United States Department of Agriculture

An experiment finished nearly 30 years ago by the United States Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service, uncovered recently during new study preparations, shows that it’s best to be patient when measuring the movement of nitrates through soil and ground water. Mark Tomer and Michael Burkart, soil scientists and hydrologists at the USDA’s National Soil […] Read more

Just like people, honeybees need nutritious food to stay strong and healthy. More than two dozen beekeepers throughout the United States are giving their bees a chance to test a new, high-energy drink formulated especially for the hardworking insect. The new beverage may bolster the pollination prowess of domesticated honeybees, Apis mellifera. The smoothie mix […] Read more

Scientists have discovered new formulas to determine the amount of feed required to maintain life – called basal metabolism – in farm animals. In recently published articles in the Journal of Animal Science, researchers from the United States Department of Agriculture argue that in ewes, factors such as age, breed and nutritional history need to […] Read more

Scientists have been studying Chinese pigs since the late 1980s in their efforts to increase the number of offspring produced by U.S. pigs. In the process, United States Department of Agriculture researchers have found many interesting reproductive facts about the Meishan (pronounced MAY-shawn) pigs of southern China. Meishan males have five to seven times more […] Read more

Procedures that cause cows’ reproductive systems to have medium-sized, egg-containing follicles could ensure high pregnancy rates when artificial insemination is timed to synchronized ovulations, American scientists have discovered. They say this would also eliminate the need to detect when cows go into estrus, thus removing the main barrier to a more widespread adoption of artificial […] Read more

Disposal of animal manure is one of the biggest problems facing agriculture today. Now, scientists with the United States Department of Agriculture’s agricultural research service may have found a way to convert some types of manure into a material that can be used to help keep the environment clean. Animal waste is mostly used as […] Read more

Some home gardeners already use vinegar as a herbicide, and some garden stores sell vinegar pesticides. But no one has tested it scientifically until now. United States Department of Agriculture scientists offer the first scientific evidence that vinegar may be a potent weed killer that is inexpensive and environmentally safe – perfect for organic farmers. […] Read more

Grasshopper numbers are expected to increase this year in parts of Western Canada and the United States. In 16 hours, a grasshopper can eat its own weight in green food. Eight grasshoppers per square metre over 10 acres can eat the same amount as one cow. The United States Agricultural Research Service has a new […] Read more

United States Department of Agriculture scientists have found that gram-positive anaerobic bacteria are often responsible for offensive odours in stored swine manure. Now the researchers are seeking a way to help better bacteria prevail over the worst stinkers. Gram-positive anaerobic bacteria are identified by their ability to retain particular stains or dyes. Examples include clostridia, […] Read more

Hiding as if in a Trojan horse, wheat stem sawfly larvae chew inside wheat stems and sometimes pose problems for prairie farmers. When technology is developed to predict the danger, farmers will find it easier to decide whether pest control treatments may be warranted. As a first step, United States Department of Agriculture scientists in […] Read more