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 OOPS!!!!!

Accidents do happen on the farm, ranch and the highway.  You use your imagination on this one.

Looks like the Sherrif is on the s

 

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“President Obama Addresses Tax Situation”

In Cleveland, Ohio Wednesday, President Obama argued against extending the Bush-era income tax cuts for the nation's wealthiest families.  According to White House officials the President’s message was aimed at wavering Democrats who have been swayed by arguments that the economy is too weak to raise anyone's taxes. At the same time, the President says he will not threaten to veto any compromise which extends the upper-bracket cuts. Also, the President supports permanently extending tax cuts for the middle class, those making 250-thousand dollars or less. 

Also, the President unveiled more than 180-billion dollars in fresh spending and business tax breaks. Economists, business groups and tax lobbyists say they are not enthusiastic about the job-creating potential of expanding an existing tax credit for domestic research and permitting firms to write off 100 percent of spending on new plants and equipment in 2011.

Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley questioned the President’s proposal, asking, will the business investment incentives - be paid for in a way that hurts job creation? Mr. Grassley says - if the offsets for this new package are other tax increases, then it’s a non-starter. 

“Groups Press for Senate Action on Food Safety”

Food safety advocates and survivors of foodborne illnesses are asking the U.S. Senate to pass its Food Safety Enhancement Act - S. 510.  The groups released a report Wednesday afternoon detailing the food recalls that have occurred since the House passed Food and Drug Administration reform legislation in July 2009. That includes the recall of more than 500 million eggs from a salmonella outbreak this summer.

The proposed Food Safety Enhancement Act covers many aspects of food safety, including better preventive control measures by manufacturers, more frequent inspections of facilities, and greater FDA authority over recalls. According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, one of the groups supporting Senate action, the legislation is urgently needed - to help restore confidence in the American food supply.

The groups say - under the current system, food manufacturing facilities might be visited by an inspector from the Food and Drug Administration only once every five or 10 years. Proposed legislation would increase food inspections dramatically: every six to 12 months for high risk facilities; every 18 months to three years for low-risk facilities; and every five years for warehouses.

“Iowa Senator Has Questions Following Egg Recall”

Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley is asking questions of USDA following the recent egg recalls due to a Salmonella outbreak at Wright County Egg and Hillandale Farms in Iowa. In a letter to the Department of Agriculture, Mr. Grassley points out that - recent media reports indicate that former company employees reported food safety problems they had observed while working at Wright County Egg.

In his letter, Mr. Grassley asked: 1) Did USDA receive complaints from company employees and if so, what was done to investigate these concerns?  2) What were the Food Safety Inspection Service’s responsibilities in relation to these two farms?  When was the last FSIS inspection conducted?  3) Is there an established process so that USDA employees or company employees and other individuals can report possible food safety violations to FSIS? And 4) Is there an established process for USDA employees to report food safety concerns to the FDA when they fall outside of USDA’s jurisdiction?

Mr. Grassley also asks - What is USDA doing to counter deficiencies in food safety communication within the USDA and between the two agencies?  How are USDA and FDA coordinating to best address food safety concerns and ensure that food safety problems do not fall through the cracks?

 

  USDA Seeks Applications from Producers to Conduct

Renewable Energy Feasibility Studies

For information: http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/BCP_ReapGrants.html

 

Silverado and Silverado HD

   http://www.chevrolet.com/silverado-family

“Colorado Dairy Herd Depopulated”

Despite recent findings of bovine TB in a Colorado dairy herd, that state remains classified as bovine TB–free under USDA-APHIS traditional classification. The entire herd at the southern Colorado dairy was depopulated under an agreement between the owners and USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. According to Nick Striegel, Colorado’s assistant state veterinarian, the farm milked - a few hundred cows. No other infected herds have been found in the state.

Under a federal order announced earlier this year, USDA-APHIS no longer recommends a whole herd depopulation as the preferred means of disease management. The orders say - increasingly large herd sizes make it difficult to justify depopulation when quarantine and testing may offer an appropriate option. But in the Colorado case, officials supported herd depopulation. The dairy’s owners later performed intensive cleaning and disinfection to eliminate bacteria from the site.

Striegel notes - we still have not determined how the infection began in the herd. While four cows were originally found to be infected, several others later tested positive for bovine TB.

“Research to Study Carbon Capture And Storage”

Secretary of Energy Steven Chu has announced the creation of the Carbon Capture and Storage Simulation Initiative with an investment of up to 40-million dollars from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The partnership will bring together national laboratories and regional university alliances to collaborate on advancing the science and research related to carbon capture and storage. The information gained is expected to further the Department's effort to develop lower cost, efficient industrial CCS processes.

Using advanced modeling and simulation, researchers will develop science-based methods aimed at lowering the cost of carbon capture while reducing risks associated with its storage.  The Carbon Capture Storage Simulation Initiative will allow the acceleration of the development of a defensible, science-based methodology for quantifying and minimizing potential risks associated with long-term storage of CO2.

“EPA Rejects Missouri River Dredging Proposal”

The Environmental Protection Agency has rejected a permit request submitted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.  According to EPA, the Corps Draft Environmental Impact Statement presents insufficient scientific information to support dredging permits allowing sand and gravel removal from the Missouri River. The applicant’s proposal would allow the removal of nearly 12-million tons per year of main channel river bottom material.

EPA Region 7 Administrator Karl Brooks says - adequate science is lacking to support issuance of the requested dredging permits. EPA says - the proposal could contribute to significant riverbed loss in three segments of the river and result in damage to levees and bridges, increased flood risk and environmental damage.

The removal of sand and gravel from the river channel has been closely associated with the lowering of the riverbed, particularly in segments of the river where dredging is most concentrated. Under a separate federal project, the Army Corps of Engineers is working with local partners to fund and perform a feasibility study on solutions to the riverbed loss problem in the lower river and, particularly, the Kansas City reach of the river.

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“PAC Contributions Ahead of 2008 Pace”

Agri-Pulse reports that agriculture and food industry political action committee donations to candidates in the 2010 congressional election are slightly ahead of the pace set during the 2008 campaign. According to Federal Election Commission data posted by the Center for Responsive Politics, contributions to members of Congress – and a small number of challengers – totaled 13.6-million dollars through August 22. That compares with a total of 13.1-million through September 17 two years ago.

The principal PACs sponsored by the farming and food industry tend to favor the incumbents. That leads to a 56-44 percent margin in favor of Democratic candidates, a reversal from the margin that favored Republicans when the GOP had more incumbents. The breakdown according to commodity and organization shows largely the same pattern that has occurred for nearly 25 years.

The Agri-Pulse report notes that several years ago, sugar cooperatives and grower groups overtook dairy farmer and co-op organizations as the leading commodity. It’s no different this year – American Crystal Sugar’s PAC continues to be the top donor to federal candidates. The Minnesota-based sugar cooperative has donated over 1.7-million dollars so far this year. 

“Beef Council Restructuring Underway”

A statement has been released by the Federation of State Beef Councils about their work of last week to define a structure that would be separate from NCBA, but allow the Federation to still work in a synergistic way with the organization. According to the statement - the working group has identified principles it believes support an independent Federation structure, while also retaining operational efficiencies found in its 14-year relationship with NCBA.

The working group has shared its preliminary recommendations with Federation directors and beef council executives. The next step is to share the draft recommendations with USDA, in order to gain feedback.

Following a feedback period and development of final recommendations, Federation directors are expected to vote on the matter in February 2011, during the cattle industry convention in Denver.

“Netherlands BSE Case Brings Out Call”

A new case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy in the Netherlands has prompted R-CALF USA to once again request the U.S. Department of Agriculture to withdraw its Over-30-Months Rule that allows all Canadian cattle born on or after March 1, 1999, to be imported into the United States. Canada does not test older cows at slaughter, despite having detected multiple cases of BSE – 18 since 2003 – in its native herd.

R-CALF USA CEO Bill Bullard says - it is our hope that USDA will immediately take steps to restore the United States’ BSE protections that were in existence prior to the implementation of the OTM Rule. Bullard suggests - withdrawal of the OTM Rule - likely would alleviate the significant trade restrictions the U.S. now has faced for seven years because the U.S. continues to provide inadequate protections for U.S. consumers and U.S. livestock with its overly relaxed import restrictions.

“Almanac Weather Predictions Released”

The 2011 issue of The Old Farmer’s Almanac was released this week. It predicts that in the coming months, the Earth will continue to see a - gradual cooling of the atmosphere ... offset by any warming caused by increased greenhouse gases. Most of the United States will see a colder-than-usual winter while summer and spring will be relatively cool and dry.

The "Old Farmer's Almanac" also is forecasting a weak La Nina — a climate phenomenon marked by an unusual cooling of the sea surface in the tropical Pacific Ocean. Janice Stillman, editor of the almanac, said that means much of the eastern half of the United States will experience lower-than-normal temperatures with less snow while Mid-Atlantic states will see more snowfall than usual. The West will see a mild winter with average precipitation.

Meanwhile, the South will experience a cold and wet summer and the Rockies should see a mild and dry winter. Stillman says - it'll be cold. There will be no mistaking winter. But it may be a little shorter or we may see some small warm spells in places like the East Coast.

“Turkey Genome Map Near”

USDA researchers and their colleagues at 28 national and international institutions have sequenced the majority of the genome of the domesticated turkey. The nearly complete map could help growers to more efficiently produce bigger, meatier turkeys. Agricultural Research Service’s Julie Long says - the project underscores how rapidly the field of genome sequencing has changed. We sequenced the turkey genome in less than a year, at a fraction of the cost of sequencing chicken and cow genomes.

Turkey is the fourth most popular meat in this country. Americans consume about 17.6 pounds of turkey per capita every year, and the U.S. produces nearly 6 billion pounds of turkey meat annually.  To read more about this research, scroll down to the first story under Research In Agriculture.

 

http://www.agcareers.com/newsletters/agcareers_weekly.htm  

AgCareers.com /AG JOBS
 

Sept 08,9, & 10 2010

 


 “Corn Research Progressing Along”

The possibilities for biodegradable corn-based plastics, clothing, bedding, packing materials and even sodium-free salt are heating up; thanks to recent research advances funded by state corn associations or carried out through government agencies. Through recent advances, several alternative uses for corn may become more viable increasing corn markets and profitability for growers across the country.

National Corn Growers Association Research and Business Development Action Team Chair Larry Hasheider says - this research provides corn growers more market stability for our versatile product. With major breakthroughs on the horizon, possibilities such as replacing petroleum-based products with corn alternatives help build markets for the ever-growing U.S. corn crop.

Hasheider points out - we're especially pleased to see the involvement in several state corn checkoff organizations in furthering this important work that moves us in the right direction of reducing our landfill space requirements. As more products are developed along these lines, we progress toward a more biodegradable society as a whole.

   

 “Wi-Fi on National Mall”

Wi-Fi “hotspots” have been added to the Nation’s Mall in Washington, D.C. The new hotspots cover the Mall, from 3rd to 14th Streets. So far, the Office of the Chief Technology Officer has installed nearly 220 free wi-fi "hotspots"  in District government and outdoor sites throughout the city.

The new national Mall hotspots were installed in collaboration with federal and private-sector partners. Residents and visitors can now use the new hotspots 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. There are no restrictions on what Internet sites users can visit, except at the hotspots in schools. At these sites, there are limits on access to some Internet sites to protect minors from harm.

“United Fresh Conference Set for Next Week”

United Fresh is rolling out its lineup of speakers for United Fresh Produce Association’s Washington Public Policy Conference September 15-16.  On Wednesday, the 15th, House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson will discuss the role of the specialty crop industry as the House Agriculture committee moves to address and reauthorize the Farm Bill in 2011. Then on Thursday, the 16th, Department of Health and Human services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius will address the federal commitment to improvement in child nutrition, food safety and health care.

Registration is now open and more information may be found by contacting United Fresh Political Affairs Manager Angela Bezon at 202-303-3400, ext. 416 or abezon@unitedfresh.org, or by visiting http://www.unitedfresh.org.

 “Food Integrity Summit Scheduled”

The Center for Food Integrity 2010 Food System Summit will be held October 5-6 in Chicago. Among the speakers is Brother David Andrews, a senior representative for Food & Water Watch and a member of the Congregation of Holy Cross, an international Catholic religious order of men.

Andrews says eating is - a civil right and a moral act. It's not just a right to choose what to eat, but to choose what kind of system we want to feed us. Andrews will be joined by Tim Amlaw, vice president of the American Humane Certified program that provides a third-party verification process for livestock farmers to ensure proper care of their animals.

 
Today's Top Stories
Preparing for Sept. 10 Crop Production Report
Lower prices are ahead if USDA doesn't lower yield expectations.

Ag Exports Will Rise in Fiscal 2011
USDA has revised most 2010 export figures.

Crop Comments
"It's getting hard to find a corn field around here," says a Kentucky farmer.

Late Night Laughs
Dave and company on veep rumors and more...

Agriculture Secretary Vilsack Recognizes Work of USDA Experts Who Served in Afghanistan

 and Iraq

Highlights USDA’s Role in Building Vibrant Agricultural Economies Abroad

 

WASHINGTON, Sept. 8, 2010—Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today recognized the efforts of more than 20 USDA employees who served as civilian agricultural experts in Afghanistan and Iraq. The agricultural experts were part of the Obama Administration's commitment to provide civilian assistance abroad to help promote long-term economic development.

"It is an honor for me to recognize these brave and devoted employees for their tremendous service to the people of Afghanistan and Iraq," said Vilsack. "President Obama's whole-of-U.S.-government approach in both nations has drawn civilian and military expertise from across the United States government to help Afghans and Iraqis build a resilient, sustainable agricultural sector, not only helping strengthen the economies of both nations but also contributing greatly to our security here in the United States."

About 85 percent of Afghans derive their livelihood from agriculture and 78 percent of the Afghan labor force works in agriculture. Agriculture represents 10 percent of Iraq's overall economy. Because agriculture is so important to both Afghanistan and Iraq, agricultural development is playing a major role in establishing stability and security in both countries. USDA experts help teach people to increase productivity on the farm, develop functioning markets, improve availability of agricultural credit, and enhance infrastructure along the supply chain

USDA agricultural experts began serving in Afghanistan in 2003 and Iraq in 2006 and work alongside civilians from the departments of State, Justice, and Interior, as well as the U.S. Agency for International Development and Army National Guard. The majority of these individuals serve as extension agents within civilian-military field units called Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs), working with Afghans and Iraqis to strengthen the capacity of the local government, rebuild agricultural markets, and improve management of natural resources. In addition to agricultural experts, USDA ministry experts work at the Afghan and Iraqi ministries of agriculture to help build the capacity of those institutions to deliver services. USDA also maintains Foreign Service Officers and support staff within the U.S. Embassies of both countries.

Currently, USDA has more than 90 personnel serving in Afghanistan and Iraq. While the majority of agricultural and ministry experts have come from a dozen USDA agencies and offices from around the United States, others have come from a number of U.S. land-grant universities and State Departments of Agriculture.

USDA agricultural experts also work closely in Afghanistan and Iraq with U.S. Army National Guard units called agribusiness development teams (ADTs). ADTs are composed of soldiers with backgrounds and expertise in agriculture and related businesses. They provide training and advice to universities, provincial ministries, and local farmers, as well as design and implement development projects.

The following individuals were recognized for their outstanding service in Afghanistan: Ryan Brewster, Nebraska; Ray Lehn, Iowa; Tim Powers, Virginia; Jeff Sanders, Tennessee; Greg Schlenz, Washington; and Pedro Torres, California.

The following individuals were recognized for their outstanding service in Iraq: Travis Auxier, Georgia; William Baker, Washington, D.C.; Glenn Brown, Missouri; Michael Clayton, Kentucky; Eric Dolbeare, Illinois; Mike Gangwer, Michigan; David Greaser, Pennsylvania; Franklin Johnson, Washington, D.C.; Jon Melhus, Washington, D.C.; Michael Neruda, Maryland; David Nisbet, Texas; Charles Russell, Ohio; Samuel Tabler, Arkansas; Justin Whitmore, Oklahoma; Fred Woehl, Arkansas; Floyd Wood, Virginia; Fred Kessel, Montana; and Chris Rittgers, Iowa.

For more information about serving in Afghanistan or Iraq, U.S. citizens or USDA employees should go to www.usajobs.gov and search under the keywords of "USDA Iraq" or "USDA Afghanistan."

                         

LIVESTOCK NEWS

 

 

Accentuate (And Support) The Positive


 
With the U.S. economy struggling to keep its head above water in a valiant attempt to avoid a double-dip recession, many news stories and headlines are downright discouraging these days. Stories about job loss, home foreclosures and poor business conditions dominate most other developments and may actually make matters worse.    Full Story...

 

In The Cattle Markets: The Yearling Grass Cattle Market

The marketing season for summer-grazed yearling feeder cattle has started in the Northern Plains. Many are sold by the end of September when grazing conditions typically deteriorate and cattle reach appropriate weights for placement on feed. The USDA-AMS weekly Dakotas feeder and stocker summary for last week reported 96 percent of feeder cattle sold weighed over 600 pounds.    Full Story...


 

Monday Market Sentiment: Industry Leaders Predict A Drop In Cash Cattle Prices

A survey of cattle-industry leaders suggests the average price for cash cattle will decrease $0.41 to 96.12 this week.

The Monday Market Sentiment is a forecast of the upcoming weekly cash trade (5-Area weighted average price) prices reported by the USDA. This week prices declined for the first time in the past five weeks. Full Story...

 

USMEF Audio: Beef Exports To Mexico Still Struggling, But Showing Some Signs Of Recovery

While Mexico is still the No. 1 destination for U.S. beef exports, it is the only major market that is trailing last year's results. A sluggish economy and weak peso have made Mexico a tough market in 2010, but in August, weekly beef sales data began to suggest signs of improvement. Full Story...

  
 

More Articles


 

 

Monday Market Sentiment: $96.12
Last Week's Trade: $96.53*
Change: -0.41

*USDA 5-area weighted average price.

Congratulations to last week's winner: Marshall Jenson, Snake River.


 
Zilmax

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Zilmax continues to show consistent, valuable results with each study. To learn more about Zilmax and its impact on yield grade, Click Here...

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DTN AG HEADLINE NEWS

More news...      More news...       More news...       More news...        More news...     

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 9th, 2010

Some 350,000 people will be gathering in Marion, Ohio through Sunday to prove that popcorn is not just for the movies. This will be the 30th anniversary celebration of the Marion Popcorn Festival -- three days of food, entertainment, cooking competitions, and one of the state's largest parades. There will also be golf and bowling tournaments, and two bicycle tours. Marion is an appropriate location for the popcorn festival, since it is in the heart of the one of the prime popcorn producing areas in the country. Iowa is the largest corn producer in the nation, followed by Illinois and Nebraska.

www.census.gov

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Photo: Male turkey. Link to photo information
ARS researchers and their university colleagues have created the first genome map of the domestic turkey. Click the image for more information about it.

 

USDA Scientists, Cooperators

Create the First Genomic Map

of the Domesticated Turkey

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) researchers and their university colleagues have sequenced the majority of the genome of Meleagris gallopavo, the domesticated turkey, creating the first-ever turkey genome map. The nearly complete map could help growers to more efficiently produce bigger, meatier turkeys. The research is reported today in PLoS Biology, an online journal of the Public Library of Science.

Americans consume about 17.6 pounds of turkey per capita every year, and the U.S. produces nearly 6 billion pounds of turkey meat annually.

"Turkey is the fourth most popular meat in this country," said Edward B. Knipling, adminstrator of USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS). "The information gleaned from these genetic studies will help breeders develop improved commercial turkey breeds to meet consumers' demands in the United States and worldwide."

The research was a partnership led by Curtis Van Tassell and Julie A. Long with ARS; Otto Folkerts and Rami Dalloul of Virginia Tech University's Bioinformatics Institute (VBI); and Steven L. Salzberg of the University of Maryland's Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, at College Park.

Van Tassell works in the ARS Bovine Functional Genomics Laboratory at Beltsville, Md., while Long works in the ARS Animal Biosciences and Biotechnology Laboratory, also at Beltsville. ARS is the chief intramural scientific research agency of USDA. This research supports the USDA priority of ensuring international food security.

The researchers used "next-generation" DNA sequencing technology that relied on high-throughput instruments at the ARS laboratory in Beltsville and at VBI in Blacksburg, Va. The new technology produces millions of DNA sequences simultaneously.

The instrumentation used at VBI characterized longer strands of turkey DNA, while the ARS researchers focused on characterizing many more short DNA fragments, permitting greater detail through deeper sequencing of those fragments, according to Van Tassell. The overall turkey genome was compiled by assembling the various DNA fragments. To achieve that, the scientists had to develop new computer programs to interweave the DNA strands of varying lengths.

The turkey genome assembly was further strengthened when physical, comparative and genetic maps built by researchers from Michigan State University and the University of Minnesota were used to match the DNA sequences to turkey chromosomes. By the end of the project, the original partnership expanded to include 68 scientists affiliated with 28 national and international institutions.

"The project underscores how rapidly the field of genome sequencing has changed," said Long. "We sequenced the turkey genome in less than a year, at a fraction of the cost of sequencing chicken and cow genomes. The turkey industry and consumers will benefit from this research."

The turkey genome sequence is publically available at: www.ensembl.org/Meleagris_gallopavo.

For further reading

 
Photo: Electron micrograph of E. coli bacteria. Link to photo information
Key gene and chemical interactions that allow Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157:H7 bacteria to colonize the gut of cattle have been identified by ARS scientists and their colleagues. Click the image for more information about it.

 

Blocking E. coli Bacteria

 Before They Move In

A U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientist and his colleagues have discovered key gene and chemical interactions that allow Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157:H7 bacteria to colonize the gut of cattle. The animals not only host, but can shed the deadly human pathogen.

Many E. coli O157:H7 outbreaks have been associated with contaminated meat products and cross contamination of produce crops. Because the bacteria do not cause cattle to show clinical symptoms of illness, and due to other unknown variables, they can be hard to detect within cattle and the environment.

The researchers, including USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) animal scientist Thomas S. Edrington, reported how the E. coli sense a key chemical that plays a critical role in allowing the bacteria to colonize inside the cattle's gastrointestinal (GI) tract. ARS is USDA's principal intramural scientific research agency. This research supports the USDA priority of ensuring food safety.

Edrington is with the ARS Food and Feed Safety Research Unit in College Station, Texas. The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, was conducted at the University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, campus. It involved researchers from several universities and was headed by Vanessa Sperandio, who is with the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, in Dallas.

To proliferate, E. coli express genes differently based on their environment, such as outside the cattle host, inside the cattle rumen, or even at the end of the cattle GI tract. Having a better understanding of when, why and how these bacteria colonize could lead to practical applications in the future, according to Edrington.

The researchers showed that "quorum sensing" chemicals called acyl-homoserine lactones (AHLs), which are produced by other bacteria, are present within the bovine rumen but absent in other areas of the cattle GI tract. AHLs are important because E. coli harbor a regulator, called SdiA, which senses these AHLs and then prompts the E. coli to attach and colonize.

Limiting production of the SdiA chemical, or blocking bacterial reception of the AHLs, may eventually lead to new strategies for keeping E. coli from attaching inside the animal.

For further reading

 
Photo: Partially shucked ear of corn.
ARS researchers have found that a biological control called Afla-Guard® that they developed to stop the fungi which causes aflatoxin on peanuts can also be used to protect corn. Photo courtesy of Microsoft Clipart.

 

Afla-Guard®

Also Protects Corn Crops

Afla-Guard®, a biological control used to thwart the growth of fungi on peanuts, can be used on corn as well, according to a study by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists who helped develop it. After extensive study and research trials in Texas, Afla-Guard® was registered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for use on corn, beginning with the 2009 crop.

Recently retired Agricultural Research Service (ARS) microbiologist Joe Dorner at the National Peanut Research Laboratory in Dawson, Ga., helped develop Afla-Guard®, a biological control for the aflatoxin-producing fungi Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus in peanuts. ARS is USDA's principal intramural scientific research agency.

A. flavus and A. parasiticus, naturally-occurring soil fungi, can invade food and feed crops, contaminating them with aflatoxin. Aflatoxin is a human carcinogen produced by the fungi and is also toxic to pets, livestock, and wildlife.

Afla-Guard® is composed of hulled barley coated with spores of a nontoxic strain of A. flavus. The nontoxic Aspergillus fungi successfully compete against the toxic species for the limited space and nutrients each needs to grow and thrive. In peanuts, Afla-Guard® reduced aflatoxins by an average of 85 percent in farmers' stock peanuts and up to 97 percent in shelled, edible-grade peanuts.

In light of this success, Dorner and other ARS scientists conducted a two-year study of Afla-Guard® in corn. They again found that it was effective in reducing aflatoxin levels—showing an overall reduction of 85 percent, when compared to control fields.

Afla-Guard® was applied to the corn crop in different ways: to soil when corn was less than a meter tall, in plant whorls prior to tassel formation, and as multiple sprays during silking.

The research was published in the Journal of Food Protection.

For further reading

 
Photo: ARS geneticist Paul Williams tags corn plants with molecular markers associated with resistance to aflatoxin. Link to photo information
ARS geneticist Paul Williams is part of a multidisciplinary team of researchers and university cooperators that is developing new corn lines that are genetically resistant to aflatoxin-producing fungi. Click the image for more information about it.

Corn Lines Resist

Fungal Toxins

Corn germplasm lines developed by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists are scoring high marks in field trials for resistance to aflatoxin produced by Aspergilllus flavus and A. parasiticus fungi.

According to geneticist Paul Williams with USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) in Mississippi State, Miss., the presence of aflatoxin in corn greatly reduces its value and marketability. That's because aflatoxin is carcinogenic to humans, pets and wildlife. Annual losses incurred by the corn industry to aflatoxin contamination of kernels are estimated at $192 million.

At the ARS Corn Host Plant Resistance Research Unit in Mississippi State, Williams works with a multidisciplinary team of researchers and university cooperators to develop, test and release new corn lines that are genetically resistant to aflatoxin-producing fungi.

In 2008 field trials, for example, two germplasm lines that the team developed—Mp715 and Mp717—showed the highest levels yet of resistance to aflatoxin contamination. A more recent line, Mp04:097, also performed well in 2009 trials.

Mp715 and Mp717 are also resistant to the accumulation of another fungal toxin—fumonisin, which is produced by Fusarium verticillioides. The toxin causes neurological abnormalities in horses after they consume infected corn.

According to Williams, the lines have been widely requested and used in plant breeding programs at state, federal and international research institutions, plus three major commercial seed companies and several smaller ones.

In related work, the researchers are mapping chromosome regions associated with aflatoxin resistance in crosses between resistant lines and susceptible ones with good agronomic qualities. The goal is to identify markers that can be used in marker-assisted breeding.

On yet another front, the team has developed corn lines that resist fall armyworms and southwestern corn borers, insect pests whose feeding damage can contribute to aflatoxin contamination.

Read more about research to improve corn in the September 2010 issue of Agricultural Research magazine.

ARS is USDA's principal intramural scientific research agency. This research supports the USDA priority of ensuring food safety.

For further reading

 
Photo: Three researchers examine a more heat tolerant plastic made from corn. Link to photo information
Developing a more heat-tolerant biodegradable plastic is the goal of ARS research chemist William J. Orts (left) and his collaborators, Allison Flynn and Lennard Torres from Lapol, LLC, Santa Barbara, Calif. Click the image for more information about it.

Helping Corn-Based Plastics Take

 More Heat

Your favorite catsup or fruit juice might be "hot-filled" at the food-processing plant—that is, poured into its waiting container while the catsup or juice is still hot from pasteurization. Current containers made from corn-based plastics literally can't take the heat of hot-filling, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) chemist William J. Orts.

But Orts and a team of collaborators from Lapol, LLC, of Santa Barbara, Calif., hope to change that by making corn-derived plastics more heat-tolerant. Orts and Lapol co-investigators Allison Flynn and Lennard Torres are doing the work at the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Western Regional Research Center in Albany, Calif., where Orts leads the Bioproduct Chemistry and Engineering Research Unit. ARS is USDA's principal intramural scientific research agency.

By boosting the bioplastics' heat tolerance, the collaboration—under way since 2007—may broaden the range of applications for which corn-derived plastics could be used as an alternative to petroleum-based plastics.

Corn-based plastics are made by fermenting corn sugar to produce lactic acid. The lactic acid is used to form polylactic acid, or PLA, a bioplastic. The Albany team is developing a product known as a heat-deflection temperature modifier that would be blended with PLA to make it more heat-tolerant.

The modifier is more than 90 percent corn-based and is fully biodegradable. There currently are no commercially available heat-deflection temperature modifiers for PLA, according to Randall L. Smith, chief operating officer at Lapol. ARS and Lapol are seeking a patent for the invention.

Read more about this and other ARS corn research in the September 2010 issue of Agricultural Research magazine.

For further reading

 
Photo: Basil grown as an ornamental plant in the garden.
 The new Ornamental Edibles exhibit in the U.S. National Arboretum demonstrates ways that home gardeners can incorporate decorative vegetables like this purple basil into their landscape gardens. Photo courtesy of Jeanette Warriner, ARS.

 

New

"Ornamental Edibles" Exhibit

 Added to Arboretum

A new exhibit that will tickle visitors' taste buds has been added this year at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) U.S. National Arboretum in Washington, D.C.

The new Ornamental Edibles exhibit in the arboretum's National Herb Garden will demonstrate ways that home gardeners can incorporate delicious vegetable plants into their landscape gardens. Visitors to the herb garden are encouraged to experience plants through sight, smell, touch and taste. It is the largest designed herb garden in the nation that includes annual, perennial and woody herbal plants.

The exhibit is being used to promote healthy eating and contribute to the USDA initiative encouraging Americans to eat locally produced food. The exhibit is managed by arboretum horticulturist Chrissy Moore and technician Jeanette Proudfoot. The arboretum is administered by the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), USDA's principal intramural scientific research agency.

Many vegetables make lovely landscape plants. According to Scott Aker, who leads the arboretum's Gardens Unit, ornamental edible plants have attractive foliage, texture and color that give them curb appeal while they are producing food. Even small areas and container gardens can be used to grow attractive vegetables and fruits for home use.

The arboretum's exhibit will feature vegetables appropriate for the current season while also highlighting ARS research. For example, visitors to the arboretum this summer can see ARS-developed, nematode-resistant peppers arranged with tomatoes, eggplants, gourds and beans in an attractive—and tasty—landscape garden.

Visitors are encouraged to sample the plants in the exhibit. And should one want to know more about the garden, a quick call to the arboretum's "Cell Phone Tour" phone number displayed on a small sign will tell visitors more about it.

The spring crop of salad greens has been harvested and tomatoes are being harvested. During the fall, the exhibit will include cool season crops such as kale and other leafy greens. If feedback is good, Aker and Moore will consider continuing the exhibit for another year.

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Photo: Two scientists taking soil samples in a field.
ARS soil scientist Greg McCarty (right) and U.S. Geological Survey researcher Dean Hively are developing new ways to judge the effectiveness of cover crops in controlling losses of nitrogen and phosphorus from farms into the Chesapeake Bay. Click the image for more information about it.
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Cleaning the Chesapeake Bay

 from Space

A pilot test of an innovative use of new remote sensing technologies to aid the Chesapeake Bay cleanup begins this year in Talbot County, Md., on the Bay's Eastern Shore.

Greg McCarty, a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) soil scientist, and Dean Hively, now a visiting U.S. Geological Survey physical scientist, merged remote sensing, field sampling, and farm program records to judge the effectiveness of winter cover crops in controlling farm nitrogen and phosphorus losses to the Bay.

McCarty and Hively lead an interagency research team that works closely with the Maryland Department of Agriculture. McCarty is at the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Hydrology and Remote Sensing Laboratory (HRSL) in Beltsville, Md. ARS is USDA's principal intramural scientific research agency.

Cover crops—mostly rye, barley, and wheat—are a principal tool in Maryland for controlling nitrogen and phosphorus flows to the bay. The crops catch excess nitrogen and phosphorus left over from fertilizers and manures used to grow corn, soybean or other summer crops.

In a 4-year study using this combination of tools, McCarty and Hively showed that, of the three major cover crops, wheat is by far the least efficient at taking up nitrogen, due to its slow fall growth. Yet 60 percent of the land planted to cover crops is in winter wheat. Maryland pays farmers part of the costs of planting cover crops, with a premium for early-planted and non-wheat crops.

The pilot project will allow the Talbot County soil conservation district office to evaluate underperforming fields to plan for improved implementation in the coming year.

The scientists are developing software to summarize the data, by county and by watershed, to produce reports for Chesapeake Bay Watershed partners, including county, state, federal and other agencies.

This is all part of a feedback system that will lead to annual adjustments in federal and state conservation program implementation strategies.

With success, the project will be scaled up to each of Maryland's 24 soil conservation districts statewide.

Read more about this research in the August 2010 issue of Agricultural Research magazine.


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