ARS Posts Latest Edition of Quarterly Report of Research Progress

The Agricultural Research Service has posted a new issue of the Quarterly Report of Selected Research Progress for October 1 to December 31, 2000, on its web site at:

http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/qtr/index.html

The Quarterly contains the latest ARS research findings in Soil, Water and Air Quality; Food Safety and Quality; Animal Production and Protection; Human Nutrition; Crop Productivity; Industrial Products; Crop Diseases and Pests; IPM/Biocontrol; and Plant Genetic Resources, as well as tech-transfer related items.

Among the stories in this issue:

• Antibodies developed by ARS scientists may lead to a test to help producers protect chickens against a major poultry disease, while reducing antibiotic residues.

• Linking irrigation to crop temperature can improve the efficiency and profitability of water use, thus optimizing crop yields and conserving natural resources.

• In a ground-breaking study, ARS scientists screened broccoli varieties to see if they activate a key enzyme in the human body that may protect against certain cancers.

• The Hydrodynamic Pressure (HDP) Process--known to make whole-muscle meats more tender--may also reduce food borne pathogens like Escherichia coli.

• A delicious, vine-ripened tomato that survives a week of shipping and handling, yet remains firm on the counter for another week or more, may be a little closer to reality.

• Blueberries, cranberries and huckleberries--like dark-skinned bunch grapes--contain resveratrol, a potential anticancer agent.

ARS is the chief scientific research arm of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Contact: Hank Becker, ARS Information Staff, Beltsville, Md.; phone (301) 504-1624, fax (301) 504-1641, hbecker@asrr.arsusda.gov.