Science In Your Shopping Cart

ARS scientists are turning agricultural waste (Biomass) into environmentally friendly products that can replace non-biodegradable plastics. Connect with us:   Twitter: @USDA_ARS Facebook: @AgriculturalResearchService LinkedIn: @usda-ars

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. Connect with us:   Twitter: @USDA_ARS Facebook: @AgriculturalResearchService LinkedIn: @usda-ars

ARS researcher Lance Cadle-Davidson, a research plant pathologist at ARS’s Grape Genetics Research Unit in the finger lakes region in Geneva, NY, is helping protect wine vineyards that produce European style wines in the U.S.  Cadle-Davidson and his team have created an automated process utilizing high resolution cameras with illumination to see fungal disease easily from LED lighting with artific...

Ancient grains refers to a category of grains – particularly pseudo-cereals – that possess a very unique health benefit that provide essential nutritional requirements for our health.  ARS Research Leader, Dr. Sean Liu at the Functional Foods Research Unit in Peoria, Illinois is researching ways to make ancient grains more nutritional, and he wants to make them more attractive to consumers.   Clic...

Wouldn’t it be great if the oils and margarines you cook with were actually healthy for you and still enhanced the flavor of your foods? Researchers at ARS’s Functional Foods Research Unit in Peoria, Illinois, are mixing common cooking oils with natural waxes to create oleogels – which you can say is the secret sauce behind a healthier cooking oil. Connect with us:   Twitter: @USDA_ARS Facebook: @...

“I’m your huckleberry.” Learn about the origins of the Huckleberry Gold Potato and other interesting facts about potatoes. Connect with us:   Twitter: @USDA_ARS Facebook: @AgriculturalResearchService LinkedIn: @usda-ars

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. Connect with us:   Twitter: @USDA_ARS Facebook: @AgriculturalResearchServi...

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. Connect wi...

Dr. 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. Connect with us:   Twitter: @USDA_ARS Facebook: @AgriculturalResearchService LinkedIn: @usda-ars

Did you know that many of the advances in wool and leather clothing were developed in Wyndmoor, PA, including a technique to get rid of the yellowing of wool? Connect with us:   Twitter: @USDA_ARS Facebook: @AgriculturalResearchService LinkedIn: @usda-ars

We travel to Corvallis, Oregon, to meet with ARS research geneticist John Henning.  Here at the Forage Seed and Cereal Research Unit, John and his team recently released two new beer hop varieties: Vista and Triumph. Connect with us:   Twitter: @USDA_ARS Facebook: @AgriculturalResearchService LinkedIn: @usda-ars

ARS researcher Bill Kustas, a Research Hydrologist and Distinguished Senior Research Scientist at ARS’s Hydrology and Remote Sensing Laboratory in Beltsville, MD, is part of a collaborative team called GRAPEX.  The GRAPEX research program involves using satellites and even unoccupied aerial vehicles to identify vine water use and stress throughout a vineyard. Growers can use these data to determin...

Corn is grown all over our planet and is an important crop in all parts of our lives. ARS Research Entomologist Xinzhi Ni, at ARS’s Crop Genetics and Breeding Research Unit in Tifton, GA, is looking at how corn plants get stressed, and how those stressors invite diseases and pathogens to proliferate inside the crop. Ni is hopeful the work will help future entomologists and breeders find solutions...

Check out our newest strawberry, and hear how new strawberry cultivars are created. Connect with us:   Twitter: @USDA_ARS Facebook: @AgriculturalResearchService LinkedIn: @usda-ars

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. Connect with us:   Twitter: @USDA_ARS Facebook: @AgriculturalResearchService LinkedIn: @usda-ars

Where was the Roma tomato developed? Rome? Nope, the answer may surprise you.  Learn this and more interesting facts about the Roma tomato. Connect with us:   Twitter: @USDA_ARS Facebook: @AgriculturalResearchService LinkedIn: @usda-ars

ARS researcher Kerri Steenwerth, a research soil scientist with the Crops Pathology and Genetics Research Unit in Davis, CA, battles weather extremes and ways to keep wine grape growers ahead of the environmental curve.    Her research involves regenerative viticulture practices, which is similar to regenerative farming, or farming with sustainability and the environment in mind. Regenerative farm...

The USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) protects and helps the wine industry thrive in the United States.   Learn some fun facts to share at your next wine tasting including the birthplace of American wine. Connect with us:   Twitter: @USDA_ARS Facebook: @AgriculturalResearchService LinkedIn: @usda-ars

ARS researchers are working with the National Grape Research Alliance (NGRA) to help wine grape growers adapt to ever-evolving weather patterns as well as extreme weather conditions.  Believe it or not, it may not be all bad. One of the unintended consequences of shifting weather patterns is the ability of certain regions to produce grape varieties they’ve never been able to grow before. This is a...

ARS researchers work with the National Grape Research Alliance (NGRA) to initiate novel research projects and programs to solve industry challenges. And there’s no bigger challenge today than dealing with extreme weather and shifting weather patterns.   Thankfully, ARS researchers are on the job, working with the NGRA to solve problems and find solutions in the areas that grape research is needed...

ARS researchers have been instrumental in developing cereal crops and enhancing food for the American people. In this season of Science in Your Shopping Cart, we’re taking a trip down the cereal crop aisle, where we’ll dive into the challenges of growing popular cereal crops, explore the growing popularity of ancient grains, and taste a rice that’s fit for an emperor. Connect with us:   Twitter: @...

ARS Ecologist, Martin Williams at ARS’s Global Change and Photosynthesis Unit in Urbana, IL is researching ways to help farmers to deal with their weeds. Williams’ research is aimed at ways to control those pesky weeds and manage their crops. Connect with us:   Twitter: @USDA_ARS Facebook: @AgriculturalResearchService LinkedIn: @usda-ars

ARS research leader Shahryar Kianian and his colleagues at ARS’s Cereal Disease Lab in St. Paul, MN are leaning on the art of negotiation to help oat producers deal with a deadly disease, called Crowned Rust.  Listen and learn how ARS is protecting oats, some of the healthiest grains you can put in your body. They are a great source of fiber, and they contain lots of vitamins and minerals, as well...

ARS researchers have developed and strengthened our food supply. Listen to learn some fun facts about cereal crops and other foods that can enhance your diet. Connect with us:   Twitter: @USDA_ARS Facebook: @AgriculturalResearchService LinkedIn: @usda-ars

At the Dale Bumpers National Rice Research Center in Stuttgart, Arkansas, ARS geneticist Shannon Pinson studies specialty rice that is beneficial to human health. Her work includes research on colored rice that has traditionally been given to pregnant women for the nutritional benefits it provides during pregnancy. Connect with us:   Twitter: @USDA_ARS Facebook: @AgriculturalResearchService Linked...