Corngrass: Youthful Plant May Quicken Biofuels Research
by USDA, ARS

Corngrass, a little-known variation of your typical towering cornstalk, might hold the key to fast, cheap, eco-friendly ways to squeeze more ethanol from tomorrow's biofuel crops.

Cotton Inventories Move Online
by United States Department of Agriculture

James R. Little, executive vice president of USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC), has announced that the CCC recently transferred the sales of both its upland and extra long staple (ELS) cotton inventories to The Seam, a commercial online service.

Cows Could be Getting too Much Protein
by Erin Peabody

It's not just consumers who are contemplating the effects of high-protein diets: dairy farmers are, too. Dairy cows need adequate protein for milk production, so farmers need to supplement their animals' diets with extra protein.

Crop Insurance Addresses Asian Soybean Rust Concerns
by Risk Management Agency, USDA

Insured producers who are concerned about the impact of Asian soybean rust must be knowledgeable of any pending outbreaks and the control methods recommended by local agricultural experts, such as extension agents, used in their area to combat the disease.

Crop Protection Prospects Reduced in USDA Reports
by USDA

The U.S. corn crop will be greatly reduced in 2008, according to a report released by the World Agricultural Outlook Board.

Crops Worldwide Threatened by New Wheat-Killing Fungus, UN Agency Warns
by United Nations

Warning that a virulent new wheat-killing fungus called wheat stem rust could destroy harvests across the globe, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization today said that it has partnered with other organizations to fight the spread of the dangerous strain.

Device Replaces Cotton Bale Ties
by Jim Core, ARS

Replacing damaged ties on cotton bales on-site is now made simpler with a device invented by an Agricultural Research Service scientist in Stoneville, Miss.

DNA Fingerprints for Insects
by Sharon Durham

Using genetic fingerprinting, Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists have developed a method to identify immature forms of beneficial insects that could help control the pesky Colorado potato beetle.

Emerald Ash Borer Infestation Expands Into Hancock County
by Ohio Department of Agriculture

Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) officials have identified Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus planipennis), a destructive exotic pest from Asia, for the first time in ash trees in northern Hancock County. Department surveyors have begun scouting the area to determine the extent of infestation.

EPA to Expand Chemicals Testing for Endocrine Disruption
by EPA

EPA to Expand Chemicals Testing for Endocrine Disruption.