The famous Irish Potato Famine was thanks to farming practices and p. infestans (among other things). But are the Colorado Potato Beetle and the climate crisis teaming up to bring about the next potato famine? Here's what research suggests.

Soviet agronomist Nikolai Ivanovich Vavilov was obsessed with plants. Especially finding out where domesticated crops first came from. And out of his research came a proposal that certain crops, like rye and oats, were evolutionary...

Today, humans live on just a few staple crops, like maize, rice, and wheat. But in the early days of agriculture, humans were domesticating foods left and right. Come with us as we discover the lost crops of North America, like pitseed...

If you tried to sum up the last 150 years or so in one image, a chart of exponential growth would be a good place to start. It shows that some things change faster over time. You could apply it to life expectancy. Or compound interest....

Gluten is a sticky protein composite found in cereal grains. Hank gives us some insight into the importance of gluten in history, as well as its impact on health in our own time.

Yes, there is a chance they might sting you, but bees are incredibly vital to our ecosystem as we know it. Join Hank for a compilation of our favorite bee episodes—we know this one is a real stinger! We mean, zinger!

Potato spindle tuber disease wasn't a life-or-death situation, but it led to the discovery of viroids: infectious, replicating bits of RNA

Roots do more than hold plants in place -- they hold the planet in place. They're an important defense against drought and climate change, and of course, our actions are changing them.

Ever wondered what makes those balls of white foam you sometimes find clinging to plants? Spittlebugs create these bubbly cocoons after feeding on a plant’s fluids; but unfortunately, their eating habits help transmit a deadly bacteria...

Humans have been farming in the ocean for years, but we're not the only saltwater farmers out in the deep blue sea.

Humans have relied on fertilizers to grow their plants for thousands of years. But the production of synthetic fertilizers also requires an immense amount of energy that comes primarily from fossil fuels and therefore contributes to...

When Climate Change Threatens Climate Solutions | SciShow News

Crop physiologist Guntur V. Subbarao and his team have developed an antibiotic-infused strain of wheat that naturally combats harmful, fertilizer-eating bacteria -- a "monster" contributor to climate change. Learn more about how this...

In the Serengeti region in Tanzania, conflict can arise between humans and the elephants that graze on their crops. The U.S.-based nonprofit RESOLVE is testing a new way to reduce these clashes while protecting both elephants and humans:...

The climate crisis is now a reality worldwide, but it's nowhere more apparent than the parched landscapes of northern Africa. Thousands are on the move looking for water to grow crops and graze livestock. Special correspondent Willem...

Roughly 40 percent of food produced in America never makes it to the table. Whether it rots in the field, is trashed at the supermarket, or thrown out at home, NPR's Allison Aubrey looks at why good food is being discarded, and what can...

By 2050, Earth’s population is expected to rise to 10 billion, while the

resources on the planet continue to shrink. Researchers in the Netherl
ands
are experimenting with one way to feed more people with less: grow
ing crops...

Roughly 40 percent of food produced in America never makes it to the table.

Whether it rots in the field, is trashed at the supermarket, or thrown
out
at home, NPR’s Allison Aubrey looks at why good food is being...

On a mission to create a hunger-free world, agricultural entrepreneur Cedric Habiyaremye makes the case for cultivating quinoa -- and other versatile, nutrient-rich grains -- in places experiencing malnutrition, like his native Rwanda....

What if you could take a smell selfie, a smelfie? What if you had a lipstick that caused plants to grow where you kiss? Ani Liu explores the intersection of technology and sensory perception, and her work is wedged somewhere between...

The climate crisis has been largely caused by irresponsible adults in developed countries, but it's the children of developing nations -- like Zimbabwean environmental activist Nkosilathi Nyathi -- that suffer from the most disastrous...

Want to learn more about the topic in this week's video? Here are some keywords/phrases to get your googling started: <b<br/>r/>

soil salinity - when soils have high salt levels that have adverse effects on plants

Humans have been farming in the ocean for years, but we're not the only saltwater farmers out in the deep blue sea.

You’ve probably heard about how the extinction of honeybees will lead to some sort of bee-pocalypse doomsday scenario for humanity. But what would actually happen if all the honeybees went extinct?