Agriculture

Sequencing entire genomes from ancient tissues helps researchers reveal the evolutionary and domestication histories of species.

How Ancient DNA Unearths Corn's A-Maize-ing History

New study shows how extracting whole genomes from ancient material opens the door for new research questions and breathes new life into old samples

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Our Thanksgiving Menu Has Lost a Few Crops

Studying the domestication of any crop that people once ate helps scientists reveal how modern crops have evolved

When natural places are destroyed, wildlife are exposed to humans at the edges of their habitat, and they can expand their territories into urban areas, increasing the likelihood of contact with humans.

To Prevent Future Pandemics, Protect Nature

All six of the most recent pandemics have been linked to destructive human activities like deforestation, climate change and the wildlife trade

An entomologist with the Washington State Department of Agriculture vacuums invasive Asian giant hornets out of a nest discovered last week in the city of Blaine on October 24, 2020.

Entomologists Destroy Asian Giant Hornet Nest Found in Washington

The crew sucked nearly 100 hornets from the tree-hollow hive—the first ever found in the U.S.—using a vacuum and captured escapees with nets

Dani Nierenberg wants to ensure equal access to healthy food, produced in a way that’s sustainable for the planet.

Meet the Award-Winning Activist Campaigning for Food Justice

Danielle Nierenberg, the recipient of the 2020 Julia Child Award, is working to make global food systems more equitable

In different time periods and contexts, Elin Lisslass (left) and author Jennie Tiderman-Österberg perform kulning.

Why Sweden’s Ancient Tradition of Calling Home the Herds Is Women’s Work

The spellbinding refrains of the kulning call reflect a tradition that offered women freedom and independence

The spotted lanternfly has landed. This adult was seen in Pennsylvania, hard hit by the alien species.

Can Scientists Stop the Plague of the Spotted Lanternfly?

The voracious, shape-shifting insect native to Asia is attacking crops, vineyards and trees

The newly discovered banana cultivation site

Traces of 2,000-Year-Old Banana Farm Found in Australia

The discovery contradicts conceptions of early Indigenous peoples as exclusively hunter gatherers

A wild bumble bee seen pollinating a blueberry bush.

Wild Bees Are Worth $1.5 Billion for Six U.S. Crops

Study also finds that crop yields are often limited by a lack of pollinators

Two packages of unidentified seeds that arrived, unsolicited in the mailboxes of Washington State residents. Packaging appeared to indicate that the seeds originated in China.

Americans Plant Mysterious Seeds Despite Government Warnings

The USDA urges people not to plant unsolicited seeds they receive. Evidence suggests the packages are part of a scam designed to boost online sales

Frans Snyders' Fruit Stall features a vast spread of produce from the 17th century.

Centuries-Old Paintings Help Researchers Track Food Evolution

Art inadvertently documents the domestication of carrots, wheat, watermelon and other culinary delights

Researchers unearthed this bison-bone hoe in Manitoba, Canada.

Centuries-Old Gardening Hoes Made of Bison Bone Found in Canada

The tools provide evidence that the region's Indigenous population practiced agriculture pre-European contact

A farmer distributes lime over a field in the UK. A new climate solution would use a similar technique to spread rock dust.

Rock Dust Could Be Farming's Next Climate Solution

The process, called enhanced weathering, could remove 2 billion tons of CO2 from the air while fertilizing soil

A visual representation of global methane from January 26, 2018. Red areas indicate higher concentrations of methane swirling in the atmosphere.

World Methane Emissions Hit New High

Agriculture and fossil fuels drive a surge in global emissions of the powerful greenhouse gas

Smithsonian beer curator Theresa McCulla and colleagues from the Smithsonian Gardens harvest hops from the National Museum of American History’s victory garden.

This Beer Recipe Came From Hops Grown at the Smithsonian

A storied brewmaster unveils how he came to brew the “Victory Garden” Porter

For Papazian, the labor of brewing makes the result all the more enjoyable. “The best beer in the world,” he likes to say, “is the one you brewed.”

The Schoolteacher Who Sparked America's Craft Brew Revolution

Here's a toast to Charlie Papazian, the beer pioneer who blazed the way for thousands of brewers today

Green patches of Nana Estate Winery in the arid desert.

Why Wines From Israel's Negev Desert May Represent the Future of Viticulture

Overcoming scorching heat and little rain, experimental vineyards teach winemakers to cope with climate change

Once fish were captured in watercourts, they were likely harvested with nets or speared.

In Ancient Florida, the Calusa Built an Empire Out of Shells and Fish

New research suggests the civilization used huge enclosures to trap and stockpile live fish to support its complex society

Vergenoegd Löw Wine Estate's Indian runner ducks, which patrol the vineyard for pests

An Army of Hungry Ducks Keeps This Historic South African Vineyard Pest-Free

The vineyard deploys a daily bird-based battalion to pluck snails and insects off their plants

An Asian trampsnail on a coffee leaf infected with coffee leaf rust.

Invasive Snails Might Save Coffee Crops From Fungus, but Experts Advise Caution

The snails are an invasive crop pest that are known to eat more than just coffee rust

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