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USDA AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH SERVICE
USDA field pilots replaced most woodchips with corn cobs in nitrate bioreactors; the 75% corn-cob beds removed nitrate up to 10 times fasterField pilots have demonstrated that corn cobs are highly effective in removing nitrates from farm drainage water. These innovative bioreact...- In 2012, Alaska counted 58 pigeon guillemots on Naked Island as mink threatened nests. 11 years later following restoration, their numbers had jumped nearly 400%, reaching 288 birds in 2023Pigeon guillemot numbers on Alaska's Naked Island Group have significantly increased. This recovery followed a multiyear effort to remove i...
- In 2000, Australian scientists tricked grapevines into conserving water by drying half their roots. 26 years later, PRD remains a technique that can maintain yields while cutting irrigation by 50%Australian scientists developed Partial Rootzone Drying (PRD), an irrigation approach designed to reduce water use while maintaining commer...
- Google’s India-first AI models for agriculture are finding applications beyond IndiaGoogle's agricultural AI models, developed in India, have expanded their reach to eleven countries, facilitating advancements in farming an...
- Gates Foundation, India to develop AI tools for farmers, explore Asia-Africa expansionThe Gates Foundation will collaborate with India to enhance AI-powered digital tools for farmers. Discussions focused on India's advanced u...
- In 2000, UC Irvine led a 2-season study of rice paddies, finding crops emit ozone-depleting gases. Years later, the research still shows rice farming contributes 5% of atmospheric methyl iodide globally todayRice paddies are known for methane emissions. But UC Irvine researchers found another atmospheric connection worth watching. Flooded rice f...
- In 1997, University of Florida spent 10 years developing a mosquito “diet pill.” Today, larvae fed the hormone-treated algae starve within 72 hours, offering an eco-friendly way to fight disease-carrying pestsA University of Florida scientist developed a mosquito "diet pill" using a digestive hormone. This hormone is delivered through algae, whic...
- In 1772, Benjamin Franklin sent Chinese tallow seeds to Savannah, Georgia; the government planted more along the Gulf in 1900, and the tree now covers 185,000 hectaresIn the late 1700s, a shipment of 1772 seeds sparked a significant invasion of non-native trees across southern U.S. forests. The federal pl...
- Boost for Ladakh: High-level panel to plan national sea buckthorn research hubA high-level committee will examine establishing a National Sanjeevani Research Centre for Sea Buckthorn. This initiative aims to position ...
- Texas turned 68,000 acres of solar farms into sheep pastures to control weeds; the state now accounts for more than half of U.S. solar grazingTexas solar farms are turning to sheep as a surprising solution to a growing maintenance problem. Across roughly 68,000 acres, sheep now gr...
- In 1888, USDA sent an entomologist to Australia to collect vedalia beetles for California’s cottony cushion scale; within a year, the pest had sharply declinedThe cottony cushion scale insect threatened California's citrus growers with devastation. The USDA took action by sending a scientist to Au...
- In 2022, moving solar panels shielded French apple trees from extreme sun, cutting sunburned fruit from 13% to 2%A study by French scientists indicates that the use of solar panels can drastically lessen sunburn injuries on apples, reducing the damage ...
- In 1914, USDA researchers imported Australian melaleuca seeds into the United States. 100 years later, the fast-growing tree had conquered 500,000 acres of South Florida after being planted to help dry the EvergladesAustralian melaleuca seeds were imported to the United States in 1914 for agricultural purposes. Later, the Army Corps of Engineers planted...
- After someone planted golden bamboo beside an Oʻahu road, the single ornamental planting escaped and grew into a 1-acre patch, crowding out native plantsGolden bamboo, once a beloved addition to gardens, is now recognized as an invasive menace. Its rapid growth through underground rhizomes t...
- After 8 years in US Marine Corps, including Iraq deployment, he fell in love with farming in Arkansas. He credits military training for successAfter eight years in the US Marine Corps, including an Iraq deployment, Travis Appel found a new calling in farming after studying at the U...
- Since 1997, Florida has released Australian insects to help control melaleuca in the Everglades; its invaded range has shrunk by nearly 75% alongside herbicide and mechanical removalIn Florida's Everglades, Australian insects played a crucial role in curbing the spread of invasive melaleuca trees. By targeting these tre...
- In the 1930s, just 9 to 20 foreign ant queens apparently stowed away on a ship; their descendants now infest more than 367 million U.S. acresA few fire ant queens arriving in Mobile, Alabama, in the 1930s established a widespread infestation. These invasive insects now infest ove...
- In the 1500s, European settlers brought pigs to North America as travelling food; more than 6 million feral swine now occupy at least 35 statesEuropean pigs introduced centuries ago became invasive feral swine across North America. These adaptable animals now inhabit diverse enviro...
- In 1988, USDA scientists released just 88 flea beetles in North Dakota; their descendants multiplied into hundreds of millions across North AmericaIn North Dakota, a targeted release of flea beetles marked the beginning of a successful biological control initiative. These beetles flour...
- In 1998, an insect no bigger than a grain of rice reached Florida on imported plants; the start of a chain of events tied to the state's orange harvest falling more than 90%A tiny pest first introduced in 1998 has been the cause of devastation in Florida's orange groves due to citrus greening disease, resulting...
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