When you buy your packet of squash seeds each spring, you plant them in the ground, and expect plants to sprout! It seems like an easy process, but there’s a lot of […]
What are the factors that determine seed germination?
Do crops have different metabolisms – like people?
Are you friends with a person who can eat anything they want and still not gain weight? Part of that could be in how their body metabolizes the food they eat. Of […]
Why do we need to keep breeding new crop varieties?
Global warming and changes in the amount – and location – of water, are key factors in the need to continue crop breeding programs. In addition, there are many diseases that affect […]
Why do some farm fields look messy after harvest?
That’s the stubble – basically scalped stalks – and other scraps left in the field. The farmer has left this stubble on the field intentionally…but it’s not always possible to do. Let’s […]
Fun facts about cranberries for Thanksgiving!
Cranberries are an essential part of many a Thanksgiving meal in the U.S. and Canada. The annual family debate is about the best way to eat the beautiful, red fruit. Whether you […]
Call of the wild sunflower
Did you know that sunflowers are the only major global crop that is native to the United States? And, that this native plant has about 64 species and subspecies that grow wild […]
The Cranberry: a very American berry
Native Americans used wild cranberries harvested from their natural habitats and introduced them to settlers hundreds of years ago. Today, most of the cranberries that people eat come from wild selections that […]
Yams – a main staple in Africa, Asia
Climate fluctuations make life difficult for the plants we eat. Unlike us, they can’t move if it’s too hot, too cold, or they don’t have enough water. This is the story of the humble […]
Frank Meyer – an early plant explorer
Food is one of life’s ultimate delights. Surprisingly, many of the foods we enjoy in the United States today are not native to North America. Crop scientists refer to them as “plant […]
Conserving wild crop cousins
Farmers are experiencing a turbulent ride navigating our unpredictable weather. We rely on them to produce food, fiber and other plant-based items the world relies on in our everyday lives. Developing crops […]