Innovative
Way to Keep Bollworms Out of Cotton Fields (Dec
28, 2010)
USDA. Agricultural
Research Service.
ARS scientists are part of a team that's
found an innovative way to keep pink bollworms
out of cotton fields in the Southwest and reduce
both insecticide spraying and the threat of resistance
to genetically modified crops. Their strategy
-- combining the use of Bt cotton with the release
of a sterile version of the voracious pest.
USDA Announces
Planting of Wheat Stem Rust-Resistant Seed in
Afghanistan (Nov
4, 2010)
U.S. Department
of Agriculture.
Agriculture Secretary Vilsack announced that 150 tons of wheat stem rust-resistant
wheat seed was safely planted in Afghanistan. The seed, which originated from
Egypt's Agricultural Research Center as part of a joint effort with USDA and
the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center, is designed to help halt
the spread of wheat stem rust that could threaten Afghanistan's most vital staple
crop. Worldwide, more than 1 billion people in developing countries count on
wheat for their food and incomes. Wheat stem rust can cause up to 100 percent
yield loss if left untreated.
New USDA Study Shows Extent
of Land Degradation and Recovery on Western Rangelands (Oct
1, 2010)
USDA. Natural Resources
Conservation Service.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture released a new
study by scientists and conservationists showing that non-federal rangelands
in the Western United States are productive, but that non-native grasses
and shrubs pose a potential threat to the rangelands' productivity. The
study National Ecosystem Assessments
Supported by Scientific and Local Knowledge, published in Frontiers
in Ecology and the Environment, reveals that less than 25 percent
of non-federal rangelands have significant land degradation but that
non-native plant species now occur on nearly 50 percent of all non-federal
rangeland. While some of these species have significant benefits for
soil conservation, others have negative effects.
Study
Unlocks Secret Behind Success of Disease-Causing
Microbes (Jul 23, 2010)
USDA.
National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
Researchers from Virginia Tech have identified the mechanism several important
microbial pathogens use to infect plants and cause devastating diseases. The
study also provides insights into how some microbes cause diseases in humans
and animals.
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