Sticky or unsticky rice? Always a decision worthy of deep contemplation before dinner. Interestingly, soil can be sticky or unsticky, too. It all depends on how it’s managed. In the case of […]
Rice Terraces 101
How do high tunnels extend the growing season?
Despite cold and snowy winters, farmers in the northern states can grow cool season vegetables year around! The structures that help them do this are referred to as hoop houses or high […]
What is urban ecology and why is it important?
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 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 […]