A pear cultivar, •Gem,• was released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Michigan State University, Oregon State University, and Clemson University. The cultivar is resistant to fire blight disease, and its flavor is sweet and mildly aromatic.

At the ARS Livestock Behavior Research Unit in West Lafayette, Indiana, biologist Heng-wei Cheng and his colleagues are examining the use of serotonin as an alternative method to reduce aggressive behavior in birds before they hatch.

Agricultural Research Service's dairy scientists in Wisconsin are helping dairy farmers weigh the merits of a relatively new option for feeding their cattle: Using canola meal as a protein supplement.

At the National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, scientists are investigating safe ways to remove heavy metals from various substances and recently patented a new method that uses vegetable oils to remove metals from liquids, solids, and gases.

Beer is one of the world’s oldest and most widely consumed beverages, with its key ingredients being grown in the soil. ARS researchers in Wisconsin evaluate thousands of new lines of barley produced each year. ARS science plays a critical role in enhancing and ensuring the quality of the hops and barley needed to fuel this billion-dollar industry.

Food scientists at the US Department of Agriculture lab in Peoria, Illinois, are using highly nutritious ancient grains to create foods that taste good and provide added health benefits.

ARS scientists with the ARS Livestock Behavior Research Unit in West Lafayette, Indiana are investigating a naturally occurring amino acid known as L-glutamine as a possible alternative to antibiotics for promoting pig health and growth. (Learn More)

ARS scientists, with the National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research (NCAUR) in Peoria, IL, are using patented procedures for converting cornstarch into a new class of material known as amylose inclusion complex (AIC). Products created from AIC include emulsions using essentials oils to control mosquito larvae in aquatic habitats.

Over the past two decades, monarch numbers east of the Rockies have fallen by 80-90 percent. The decline is partly attributed to shrinking milkweed habitat, especially in the Midwest. Restoration efforts call for reestablishing the milkweed population in these important breeding areas. Rick Hellmich, an Entomologist with the ARS Corn Insects and Crop Genetics Research Unit in Ames, Iowa, collaborated with researchers from Iowa State University to evaluate milkweed species' attractiveness. Click on the picture to learn more.