Plant breeding
When climate sinks high-tech rice, older varieties may save the day
Modern varieties of rice may produce high yields, but they can’t withstand the tough conditions that are becoming more common as climate change affects farming. That’s why Indian scientists are turning to older, indigenous grains to keep communities fed.
The Green Revolution Plus Thirty
Reporter Bruce Gellerman of member station WBUR in Boston visits the Mexican wheat fields of Norman Borlaug, known as “the Father of the Green Revolution.” Borlaug’s revolutionary approach to plant breeding and high-intensity agriculture helped to feed the world as the population doubled over the past 30 years, and won him the Nobel Peace Prize. […]
A Brand New Bird
For years, bird breeders in Europe were fixed on breeding the perfect singing canary. They later shifted to breeding for the most brilliant plumage. And in the late 1920s, two German bird breeders decided to take this goal one step further. Host Steve Curwood talks with author Tim Birkhead about the quest to breed the […]