Bird-flu vaccine for cattle aces early test
Bird flu vaccines for cattle could reduce the risk of animal-to-human transmission of the H5N1 virus.Credit: Dmitriy Shironosov/Alamy As bird flu sweeps across US poultry and cattle farms, researchers are…
I climb mountains in search of sustainable agricultural systems
“In this photo, taken in February, I’m perched on a steep hillside, measuring, in real time, the wisps of greenhouse gas coming from the soil in a coffee plantation in…
Answers to a 160-year-old riddle about the genetics of Mendel’s pea traits
Mendel, G. in Verhandlungen des Naturforschenden Vereines Vol. 4, 3–47 (Brünn, 1866). English translation: Abbott, S. & Fairbanks, D. J. Genetics 204, 407–422 (2016). Article PubMed Google Scholar Ellis, T.…
Ancient DNA shows Stone Age Europeans voyaged by sea to Africa
Stone Age people might have crossed the Mediterranean on wooden canoes, navigating from island to island by sight.Credit: Sheila Terry/Science Photo Library Thousands of years before Odysseus crossed the ‘wine-dark…
Fate of pistachio production in Iran holds lessons for the world
Groundwater depletion, climate shifts and policy failures threaten one of the world’s largest pistachio supplies, in Rafsanjan, Iran. The situation should be a warning to others about climate-related risks to…
‘Perfect potato’ designed thanks to unearthed genetic diversity
RESEARCH BRIEFINGS 05 March 2025 Potato genomes that contain the complete sequences from both sets of chromosomes uncover the deleterious variations previously hidden in genomes disclosed for only one set…
How to Create a Root Cellar in Your Modern Home
While most of us aren’t going to move to an acreage to build out a homestead, there are tiny bits of the lifestyle that can help you save money, grow…
You Should Try No-Dig Gardening
In school, most people learned that gardening involved planting a seed in soil, making sure it had the right amount of water and sunlight, and watching it grow. Of course,…
The Difference Between ‘Heirloom’ and ‘Heritage’ Chickens
I love an heirloom tomato; Black Krim and Aunt Ruby’s are some of my favorites to grow in the garden. I’m a huge apple nerd as well, and I love…
You Should Grow More Interesting Peppers
When most people think of growing peppers, they become devilish fiends for heat, goosing up ghost peppers and evil hybrids intended to max out the Scoville scale. I kindly propose…