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Fresh from the field is a weekly compendium of news and information that may be of interest to land-grant and non-land-grant universities, NIFA stakeholders, and other subscribers.
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Feb 3, 2017
Success Stories of the Week
Kansas State University patents cost saving,
longer lasting biodegradable adhesive
Kansas State University researchers have patented the
first plant-based resin of its kind that would be ideal for re-adherable
painters' tape, labels, packing tapes, stationery notes and other adhesive
uses. It also can provide shiny coatings.
Funding for this research was provided through the NIFA Biomass Research
and Development program.
In addition to adhesive applications, the resin could be
used in coatings on wooden surfaces, slick magazine pages, bags of potato chips
and other items needing shiny and protective surfaces that are either flexible
or rigid.
Sun said the resin outperforms previous bio-based
adhesives because it adheres to a surface for a longer period of time, has a
longer shelf life and is more water-resistant. Because the substance is
plant-based, its resources are biodegradable and renewable.
Read more about it at the Kansas State
University website.
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UNH researchers identify new bacterial pathogen contaminating seafood
University of New Hampshire scientists, in partnership with the FDA and
public health and shellfish management agencies in five states, have identified
a new strain of a bacterial pathogen that has contaminated shellfish, sickening consumers along the Atlantic Coast of North
America at increasing rates over the last decade.
New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station (AES)
scientists have discovered that a Vibrio parahaemolyticus strain
identified as ST631 is a predominant strain endemic to the Atlantic Coast
of North America and has been traced to shellfish harvested in seven Atlantic
coastal states and Canada. ST631 is the second most
prevalent strain isolated from patients sickened by product sourced to the Northeast
United States.
Vibrio
parahaemolyticus is the leading
seafood-transmitted bacterial pathogen worldwide with an estimated 45,000
infections in the United States every year. It causes gastroenteritis and,
rarely, lethal septicemia.
Read about UNH Hatch project here.
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Alabama Extension assists farmers and residents with new drought website
In the 2016-2017 season, Alabama continues to
face drought conditions. In response to the exceptionally dry climate over the
past few seasons, the Alabama Cooperative Extension launched a website to help
farmers and producers work within this challenging situation. The website
features research-based information about water, livestock and feed, farm
finance, weather, and other categories to assist farmers and residents in drought
areas.
Read more here.
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University of
Wyoming Extension: Improving lives in rural America
The University of Wyoming Extension delivers range management, agriculture and horticulture, nutrition and food safety, community development, 4-H Youth Development, Cent$ible Nutrition, and Master Gardener
programs in communities throughout the state.
In 2015, UW Extension educators taught or facilitated
7,730 educational programs and reached 213,712 adults and youth.
Read the 2017 UW Extension Impacts Report.
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UW-Extension dairy projects increase profitability and milk sales by over $400,000 per
farm
Wisconsin is
home to more than 9,000 dairy farms, more than any other state, and 1.27
million cows. Studies by Extension faculty at UW-Madison show that the dairy
industry contributes $43.4 billion to Wisconsin's economy each year. The dairy
industry pumps $82,500 per minute into the state's economy.
Milk
production at the farm level supports employment and community vitality through
businesses such as feed mills, dairy equipment manufacturers, veterinarians,
construction companies, genetics companies, haulers, dairy plants, and software
companies.
View the video.
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Editor’s Note
Correction:
Kansas State University is the correct name of the “How Drones Could Change
Farming-Forever’ excerpt in the January 19, 2017 edition of “Fresh from the
Field”
For more NIFA Impacts,
visit nifa.usda.gov/impacts or
the Land-Grant University Impacts website. Send us your NIFA-funded impacts at impactstories@nifa.usda.gov or share them with
USDA_NIFA on Twitter
#NIFAimpacts.
NIFA invests in and advances agricultural research, education, and extension and seeks to make transformative discoveries that solve societal challenges.
Editor: Falita Liles
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