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ARS scientists in Dawson, GA, helped to develop Irrigator Pro, an agricultural decision support tool that helps farmers and growers schedule irrigation for corn, cotton, and peanuts.
So far, Irrigator Pro has proven effective; in Georgia alone, peanut farmers have documented increases in peanut yield and grade by 400 pounds per acre – equaling an increased net revenue of $5.5 million per year.
October was National Seafood Month but anytime is a good time for seafood. ARS studies show Americans should be eating more seafood which contain healthful nutrients. (D4994-1)
"Oooh, what big eyes you have grandma. Better to see you with my dear." This fluorescent stereomicroscope image shows the amazing color of the compound eyes of a common paper wasp.
It's almost Halloween! Pumpkins and flint corn, also known as Indian corn, are seasonal favorites. (Photo by Peggy Greb, D4740-5)
September is National Potato Month. Scientists are breeding colorful potatoes with beneficial red-to-purple pigments called anthocyanins and yellow-pigmented carotenoids. (Stephen Ausmus D3326-11)
Sweet corn! It’s just not summertime without it. ARS researchers discovered that plant density may lead to higher yields of sweet corn. (Photo by Peggy Greb, D4938-1)
With summer comes cucumbers! Cucumbers developing on plants having multiple lateral branching is important because increasing branch numbers increases yield potential. (Stephen Ausmus)
Summer is here…so are mosquitos! ARS scientists are working to protect U.S. soldiers from this pest and others by developing new repellents and treated fabrics. (Stephen Ausmus, D2623-8)
It's Pollinator Week! ARS research is focused on understanding the impact of a changing climate on bee health and survival and finding solutions to reduce pollinator losses. (Peggy Greb, D4671-2)
Fruits, such as this raspberry, provide nutrients vital for health and maintenance of your body, including potassium, dietary fiber, vitamin C, and folate (folic acid). (Photo by Peggy Greb, D4936-1)
May 20 is World Bee Day! These honey bees are devouring a new, nutrient-rich food created by ARS scientists. (Stephen Ausmus, K10288-1)
There’s always something blooming at the U.S. National Arboretum in Washington, DC. like these green boxwood shrubs interspersed with azaleas. Stephen Ausmus (D925-1)
Harlequin bugs damage collards, cabbage, broccoli, and other popular mustard-family crops. ARS scientists are developing new ways to control this pest. (Photo by Peggy Greb, D3612-1)
It's April and we're celebrating National Garden Month! ARS scientists are working to develop new lettuce lines with combined resistance to pests and diseases. (Photo by Peggy Greb, D4848-1)
Wheat in a Nebraska field. (Stephen Ausmus, K11701-1)
Peanuts are a snackable favorite. ARS scientists released a new peanut, Contender, that contains high amounts of oleic fatty acids, which can promote heart health. (Stephen Ausmus, D4268-17)
Did you know that chocolate is made from cocoa beans? Above are cocoa beans in a cacao pod. (Photo by Keith Weller, K4636-14)
Whole grains are part of a heart healthy diet. (Photo by Peggy Greb, D1678-1)
Whiteflies cause some of the world's worst crop problems and are responsible for enormous losses every year. These whiteflies are feeding on a watermelon leaf. (Stephen Ausmus, D288-23)
January is National Hot Tea Month. Tea, oranges, and mint have high amounts of flavonoids—beneficial compounds found in plant-based foods. (Stephen Ausmus, K10306-1)
Scientists at the U.S. National Arboretum are doing research on determining the genetic diversity in Magnolia trees. (Photo by Peggy Greb, D4580-1)
ARS researchers analyzed the phytochemicals and vitamin E concentrations in five color classes of rice bran. (Photo by Peggy Greb, D2846-6)
December 5, 2021 is World Soil Day. ARS scientists have developed a testing process that accurately measures naturally occurring nitrogen and other nutrients in soil. (Peggy Greb, D3197-1)
New Orleans, nicknamed the "Big Easy", is known far and wide for jazz music, cafes, spicy cuisine and the annual celebration of Mardi Gras. This vibrant city is also home to ARS's Southern Regional Research Center.
In honor of the Mardi Gras season, we're featuring research from the Big Easy including enhancing the quality and nutritional value of rice, boosting the cotton nonwoven industry, preventing of off-flavors in fish and developing efficient processing and quality in sugar for food and bioenergy production.
Using More Cotton May Help Clean the Environment - A research team at the ARS Southern Regional Research Center in New Orleans, LA, is looking at ways to increase the use and utility of cotton fibers.
ARS Scientists Improve Nutrients and Add Value to Rice Crop - Rice, already the primary staple for half the world's population, is getting a makeover from a research team in New Orleans, LA. The results are a more healthful grain and many potential new products.
Refining the Appeal of a Regional Favorite - ARS researchers are throwing overboard the off-flavors in catfish to ensure better quality of U.S. catfish compared to imports.
Sugar Byproducts May Help Refresh the Environment - Scientists are turning that waste into products that can refresh the soil. Two examples involve mill mud and bagasse.
What is the Hydrologic Cycle?
What is Agroforestry?
What is Photosynthesis?
What Are Bioplastics?
What is the Nitrogen Cycle?
Anthracnose is a “rotten” disease that causes tomatoes to bruise and rot. It hangs onto branches and then when it rains drips down on the tomatoes, infecting them. Farmers typically use water management strategies and fungicides to minimize the amount of anthracnose that sticks to the tomato. ARS researchers are looking for an even better solution: breeding new lines of tomatoes that are resistant to anthracnose disease. Check out the video.
Aquaponics is an innovative blend of aquaculture and hydroponics. Fish and plants are grown together in a system where the fish live in a tank and their waste – poop and ammonia – is broken down by bacteria into fertilizer for plants. Carl Webster, research biologist at the ARS Harry K. Dupree Stuttgart National Aquaculture Research Center in Stuttgart, AR, explained that the “wastewater” is an irrigation source that plants find nutritious and delicious in a soilless hydroponic environment. The plants associated with aquaponics typically include crops like lettuce, spinach, herbs, and even tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, and peppers.
The result of this combination is a steady supply of fresh fish – channel catfish, hybrid striped bass, and tilapia – and vegetables that can be produced year-round just about anywhere, from an abandoned inner-city warehouse to a climate-controlled facility in the middle of a desert.
According to the United Nations, there will be more than 9 billion people living on our planet by 2050.
“We need to be smarter about how we grow food,” said Benjamin Beck, research leader at the ARS Aquatic Animal Health Research Unit in Auburn, AL. “Minimizing the space used to grow food and/or by growing more than one crop at the same time could help relieve pressure on land production of crops while still providing a locally grown source of food.”
Whether you like them fried, soft boiled, scrambled or over-easy eggs are a popular food. If you eat eggs, you may have some questions about how to handle them safely.
Have you ever had an egg stuck in the carton and wondered if it’s still safe to eat? Where should eggs be stored in the refrigerator? Are eggs with two yolks safe to eat? How long can cooked eggs be safe at room temperature?
The ARS Egg Safety and Quality Research Unit conducts research to protect both the health of consumers and the marketability of eggs.
Microcracks in the shells of eggs pose a major food safety concern to consumers.
ARS scientists have hatched a way to produce safer eggs without jeopardizing quality.
It is a question anyone who has ever eaten an egg might want to ask: How should we store them?
Questions & Answers on how to handle and store eggs safely.
ARS scientists developed portable and stationary LED-light egg grading systems.
Should your refrigerate eggs or keep them at room temperature? Researchers decided.
Egg-citing Facts About Buying - What should you look for when buying eggs? Learn this and more.
Egg-citing Facts About Storing Eggs - How long do eggs keep? How do you know if an egg is spoiled? Learn the answer and more.
Egg-citing Facts About Handling Eggs Safely - Can you use an egg that is stuck in the carton? Learn the answer and more.
Egg-citing Facts About How to Eat Eggs Safely - Are eggs with two yolks safe to eat? Learn the answer and more.
Additional Information:
Research Programs and Projects at the USNPRC Egg and Poultry Production Safety Research Unit
Scientific Contact: Deana Jones, research food technologist, Egg and Poultry Production Safety Research Unit
Aflatoxins are highly toxic substances produced by some species of Aspergillus fungi and can contaminate common crops such as corn, peanuts, and cotton. In high enough doses, these toxins are known to cause liver damage or cancer, ultimately threatening the health of both animals and people.
In Stoneville, MS, a team of ARS researchers developed a new bioplastic-based spray to fight aflatoxins using natural ingredients like cornstarch and beneficial microbes such as fungi and bacteria strains. The spray is relatively inexpensive, easy to apply, storable, biodegradable, and capable of significantly reducing aflatoxin contamination.
Learn more:
On May 5, 2022, 10 staff members from the ARS Soil Management and Sugar Beet Research Unit in Fort Collins, CO participated in Expedition Colorado, an annual field trip held at Colorado State University for 4th grade students in the Poudre School District to teach students about natural resources and conservation practices.
Approximately 1,400 students went through various stations at the Lory Student Center which included an ARS hosted workshop on different types of soils and plants.
ARS Biological Science Technician, Bradley Sowder and ARS Postdoctoral Scientist Dr. Olivia Todd.
ARS Soil Scientist, Dr. Catherine Stewart is preparing soil samples.
ARS Postdoctoral Scientist Dr. Olivia Todd talks to a student about fungal diseases of plants.
ARS Soil Scientist, Dr. Peter Kleinman preparing for his talk on the importance of soil conservation.
ARS Biological Science Technician Hanna Oleszak talks with students about plant nutrition.
Vertical farming is the practice of growing crops in vertically stacked layers. It allows farmers to grow fresh produce indoors year-round and could be part of the solution to growing crops where there is a limited availability of land and water.
It sounds like a futuristic concept, but gears are already in motion for practical implementation. Small fruiting crops like tomatoes as well as leafy greens have great potential for vertical farming production. Tomatoes can be grown hydroponically (in a nutrient-rich solution rather than in soil) in a greenhouse.
ARS plant pathologist Dr. Kai-Shu Ling and research horticulturalist Dr. James Altland discuss vertical farming in the August 2021 issue of Under the Microscope.
