What wolf apples can do

 

In the previous post, I discussed how I learned about the existence of maned wolves after first discovering the existence of wolf apples.  So why did I discover the existence of wolf apples?

Because of this article:

Characterization of Solanum lycocarpum Starch and Its Application as Edible Coating in Minimally Processed Baby Carrots

Yes, that sounds sexy, doesn't it?  First of all, S. lycocarpum is the wolf apple. See the "lyco" in there?  Now, why is this of interest to the average human?

To put it simply, the starch can be converted into a powder, which can be made into a coating that maintains food edibility (as well as appearance) for a good long period of time, and this is done without plastic. So it's good for the environment for two reasons;  reducing food waste and reducing the use of plastic which is used to reduce food waste.

That is indeed sexy.

My question is:  can wolf apple cultivation be expanded, and can it be expanded and agriculturalized (if that's a word) so that there are still enough wolf apples for the maned wolves?

So the article doesn't get into that. It suggest that this could be done regionally (i.e., where wolf apples grow).  But if this catches on, wolf apple cultivation should be expanded to other places where they can be grown and harvested, and the starch processed to reduce food waste in other countries, like the good ol' USA.

Wolf apple