium Seed Bank Partnership - Saves 10% Of The World's Plant Species

Re: TianZi Nature's Products - Exciting Possibilities
 

Getting back to TianZi. What do you think then Buffy? an ideas? we could easy collate an order (or rather 2, 1 for EU, 1 for US) I take it you'e licensed to receive plant shipments from China

Re: TianZi Nature's Products - Exciting Possibilities
 

Yes, I'm licensed to receive Musa itinerans from China.

After my initial inquiry, I've just been pondering how we can create value both ways. My big hang-up is their complete lack of success delivering healthy plant material. If we all band together to adopt some acreage at a price, I don't have much confidence that the reciprical relationship will be satisfactory. Dr. Margraf was not at liberty to discuss his thoughts on why the Chinese government has made it nearly impossible for him to get things out of the country. And if he can't control that, how can we control much of anything over there. Currently he has created a few of these adoption programs with companies in France and Germany. For them, they get carbon credits, and such. For us, as simple citizens, we could care less about carbon credits. I'm very much into promoting responsible stewardship of native flora, but I can't get around this hang-up.

I just don't think he's gonna be into the group buy thing, and I don't know if we should want to try that.

Re: TianZi Nature's Products - Exciting Possibilities
 

Bad news folks. I was informed today that Dr. Josef Margraf passed away unexpectedly in the past two weeks. Dr. Margraf and I had been working on some great ideas together. We had really bridged the gap between the conservationist and the hobbyist. This is just terrible news for his family. Please try to remember his wife, Minguo-Li and his two young daughters in your prayers if you're the praying kind.

Re: TianZi Nature's Products - Exciting Possibilities
 

Thats terribly sad for his family.

One more heartache...

Hopefully someone will continue his works in the future, hope springs eternal