Research

USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, better known as NIFA, is looking at four areas in a new program to research the impact of COVID-19 on agriculture. "These will be health, well-being of farm and food service providers as all rural Americans," said J. Scot ...

The University of Idaho, like other colleges across the U.S. moved classes on-line for the spring semester because of the coronavirus pandemic. Michael Parrella, dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, said as a land grant school, moving classes and labs into the virtual world was challenging ...

In an effort to improve potato storage technology, the University of Idaho will benefit from a $1 million investment to create an endowed research professorship made possible by alumni Wayne and Peggy Thiessen and the Idaho Potato Commission. Th ...

Alfalfa farmers were in Washington, DC, for the National Alfalfa & Forage Alliance’s DC Fly-In to stress to lawmakers the importance of research funding and crop insurance.  As a non-program crop, alfalfa farmers aren’t afforded the opportunity to take advantage of safety net programs provided in the Farm Bill.  Instead, alfalfa f...

The Pacific Northwest Canola Association will host a series for meeting and workshops to help growers, or those interested in growing the commodity.   The first workshop will take place Tuesday in Wilbur, WA, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.  ...

The 2020 Washington/Oregon Potato Conference gets underway at the Three Rivers Convention Center in Kennewick Tuesday.  Chris Voigt, Executive Director for the Washington state Potato Commission said, as in years past production will be the main focus.  ...

The Washington Wine Commission's Melissa Hansen talks about the exciting research taking place across the state and across the industry.         If you have a story idea for the Washington Ag Network, call (509) 547-1618, or e-mail gvaagen@cherrycreekradio.com...

Farmers may not be familiar with the Agriculture Department's National Institute of Food and Agriculture by its name.  But as director Scott Angle points out,  that most relate to this industry on a local or regional level.   “It's the primary extramural funding agency for agricultural research teaching extension,” Angle said.  “So they're land grant u...

Farmers may not be familiar with the Agriculture Department's National Institute of Food and Agriculture by its name.  But as director Scott Angle points out,  that most relate to this industry on a local or regional level.   “It's the primary extramural funding agency for agricultural research teaching extension,” Angle said.  “So they're land grant u...

Are bees omnivores, eating both plants and proteins?  A USDA researcher says a bee's diet is more than pollen and nectar, also containing fungi, bacteria and other microbes with amino acids; the building blocks of proteins.   "What we've done is establish that bees eat lots of microbe-derived proteins in their fermenting pollen provision. Most of ...