Researchers at the nation’s land-grant universities are helping protect food crops from direct insect damage and diseases spread by insect pests. Their work helps improve crop quality, crop yield and farm profitability. Here are a few examples of that work: At Fort Valley State University in Georgia, researchers have found a combination of beneficial nematodes and a widely available insecticide …
Improving the health of livestock animals
Livestock producers are continually searching for new management strategies that will help them be both innovative and better animal stewards. Maintaining healthy animals may also protect human health. Here are a few examples of that work: A Georgia poultry scientist worked with a pharmaceutical company to redesign their Salmonella vaccine to reduce poultry deaths. The vaccine, which contains killed Salmonella, …
Land-grant expertise make specialty crops viable
Specialty crops range from fruits and vegetables to cut flowers. These plants are cultivated for food, medicine or pleasure. Specialty crops face the same pressures as traditional row crops. Land-grant university research and outreach address these issues, making specialty crops a viable, profitable market. Successful examples include: Each year Georgia apple growers contend with tremendous pest and disease pressures to …