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ARS scientists are taking a multi-disciplinary approach to developing integrated approaches to managing crop, animal and watershed systems that will increase efficiency and reduce environmental risk.
Research Project: Agroecosystem Benefits from the Development and Application of New Management Technologies in Agricultural Watersheds.
* Image courtesy of USDA
ARS scientists are working to increase the photosynthetic ability of food and bioenergy crops as well as understand how soil microorganisms are impacted by global environmental change conditions.
Explore the project Optimizing Photosynthesis for Global Change and Improved Yield for more information.
ARS researchers are investigating red clover as a feed ingredient to help cows excrete less ammonia into the environment as a pollutant. Learn more
For many families, a Thanksgiving meal just wouldn't be the same without the sweet/tart goodness of cranberry dishes. An Agricultural Research Service (ARS)-funded project at Oregon State University (OSU) is working to ensure that staple stays on the table.
Weeds – moss in particular – are a big challenge to cranberry production, but the number of herbicides labeled for use on cranberry is relatively low, said Cassie Bouska, associate professor of practice with OSU Extension Service.
"We lack effective controls for weeds that can, and ultimately will, take over a cranberry bed and drastically reduce production," Bouska said.
Research in the state of Washington found that increasing moss pressure reduced yield by at least half. Although cranberry prices are increasing, they have been so low in recent years that many growers have struggled to break even.
"That impacts the economic stability of farm families and rural communities," Bouska said. "An economically sustainable farm can move forward and find ways to improve its environmental sustainability."
A cranberry bed is a complete mat of cranberry vines – 100% ground cover. Established weeds are difficult to control and hand weeding is time-consuming and expensive. As a result, the research team is studying various weed control tools and techniques to tackle troublesome weeds and may be closing in a breakthrough.
"We've tested some products that are very effective at controlling moss, while causing minimal or no damage to the cranberries," she said. "Next year's field work will provide indications of whether there are additive effects of year-on-year applications. We're optimistic that we have some good candidates with which we can move ahead."
How ARS Researchers are Improving Soil Through Better Farming Practices
Historically, grasslands stored vast amounts of carbon. Today, much of what was previously grassland has been converted to agricultural use. Researchers at ARS are investigating a variety of conservation techniques that farmers can use to preserve these lands’ ability to sequester carbon, even when they are being used to grow crops. Among the techniques are different approaches to tillage, the process of turning over the soil for planting.
A no-till approach avoids soil disturbance almost completely, maintaining the complex web of microorganisms that supports plants as they grow and draw in carbon; strip-till techniques modify this approach to till only limited stretches of soil, leaving the rest intact. Researchers are also exploring methods like cover cropping and inter-cropping, which vary the mix of vegetation to achieve better soil health.
Watch this video to see Hal Collins, research soil scientist at the ARS Grassland Soil and Water Research Laboratory in Temple, TX, discuss the impacts of retaining carbon in soil.
ARS Research Ecologist Steven Mirsky and his team develop climate smart farming systems by employing artificial intelligence (AI) to help farms become more sustainable and environmentally friendly. They’re mounting sensing technologies to tractors that combine computer vision and AI, to map crop and cover crops species and biomass in order to estimate nitrogen release and lower greenhouse gasses on farms. To feed a growing world while reducing greenhouse gasses, agriculture must become more precise and sustainable. This requires providing state-of-the-art tools and climate-smart technologies to our farmers and growers to enable real-time decision making and long-term planning.
To learn more, visit the Sustainable Agricultural Systems Laboratory website and watch short videos of some of ARS’s other cool technologies.
Water is a precious commodity in many parts of the United States, especially drought-ridden areas in the western and plains areas. These conditions are expected to worsen as climate conditions become more extreme. We need clean water to grow our food, today and in the future. As water becomes more scarce in many parts of the country, ARS scientists in Arizona are exploring ways to use it more efficiently, by recycling wastewater to irrigate crops. They are also screening both water and crops for dangerous concentrations of pharmaceuticals, hormones, and other contaminants to keep our food supply safe.
Watch the video "Reusing Water For Field Irrigation" to learn more.
Our precious Earth is continuously transforming, and we must recognize and support these changes in order to formulate a long-lasting relationship with our home.
Agriculture is the lifeline of all human beings, and our environment is the lifeline of agriculture.
While we all should be nurturing our planet every day, Earth Day is prime opportunity to demonstrate our support for the environment: recycle, compost, reduce your carbon footprint, use natural energy sources, and help keep our land, air, and waterways clean.
Here at ARS, we work every day to enhance, improve, and protect our environment. This includes promoting sustainability, addressing climate change, and looking for ways to reduce our carbon footprint.
One thing we can all agree on is that we all want safe and nutritious food to eat, fresh water to drink, and clean air to breathe.
What can you do to help the planet?
Composting: Nature's Way of Recycling Organic Materials
Composting is becoming ever increasingly popular, both on the farms and at home. Learn how to compost and why.
Go Back To Step Forward this Earth Day: Ways To Fight Food Waste
This Earth Day, find inspiration to curb food loss and waste with these tips.
Tips for Healthy Soil in Your Backyard Garden
Why not plant a flower or vegetable garden to celebrate Earth Day?
Facebook Premiere on Beekeeping
Try your hand at beekeeping with these tips from our bee expert and help our pollinators.
Digging Deeper into Climate Change Data (2023)
A new online tool helps California farmers reduce the risks of climate change.
Soil Health: Sustaining Life with Better Management (2023)
Learn how the work of ARS scientists is increasing soil health and helping the environment. (video)
Working to Keep the Chesapeake Bay Healthy (2023)
ARS scientists are conducting research to better understand the Bay's ecosystem.
Helping Reduce Methane Emissions by Solving a Sticky Problem for U.S. Produce Exporters (2023)
The USDA's Agricultural Research Service and Foreign Agricultural Service are collaborating with Sinclair Systems International to produce compostable price look up (PLU) labels that meet the EU standards for home compostability.
The Role of Agriculture in Earth Preservation
Special Earth Day edition of Under the Microscope featuring an interview with ARS molecular biologist Lisa Ainsworth.
Regenerative Farming
ARS scientists across the nation are helping producers keep their lands healthy and sustainable, while limiting their impact on our precious ecosystem. (video series)
Our Planet Earth: Looking to the Future
ARS scientists play a vital role in protecting our environment by developing agricultural solutions that are sustainable while meeting the needs of our growing world.
Adapting Corn to Ever Changing Climate
Learn how ARS researchers are developing corn that responds to our ever changing climate through genetics. (video)
Alfalfa: A Winner for Producers and the Environment
Alfalfa has a long history as the go-to feed for farm animals and poultry. But what has not been widely recognized is alfalfa's importance to the environment.
Carbon Mapping on the Go
A new tool helps farmers better understand how their land management practices impact carbon sequestration, a method of mitigating climate change by storing CO2 in the soil, rather than releasing it into the atmosphere.
A new method of freezing food without turning it rock solid could not only improve the quality, but save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, too. Developed by a team of ARS and University of California-Berkeley scientists, “isochoric” freezing works by storing foods in a sealed, rigid container that’s completely filled with a liquid such as water. Unlike conventional freezing in which the food is exposed to air and freezes solid at temperatures below 32 degrees Fahrenheit, isochoric freezing preserves food without turning it to solid ice.
Worldwide adoption of isochoric freezing over conventional methods could cut energy use by as much as 6.5 billion kilowatt-hours annually. This switchover could also reduce power-related carbon emissions by 4.6 billion kilograms—the equivalent of removing roughly one million cars from roads!
Read "New Food Freezing Concept Improves Quality, Increases Safety and Cuts Energy Use" to learn more.
Nematodes with a taste for "insect innards" may offer cranberry growers a natural alternative to fighting hungry crop pests with chemical insecticides. Annually, Americans consume 2.3 pounds of cranberries per person, primarily as juice but also in dried fruit snacks and holiday fare such as cranberry relish. However, the path from cranberry bog to juice bottle (or table) can be a perilous one—no thanks to redheaded flea beetles, Sparganothis fruitworms, and other insect pests.
Severe infestations can force growers to apply costly insecticides. ARS scientists in Madison, WI, developed a biobased pesticide made of insect-killing roundworms called entomopathogenic nematodes that worked just as well. In tests, spraying the nematodes reduced pest populations by 60 to 70 percent or more.
Read "Microscopic Worms to the Cranberry Rescue" to learn more.
