True North: Bringing Scientific Insights to Farming in Alaska

When they think about farming, many people picture endless rows of corn and wheat spilling across the middle of the country. But the truth is that agriculture is everywhere in the U.S. — from sea to shining sea, and in Hawaii and Alaska. In fact, Alaska is poised to see even more farming as climate change leads to warmer conditions and a longer growing season.

ARS researchers are hard at work figuring out how to develop farming in Alaska in the most sustainable way possible. Together with colleagues from the University of Alaska, they are testing a wide variety of possible crops and practices to see what works well now — and what might work well in the future. Perhaps most importantly, they are focused on working closely with residents of Alaska, letting them decide which research questions are important to pursue. Together, the team is working on projects like selective breeding of crops for the longer season, and testing out new crops that haven’t grown in Alaska before but might do well there — all while ensuring soil health through sustainable choices and practices. Learn more about the research.

Innovations for Ready-to-Eat Foods

It can be challenging to slow down and plan and cook a well-balanced meal from scratch. Due to busy lifestyles, we often turn to ready-to-eat food products. These foods include minimally processed, extended shelf-life, refrigerated ready-to-eat meat and poultry products with reduced salt that do not require additional cooking. But how do we know if these ready-to-eat meals are safe to consume? ARS researchers in Wyndmoor, PA, developed models to predict the behavior of pathogens in foods, by estimating reduced heat treatment to ensure safety against pathogens in ready-to-eat foods while minimizing quality losses. The models serve as a scientific bases to establish regulatory performance standards guidelines for ready-to-eat foods and can assist risk managers to determine food processing and handling conditions that affect the risk of foodborne illness. Check out our food safety research site for more information. 

Making the Blue Skies a Little Greener

In the race to reduce emissions, aviation has proven to be one of the most challenging sectors to transform. However, biofuels derived from agricultural products and byproducts offer a promising way to significantly reduce emissions. In this video, an ARS researcher from the National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research in Peoria, IL, discusses techniques his team has developed that use yeast to convert plant materials into bio-oil. That bio-oil can be used to make renewable jet fuel. Several crops, from sugarcane to soy, can be used, and the technology can be used with crops grown on marginal farmland, so it does not displace the cultivation of food crops.

Collectively, the U.S. aviation industry aims to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 50% by the year 2050. Innovative new technologies like these biofuels can play a critical role in helping to reach that goal.

Like ‘Mad Cow,’ Chronic Wasting Disease in Deer Currently Has no Cure

Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a fatal illness that affects the brain, spinal cord, and many other tissues in deer, elk, and moose. The disease’s name comes from the most obvious symptom, dramatic weight loss.

CWD is one of a group of diseases called prion diseases or transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs). Other TSEs include scrapie, in sheep and goats, and bovine spongiform encephalopathy – mad cow disease – in cattle. Prions are proteins that exist throughout the body but are most prevalent in the brain. Malformed prions lead to the disease.

Deer-to-human transmission of CWD is not known to occur under normal circumstances.

ARS scientists at the National Animal Disease Center (NADC) in Ames, IA, are investigating CWD. One approach is to develop a new test that can detect low levels of CWD in easily accessible samples, like saliva, feces, and nasal swabs. They’re also investigating biomarkers that can detect target proteins at ultra-low levels in the blood through a technique called single molecule array.

NADC researchers are investigating various rare prion protein genotypes in white-tailed deer. They are hoping to find a genotype that may be at least partially resistant to CWD. Even finding a genotype that could slow the onset of the disease would give producers a tool for managing deer on their farms.

While not normally considered an agricultural resource, the commercial deer breeding industry represents a $7.9 billion annual impact on the U.S. economy and supports more than 56,000 jobs.

Mercury is a naturally-occurring element found in soil, water, and air. But it can also be found in our food, and high levels of exposure may cause neurological and kidney damage. Current methods for detecting mercury in environmental samples are complex, time-consuming, and require specialized training. However, an ARS-funded research project at Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN, may have found a simpler, more efficient solution. 

Researchers here developed a dual-detection biosensor that is faster, more user-friendly, and just as effective and accurate as existing methods. It is also portable, enabling on-site testing of samples for mercury in the parts-per-million range and displaying the results on a smartphone. The biosensor can also be adapted to multiplex, low-cost strip devices for on-site detection of toxins, pathogens, and heavy metals other than mercury. 

Read this article to learn more.

Perennial Grains: The Next Food Frontier?

The bulk of American farmlands are devoted to growing annual grains —  corn, wheat, and other crops that are harvested and then must be replanted every year. Yet many plants, including some grains, come in perennial varieties and grow back year after year. Researchers believe that these perennial grains could provide a number of crucial advantages for farmers and the environment. For example, the long roots that they develop over many years help preserve soil structure and quality, retain soil moisture, and sequester carbon more effectively. Because they don’t need to be replanted every year, they also could save farmers significant time and money, eliminating planting and many input costs. 

Today, some farmers are planting intermediate wheatgrass, a perennial grain. The grain it produces, called Kernza®, is available in some stores, and is being used by brewers and bakers in their products. Check out this interview, where ARS researcher Peter Kleinman describes how researchers are looking to boost the use and value of this exciting crop to benefit growers and consumers alike.

Consumers Want More Catfish with their Catfish 

Commercial catfishing is big business in this country, but nearly 7 in 8 of those operations are considered small businesses; more than one-third have annual revenues of less than $25,000. The Agricultural Research Service (ARS) is trying to help them reel in more profits.

One of the ways they’re accomplishing that goal is turning what was once considered expendable – the fish’s bones, or “frames” – into value-added inventory.

Catfish bones are a safe source of calcium, so if we can find ways to keep these byproducts in the human food supply, they can provide valuable nutrients and increase profitability for the industry.

Surveys found that most consumers (68%) were willing to try seafood byproduct if it was used as an ingredient in some other seafood or fish product. These results supported the use of catfish bone powder in fish fry mixtures. Test confirmed that consumers liked catfish strips cooked with bone powder mix as much or more than plain commercial breading. In fact, 84% of consumers said they would purchase the fried catfish strips coated with bone powder mix and reported higher levels of positive emotions after learning of the added calcium. Learn more