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Ash Tree Variability May Offer Restoration Path Post-Beetle Decimation
The invasive emerald ash borer, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, was first found in the United States in southeast Michigan in 2002. In the decades since, the wood-boring beetle has spread east and west across the U.S. and Canada, killing tens of millions of ash trees, causing one of the costliest forest insect invasions to date. More than 90% of all ash infested by the insect native to Asia eventually die, threatening to make the tree species functionally extinct in North America. In response, researchers at Penn State are working with the U.S. Forest Service and other partners to identify and develop ash trees genetically able to withstand the beetles’ onslaught and strategize how to restore ash to forests.
Since 2019, scientists in Penn State’s Louis W. Schatz Center for Tree Molecular Genetics have focused research efforts on Oregon ash (Fraxinus latifolia), a species that plays a critical role in the Pacific Northwest by providing wildlife habitats, stabilizing streambanks with an extensive root system, keeping waterways cool through shade and serving as a food source for birds and insects.
Penn State researchers aim to quantify and preserve genetic diversity for future resistance breeding efforts. Read more about this work that is supported by NIFA’s McIntire-Stennis program.
Samples for the study were collected by researchers from Penn State, the Forest Service and other partners around the Oregon ash range, extending from California, Oregon and Washington into British Columbia. Image courtesy of Penn State.
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UNL, USDA Collaborate to Create Web-based App to Optimize Soil Sampling
USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS), the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, and the ARS’s Partnership for Data Innovations have launched a new web-based application to facilitate digital soil mapping and optimize soil sampling. The Soil Sample Planning Organizer Tool, or SSPOT, can be accessed at https://sspot.scinet.usda.gov.
Effective soil management relies on understanding the various factors that drive soil productivity, including pH levels, nutrient variability and organic soil carbon. Soil sampling has emerged as a valuable tool in advancing precision farming, particularly in today's changing climate and the growing need to monitor carbon footprint in agriculture.
Land managers and researchers rely on routine soil sampling to monitor soil variability and determine the best practices to increase production while maintaining sustainability. However, they often face the challenge of identifying the optimal number of soil samples and their locations in complex and varied landscapes while managing limited time, resources and labor.
Read more about how SSPOT aims to simplify this process.
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 NIFA Seeking Volunteers for Website Improvement
NIFA’s Web Communications Manager is seeking participants for informal 30-minute one-on-one sessions via Teams to gather feedback on how users interact with NIFA’s website. Your insights will help NIFA enhance the user experience and make the site better for everyone. If you are a current or former grant applicant, awardee or administrative official, we would like to hear from you. To participate, contact NIFA.UserExperience@usda.gov.
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The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is committed to ensuring that its programs and services are accessible to all individuals, including individuals with disabilities and individuals with limited English proficiency. If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in any NIFA event, please contact the appropriate Program staff no later than 10 days prior to the event. To find Program staff by event, please visit the NIFA Calendar of Events. NIFA Language access services, such as interpretation or translation of vital information, will be provided free of charge to limited English proficient individuals upon request. If you need interpretation or translation services please visit NIFA language services or contact Lois Tuttle, Equal Opportunity Specialist, at Lois.Tuttle@usda.gov or (443) 386-9488 no later than 10 days prior to the event.
NIFA’s mission is to invest in and advance agricultural research, education, and Extension that solves societal challenges. NIFA’s investments in transformative science directly support the long-term prosperity and global preeminence of U.S. agriculture. Keep informed about NIFA, USDA, our Land-grant and non-Land-grant university partners, and stakeholders with the NIFA Update. Read past issues online, sign up for email updates or follow us on X (formerly Twitter) @USDA_NIFA, #NIFAImpacts or LinkedIn @usda-nifa.
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