A bright idea to detect bacteria in foods

Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157:H7 is a toxin-producing bacteria that poses a major threat to human health through food contamination. Scientists at Purdue University may soon have a new way to detect E. coli in food with glow-in-the-dark-bacteria.

Supported by NIFA funding, Purdue University researchers have engineered a virus called NanoLuc that infects and lights up this particular strain of E. coli. The process may shave hours off traditional testing methods, a critical need in preventing the distribution of tainted foods.

Read the Purdue University story here.

Organic pesticides help manage cabbage aphids 

Severe infestations of cabbage aphids can destroy a crop of Brussels sprouts, making them unmarketable. With NIFA funding, scientists from the University of New Hampshire discovered that organic pesticides can be effective in managing the pests.

Researchers compared two different methods of managing cabbage aphids: intercropping with flowers that host aphid predators, and using organic insecticides. They learned that weekly scouting and organic pesticide application were useful in controlling cabbage aphids.

 Read the UNH article here.                 

Making organic farms more resilient

Researchers at Iowa State University, the University of Minnesota, and Rodale Institute are evaluating the production, environmental, and economic benefits of growing cash crops in rotation with forage crops used for grazing. This project is supported by NIFA’s Organic Research and Extension Initiative (OREI).

The researchers note that organic production in the United States is dominated by cash grain crops, with the majority of organic farmers in the Midwest and Northeast using off-farm purchases to feed their organic animal herds. The research investigates the benefits of integrating livestock into organic cropping systems

Read more at the Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service site.  

Feeding candy to cattle helps producers save cash

News circulated earlier this year about a truck hauling Skittles® candy to a producer in Wisconsin, where it was to be mixed into feed for cattle.

“For cattle, other than a taste difference, candy is not any different than corn in the diet. It may  serve as an energy source for the cattle,” said Chris Richards, Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension beef cattle nutrition specialist. “The bacteria in the rumen of the cattle break down the candy into the same materials it would the starch in the corn they are fed.”

Read the High Plains/Midwest Ag Journal article here.

Grass fungus may cause $1 billion in annual livestock production losses

Clemson University scientists are researching a grass fungus that may cause $1 billion in annual livestock production losses. The research is supported through NIFA’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) program. Tall fescue is a hardy, drought-tolerant perennial grass that is commonly used for grazing, hay, and erosion control in the eastern United States. Scientists are investigating a fungus in the plant that creates compounds which are beneficial to the plants, but toxic to livestock.

Watch the video.