…program. Past projects include a University of Pennsylvania effort to aid plant pollination by producing improved honey bees. A University of Florida Project sought to develop drought-resistant peanut cultivars and…
ARS Hydrologist Honored for Bringing Accuracy to Soil Moisture Satellite Work
…Drought Mitigation Center, which develops measures to reduce drought vulnerability, is using this new accuracy to shift drought forecasting from “crisis” to “preparedness and risk” management mode. SMAP’s accurate soil…
Funding For Commodity Board Projects to Support Ag Industry
…State University, Blacksburg, received an NIFA grant of $294,000, funded jointly by the National Peanut Board, to research drought tolerance in peanuts. Iowa State University of Science and Technology, Ames,…
China/U.S. Beef Import Discussions Moving Faster
…of a drought that’s negatively affected the country’s beef production numbers. “This is a very opportune time for the American beef industry to step up,” says Darrel Peele, an Ag…
2017 California Almond Forecast
…orchard work, the water was a welcome relief from years of drought. Set was reportedly good and nuts were developing well. Procedures Results of the subjective survey are based on…
Final Snowpack Almost Double the Average
…180 percent of average. “California’s cities and farms can expect good water supplies this summer. But this ample snowpack should not wash away memories of the intense drought of 2012-2016….
ARS Geneticist Edward Buckler Receives First National Academy of Sciences Prize in Food and Agriculture Sciences
…local adaptation, drought tolerance and disease resistance. Accelerating such variety development is vital to food security in the United States and elsewhere. A champion of open data and innovative partnerships,…
Executive Order Creates New Agriculture Panel
…recognize the unique nature of farming and the diverse business structures of farms. “It used to be that people in agriculture feared disease and drought as the greatest threats to…
Sonny Perdue Sworn in as 31st U.S. Secretary of Agriculture
…the despair and devastation of a drought. He learned by experience what his father told him as a child, “If you take care of the land, the land will take…
Salad Shortage Because of California Rains
Over the last several years, California farmers have been plagued by drought. However, the problem in 2017 is too much rain, which may be putting a squeeze on the nation’s…
The Western View: The Central Valley Habitat Exchange
…drought. When it comes about, This new Central Valley Habitat Exchange will create opportunities for farmers and ranchers to conserve and restore habitat for at-risk wildlife in the Central Valley….
Idaho Researcher: Farmers Benefit from Drought
A researcher at the University of Idaho says farmers can benefit from droughts. Garth Taylor says droughts can be harsh on the farmers who are directly impacted, but as a…
Food, Conservation Groups Invest in Soil to Sustain Food Production
…Wayne Honeycutt, president and CEO of the Soil Health Institute. “Soil health management systems can build resilience to drought as well as provide protection from other extreme weather events, such…
Northern Sierra Precipitation Sets Water Year Record
…40.8 inches. The six-station index in the Tulare Basin, often called ground zero of California’s five-year drought, which officially ended in most of California on April 7, has recorded 178…