LoginHow Ancient Farmers Used Floral Designs to Track Goods
7 September 2026 at 10:00
A Mesopotamian culture’s decorated ceramics show some early roots of math, researchers argued.
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Effects of Record-Breaking El Niño Are Happening on 3 Continents
12 August 2026 at 18:04
The recurring climate phenomenon is expected to peak later this year, but it is already causing dry spells and crop failures on three continents.
Meet the Bee Vet, Now Making Hive Calls
4 August 2026 at 21:10
Veterinarians are gingerly embracing the honeybee, a vital pollinator for agriculture but one that’s in increasing danger.
U.S. Raises Threat of Steep Water Cuts in Lower Colorado River Basin
31 July 2026 at 20:48
A federal plan would impose drastic water cuts on Arizona, California and Nevada in dry years over the next decade. A legal battle could follow.
Water from the Colorado River flowing through an irrigation canal in Arizona earlier this month.
© Rebecca Noble/Reuters
U.S. Raises Threat of Steep Water Cuts in Lower Colorado River Basin
31 July 2026 at 20:48
A federal plan would impose drastic water cuts on Arizona, California and Nevada in dry years over the next decade. A legal battle could follow.
How Climate Change and Tariffs Help China Raise More Cattle
30 July 2026 at 13:13
As increased rain makes grasslands and cornfields possible in areas that once were deserts, the world’s largest beef importer is becoming more self-reliant by expanding domestic herds.
A herder taking her cows to graze in mountain pastures in northern China’s Hebei Province.
© Gilles Sabrié for The New York Times
What the Cyclospora Outbreak Reveals
21 July 2026 at 21:52
Warming is expected to fuel the spread of food-borne pathogens. We might not be prepared.
A microscopic view of cyclospora parasite eggs, stained reddish pink, in a lab sample.
© Melanie Moser/CDC, via Associated Press
Taylor Farms Expands Iceberg Lettuce Recall to 27 States Amid Cyclospora Outbreak
20 July 2026 at 01:10
The affected products were shipped starting June 29 and have expiration dates through Aug. 3.
Mary-Dell Chilton Dies at 87; Helped Create First Genetically Modified Plant
16 July 2026 at 17:38
In 1982, she led the research team that figured out how to genetically alter plants, a discovery that would eventually transform global agriculture.
- NYT - Science
- Door-to-Door Search for Grapevines Sold at Costco Begins in California’s Santa Clara County
Door-to-Door Search for Grapevines Sold at Costco Begins in California’s Santa Clara County
15 July 2026 at 23:30
Officials in Santa Clara County began knocking on doors on Monday to collect potentially infested plants sold at some Costco stores.
Heat Waves Are Taking a Big Toll on Chickens
7 July 2026 at 11:33
The birds are particularly vulnerable to high temperatures, and France’s torrid June took a heavy toll.
© Samuel Aranda for The New York Times
A Humble 3-Wheel Electric Vehicle Lands Toyota in Federal Court
20 June 2026 at 10:00
A lawsuit filed in California claims the automaker’s philanthropic arm stole technology intended to help poor farmers, but it is not clear to what end.
Tensions Are Rising Among States That Rely on the Colorado River
16 June 2026 at 13:34
A prolonged drought means the nation’s largest reservoirs are dwindling, and litigation over access to water could lie ahead.
Tensions Are Rising Among States That Rely on the Colorado River
16 June 2026 at 13:34
A prolonged drought means the nation’s largest reservoirs are dwindling, and litigation over access to water could lie ahead.
The Upper Colorado River on the Grand Canyon last month. About 40 million people and 5.5 million acres of cropland depend on the Colorado for drinking water and irrigation.
© Nina Riggio for The New York Times
Scientists Measure Earth’s Vast Underground Fungal Webs
12 June 2026 at 15:34
With machine learning and a high-resolution imaging robot, scientists measured and mapped the extent of Earth’s carbon circulatory system.
As Screwworm Cases Mount, U.S. Officials Ramp Up Response
9 June 2026 at 01:41
The parasitic, flesh-eating fly has now been confirmed in cows, goats and dogs.
The New World Screwworm Is Back. Here’s What That Means.
5 June 2026 at 10:06
Here’s why farmers and scientists are concerned over the New World screwworm’s unwelcome return to the United States.
From Cow-Milking Robots to Weed-Zapping Lasers, Farmers Are Embracing A.I.
5 June 2026 at 10:00
We asked three farmers to tell us how new technology is revolutionizing the way they work.
- NYT - Energy & Environment
- Fish and Wildlife Service Clears a Weedkiller, Saying It Won’t Cause Extinction
Fish and Wildlife Service Clears a Weedkiller, Saying It Won’t Cause Extinction
20 May 2026 at 17:04
The finding effectively paves the way for continued use of atrazine, a widely used herbicide that has been linked to birth defects and cancer in humans.
Test plots at a Syngenta research site in Junction City, Kan. Atrazine is made primarily by Syngenta.
© Julie Ingwersen/Reuters
