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Shining a Light on How to Save Strawberries

Have you ever opened a package of ripe red strawberries only to see the fruits spoiled by gray fuzz?

Gray mold and other fungal pathogens, like powdery mildew and anthracnose, are big postharvest problems that are traditionally solved by applying fungicides to fruits. For organic producers, however, these chemicals are not an option. 

Luckily, ARS scientists with the Appalachian Fruit Research Station have developed a special ultraviolet-C irradiation (UV-C) technique that may keep strawberries mold-free without chemical fungicides. The researchers found that adding a period of darkness following UV-C irradiation was crucial to boosting UV-C’s original pathogen-killing power without damaging the leaves, flowers, or fruit of a strawberry plant.  Additionally, the scientists discovered that the treatment was effective against spider mite infestations as well, indicating an opportunity to also reduce pesticide use.

Topic

Organics

Seaweed: It’s Not Just for Sushi Anymore

Without knowing it, you might, literally, be up to your neck in seaweed; seaweed is a common ingredient in cosmetics, moisturizers, anti-aging and anti-inflammatory products, lotions, shampoos, and toothpaste.

Globally, the seaweed industry hauls in about $6 billion per year, with farmers producing more seaweed per ton than lemons and limes. Its products run the gamut in agriculture, from farm to fork; as biomass for biofuel; and in ways that help the environment to mitigate climate change.

Although Europe and Asia have outpaced the United States, seaweed farming is the fastest-growing sector of American aquaculture. Dozens of aquatic farms have taken off in New England, the Pacific Northwest, and Alaska, where production has grown from 18 tons in 2017 to about 440 tons in 2021.

“I expect seaweed farming to expand in the United States so that we can consume and/or export more seaweed food products, and one day have them included in the making of biofuels,” said Caird Rexroad, ARS national program leader for aquaculture. “The United States has tremendous marine resources that could support seaweed farming.”

Learn how Scientists Help Farmers Cash in on Stealthy Commercial Market. 

Topic

Learn and Explore
Jarsoffruit image
Photos courtesy of Adobe Stock

Water is an essential part of the human diet, and our bodies need more water during the sweaty months of the summer. When you sweat, your body loses water, and you might feel yourself getting thirsty or tired. These can be signs of dehydration, which means your body lost too much water and needs to get more water to feel and work better again. Our bodies lose more water when it is hot and humid, so getting enough water is especially important in the summer. Fortunately, there are many foods and drinks that can help us stay hydrated. (Yes, you can eat your water too!)

According to FoodData Central, here is the percent of water in 1 cup of common summer foods and drinks.

Tip: When a food is 95% water, that means 95% of the food’s weight comes from water— that is a lot of hydrating power!

Fruiticecubes image
Photos courtesy of Adobe Stock

Plain water is always a great option too! Add color and flavor to your water by making fruity ice cubes with an adult at home. Follow these 6 simple steps:

  1. Get an ice cube tray, a pitcher of water, and your favorite fruits.
  2. Ask an adult to help you cut larger fruits like oranges, apples, or strawberries into small pieces. Smaller fruits like blueberries, raspberries, or grapes can be left whole. They already fit into your ice cube tray.
  3. Add the fruit to your ice cube tray. Get creative! You could make each of your ice cubes have one type of fruit. Or you could mix different fruits together, such as pineapple and blueberries, in your cubes.
  4. Pour water into the ice cube tray until it is filled to the top.
  5. Carefully carry the ice cube tray to your freezer and place it on a flat surface to prevent spilling. Freeze overnight, or for at least 4 hours.
  6. Whenever you are thirsty or want to cool down, add two or three of your ice cubes to a glass and fill it with water. Ask an adult to remove them from the tray if you need help. Enjoy your fruity, colorful drink!

Topic

Nutrition Corner

Science in Your Shopping Cart - The Podcast

Listen now on: Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, YouTube, and more.

Did you know that the popular Roma tomato was actually developed by ARS scientists in Beltsville, MD? Or that ARS technology has helped reduce the use of pesticides on apples and other fruits? Or that ARS researchers are turning waste after harvest into fuels and other products? Check out our new podcast series, Science in Your Shopping Cart, and learn how science touches many of the products we buy at the grocery store, from new varieties of fruits and vegetables to technological advances that make our food safer, cheaper, and tastier.

 

Listen to the Latest Podcast

Season 10: The Buzz Around Bees

This season we are talking about bees. Bees are essential to healthy, biodiverse ecosystems. Commercial production of many high-value and specialty crops like almonds and other tree nuts, berries, fruits and vegetables depend on pollination.


 

 

Season 10: The Buzz Around Bees
Episode 2: Bee Health And Survival Long Term

Take a trip with us to ARS’s Invasive Species and Pollinator Health Unit in Albany, CA, where researchers are looking at long-term factors affecting bee health and colony survival. They want to better understand how factors such as nutrition, pesticides, extreme weather, and natural events impact colony performance and sustainability over multiple seasons.

 Listen now on: Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, YouTube, mp3, and more.


 

Season 1: Spinach, potatoes and tomatoes. What do they have in common?

Season 1: Spinach, Tomatoes and Potatoes: What Do They All Have in Common?

We know that all three are vegetables, or two vegetables and a fruit if you will, but would you be surprised to find out that ARS researchers developed its own varieties of tomatoes, potatoes, and spinach?

Take a virtual trip with us to Italy, Idaho, and California and learn about the Roma tomato, red spinach and Huckleberry Gold potato.

 

Listen now on: (14 min. 18 sec.) Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, YouTube, mp3, and more.

Don't have time to listen to the entire podcast? Explore the individual segments below.

 

Roma tomatoes

Season 1: Spinach, Tomatoes, & Potatoes
Episode 1: Tomatoes

Where was the Roma tomato developed? Rome? Nope, the answer may surprise you. Learn this and more interesting facts about the Roma tomato.

 Listen now on: Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, YouTube, and more.

Read more:

 

Season 1: Spinach, Tomatoes, & Potatoes 
Episode 2: Potatoes

"I'm your huckleberry." Learn about the origins of the Huckleberry Gold potato and other interesting facts about potatoes.

 Listen now on: Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, YouTube, and more.

Read more:

 

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Season 1: Spinach, Tomatoes, & Potatoes
Episode 3: Spinach

Making Popeye proud. ARS recently released the world's first true red spinach, called USDA Red. Learn about the benefits this new powerful vegetable provides to consumers.

Listen now on: Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, YouTube, and more.

Read more:


 

Season 2: Get Crunching

Season 2: Apples: Get Crunchin'

Apples are as American as apple pie. Let's look at some cool innovations and research that ARS scientists are conducting to ensure those apples in your shopping cart are fresh, tasty, cost-friendly, and high quality.

Listen now on: (29 min. 25 sec.) Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, YouTube, mp3, and more.

Don't have time to listen to the entire podcast? Explore the individual segments below.

 

 

Scientist looking at apples in an orchard

Season 2: Apples: Get Crunchin' 
Episode 1: Apple Rootstocks

Did you know that the apple you're eating right now probably came from a rootstock developed by ARS? Our scientists are breeding new rootstocks that are more resistant to pests and diseases, that bear more delicious fruit, and are more ideal for apple growers to pick and prune.

Listen now on: Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, YouTube, and more.

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Scientists using an apple sorting machine

 

Season 2: Apples: Get Crunchin' 
Episode 2: Apple Sorting Machine

ARS researchers have developed an in-field apple sorting machine that not only improves apple picking efficiency, but also scans and grades apples. Think of it as a 21st century solution to apple picking and harvesting.

Listen now on: Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, YouTube, and more.

Read more:

 

Sprayer machine in apple orchard

Season 2: Apples: Get Crunchin' 
Episode 3: Precision Sprayer

ARS researchers have developed an in-field apple sorting machine that not only improves apple picking efficiency, but also scans and grades apples. Think of it as a 21st century solution to apple picking and harvesting.

Listen now on: Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, YouTube, and more.

Read more:

 

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Season 2: Apples: Get Crunchin' 
Episode 4: Snack Break

Ready for a snack break? Then sink your teeth into this apple trivia. You'll finally be able to answer the question, "What does a 200-year old apple tree and a train have in common?"

Listen now on: Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, YouTube, and more.

 

Apple orchard

Season 2: Apples: Get Crunchin'
Episode 5: Mysterious Disease

Apple growers have a mystery on their hands. Something is killing popular dwarf apple trees, but researchers are unsure if the cause is environmental, viral, soil-based, or something else. ARS scientists are on the case!

Listen now on: Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, YouTube, and more.

Read more:

 

Season 2: Apples: Get Crunchin'
Episode 6: Rapid Breeding

The apple industry is a highly impactful business for the U.S. Growers are always looking for new varieties that are not only tasty but more resistant to disease outbreaks and environmental stressors that can severely reduce apple production. However, developing new varieties can take decades before they appear in your grocery market. ARS researchers have developed rapid breeding techniques to drastically speed up the process, bringing those new varieties of apples to your shopping cart much sooner than before.

Listen now on: Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, YouTube, and more.

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Season 3 Biomass

Season 3: Biomass

Learn about innovations and research that ARS scientists are conducting to turn farm waste, called biomass, into environmentally friendly products.

Listen now on: (19 min. 22 sec.) Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio,  Spotify, YouTube, mp3, and more.

Don't have time to listen to the entire podcast? Explore the individual segments below.

 

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Season 3: Biomass 
Episode 1: Pallets From Almond Shells

Learn about innovations and research that ARS scientists are conducting to turn farm waste, called biomass, into environmentally friendly products.

Did you know that ARS researchers in Albany, California, have created pallets out of biomass, specifically, discarded, low value almond and walnut shells? Listen to our podcast to learn more.

Listen now on: Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, YouTube, and more.

Read more:


 

Cotton trash

Season 3: Biomass 
Episode 2: Polymers Out of Cotton Gin Trash

ARS is helping the environment by developing biodegradable plastics comprised of biomass, in this case cotton gin trash.  

Read more:

Listen now on: Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, YouTube, and more.

 

Season 3 Biomass Episode 3 Breaktime

Season 3: Biomass 
Episode 3: Breaktime

Before we get to our next biomass story, let's take a break and look at other ARS discoveries that could benefit our ecosystem.

Read more:

Listen now on: Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, YouTube, and more.
 

 

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Season 3: Biomass 
Episode 4: Bioproducts From Corn Waste

 

Corn is used to produce many products resulting in millions of pounds of waste but even byproducts of corn can be turned into bioproducts.

Read more:

Listen now on: Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, YouTube, and more.


 

Season 4 Berriers

Season 4: Berries

Love eating berries? Berries are healthy and nutritional powerhouses that taste delicious whether fresh, frozen, dried, or processed. Did you know there is a very good chance that some of the berries you eat can be traced back to varieties developed by ARS scientists?

In this five part podcast series, "Berries", we'll explore four types of berries, "blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and strawberries" and ARS's role in developing new varieties.

Listen now on: (23 min. 43sec.) Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio,  Spotify, YouTube, mp3, and more.

Don't have time to listen to the entire podcast? Explore the individual segments below. 

 

Season 4: Berries
Episode 1: Blueberries

Learn how a USDA breeding program was responsible for the development of the blueberry growing industry in the southeastern United States and how ARS scientists have developed and are continuing to work with farmers to create new cultivars of blueberries that we all get to enjoy. 

Listen now on: Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, YouTube, and more.

Read more:

 

 

Season 4: Berries
Episode 2: Blackberries and Raspberries

ARS scientists created a thornless blackberry plant along with many new varieties of blackberries for the agricultural industry and a trellis system designed to protect and help pickers harvest blackberries. ARS scientists are also working with the individually quick-frozen industry to pack the great taste of raspberries into your cool treats.

Listen now on: Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, YouTube, and more.

Read more:

 

Season 4: Berries
Episode 3: Break Time

Thinking about growing berries at home? Check out the podcast to learn what types of nutritious, sweet-tasting berries you can plant in your own backyard.

Listen now on: Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, YouTube, and more.

 

Strawberries growing on a vine

 

Season 4: Berries
Episode 4: Strawberries

Check out the 'Keepsake' strawberry which resulted from research efforts to develop strawberries with improved shelf life and learn how new strawberry cultivars are created.

Listen now on: Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, YouTube, and more.

Read more:

 

Season 5 Wonder Plants

Season 5: Wonder Plants

In this season of Science in Your Shopping Cart we take a tour of some superhuman plants that we use in our everyday lives to help feed and protect us.  Listen to all 7 episodes back-to-back.

Listen now on: (43 min. 37sec.) Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, YouTube, mp3, and more.

Don't have time to listen to the entire podcast? Explore the individual segments below.  

 

Azeleas and green shrubs at the U.S. National Arboretum

 

Season 5: Wonder Plants
Episode 1: U.S. National Arboretum

Check out some of these amazing wonder plants at the U.S. National Arboretum in Washington, DC.

Listen now on: Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, YouTube, mp3, and more.

Read more:

 

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Season 5: Wonder Plants
Episode 2: One Time Use Containers

Plastic containers are everywhere. Products like toothpaste, shampoo, condiments, carryout containers, and even water nearly always come in packaging that we use once then throw away and can last hundreds of years in a landfill. ARS scientists are turning plant fibers in to single-use containers to one day replace non-biodegradable plastic containers.

Listen now on: Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, YouTube, mp3, and more.

Read more:

 

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Season 5: Wonder Plants
Episode 3: Taking the Guayule Plant for a Test Drive

Rubber is a substance usually made from petroleum or from the Asian rubber tree plant. But rubber can also be produced from a plant called guayule. Learn about this amazing desert loving plant and how it's used in a 100% guayule tire!

Listen now on: Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, YouTube, mp3, and more.

Read more:

 

Cotton bolls

Season 5: Wonder Plants
Part 4: Super Cotton

ARS scientists are turning nano fibers from cotton plants into mask filters, wound dressings, and other medical applications.

Listen now on: Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, YouTube, mp3, and more.

Read more:

 

Aedes aegypti mosquito

Season 5: Wonder Plants
Part 5: DYK Insect Repellants

Did you know that some wonderplants can be used to control and even kill annoying flies and mosquitoes?

Listen now on: Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, YouTube, mp3, and more.

Read more:

 

Almond image

Season 5: Wonder Plants
Part 6: From Shells to Cells

ARS scientists are coming up with new ways to produce clean energy by developing a large filter-type application out of discarded almond shells that could capture and then store hydrogen, as well as other components for energy purposes.

Listen now on: Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, YouTube, mp3, and more.

Read more:

 

Soybeans

Season 5: Wonder Plants
Episode 7: Soybeans

This week we learn about another amazing Wonder Plant, soybeans! Did you know that soy has a wide array of uses, including non-food uses? Discover some of the newest uses of this amazing Wonder Plant.

Listen now on: Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, YouTube, mp3, and more.

Read more:

 

 

Season 6 aquaculture

Season 6: Aquaculture

In this edition of Science in Your Shopping Cart, we take a deep dive in to seafood production in the U.S. Learn how research facilities across the country are developing new fish farming techniques, new strains of fish, are keeping fish healthy, and creating more sustainable methods for raising finfish and shellfish.

 

Listen now on: (50 min. 20 sec.) Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, YouTube, mp3, and more.
Don't have time to listen to the entire podcast? Explore the individual segments below.


 

A net full of catfish

 

Season 6: Aquaculture
Episode 1: Bringing Seafood Closer to Home

Aquaculture, commonly known as fish farming, is a global multi-billion dollar industry, and is one of the fastest growing forms of food production. Unfortunately, most fish farming occurs overseas. ARS is helping the U.S. aquaculture industry provide more locally sourced seafood, including oysters, trout, salmon, catfish, and new varieties. In fact, you may soon be able to purchase seafood that was farm raised in your own city or town.

Listen now on: Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, YouTube, mp3, and more.

 

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Season 6: Aquaculture
Episode 2: The Fastest Growing Fish You’ve Ever Seen

Fish farmers are using natural contained aquifers to grow fish to market size at an incredible fast rate. That’s because aquifers can provide optimal conditions for fish rearing. Unfortunately, you can’t scale-up aquifers. ARS researchers are working with fish farmers to develop and implement best management practices to increase fish yields, health, and size of fish reared in aquifers.

 

Listen now on: Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, YouTube, mp3, and more.

Read more:

 

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Season 6: Aquaculture
Episode 3: Farm Fishing Indoors

When you grow anything indoors, you can control a lot of the conditions, including temperature, irrigation, insect and disease resistance, and water quality and consumption. ARS researchers are using indoor recirculating systems to improve the health and yields of rainbow trout while maintaining great taste and market size.

Listen now on: Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, YouTube, mp3, and more.

Read more:

 

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Season 6: Aquaculture
Episode 4: Taking on Atlantic Salmon’s Biggest Foe

Sea lice is a huge problem in the seafood business. Not only does sea lice cause physical harm, but it can also stress the fish out, which can then affect their growth rate and ability to fight off other diseases. I mean, how would you like a blood sucker attached to your skin all the time? There currently are no vaccines or effective treatments for sea lice. However, ARS researchers are working to develop an Atlantic salmon strain that is resistant to sea lice.

Read more:

 

Listen now on: Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, YouTube, mp3, and more.


 

 

Season 6: Aquaculture
Episode 5: Aquaculture Trivia

Test your knowledge of aquaculture and learn some interesting facts.

 

Listen now on: Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, YouTube, mp3, and more.

   

 

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Season 6: Aquaculture
Episode 6: Water Conservation in Indoor Systems

Take a tour of an indoor recirculating system in Shepherdstown, West Virginia and learn how ARS researchers are using less fresh water while keeping optimal performance for fish rearing.

 

Listen now on: Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, YouTube, mp3, and more.

Read more:


 

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Season 6: Aquaculture
Episode 7: How Do You Fight Fish Disease?

A healthy fish is a happy fish! ARS researchers are fighting fish diseases by developing vaccines, breeding fish strains that are resistant to select diseases, and providing guidance to the industry of best practices for keeping their fish healthy.

 

Listen now on: Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, YouTube, mp3, and more.

Read more:

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Season 6: Aquaculture
Episode 8: East Coast Shellfish Represent!

An East Coast perspective on how important shellfish are to our agriculture ecosystem and how their sustainability and low environmental impact makes the shellfish market the wave of the future.


 

Listen now on: Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, YouTube, mp3, and more.


 

Season 6: Aquaculture
Episode 9: West Coast Shellfish Represent!

Learn how ARS scientists are working with Oregon State University to produce new strains of the Pacific Oyster and protect them from a serious disease that’s recently been invading our waters.

 

Listen now on: Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, YouTube, mp3, and more.

Read more:


 

Season 7: Sports and Science

Every part of a sport, from the clothing to the equipment, even to the playing field, has been enhanced by science.  In this podcast, we look at how agricultural science has impacted sports, like how hydration can affect an athlete, not only physically but psychologically; and how nanoparticles can help uniforms control sweat and odor. We’ll also look at improved natural grasses for playing fields, and how enhancing the process for making leather materials results in better quality sports gloves. And we’ll talk with a nutrition expert about how to keep your body in top shape for athletics. 

Listen now on: (70 mins) Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, YouTube, mp3, and more.

Don't have time to listen to the entire podcast? Explore the individual segments below.

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Season 7: Sports and Science
Episode 1: Batter Up

Baseball has been around for nearly 150 years, and in that time, we’ve seen plenty of home run sluggers, from Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron to Alex Rodriguez and Ken Griffey, Jr., to today's mashers like Aaron Judge and Mike Trout. 

Did you know that most professional baseball bats are made from either maple or ash?  ARS researchers help keep America’s pastime swinging for the fences by protecting ash trees from the emerald ash borer.

Listen now on: Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, YouTube, mp3,and more.

Read more:

 

Season 7: Sports and Science
Episode 2: Stay Hydrated

Dehydration has long been known to compromise physical performance. At the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University researchers explored the effects of dehydration on cognition—the ability to use information to function—and mood.

 

Listen now on: Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, YouTube, mp3, and more.

Read more:

Scanning electron microscope image of silver nanoparticles on the surface of cotton.

Season 7: Sports and Science
Episode 3: Taking the Smell Out of Sports

Nanoparticles help protect your body from germs and other microbials, it also fights body odor, especially from sweating. ARS researchers have figured out a better way for attaching nanoparticles to clothing.

 

Listen now on: Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, YouTube, mp3, and more.

Read more:

Season 7: Sports and Science
Episode 4: True or False About Nutrition

Are apples good for you to eat before or during an athletic event? How about bananas? When should you consume sports drinks? In this segment, registered dietitian Wendy Shaw will confirm or dispel some common myths about eating and drinking certain foods before, during and after athletic events.

 

Listen now on: Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, YouTube, mp3, and more.


 

Season 7: Sports and Science
Episode 5: Turf Battles

Did you know ARS has been developing natural turf cultivars since the 1940s? This has led to improved playing surfaces on golf courses all across the country.

Listen now on: Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, YouTube, mp3, and more.

Read more:


 

A leather wallet

Season 7: Sports and Science
Episode 6: Good Leather

The leather industry in the United States, while not as prosperous as in days past, is still a significant market in textiles, clothing, and sports. ARS researchers have answered the bell time and time again over the years to make leather processing safer, more efficient, and more profitable.

Listen now on: Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, YouTube, mp3, and more.


 

Season 7: Sports and Science
Episode 7: Nutrition is Part of Training Too

In the final part of our podcast on Sports & Science, Wendy Shaw, a registered dietitian formerly with the National Agricultural Library, discusses the importance of nutrition, from the world’s elite athletes to the weekend warriors.

Listen now on: Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, YouTube, mp3, and more.


 

Season 8: Wearable Science

Americans spend millions, maybe billions, on clothes every year. It's a huge industry. When you think about clothes, do the words style, fit, and comfort come to mind? How about science and technology? Probably not, but science and technology play a major role in the textile industry.

Listen now on: (14 min. 18 sec.) Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, YouTube, mp3, and more.

Don't have time to listen to the entire podcast? Explore the individual segments below.

 

Season 8: Wearable Science  
Episode 1: COVID-Busting Clothing

Learn how ARS researchers in New Orleans are finding innovative ways to enhance masks, clothing, and other wearable materials that help protect against coronavirus.

Listen now on: Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, YouTube, mp3, and more.

 

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Season 8: Wearable Science  
Episode 2: Getting Cozy with Wool

Did you know that many of the advancements in wool and leather clothing were developed in Wyndmoor, PA, including a technique to get rid of the yellowing of wool?

Listen now on: Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, YouTube, mp3, and more.

Read more:


 

Cotton being tested for fire resistance.

Season 8: Wearable Science 
Episode 3: Turning Down the Flames

What if your clothes were naturally flame-retardant and durable enough to still be effective after multiple washes? Well, that's just what ARS researchers are striving for, and they may have achieved half their goal with this groundbreaking finding. Check out the podcast, then watch this cool video comparing fire-resistant cotton vs regular cotton in flammability testing.

Listen now on: Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, YouTube, mp3, and more.

Read more:

 

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Season 8: Wearable Science  
Episode 4: Preparing for Combat

ARS is showing its military might by developing insect repellant treatments that could be applied to service member uniforms to protect our brave men and women from a mighty and tiny enemy.

Listen now on: Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, YouTube, mp3, and more.

Read more:

 

Season 8: Wearable Science  
Episode 5: Breaktime 

Jeans that don't scratch, insect repellents made from natural ingredients, and a Super Slurper? Check out these amazing breakthroughs.

Listen now on: Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, YouTube, mp3, and more.

Read more:

 

Season 8: Wearable Science  
Episode 6: Spotting a Good Hide

Get the inside story of how ARS researchers created an automated, objective method for detecting imperfections on a hide; a method that greatly benefits U.S. leather producers.

Listen now on: Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, YouTube, mp3, and more.

 

Season 8: Wearable Science  
Episode 7: Back to the Future with Hemp

Is hemp the plant of the future? See if this crop, that has been around for thousands of years, will find its place in the U.S. agricultural market place.

Listen now on: Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, YouTube, mp3, and more.

Read more:


 

 

Season 9: Healthier & Tastier

Here at ARS, we love food as much as you do, and we’re also conscious of making healthy food choices. That’s why in this season we’re going to show you a trio of new peaches, healthier margarines, new beer hops, tasty and healthy wraps, and even, get this, a self-fertilizing almond.

 

Listen now on: (14 min. 18 sec.) Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, YouTube, mp3, and more.

Don't have time to listen to the entire podcast? Explore the individual segments below.


 

 

A box of chocolates

Season 9: Healthier & Tastier
Episode 1: A Healthier Milk Chocolate

The U.S. imports around $5 billion in cocoa and chocolate products annually, and we produce millions of pounds of chocolate for consumers. The health benefits of dark chocolate are well known, mainly it has more antioxidants than milk chocolate because it contains more cacao solids. But dark chocolate can be brittle and taste bitter. What if we could make milk chocolate as healthy as dark chocolate, without sacrificing taste? And what if we could do it by adding a low value agricultural byproduct, such as peanut skins?

 Listen now on: Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, YouTube, mp3, and more.

Read more:


 

Hops

Season 9: Healthier & Tastier
Episode 2: Cheers to a Hearty New Hop

We’re traveling to Corvallis, Oregon, to meet with ARS research geneticist John Henning at the Forage Seed and Cereal Research Unit, where he and his team released two new beer hop varieties: Vista and Triumph.

 Listen now on: Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, YouTube, mp3, and more.

Read more:

 

Season 9: Healthier & Tastier
Episode 3: These Peaches are a Real Joy

We travel to Byron, Georgia, to the ARS Fruit and Tree Nut Research Unit, and visit with Research Horticulturist Chunxian Chen. Dr. Chen and his group recently released three new peach cultivars: Rich Joy, Crimson Joy, and Liberty Joy.

 Listen now on: Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, YouTube, mp3, and more.

Read more:

 

Season 9: Healthier & Tastier
Episode 4: Breaktime: Getting Healthy

Here at ARS, we are constantly researching ways to make the food in your shopping cart healthier and tastier, including for those who have to be careful about the food they ingest. Here are some recent creations that will get your mouth watering.

 Listen now on: Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, YouTube, mp3, and more.

Read more:


 

 

Season 9: Healthier & Tastier
Episode 5: Waxing Poetic About Healthy Oils

Wouldn’t it abe great if the oils and margarines you cook with were healthy for you while still enhancing the flavor of your foods? ARS researchers are mixing common cooking oils with natural waxes to create oleogels – which you can say is the secret sauce behind a healthier cooking oil.

 Listen now on: Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, YouTube, mp3, and more.

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Sushi made with vegetable wrap

Season 9: Healthier & Tastier
Episode 6: Wrapping Up More Flavor

ARS food technologist Tara McHugh may be the GOAT when it comes to creating foods that are both healthy and tasty. Dr. McHugh and her team have a created a variety of delicious treats and eats, but perhaps her signature creation was a wrap made from fruits and vegetables.

 Listen now on: Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, YouTube, mp3, and more.

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Almonds

Season 9: Healthier & Tastier
Episode 7: Move Over Bees, This Almond Pollinates Itself

Yorizane is the first self-pollinating almond in the U.S., and it has the traits industry and consumers are looking for. It won’t be long before these delicious nuts are ready for your shopping cart

 Listen now on: Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, YouTube, mp3, and more.

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Season 10: The Buzz Around Bees
Episode 1: The State of the Honey Bee

Are honey bees dying at an alarming rate? How are they handling climate change? What are their biggest threats? How resilient are they? We sat down with one of the world's leading honey bee experts, ARS entomologist Jay Evans to discuss the state of honey bee populations.

 Listen now on: Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, YouTube, mp3, and more.

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To learn even more, check out our "Science in Your Shopping Cart" factsheets to discover more ARS research sitting in your shopping cart!

 

Topic

Sights and Sounds
Scale on a crapemyrtle tree
Photos courtesy of Starker Wright

Scientific Name: Acanthococcus lagerstroemiae (Kuwana)

Common Name: Crapemyrtle bark scale

Friend or Pest (or both):  Pest.

Region and Diet? This insect is native to East Asia and feeds on the sap of the vividly colorful crapemyrtle trees, as well as apple and blackberry plants.

Impact on agriculture? Crapemyrtle bark scale is an introduced pest that feeds on crapemyrtles, ornamental flowering trees that are prized for their beauty. First detected in North America in Texas in 2004, this pest has spread patchily across the southeastern United States and has moved north into the Mid-Atlantic area. Infestation of these trees and bushes can result in branch dieback, stunted growth, and reduction in the size and abundance of its flowers.

Read more in First Record of Crapemyrtle Bark Scale From Pennsylvania. 

 

 

Topic

Insects

Take the Vitamin - Mineral Challenge

Our bodies are machines that require vitamins and minerals to function and stay healthy throughout our lifetime. Each nutrient plays a critical role in our healthy wellbeing, such as iron for growth and development, potassium for proper function of muscles and nerves, Vitamin A for immune response and organ health, and Vitamin D for bone growth.

It's important to eat a variety of fruits, vegetables, grains, protein, and dairy (or dairy substitute) foods to ensure your body is getting the right amount of vitamins and minerals. USDA has identified calcium, potassium, dietary fiber, and Vitamin D as dietary components that the general public does not get enough of.

About the Experiment

How do you know if you are getting enough vitamins and minerals? To find out, take the Vitamin-Mineral challenge! It's easy, it can be life changing, and you'll probably be surprised at the results. 

Details

  • Ages: 14 - 18
  • Time: 30 minutes a day for 3 days
  • Difficulty: Easy

 What You'll Need

  • Laptop or smartphone with internet service
  • Pencil and paper or a logsheet (see appendix A)
  • Calculator

Let's Do This!

An example "Cup of Fruit Table" showing the amount that counts as 1 cup of fruit for apples, applesauce, bananas, blueberries and cantaloupe.

For 3 days, keep track of what you eat and drink for breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, and snacks.

  1. Log your food intake either using a nutrition data app or on the logsheets provided in this challenge, and try to be as specific as possible, including the brand name of the food (ex: Life cereal) or specific type of fruit, vegetable, or protein (ex: Gala apple).
  2. Try to also include the quantity that you eat, using the serving size on the packaging as a guide. For fruits, log onto https://www.myplate.gov/eat-healthy/fruits and check out the fruit table on the page.
  3. Same for vegetables, proteins, and grains.

Option 1: Using FoodData Central and the Logsheets

Photo of the search bar on the "FoodData Central" website

Once your food types and quantity are logged onto your sheet, use the nutritional label on the food containers to determine the nutritional content of each food item eaten. For grains, fruits, vegetables, proteins, and other items without a nutritional label, visit USDA's FoodData Central at https://fdc.nal.usda. gov/index.html

In the search bar, type in the food item and try to be specific at first. If the search results do not align with what you ate, be a little more general. 

Fooddatacentralsearch image

On the results page you will see several options: Most items, including fruits, vegetables, and proteins, are typically found under "SR Legacy Foods" or "Branded Foods". Choose the selection that fits best.

Now it's time to do a little math. Use the portion dropdown to best align with the amount of that particular food that you ate. For example, if you ate 200 grams of a corn muffin, and the portion dropdown is set at 100 grams, you'll want to double the nutritional content when logging it down on your spreadsheet. If you ate a quarter of the portion, then divide the nutritional content by 25 (percent).

Read through the nutritional content (either from the food container or FoodData Central) and log the amount of the following:

  • Calcium
  • Iron
  • Potassium
  • Vitamin A (mg)*
  • Vitamin C (mg)
  • Vitamin D (mg)*
  • Vitamin E (mg)
  • Zinc
  • * If you are using the FoodData Central search, use the RAE UG metric for Vitamin A and the D2+D3 UG metric for Vitamin D.

For a list of health benefits for each vitamin and mineral above, click here. Remember to log these amounts based on the portions you ate. If you cannot find exactly what you ate, try to get as close as you can.

 

Option 2: Using A Nutrition Data App

There are many Apps on the market that can calculate and log your daily food intake. When choosing an App, make sure it contains a large inventory of foods and can determine and log portion size. For each food item, you will want to enter the food item and portion consumed. If you cannot find an App to accomplish this, use the FoodData Central method (Option 1).

Read through the nutritional content (either from the food container or FoodData Central) and log the amount of the items below.

  • Calcium
  • Iron
  • Potassium
  • Vitamin A (mg)*
  • Vitamin C (mg)
  • Vitamin D (mg)*
  • Vitamin E (mg)
  • Zinc
  • * If you are using the FoodData Central search, use the RAE UG metric for Vitamin A and the D2+D3 UG metric for Vitamin D.

Remember to log these amounts based on the portions you ate.

 

Are You Getting Enough Vitamins and Minerals?

A screenshot of the DRI calculator for healthcare professionals

 

Now that your chart is complete, let's see how it compares to USDA's recommended nutrient consumption. Log onto USDA's Interactive DRI Tool for Health Professionals. Fill out the required data about yourself and click Submit.

Scroll down to view the recommended intake per day for the 8 vitamins and minerals you tracked. Compare with your logsheet (or on your App) and notate which items you met the recommended guidelines and which you did not.

 

 

 

What Did You Learn?

  1. Observe your logsheets, paying particular attention to where you met and did not meet your recommended guidelines.
  2. Which foods are rich in vitamins and minerals?
  3. Which foods lack the vitamins and minerals you need?
  4. In what areas did you meet the recommendations?
  5. Which vitamins and minerals do you need more of, and which foods can help you reach your goals?
  6. After taking this challenge, should you alter your daily/weekly food intake, and if so, what food changes should you make?
  7. What are your big takeaways from this challenge?

Resources

For more information on eating healthy, making a plan and exploring MyPlate, visit https://www.myplate.gov.

 

Topic

Projects

Predicting Salmonella Outbreaks Before They Occur

There are over one million cases of Salmonella and thousands of hospitalizations from this foodborne illness in the U.S. every year. The cause for most of these cases is consumption of contaminated food, such as undercooked or raw meat, poultry, eggs, or dairy. To help combat this issue, ARS scientists in Athens, GA, developed a series of algorithms capable of effectively predicting the prevalence of Salmonella. These algorithms will allow farmers and food inspectors to identify where in the supply chain Salmonella contamination is likely to occur so appropriate measures can be taken.

Read Fighting Foodborne Illness to learn more.



 

Topic

Food Safety

USDA-ARS employees are strongly encouraged to participate in STEM outreach opportunities aimed at increasing literacy in science, technology, engineering and math for students of all ages, especially among members of underrepresented populations.  ARS's Outreach and Recruitment Branch coordinates a number of these outreach activities with neighboring schools and communities.

Recent Events

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Pollinator Health Event

The ARS Pollinator Health in Southern Crop Ecosystems Research Unit in Stoneville, MS recently set up a new apiary!

Learn more
ARS researcher talking to students
Expedition Colorado

ARS Soil Management and Sugar Beet Research Unit staff participated in Expedition Colorado, an annual field trip to teach students about natural resources and conservation practices.

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National Animal Disease Center

Students from the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences visited ARS's National Animal Disease Center

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Topic

The Future Is Now

National Animal Disease Center Hosts Chicago High School

Students from the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences visited ARS's National Animal Disease Center in Ames, Iowa. ARS scientist Mark Ackermann provided students with hands-on labs that covered reading x-rays, spinning blood samples, and examining the internal anatomy of pigs. The visit was part of ARS's Three Sisters Project an educational outreach effort to ensure a steady pipeline of fresh ideas, talent and diversity to the ranks of tomorrow's scientists, and other professionals.

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Topic

The Future Is Now

Can Seaweed Mitigate Climate Change? Yep!

According to NASA, belches from cattle, sheep, goats, and other ruminant animals have a climate change problem. Ruminants have digestive systems that ferment the cellulose in the rough vegetation they eat, making it easier to digest. The problem is methane gas is a byproduct of fermentation and the animals release it when they belch.

According to the EPA, methane accounts for about 10% of U.S. greenhouse emissions – and enteric (intestinal) fermentation accounts for about 27% of that.

ARS scientists are turning to bromoform, a compound in seaweed, that may reduce enteric methane emission by as much as 82% when fed to ruminants as a small portion of their diet. Expanding this nutritional supplement nationwide, and perhaps globally, could markedly reduce methane emissions, and that’s something worth boasting, not belching, about.

To learn more read "Happy Earth Day! Scientists Working to Reduce Methane Emissions"

Topic

Animals
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