OSU study clocks low time for cattle stream use 

Researchers at Oregon State University using precise tracking technology discovered that cattle spend less time in streams than prior believed. 

The average is between 1 and 2.5% of their time on the range. The five-year study was published in the Journal of Soil and Water Conservation. The study details how the research team placed GPS collars on cows and sent them out to graze with their herds across large acreages of land in eastern Oregon. The cows’ positions were then mapped over the paths of rangeland streams across five spring-to-fall grazing seasons. They discovered that the cows went down to the water when they needed to drink or cross, but did not typically rest. Read more on the OSU study.

UNH Research: Valuable Eastern White Pine Thrives When Glossy Buckthorn Removed

The forest products industry in New Hampshire produces nearly $1.4 billion in annual sales. A team of researchers at New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station have discovered that the eastern white pine thrives when the invasive glossy buckthorn shrub is effectively controlled in the forests. The research is discussed in “Pre-logging Treatment of Invasive Glossy Buckthorn (Frangula alnus Mill.) Promotes Regeneration of Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus L.)” in the journal Forests. Read more on white pines study. 

How Drones Could Change Farming – Forever

 Kansas City State University was awarded almost $100,000 in NIFA grants for a drone research program that will help develop stronger, more resistant strains of common crops such as wheat and other grains. The drones will examine wheat-breeding nurseries, similar to standard uses of aerial photography technology in agriculture and identify breeds of wheat and cross-breeding them. This advancement will help certain crops to develop quicker and potentially influence the global seed market. Read more on the drones story.

 "Flag the Technology"

The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension team and the Texas Plant Protection Association partnered on the "Flag the Technology" mobile app that helps farmers identify crop fields sensitive to certain herbicides. Read more on the mobile app story.