Use BBC.com or the new BBC App to listen to BBC podcasts, Radio 4 and the World Service outside the UK.

Find out how to listen to other BBC stations

Food Plants

Edible plants - production, uses and nutritional value

World Service,16 episodes

Episodes

ListGrid

Plants
Life on earth wouldn't exist without plants
05 Oct 1989,8 mins
Wheat
Wheat is a genetic accident that opportunistic early humans made use of
12 Oct 1989,8 mins
Quinoa
High in protein, quinoa tolerates dry growing conditions
26 Oct 1989,8 mins
Potato
An eighth of all potatoes consumed in the UK are eaten as crisps
02 Nov 1989,8 mins
Cassava
The plant with a split personality: cassava produces both tapioca and cyanide
09 Nov 1989,8 mins
Peas and Beans
Peas and beans "fix" nitrogen, a key ingredient for healthy soil
16 Nov 1989,8 mins
Seeds
After deforestation, policy makers are finding ways to save seeds for our future
23 Nov 1989,8 mins
Banana
The banana isn't a tree, it's a giant herb
30 Nov 1989,8 mins
Onion
Onions originate in Asia but are one of the most adaptable plant species in the world
07 Dec 1989,8 mins
Nuts
The Brazil nut has never been bred outside the Amazon rainforest
21 Dec 1989,8 mins
Tomato
Also known as the wolf peach, tomatoes belong to the deadly nightshade family
28 Dec 1989,8 mins
Coconuts
There are more coconut palms in the world than people
29 Jan 1991,8 mins
Oranges
Orange, native to Southeast Asia but flourished in South America.
29 Jan 1991,8 mins
Maize
"Only tobacco and Syphilis spread faster than maize"- Christopher Columbus
03 Oct 1995,8 mins
Rice
Over a third of the world's rice is grown in China
19 Oct 1995,8 mins
Fruit
Did you know your apple and pear trees belong to the rose family?
14 Dec 1998,8 mins