A team of Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and university scientists has released two new oat germplasm lines, CDL-111 and CDL-167, to strengthen defenses against crown rust, the most damaging fungal disease affecting oats. Crown rust, caused by Puccinia coronata f. sp. avenae, can reduce grain yields by up to 50% if left untreated. The new lines are designed to be …
Research Reveals Long-Term Decline in Wild Bee Populations
In South Michigan, an Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientist and her collaborators have used historical bee collections and advanced technology to uncover key ecological trends in pollinators. The findings could help shape new conservation efforts aimed at protecting bee diversity, which is vital for environmental stability and agricultural productivity. Kelsey Graham, a scientist with the ARS Pollinating Insect Research Unit, …
Researchers: Blue-Green Algae Can Protect Honey Bees
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 and University of Georgia Break Ground on New Agriculture Research Facility in Tifton, Georgia
(USDA-ARS/TIFTON, Georgia, Feb. 21, 2024) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service (USDA/ARS) and the University of Georgia (UGA) College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES) hosted a groundbreaking ceremony today for the new state-of-the-art research facility housing the Southeast Watershed Research Laboratory and the Crop Genetics and Breeding Research Unit.  This new research facility will include a new 31,000 square foot building …
USDA Launches Effort to Strengthen Substantiation of Animal-Raising Claims
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced Wednesday that it is implementing a multi-step effort aimed at strengthening the substantiation of animal-raising claims. This action builds on the significant work USDA has already undertaken to protect consumers from false and misleading labels and to implement President Biden’s Executive Order on Promoting Competition in the American economy. “Consumers should be able to trust …
USDA Research: Increasing Vegetable Consumption May Better Mental Health
New research finds that increasing vegetable consumption has a positive effect on how happy a person feels. USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) says that holds true for adults who consume the daily amount of vegetable servings recommended by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Researchers at the Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center conducted the eight-week study. The study divided healthy …
Research Shows Vegetables May Help Mental Health
Are you working on taking care of your mental health? Add another serving of vegetables to your dinner plate. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. And if you or someone you know needs more intensive support, exploring Phoenix adolescent residential treatment for teen mental health can provide specialized care and resources to address mental health challenges effectively. These …
Breeding Better Potatoes for Better Potato Chips
Breeding better potatoes for better potato chips. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Americans eat more potato chips than any other nation; more than four pounds a person a year, according to Potatoes USA. About 22 percent of the U.S. potato crop—nearly 7,500 million pounds annually—are made into chips. And USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) helps ensure that the country …
Sorghum: A Useful Pollinator Food Source
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) …
USDA Developing New Ways to Track COVID in Wild and Domestic Animals
Scientists with USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) are developing new tests to identify and track the COVID virus in wild and domestic animals. Funded by the American Rescue Plan, USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is implementing $300 million to conduct monitoring and surveillance of susceptible animals for the COVID virus. Through the initiative, ARS, in partnership with …