I read that article too.  I t's intresting, this is a case of give the
people what they want.  Some nutrition folk went to broccoli developers
and said that the nutritional goodies recent research has found in it
could be increased by breeding.  They refused, say8ing that those same
things was what gave older varieties a taste some people didn't like.  In
wa. state entire orchards of red delisious apples were up rooted.  Over
time developers had created the picture perfect apple, while ignoring
taste, which declined in favor of appearence features.  People stopped
buying them and shifted to more flavorful varieties, with which the
growers are now replanting their orchards.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2004-12/uota-ssn120104.php
"We conclude that the most likely explanation was changes in cultivated
varieties used today compared to 50 years ago," Davis said. "During
those 50 years, there have been intensive efforts to breed new
varieties that have greater yield, or resistance to pests, or
adaptability to different climates. But the dominant effort is for
higher yields. Emerging evidence suggests that when you select for
yield, crops grow bigger and faster, but they don't necessarily have
the ability to make or uptake nutrients at the same, faster rate."

There, that is how you are supposed to hyperlink articles. :)

It stands to reason that if food processors favor self-life over
nutrition, farmers would do the same thing.  Why would any
science geek be surprised to learn this?
--
john gohde
Google's Beta Interface