New natural tires source, cow health advances, and other success stories

Little shrub could make big impact to the tire industry

Cooper Tire & Rubber Company and its consortium partners, Cornell University, Clemson University, and USDA’s Agricultural Research Service produced several sets of concept passenger car tires in which all the natural and synthetic rubber is replaced by guayule natural rubber. Guayule is a shrub grown primarily in the Southwestern United States. According to Chuck Yurkovitch, Cooper's Senior Vice President, “The results of this grant have been groundbreaking. Never before has it been proven that guayule is a viable source of domestically produced natural rubber for the tire industry. However, through the combined effort of industry, government and academia, the Biomass Research and Development Initiative (BRDI) team has unequivocally demonstrated just that.” 

NIFA supported the research through the BRDI program.

Read about guayule tires. Image provided by Cooper Tire.

New diets may affect animal reproduction

Scientists know that when wildlife feed on invasive species, they can get sick. Until now, no one had studied how invasive species affect reproduction according Christine Miller, a University of Florida associate professor of entomology.

“Tens of thousands of species of animals are feeding on new foods because of what we as humans have done. We’ve moved species around, mixing and jumbling it all up,” Miller said. “This study specifically looked at what that would mean for traits that are important for reproduction. The next step is to see how it affects reproduction itself.” 

Researchers saw cactus bugs lose some of their masculine traits after only a slight change in their diets. “This work suggests that when animals eat foods they are not accustomed to eating, the differences between the sexes may be reduced or disappear,” Miller said. “In other words, it seems that new, stressful environments can create androgyny, which may reduce reproduction.”

NIFA supports this research through Hatch funding.

Read the UF cactus bug story. Image provided by Christine Miller/UF.

Study: multiple sclerosis and the flu 

For most people, a case of the flu causes several days of discomfort, then they recover. For those with multiple sclerosis (MS) or other neurological diseases, the flu may trigger a cascade of immune responses that can result in relapse. Researchers from the University of Illinois (U of I) shed light on what may be happening in the brains of MS patients during upper respiratory infections.

According to Andrew Steelman of U of I, “We know that when MS patients get upper respiratory infections, they’re at risk for relapse, but how that happens is not completely understood. A huge question is what causes relapse, and why immune cells all of a sudden want to go to the brain. MS patients have one or two relapses a year; it’s thought that these relapses contribute to the progression of the disease."

NIFA supports this research through Hatch funding.

Learn about the promising MS research at U of I. Image provided by Lauren D. Quinn.

Chew on this: ruminant research makes for healthier cows and sheep

The cattle and sheep industries contribute an estimated $333 billion to the U.S. economy every year. Researchers at the University of Alaska and other land-grant institutions are investigating the factors that improve fertility among these ruminants.  Collective research to date could lead to substantial savings for producers. One project developed a vaccine to prevent a disease that causes loss of pregnancy or unhealthy calves. This vaccine could save could save beef producers $10-15 million a year.

NIFA provides support with Multistate Research Funds (MRF).

Read the impacts of the MRF livestock reproduction.

Decision tools to help farm businesses

How does a farmer decide what size tractor to buy? Or how to calculate break-even selling prices for crops? Iowa farmers have a one-stop shop to help them make business decisions with Iowa State University Extension. The Ag Decision Maker’s website offers fact sheets, spreadsheets, publications, and other resources that provide guidance on how to make informed decisions on the farm. The site receives nearly 10,000 visits daily.

Watch the ISU Extension Ag Decision Maker video.