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Scientists at ARS are exploring solutions to help boost bees’ defenses and keep them buzzing.

Researchers develop novel way to prevent the spread of plant disease.

The invasive Arundo plant threatens local water supplies. See how ARS scientists are identifying insects that are naturally equipped to fight this problem.

ARS researchers are helping farmers use beneficial insects to protect their crops.

We all know that insects surround us, but what about the ones that get closer to home – inside our homes?

ARS researchers have collected and identified 50 lady beetles that are beneficial, serving as champions of Hawaiian biological pest control.

A team of ARS researchers is providing farmers in Hawaii with new apps to help manage threats to their crops.

Cooking with Science Episode 3: learn about research ARS is doing to improve strawberries, watch a cooking video and get recipes.

Bees are essential to healthy, biodiverse ecosystems.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as "forever chemicals", can persist in the environment and bioaccumulate in animals, humans, and plants.

ARS researchers are finding innovative ways to reduce food loss and waste – from farm to table.

Researchers examined the ability of colored rice bran extracts to stimulate glucose uptake.

Take a look at a sampling of ARS's innovative research solutions that could help reduce food loss and waste in America.

ARS researchers worked with the Quapaw tribe to create high-resolution digital maps of soil properties for their tribal lands.

Get cooking with these great recipes from Cooking with Science!

Sorghum bran could provide both good flavor and nutritional value to gluten-free breads.

Learn about the versatility of buckwheat in cooking as well as the nutritional benefits and taste variety of beans.

What do your food plates look like, and how do they compare to the USDA’s MyPlate? Let’s find out.

How do you know if the food you eat is nutritious? Take the Nutrition Challenge, to find out.

ARS is safeguarding agriculture from the destructive fall armyworm.

ARS presents a new cooking series that blends culinary dishes with food science. Each episode highlights a talented chef who creates wonderful, delicious recipes while our research experts discuss how they are making the foods we eat safer, tastier and more sustainable.

Careers for new scientists span a variety of disciplines in agriculture. Want to know more? Check out this page.

Pollinators are essential to healthy, biodiverse ecosystems.

Feeding astronauts on long space missions requires more than just leafy greens and tomatoes.

Does the future of farming include harvesting solar rays along with crops?

Vegetables can have a positive impact on your mental wellbeing.

Good nutrition is important for everyone, not just Olympic athletes. 

Check out some cool innovations and research being conducting to ensure your favorite apples are fresh, tasty, cost-friendly, and high quality.

ARS scientists in Idaho are using cattle to promote ecological restoration of western rangelands overrun by invasive grasses.

Scientists are perfecting a technology to embed nanoparticles of silver – a known anti-microbial agent – inside of cotton fibers.

'Agrivoltaics' is a hot new idea that uses land for both growing food and making energy from the sun in states where there’s lots of sunshine and not much water.

ARS researchers developed a weather data model to predict EcO157 contamination trends in lettuce.

Did you know that fire ants are a menace to humans, animals, and agriculture? At ARS, we're working to stamp out fire ants!

Huanglongbing, also known as citrus greening, poses the most serious threat that the Florida citrus industry has ever faced.

One of the great challenges to sustainability today is plastics.

USDA is launching a "Grand Challenge" initiative to combat salmonella poisoning.

ARS researchers are examining how cattle, swine, and poultry are raised in an effort to improve their quality of life.

Cooking with Science Episode 2: learn about ARS potato research, watch a cooking video and get recipes.

Researchers are collaborating to ensure that Alaska farmers have the best possible crops and practices for resilient and sustainable production in their changing condition.

Popular folk remedy witch hazel is an effective and natural alternative to conventional antibiotics.

The ARS Egg Safety and Quality Research Unit conducts research to protect both the health of consumers and the marketability of eggs.

Scientists at ARS's Eastern Regional Research Center in PA have identified a method to improve the safety of ready-to-eat foods while minimizing quality losses.

ARS keeps the pep in peppers. Cooking with Science Episode 1: Learn about ARS research to develop superior peppers, watch a cooking video and get recipes.

Scientists are working alongside industry and academia researchers to produce green jet fuel.

Nearly $8 billion per year is, literally, wasting away and there is currently no way to stop it. ARS scientists are on the case.

Researchers believe perennial grains could provide a number of crucial advantages for farmers and the environment.

ARS scientists are using non-traditional fish parts to make catfish more appealing to diners and increase profits for fish farmers.

Researchers here developed a dual-detection biosensor that is portable, enabling on-site testing of samples for mercury.

The Agricultural Research Service is helping ensure that native plants with cultural, historical, medicinal, and edible significance remain available for future generations.

Agriculture's impact on the planet depends on how it’s practiced.

This gallery offers photos relating to research at the Agricultural Research Service. Download the photos and learn about our research.

A new process converts organic waste into nanocellulose, a brown, fibrous material that can be used in multiple products from cardboard boxes to food packaging.

ARS scientists have invented a new way to keep waste out of landfills, make consumer products safer, and reduce dangerous emissions – all at the same time.

ARS offices, employees and locations around the country are strongly encouraged to participate in STEM outreach opportunities aimed at increasing literacy in science, technology, engineering and math for students of all ages.

A new biobased kitty litter developed by ARS scientists could be coming to a box near you—your cat's, that is.

ARS scientists are hard at work identifying new plant oils and new uses for existing ones, both in and outside the kitchen.

We’re going to learn about a very small fungus, called yeast. Let’s find out how this special fungus helps us make bread.

ARS scientists developed a series of algorithms capable of effectively predicting the prevalence of Salmonella.

One approach to eliminating plastic packaging is to use plant-based fiber to create products that are environmentally harmless but provide similar results to plastic.

Several types of invasive Asian carp threaten rivers and the Great Lakes. ARS researchers and commerce are using a two-pronged ‘fork’ approach to deal with the invasive fish.

Learn about this innovative approach that’s helping farmers grow their crops more efficiently – and sustainably.

What happens if we put hydrogen peroxide and yeast together in a large quantity?

ARS scientists are analyzing spinach varieties to identify varieties that have low oxalate levels, which is sometimes linked to better health.

The ARS Pollinator Health in Southern Crop Ecosystems Research Unit in Stoneville, MS recently set up a new apiary!

At ARS, researchers are working on new approaches to limit ticks’ ability to spread.

Researchers at the ARS Food Processing and Sensory Quality Research Unit in New Orleans, LA, are conducting research to ensure better quality of U.S. catfish.

ARS scientists are looking to turn the tables on mosquitoes and other insect pests like house flies by making them into lunch for other animals.

Do different types of apples have the same number of seeds? Try this fun data analysis and collection experiment for elementary school students.

The Chesapeake Bay is the largest and most productive estuary in the United States and third largest in the world.

ARS scientists are inventing new tools to investigate blood-sucking insects.

ARS researchers found an effective, organic treatment against nematodes and other pests that uses orchard grass.

The United States began honoring women’s history in 1980, but ARS has a long tradition of celebrating the role of women in science.

ARS scientists use genetics to keep the Louisiana sugar industry vital.

ARS researchers have discovered that the condition of soil dramatically affects how well grasslands can sequester carbon in the soil.

Scientists are turning that waste into products that can refresh the soil. Two examples involve mill mud and bagasse.

Researchers may boost the cotton nonwoven industry and clean the environment.

Check out the videos in our "What Is" video series.

ARS researchers have been hot on the trail of the destructive spotted lanternfly.

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.

It's Mardi Gras season and we’re excited to feature some of the great research happening at the ARS Southern Regional Research Center in New Orleans, LA!

ARS scientists have identified a possible tool to fight the invasion of the Brazilian peppertree.

ARS researchers are breeding new lines of tomatoes that are resistant to anthracnose disease which causes tomato fruit rot.

In aquaponics, fish and plants are grown together in a system where the fish live in a tank and their waste is broken down by bacteria into fertilizer for plants.

Flooding fields may be a win-win for farmers and birds in the Mississippi Delta.

ARS researchers developed a new bioplastic-based spray to fight aflatoxins using natural ingredients.

Students from the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences visited ARS's National Animal Disease Center

A Thanksgiving meal just wouldn’t be the same without the sweet/tart goodness of cranberries. A project funded by ARS is working to ensure the staple stays on the table.

Vertical farming, the practice of growing crops in vertically stacked layers, allows farmers to grow fresh produce indoors year-round.

The National Agricultural Library is making it easier to stay up-to-date with new nutrition research!

Raising healthy chickens requires planning, attention to detail, and fastidiousness when it comes to completing daily chores.

A restless plant that thrives in several cemeteries in Mississippi could be linked to a royal Gypsy family.

ARS researchers are improving soil through better farming practices.

Guidelines for properly cooking meats are well documented, but what about for plant-based products?

ARS is researching the benefits of agroforestry.

A tiny parasitic wasp known as the samurai wasp, may be the solution to the major economic damage to crops perpetrated by the stink bug.

ARS researchers discovered a fuzzy gray bee that carves its nest into chunks of sandstone!

ARS researchers are using puled light as part of their approach toward combating food pathogens and diseases.

Test your knowledge of late summer fruits and vegetables at your local farm or farmers market. How many can you find?

A pair of bald eagles and their eaglet live in a tree at the U.S. National Arboretum in Washington, D.C.

Use this project to fin dout if you are getting enough vitamins and minerals.

Dairy cows that produce organic milk also produce manure capable of replenishing nutrients in soil while slowing nutrient-runoff to nearby water sources.

ARS researchers undertook a five-year study to improve control of the ticks that spread Lyme disease.

ARS scientists have developed a special ultraviolet-C irradiation technique that may keep strawberries mold-free without chemical fungicides.

ARS scientists in Burns OR are giving native plants, and the ecosystems they support, a helping hand by combatting invasive plants.

Add color and flavor to your water by making fruity ice cubes at home.

This insect is native to East Asia and feeds on the sap of the vividly colorful crapemyrtle trees, as well as apple and blackberry plants.

ARS developed climate smart farming systems by employing artificial intelligence (AI) to help farms become more sustainable and environmentally friendly.

Many ARS employees participate in STEM outreach opportunities aimed at increasing literacy in science, technology, engineering and math.

ARS Soil Management and Sugar Beet Research Unit staff participated in Expedition Colorado, an annual field trip to teach students about natural resources and conservation practices.

ARS scientists are exploring how a seaweed species could potentially reduce methane emissions in livestock production.

ARS scientists in Arizona are exploring ways to use water more efficiently, by recycling wastewater to irrigate crops.

Are you eating ARS-developed French fries?

Learn how ARS’s research and accomplishments promote sustainability, address climate change, and benefit the environment.

Composting is an excellent way to reduce waste that’s sent to landfills while providing soil in your gardens or fields with precious nutrients.

ARS scientists are helping to preserve the genetic diversity of our food crops by storing the seeds and other parts of hundreds of thousands of plants.

Did you know that popcorn is a 100 percent whole grain? Learn more about popcorn.

ARS scientists researched whether raising beef cattle without antibiotics would reduce antimicrobial resistance levels. Learn what they discovered.

Learn how ARS scientists are working hard to fight this pest and protect our beloved ash trees.

These parasitic wasps lay eggs inside the developing fly larva and consume them from the inside.

Did you know there are five food groups that help us stay healthy? Just download, print and get coloring!

Check out the AgLab coloring sheets. Just download, print and get coloring!

Whether you like ad-libs, word scrambles or coloring we have games for you.

Do you know what food groups are part of a healthy plate? MyPlate can help you build a healthy eating routine and can be used for kids and adults of all ages!

A new method of freezing food without turning it rock solid could not only improve the quality, but save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, too.

The ARS Electron and Confocal Microscopy Unit is equipped with state-of-the-art microscopes capable of producing high-resolution, digital images.

Learn the benefits of this natural recycling method and how to get started with composting.

Should you store eggs in the refrigerator or let them sit out in the kitchen at room temperature?

Learn how ARS researchers are turning to the sun to help fight a strawberry fungus.

ARS scientists are constantly discovering and describing new species of insects like the ostrich moth.

Nematodes with a taste for "insect innards" may offer cranberry growers a natural alternative to fighting hungry crop pests with chemical insecticides.

Need a science projects for your classroom or at-home learning? Check out these projects offering a variety of topics and skill levels.

Scientists and staff at the National Cold Water Marine Aquaculture Center in Franklin, ME, have been improving the amount and quality of America’s Atlantic salmon for nearly 20 years.

This moth is native to Southeast Asia and its caterpillar feeds on the tissues inside stems of plants in the myrtle family.

Seaweed farming is the fastest growing sector of American aquaculture and ARS scientists can help farmers cash in on stealthy commercial market.