Rapid safety testing for fruits and vegetables

A research team at the Auburn University Detection and Food Safety Center developed a new, portable, and easy-to-use screening tool to test fresh fruits and vegetables for the presence of bacteria that cause foodborne illnesses. The team developed biosensors that are placed directly on the fresh fruits or vegetables. The eyelash-size biosensors are coated with antibodies and phages, which are viruses that target specific bacteria that vibrate when placed within an oscillating magnetic field.

Read more about this food safety test.  

Low-cost greenhouse alternative means higher profits for growers

Kansas State University and the University of Florida are sharing an AFRI grant to learn more about improving the freshness and shelf life of locally grown produce by using high tunnels, an inexpensive version of a greenhouse. The researchers discovered that, in addition to extending the growing season, crops grown in high tunnels have a longer shelf life than crops grown in the field. A longer shelf life makes the products more marketable and can dramatically add to the grower’s profits. The researchers are now investigating how the light spectrum inside a high tunnel affects the development of a plant’s natural antioxidants with the goal of increasing its nutritional quality.

More on this story at K-State News.  

Flying waterway sampling

Monitoring and predicting water quality poses a significant challenge since sources of fresh water and contaminants come from vast areas of land and waterways. As a result, inconsistent, manual “grab-sampling” has been the standard for testing water. University of Nebraska researchers are using an AFRI grant to develop an aerial water sampling system using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The UAV can quickly and safely deploy to hard-to-reach locations and respond to changing scenarios. The prototype aerial water sampler has flown more than 1,000 test flights in wide-ranging sampling and sensing missions over California, Kansas, and Nebraska, collecting samples rapidly and at low cost.

Learn more about aerial water sampling here.  

Combating clam decline

In recent decades, there has been a steady decline of the Manila clam on the tidal flats of the Lummi Reservation near Bellingham, Washington. The loss of this important food source affects the tribal food security and sovereignty of the Lummi people. A research team from Washington’s Northwest Indian College and Oregon State University have determined two main causes for the population decline. The decreases are caused by changes in the clam’s food supply and a toxic sulfur compound that forms on tidal flats. 

The team and Northwest Indian College students are analyzing clam feeding patterns to more effectively preserve this food supply.

Read more about Lummi Nation tidal flats here.

Nitrogen fertilizer provides production benefits

When applied properly, nitrogen fertilizer can offer environmental and agricultural production benefits, according to a recent study by agronomists from Iowa State University. The fertilizer can lead help soil maintain carbon, which helps it retain water, which ultimately reduces runoff and improves downstream water quality.

“Our data show that nitrogen fertilizer, when applied at a level that maximizes crop production, is critical to maintain soil carbon for sustainable agricultural systems,” said Michael Castellano, an associate professor of agronomy and co-author of the study. “In fact, I’d say it plays an essential role.” The study was supported through NIFA’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI).

Read more at the Iowa State University News Service.     

Food hubs combat food insecurity

About 80-90 percent of food in Molokai, Hawaii is imported, which means higher food prices for the 7,000 residents of this island.  NIFA-funded Community Food Projects (CFPs) are creating new local food hubs to address food distribution issues in food-insecure communities. The Molokai Food Hub (MFH) provides outreach and education around buying, preparing, and eating more local, fresh foods – which also increases demand for local food products.  

More on the Molokai Food Hub here.