4D innovation in Georgia fields

Traditionally, crop monitoring has been done manually, which is very labor and cost intensive. More recent precision agricultural tools such as satellites and unmanned aerial and ground vehicles have reduced costs, but the amount of useful information that can be gathered from 2D images and 3D reconstructions is limited. Thanks to a new research collaboration by the Georgia Institute of Technology, University of Georgia, and Georgia Tech Research Institute, farmers may soon have a 4D crop monitoring system at their fingertips. The team constructs 4D images by compiling a series of 3D images collected over time. The 4D data can provide farmers with detailed crop information including plant heights and growth rates. This new method of autonomously monitoring agricultural crops may lower costs, improve harvest yields, and ultimately provide more food to people around the world. This effort was funded by NIFA's Agriculture and Food Research Initiative.

Read more about 4D research. Image provided by Georgia Institute of Technology. 

Hot cities spell bad news for bees

As urban temperatures increase, common wild bee species decline, according to a new study from North Carolina State University. This study was funded by NIFA's Agriculture Food Research Initiative (AFRI).

“We looked at 15 of the most common bee species in southeastern cities and – through fieldwork and lab work – found that increasing temperatures in urban heat islands will have a negative effect on almost all of them,” says Steve Frank, an associate professor of entomology at NC State and co-author of a paper describing the work.

“What’s exciting is that we were able to use a relatively easy lab test on individual bees to predict how whole populations will fare at higher temperatures in urban areas,” says Elsa Youngsteadt, a research associate at NC State and co-lead author of the paper. “This is a tool we can use for additional bee species in the future, giving us insights into how urban warming affects ecosystems.

Read more about NCSU's wild bees. Image provided by Elsa Youngsteadt.

Program develops individual strengths to create stronger communities

The University of Connecticut Extension’s People Empowering People (UConn PEP) is a personal and family development program with a strong community focus. With support from NIFA, UConn PEP builds upon each person’s strengths to help them grow in communications, goal setting, problem solving, parent and family relationships, and community involvement. They also find their voice, share stories, and begin to believe they can make a difference.

UConn PEP has expanded to other states, including Michigan, California, Missouri, Massachusetts, Vermont, and Florida. Connections have been made with professors in South Africa and Egypt to establish the program in universities in those countries as well.

Read the UConn Pep blog. Image provided by Dr. Cathleen Love with UConn PEP.

Pigweed is no match for DNA testing

Last summer, farmers in the Midwest got an unwelcome surprise after planting native seed on Conservation Reserve Program acres: Palmer amaranth (aka Palmer’s pigweed), an aggressive and hard-to-kill weed that is native to the Southern United States.

Pat Tranel, molecular weed scientist at the University of Illinois, noted that growers who sell seeds are in jeopardy due to the spread of this noxious weed.   

“Unless they have a way to certify their product is Palmer-free, they can’t sell it,” Tranel said.

The typical testing method of testing seed lots (batches of seeds) involves growing a sample of seeds until the plants are large enough to be identified, but this is a slow and potentially unreliable process.

Tranel and graduate student Brent Murphy developed a way around these issues. Their low-cost method can identify Palmer amaranth DNA from within a mixed sample without having to grow the plants.

Using this research, the University of Illinois Extension’s Plant Clinic developed a protocol for commercial testing of seed lots, and is now offering the service at a low cost. 

This project was made possible with support from NIFA.

Read the Lancaster Farming coverage. Image provided by Pat Tranel with University of Illinois.

Good and bad worms

To sustain agriculture and food security, farmers in the Northeastern U.S. need healthy soils. Microscopic worms, or nematodes, play an important role in soil health. Some nematode species are parasites, and high population densities can lead to poor soil and low crop yields. Other nematode species can be beneficial to soil and plants. To assist farmers, producers, crop advisors, and others interested in learning more about managing parasitic worms, the Multistate Research Fund, a NIFA initiative to foster collaboration among universities, has implemented a project to provide simple, low-cost tools and methods for effectively managing nematodes and protecting soil health.

Learn more about worms and nematodes. Image provided by Morgan Creek Chronicles.

Organic farms and wild bees

Organic farming promotes greater biodiversity and ecosystem services compared to conventional farming. Yet, little is known about which aspects of organic farming help promote native bee community health and pollination services.  A Washington State University project is helping to evaluate these transitions with support through NIFA’s Organic Transitions program and Western SARE (Sustainable Agriculture, Research, and Education).  The research and extension project has collected data from more than 35 farms, investigated habitat augmentation, and conducted a range of field days, farmer presentations, web resources, and other tools to help farmers and communities as they transition to organic farming. 

More information is available in this video. Image provided by Sam Droege at USGS.