Killer Bees Making Super Coffee

inblosam writes "An article at cnn.com describes how a insect-pollinated coffee bean plant actually has an increased yield, by 50 percent or more, when a killer bee does the pollination. The gene mixing allows for better gene selection, making better and bigger beans. Way to go killer bees. If the bees don't kill you, the gallons of coffee may." I guess I don't understand why it matters that it's a killer bee versus a regular bee. Maybe the killer bees travel farther, mixing up the pollen better?

Comments

Not a farmer myself, but I do dabble in genetics

[Ashurbanipal]

"You'll remember that massive cloning of potatoes led to the Irish potato famine?"

There was more to it than that.

Sure, but not that is relevant to the discussion. The relevant point is the bland generalization "biodiversity good, monoculture bad" that you as a farmer already know. I don't think it would have added anything to include an overview of the socio-political system that led to a single-crop dependency, or the wind-borne mechanism of PB fungii, or the genetic makeup of the lumper potato.

"It seems that a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy ad infinitum leads to weak, disease-riddled plants."

No. It just leads to identical plants with identical vulnerabilities.

Although the plants within a single generation will be nearly identical, it is not possible in reality to produce multiple generations of perfect clones outside the laboratory. Viruses, fungi and airborne teratogens are constantly altering the genetic material of adult organisms in the wild, and the alterations are passed on to offspring when vegetative propagation is solely used (as in pre-famine Ireland). Self-pollination is better - as I said, it's "nearly" cloning, not actual cloning like planting the eyes of your lumpers. There is some error-correction implemented through sexual propagation even when it is hermaphroditic in the same individual organism. In any case, sexually propagated plants can respond to genetic damage by evolving, and the broader the population of interbreeding plants the better they can keep up with the co-evolution of their disease organisms. Plants may have evolved perfumes and markings to attract pollinators through exactly these mechanisms.

"...sustainable farming...fair-trade...learn the truth of that."

There is no truth in politics.

I have no desire to argue that, but I will point out that the value of sustainable agriculture is not political. The value of non-sustainable farming is definitely political, I grant you, but maintaining the productive capacity of land is just common sense. I assume you rotate your crops and pay your labor enough to keep them from stealing regardless of your political beliefs.

And speaking as a person who is currently drinking a cup of fair-trade, shade-grown "benevolent blend" branded coffee, I can subjectively say that it's some of the best I've ever had. Well worth the extra two or three pennies a cup it costs me. Don't knock it 'till you've tried it!