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Re:Xylella Fastidiosa: A crisis brewing in Europe's olive gr... by giantg2 on Monday December 09, 2024 @10:46PM (#42373520)
I agree. Biodiversity in agriculture is severely lacking. The good news is that we have heritage seeds. However, we don't have the capacity to ramp that stock up quickly. The main issue is that farmers will choose the best seeds for the current conditions/risks. This leads to a consensus winning variety. There's no benefit to the farmer to plant "inferior" seeds for an event that has yet to happen.
Re:Xylella Fastidiosa: A crisis brewing in Europe's olive gr... by Terr_ on Monday December 09, 2024 @11:37PM (#42373807)
A "biodiversity subsidy" sounds like a kind of agricultural-assistance I could get behind, although the devil is always in the details.

One concern that comes to mind: If a certain variation is more-susceptible to a particular disease or pest, and becomes a beachhead or reservoir--fun mixed metaphors there--for infection.

Re:Xylella Fastidiosa: A crisis brewing in Europe's olive gr... by giantg2 on Tuesday December 10, 2024 @09:08AM (#42376955)
Yeah, this would probably be best served by some biosecurity program at the USDA or a handful of universities.