Results
Impact
Research Expanding Opportunities for Commercial Seaweed Production
January 23, 2023
Seaweed aquaculture has great potential for growth in the U.S., but currently production is limited to a small number of farms that cultivate just one or two species of kelp. Supported by USDA’s National Institute of Food and…
Impact
UConn Researchers Studying Unintended Effects of Gene Editing in Tomatoes
January 18, 2023
Researchers in UConn’s College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources are exploring options to help ensure consumers have a safe, abundant and nutritious food supply. The project, which is studying a genetic editing technique in…
Impact
Research Improving Dairy Cow Nutrition
January 10, 2023
Many Americans eat dairy regularly, and dairy farms contribute to rural economies, but dairy farmers face many challenges, such as keeping up with costs, managing manure and emissions, and protecting animal welfare.
Impact
Battling Exotic Ant Pests in American Samoa
January 5, 2023
Strengthening American Samoa's ability to prevent, detect and respond to invasive exotic ants is essential to preserving the territory's agricultural production, its environment and its people's unique way of life. Thanks to funding…
Impact
National Animal Health Laboratory Network: Protecting the American Agriculture System for 20 Years
December 28, 2022
The U.S. livestock and food sectors, which account for more than $150 billion in annual cash receipts, are under continual threat from outbreaks of foreign and emerging animal diseases. Since 2002, these agricultural assets have been…
Impact
UNM Biologists Make Breakthrough in Fish Mucosal Immune System Research
December 27, 2022
Researchers in the Salinas Lab at UNM’s Department of Biology have discovered an immune structure in the nasal cavities of rainbow trout that scientists previously didn’t think existed. The new knowledge will allow fish immunologists…
Impact
Building a Culture of Composting
December 13, 2022
Illinois grows more pumpkins than any other state, and University of Illinois Extension professionals are using the fall favorite to build awareness of the importance of composting in Cook County.
Impact
Even After a Wildfire, Dangers Persist
December 6, 2022
There has been an unprecedented increase in the frequency and severity of wildfires with 2020 marked as the most active wildfire year across the Western United States. While direct impacts from wildfires are devastating as singular…
Impact
Land-grant University Researchers Helping in Fight Against Antimicrobial Resistance
November 25, 2022
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites change over time and no longer respond to medicines, making infections harder to treat and increasing the risk of disease spread, severe illness and death…
Impact
NIFA-Funded Drought Research Inspires Scientist’s Poetry
November 14, 2022
USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture-funded researcher Jess Gersony, who formerly was a postdoc at the University of New Hampshire, has turned her passion for studying natural resources and the environment into poetry. Now at…
Impact
Respecting Roots and Growing for the Future with the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation
November 7, 2022
Six years ago, there was a 300-acre parcel of wooded land in North Stonington, Connecticut. A dirt road led into the property, and Jeremy Whipple, executive director of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation (MPTN) Department of…
Impact
National Clean Plant Center for Berries Expands Capabilities
November 1, 2022
The Arkansas Clean Plant Center for Berries at the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station has moved into a renovated laboratory, expanding its capability to assure that nurseries and growers have plants free of harmful pathogens. …
Impact
Virginia Tech-led Group that Researched Boxwood Blight Wins USDA Award
October 18, 2022
The Boxwood Blight Insight Group (BBIG) was awarded a Partnership Award from the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture in the Program Improvement through Global Engagement Category.
Impact
Research and Extension Supports Local Food Systems
October 11, 2022
In the South, local food systems face numerous complex issues, such as barriers to entry, fragmentation, and racial injustice. These issues can keep producers and consumers from fully participating in local food systems. Strengthening…
Impact
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack Proclaims October 2 - 8 as National 4-H Week
October 6, 2022
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has proclaimed October 2 - 8 as National 4-H Week! You can read and download the Proclamation on National 4-H Week, 2022 - United States Department of Agriculture. 4-H engages, enables and empowers…
Impact
Helping Western Tribal Communities Understand the Impacts of and Adaptation Options for Climate Change
September 27, 2022
USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is providing important financial support through the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative program to the Desert Research Institute and its Native Waters on Arid Lands project…
Impact
A New Cash Oilseed Cover Crop for Midwest Corn and Soybean Rotations
September 20, 2022
Thanks to a $10 million dollar grant awarded by USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture in 2019, a new oilseed is moving ever closer to becoming a cover crop that can be used both as a component in biofuels and livestock feeds…
Impact
Langston University Excels in Daylily Research
September 6, 2022
Despite its rich environmental, nutritional, medicinal and research history, daylily’s economies evolve mainly around the beauty of its flowers. The diversity and complexity of its colors are unparalleled across ornamental crops. With…
Impact
SDSU Researchers Working to Fill Educational Gaps for Rural Students
August 30, 2022
Two South Dakota State University researchers have begun working to help “fill in the gaps” that rural students might be missing in their education. The idea came from hearing conversations parents were having regarding their children’s…
Impact
Oregon State Researchers Discover Compounds Contributing to Smoke Taint in Wine and Grapes
August 23, 2022
With funding from NIFA, an Oregon State University-led research team has discovered a class of compounds that contribute to smoke taint in wine and grapes.
Impact
How the Omicron Subvariant BA.5 Became a Master of Disguise – and What It Means for the Current COVID-19 Surge
August 17, 2022
The omicron subvariant known as BA.5 was first detected in South Africa in February 2022 and spread rapidly throughout the world. As of the second week of July 2022, BA.5 constituted nearly 80% of COVID-19 variants in the United States…
Impact
Developing New Measures to Assess Factors Associated with Food Insecurity in the U.S.
August 9, 2022
Tackling food and nutrition insecurity is one of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack’s top priorities. Developing and validating tools to measure the emerging concept of nutrition security will help accelerate USDA’s progress.
Impact
Building a Network to Enhance Collaboration for Agricultural Biosecurity
August 1, 2022
NIFA engages in many programs, working groups and networks — in both plant and animal systems that support the tactical sciences for agricultural biosecurity mission — by identifying and preparing for the entry, outbreak or spread of…
Impact
Multistate Project Focused on Protecting One of Nation’s Largest Aquifers
July 26, 2022
Rapidly dropping reservoir levels in the West are capturing national media attention, but the nation’s underground aquifers are also under threat. The Ogallala aquifer is one of the world’s largest fresh water resources. Communities and…
Impact
Diversity and Inclusion in Agriculture: The Case for Missouri Latino Farmers and Ranchers
July 19, 2022
Since 2007, the U.S. Census of Agriculture has consistently documented a demographic shift in the agricultural sector. Although this shift reflects a more diverse farming community that collectively contributes to reducing food…
