In the summer of 2007, humanity reached a milestone. For the first time in human history, more people were living in cities than in rural areas. Those people need food, clean water […]
What is urban ecology and why is it important?
What is the difference between square and round hay bales?
Ask most anyone what hay is, and they will tell you something like “dried grass that is fed to cows and horses during the winter.” Everyone has seen, either in real-life or […]
What is the value of using crop wild relatives in potato breeding?
It may surprise you to learn that wild potatoes grow like weeds in South America. While farmers in the United States battle weeds like pigweed and lamb’s quarters, farmers in the Andes […]
What are the types of crops based on nutrition?
Plants-based foods are a major part of human nutrition and health. Human nutrients can be put into two main categories: macronutrients and micronutrients. The key to maintaining good health is to balance […]
How do plant partnerships help sustainability?
We are all familiar with human partnerships of many kinds, both mundane and fictional. In the mundane category is your typical carpool. In the fictional category are superheroes working together to save […]
How are scientists making wheat more climate resilient?
Like humans, plants experience stress. One of those stresses is temperature changes. And, to continue having food security in a changing climate, scientists are working to make more heat resilient crops. Wheat […]
What are cover crops?
Cash crops like corn, soybean, wheat, rice, and cotton are responsible for most of the food and fiber consumed by humans and animals around the globe1. These annual crops and others are […]
Does it really matter when growers irrigate their crops?
Yes it does! Various crops are sensitive to water stress at different growth stages. The rule of thumb is that reproduction is sensitive to low moisture. The amount of moisture available at […]
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 […]