Means and Strategies: To successfully accomplish the research activities under this goal, ARS will need the level of human, fiscal, physical, and information resources portrayed in the budget estimates for fiscal years 2001 and 2002.

In FY 2001, ARS received $299,300 in budgeted program increases for research in sustainable livestock management systems.

Verification and Validation: ARS currently conducts a series of review processes designed to ensure the relevance and quality of its research work and to maintain the highest possible standards for its scientists. A more detailed description of the evaluation plans can be found in the introduction to this plan.

OBJECTIVE 4.1: Balance agriculture and the environment: "Increase the long-term productivity of the United States agriculture and food industry while maintaining and enhancing the natural resource base on which rural America and the United States agricultural economy depend."

STRATEGY 4.1.1: Natural resource quality: Develop new concepts, technologies, and management practices that will enhance the quality, productivity, and sustainability of the Nation's soil, water, and air resources.

During FY 2001, ARS will

During FY 2002, ARS will

report the estimates of atmospheric emissions of nitrous oxide, ammonia, and methane from land applications of chicken litter under conventional and minimum tillage.

establish a strategic plan basis for formally implementing the Integrated Agricultural Systems National Program in Spring, 2003.

define nutrient requirements of the different life stages of shrimp for indoor and outdoor intensive conditions.

determine the feasibility of using constructed wetlands for control of nutrients in aquacultural effluents.

determine the feasibility of using microbiological management to retain nitrogen in poultry litter and reduce ammonia in the house environment.

provide guidelines for arid areas on how to revegetate pipeline right-of-ways with native perennial seeds and control invasive weeds.

develop and evaluate a technique for using flourescent dyes to identify roots of individual species to better understand below ground interactions between established and invading plants.

conduct field tests of new technology for controlling livestock distribution on open rangeland without fences.

develop applications of radar-based precipitation to help guide decisions on integrated pest management (IPM) in crops and target precision application of agricultural chemicals to reduce adverse environmental impacts.

validate several major compounds of water quality models that will be widely used to improve the management of agricultural lands and enhance the environment.

demonstrate the utility of incorporating satellite-based remote sensing techniques for assessing soil water contents over large areas in technologies that producers, water resource managers, and agencies can use to effectively manage soil and water resources.

develop improved practices to control water from irrigation to help mitigate adverse effects on water quality and the environment.

develop methods to manage salts and toxic elements in irrigation waters to eliminate detrimental effects on soils and groundwater and reduce impacts on crop productivity.

improve the understanding of and scientific basis for water conservation, droughts, and increased water use efficiency in agriculture, especially in times of water scarcity.

develop rapid methods to identify areas of saline soils and decision tools to remediate them.

develop forage systems to effectively recycle manure nutrients while protecting environmental quality.

During FY 2001, ARS will

During FY 2002, ARS will

produce a methodology and model to estimate basin scale riparian corridor evapotranspiration in semi-arid regions to more accurately define the water requirements for maintaining ecologically critical riparian habitats.

evaluate basin scale simulation models for predicting patterns of snow deposition, soil moisture, and runoff.

identify and verify Total Maximum Daily Loads for sediments and associated agricultural chemicals for selected streams and rivers, and assess the performance of appropriate Best Management Practices for reducing adverse impacts on aquatic ecosystems.

develop a predictive tool to identify areas in a watershed most likely to contaminate surface waters with manure and fertilizer derived phosphorus.

STRATEGY 4.1.2: Global change: Increase understanding of the responses of terrestrial ecosystems to man-made and natural changes in the global environment.

During FY 2001, ARS will

During FY 2002, ARS will

estimate the current carbon stocks and potential for carbon sequestration in cropland and rangeland soils of the United States.

determine the influence of management practices on trace gas fluxes in pastures and rangelands.

develop an improved index for measuring oxidative stability of biodiesel fuels.

develop analytical methods for tracking fuel quality of biodiesel during short- and long-term storage.

During FY 2001, ARS will

During FY 2002, ARS will

identify the impact of increased concentrations of atmospheric carbon dioxide on nutritionally important chemicals in crop plants.

develop models for assessing the effects of global change on the availability of water for agricultural uses.

STRATEGY 4.1.3: Cropland and grazingland sustainability: Develop cropland and grazingland management strategies that will improve quality, quantity, and sustainability of food and fiber products needed for U.S. competitiveness.

During FY 2001, ARS will

During FY 2002, ARS will

develop conservation management systems to increase productivity and profitability on eroded soils of the Southeastern U.S.

complete grazing studies using chicory and plantain in grazing systems and make preliminary recommendations to producers.

complete data collection on a forage-based finishing system for beef cattle and evaluate sustainability of the production system in Appalachia.

recommend dietary supplementation for goats browsing invasive species on underutilized hill-land sites in the East.

compare rhizomatous versus nonrhizomatous trefoil grown with tall fescue to evaluate grazing and disease resistance data and present producers with management recommendations.

start trials on a new vaccine to reduce or eliminate abortions and premature birth in cattle caused by broom snakeweed.

scale up the rotational sequence experiment begun in 2001 to two additional field sites for spatial replication, and the necessary temporal replication and testing of pasture systems in Appalachia.

During FY 2001, ARS will provide information to producers about ultra-narrow row cotton production systems for the Southeastern U.S. that will increase profits and improve soil quality.

During FY 2002, ARS will provide a phosphorous-index decision tool for pastures that will allow more effective use of manure nutrients while protecting environmental quality.

OBJECTIVE 4.2: Risk management: "Improve risk management in the United States agriculture industry."

STRATEGY 4.2.1: Economic and environmental risks: Reduce economic and environmental risks through improved management of agricultural production systems.

During FY 2001, ARS will begin integrating remotely sensed data with crop growth models. This information will be used to increase the accuracy of decision support tools for crop production and profitability.

During FY 2002, ARS will

enhance grower management tools by releasing two decision aids -- one will address whole farm/ranch management in the Central Great Plains; the other will be useful in the management of a wheat crop.

analyze the current utility of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration•s (NOAA) climate forecasts for risk reduction applications in agricultural production and natural resources management.

analyze historical precipitation in the Great Plains region, including inter-annual, decadal, and spatial variations to support the downscaling of climate forecasts and risk assessments associated with extreme climatic events.

begin to improve the risk analysis procedures for approval of introductions of new biological control agents for key invasive weeds, arthropods, and disease pests.

STRATEGY 4.2.2: Weather and environmental risks: Develop concepts and technologies for predicting and reducing the socio-economic costs and resource damages associated with extreme weather variability.

During FY 2002, ARS will improve the ability to predict cold season flooding in the Pacific Northwest by combining remote sensing with basin-scale hydrologic modeling to provide improved information on landscape conditions prior to flooding.

OBJECTIVE 4.3: Safe production and processing: "Improve the safe production and processing of, and adding of value to, United States food and fiber resources using methods that maintain the balance between yield and environmental soundness."

STRATEGY 4.3.1: Environmentally-safe pest management: Develop environmentally-safe methods to prevent or control pests (insects, weeds, pathogens, etc.) in plants, animals, and ecosystems.

During FY 2001, ARS will

During FY 2002, ARS will

publish data on the effectiveness of using sheep to control leafy spurge.

evaluate and transfer biologically-based fire ant control technologies to States and private organizations.

complete field tests on mosquito trapping technology and transfer it to Federal, State, and private organizations.

transfer Formosan termite control technology to States and private industry.

complete evaluation of lyme tick control field tests and transfer the 4-Poster technology to States and private industry.

transfer new screwworm larval media research to APHIS-International Service for use in the screwworm eradication program.

deliver areawide IPM technologies for control of pest insects and weeds to extension and grower partners and customers.

continue to provide critical identifications of unknown pest species; provide severely needed taxonomic revisions of critical groups of insects; identify new natural control agents; and produce updated keys to agriculturally and environmentally important insect, mite, and pathogen groups.

develop and deliver new detection tools for assisting APHIS in interdicting invasive species, and take part in Rapid Response Teams for identification and early eradication of newly discovered species with potential to become major invasive species.

suppress invasive weed pests by using classical biological control approaches in permanent and managed ecosystems.

continue delivering the areawide pest management program for leafy spurge. Evaluation of the integration of biological, chemical and cultural techniques will continue with local, State, and Federal customers that are part of TEAM Leafy Spurge. New biological control agents for specific niches not utilized by the Aphthona spp. will be sought in Europe using staff and facilities at the ARS European Biological Control Laboratory in Montpellier, France. Promising agents will be introduced after Federal and State approval. Technology transfer will be provided through field days, bulletins, databases, and other means.

continue implementing the change in how biological weed control programs are planned and conducted within ARS. Scientists will prepare a long-term management plan for each target weed. This plan will concentrate on measuring the long-term impact of released biological control agents on the target weed and on closely related nontarget plants, incorporate cultural control/revegetation as an integral part of the biologically-based weed management program, and emphasize developing partnerships.

continue to collect and ship many new exotic biological control agents to ARS quarantine laboratories. The geographic base for collections of natural enemies will be overseas laboratories in Montpellier, France; Thessalonika, Greece; Beijing, China; Hurlingham, Argentina; and Brisbane, Australia. Agents will be tested in overseas laboratories or quarantine facilities for their host specificity and appropriateness for release into the U.S. for control of introduced or native pests of insects and weeds. If host specific, they will be released and evaluated.

use augmentative biological control approaches to suppress native or invasive insect and weed pests, such as tarnished plant bug, boll weevil, or kudzu. Greenhouse and high value crops in particular are targets.

develop new methods to mass produce and deliver beneficial insects, such as parasites, predators, and pathogens of insect and weed pests; this includes formulation of artificial diets and fermentation (or cell culture) systems for production, invention of automated processing and harvesting equipment, and improving release systems for distribution.

develop remote sensing systems for monitoring invasive weed and insect distribution, abundance, and damage, and with development of economic thresholds, relate this information to biological control prospects. Increased knowledge of the biology, including behavior, of pests and their natural enemies will be integral to this effort. Climate matching models will be used as decision aids to guide biological control success.

determine how the signaling strategies of plants interface with the feeding behavior of pests and the foraging behavior of natural enemies of those pests.

STRATEGY 4.3.2: Integrated agricultural production systems: Develop knowledge and integrated technologies for promoting use of environmentally sustainable agricultural production systems.

During FY 2001, ARS will expand efforts in developing sustainable agricultural systems that emphasize the use of renewable resources. The substitution of renewable resources for nonrenewable resources will preserve natural resources.

During FY 2001, ARS will

During FY 2002, ARS will

provide technical support to the Natural Resources Conservation Service as that agency deploys the ARS developed Water Erosion Prediction Project model throughout the Nation for the first time..

complete and evaluate a final version of the sage grouse simulation model that will aid public and private land managers in developing grazing plans that will adequately protect bird habitats.

release new and revised spreadsheets to aid cattle producers in setting optimum stocking rates on Wyoming sagebrush steppe.

STRATEGY 4.3.3: Waste management and utilization: Develop and transfer cost-effective technologies and systems to use agricultural, urban, and industrial wastes for production of food, fiber, and other products.

During FY 2001, ARS will

In FY 2001,ARS received an increase of

During FY 2002, ARS will develop improved manure liquid/solids separation methods for enhanced nutrient recovery.

During FY 2001, ARS will

During FY 2002, ARS will develop an improved process for production of biodiesel from waste edible oils.