honey bees

Researchers: Blue-Green Algae Can Protect Honey Bees

Dan Environment, Pollinators, Research, This Land of Ours, USDA-ARS

A new way to protect important pollinators. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Scientists at USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) developed an edible antiviral treatment that can be used to protect honey bees against Deformed Wing Virus (DWV) and other viruses. Honeybees are important agricultural pollinators. However, viruses, including DWV, are linked to the deaths of millions of …

usda

Commissioner Wilton Simpson Announces Cost-Share Assistance for Agricultural Producers Impacted by Hurricane Idalia 

Dan Agri-Business, Aquaculture, Beef, Cattle, Citrus, Crop Insurance, Dairy, Economy, Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) program, Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), Field Crops, Florida, Forestry, Funding, Pollinators

~ Maximum grant for eligible producers raised from $50,000 to $150,000 ~ (FDACS/TALLAHASSEE, FL/Sept. 21,2023) — Today, Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson announced a cost-share assistance program to support agricultural producers severely impacted by Hurricane Idalia. The cost-share assistance program will be administered though the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ (FDACS) Office of Agricultural Water Policy and will support …

honey bees

Report Reflects Continued Stress on U.S. Honeybee Colonies

Dan Agri-Business, Environment, Pollinators, This Land of Ours

Honeybee losses continue in the U.S. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. A new USDA report on U.S. honeybee colonies shows continued high losses of those colonies. USDA’s Gary Crawford reports. It seems the nation’s honeybee colonies continue to be under siege. The latest USDA report shows the number of colonies is down from a year ago and the …

food source

Sorghum: A Useful Pollinator Food Source

Dan Pollinators, Pollinators, Specialty Crops, This Land of Ours, USDA-ARS

An alternative food source for pollinators. That’s coming up in This Land of Ours. Sorghum bicolor, a pollen-rich grass species cultivated for grain and forage, which looks similar to corn, can be an important food source for pollinators and other beneficial insects during times when pollen and nectar are scarce. Researchers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) …

research

Research into Bee Health May Lower Winter Colony Losses

Dan Pollinators, This Land of Ours, USDA-ARS

New research may help lower winter bee losses. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Agricultural Research Service scientists and their Chinese colleagues have identified a specific metabolic pathway that controls how honey bees apportion their body’s resources such as energy and immune response in reaction to stresses such as winter’s cold temperatures, according to recently published research. Entomologist and …

anniversary

It’s Earth Day: Anniversary of the Birth of the Modern Environmental Movement

Dan Conservation, Environment, Pollinators, Soil, This Land of Ours

Today, April 22nd is Earth Day. More about that coming up on This Land of Ours. Every year on April 22, Earth Day marks the anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement. Earth Day was first observed on April 22, 1970. Earlier this month Pique Action and earthday.org announced a strategic partnership as part of the ‘Invest In …

florida agricultural land

Seeking Agricultural-Environmental Leadership Award Nominations

Dan Citrus, Conservation, Environment, Pollinators, Soil

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) has opened the nomination period for the 2022 Agricultural-Environmental Leadership Award. Nominations must be submitted to FDACS by April 15, 2022. Get the nomination form here. “Through work in soil and conservation, pesticide and nutrient management, wildlife habitat conservation, and so much more … significant environmental contributions are the backbone of Florida’s thriving agriculture …

program

Program Helping Protect Pollinators from Invasive Pests

Dan Pest/Pest Control, Pollinators, Pollinators, This Land of Ours

The USDA program helping protect pollinators from invasive pests. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Bee pollination alone is responsible for more than 15-billion in added crop value, particularly for specialty crops such as almonds and other nuts, berries, fruits, and vegetables. Unfortunately, the honey bees are also vulnerable to invasive pests like parasitic mites, viruses, and predatory …

plant materials center

Plant Materials Center Provides Diverse Climate Plant Solutions

Dan Citrus, Climate Change, Corn, Cotton, Cover Crops, Environment, Field Crops, Fruits, Hemp, Herbs, Nursery Crops, Organic, Peanuts, Pest/Pest Control, Pollinators, Pollinators, Research, Research, Seeds, Soil, soil fertility, Soybeans, Specialty Crops, Sugar, This Land of Ours, Tree Nuts, USDA-NRCS, Vegetables, Wheat

The center providing plant solutions in a diverse climate. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours.  The Lockeford Plant Materials Center is a 106-acre facility located in the Central Valley of California.  It’s about an hour southeast of the state’s capitol, Sacramento, and is the only plant materials in the state. The center provides plant solutions for the diverse …