USDA’s Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) today announced “determinations of nonregulated status for Monsanto Company’s (Monsanto) soybeans and cotton that are resistant to certain herbicides, including one known as dicamba.” Monsanto officials say the decision to deregulate Roundup Ready 2 Xtend™ soybeans and Bollgard II® XtendFlex™ cotton “will provide farmers with more consistent, flexible control of tough-to-manage broadleaf weeds.” … Read More
Strawberry Group Gets Research Grants for Soils
The California Strawberry Commission is getting more than $1 million in state and federal grants to research healthy soils. This commission news release says the research will focus on evaluation of experimental soil borne disease management systems using biologically active soil treatments. “These recent grant awards will allow us to continue working with the top researchers in the world to … Read More
USDA Marks New Era for Conservation Efforts
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack Wednesday announced 115 new projects in all 50 states and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico will receive more than $370 million in Federal funding as part of the new USDA Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). “This is an entirely new approach to conservation efforts,” said Vilsack. “These partnerships empower communities to set priorities and lead the … Read More
Conservation Districts Win RCPP Funding
More than 200 conservation districts from across the nation will implement innovative, solutions-oriented natural resource conservation through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) projects announced earlier today by U.S. Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) Tom Vilsack. “It’s no surprise that conservation districts are one of the most highly represented entities among the winning proposals,” said National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) … Read More
Big Data, Tech Advancements in Morris Hansen Lecture
This year’s Morris Hansen Lecture will look at the role data and advancements in technology play in official statistics and privacy, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) wants you there. The 24th annual version of the event will be held in Washington, D.C., at the USDA’s Jefferson Auditorium, Jan. 20, 2015 from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m This year’s … Read More
International Year of Soils Kicks Off at USDA
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has kicked off the International Year of Soils, a time to highlight the importance of healthy soils for food security, ecosystem functions and resilient farms and ranches. “Healthy soil is the foundation that ensures working farms and ranches become more productive, resilient to climate change and better prepared to meet the challenges of the … Read More
USDA Test Measures Health-Promoting Compounds
A new test is giving better information on the health-promoting compounds in fruits and vegetables. This U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) news release says scientists at the agency have devised a new analytical method for detecting and measuring concentrations of phytochemicals called “polyphenols” in plant materials, also referred to as “phenolics,” the class of health-promoting compounds found in certain foods … Read More
USDA to Survey Land Owners on Ownership, Economics
The federal government knows how many acres of farmland are rented or leased; now the feds want to hear from the owners. This news release from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) says the agency will be surveying farmland owners to measure financial impacts and challenges of land ownership, and landowners should expect to see forms … Read More
USDA Extends Comment Period for CSP
USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is extending the public comment period on the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) interim rule until January 20, 2015. “This extension will provide stakeholders with additional time to comment on the CSP interim rule,” Chief Jason Weller said. “At nearly 70 million acres, CSP is the nation’s largest conservation program. Input through the public comment … Read More
USDA: Pesticide Residues Don’t Pose Food Safety Concern
A new report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture confirms that pesticide residues do not pose a threat to the safety of U.S. food. This USDA news release says the 2013 Pesticide Data Program (PDP) Annual Summary shows the overall pesticide chemical residues found on the foods tested are at levels below the tolerances established by the Environmental Protection Agency … Read More