Click on the titles to view the full story of previous OARDC Impacts.
Bad for Mosquitoes, Good for People
Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center entomologist Peter Piermarini and his collaborators' discovery could pave the way to the development of new insecticides to fight deadly mosquito-transmitted diseases such as malaria and West Nile virus.
Benefits of Tearing Down Dams: Healthier Rivers, Cleaner Water
Tear down a dam, and a river will change. But how? And how much? To find out, Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center scientists Mazeika Sullivan and Kristin Jaeger are studying the impacts of dam removals and documenting the exact changes seen in the rivers’ flow, biology and water quality.
Cleveland Empty Lots Yield Environmental Benefits
Decades of population losses have left the city of Cleveland with 3,600 acres of vacant land. Currently, Cleveland plants turfgrass on empty lots, but it’s expensive to maintain and offers few benefits. Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center entomologist Mary Gardiner started a large-scale, never-before-attempted project that examines the impact of eight different landscape treatments on the biodiversity and ecosystem function empty lots.
Energy Independence That’s Good for the Environment
Researchers and industry partners are working together to test and expand an Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center technology that can produce renewable fuel from organic waste and bioenergy crops via a patent-pending technology developed by OARDC engineer Yebo Li and operated by quasar energy group, a Cleveland-based renewable energy company.
From Lab to Industry; LARAD Inc.
Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center virologist Daral Jackwood's cutting-edge technology for making vaccines and diagnostic tests to combat poultry and livestock diseases and to safeguard our food production system has led to the creation of a startup company, LARAD Inc., which is the first OARDC spinout into the university’s BioHio Research Park, an agbioscience technology park based on the Wooster campus.
Growing Ohio's Fish Farms
Today, the aquaculture indsutry generates nearly $50 million a year for Ohio’s economy, and OARDC’s Ohio Center for Aquaculture Research and Development works to further advance it with studies to improve the genetics, nutrition and production of Ohio’s farmed fish — and the profitability and success of the state’s 140-plus fish farms.
Healthy Bees, Healthy Agriculture: Striking a Balance
Bees are crucial to agriculture and food security, however this valuable resource is at risk. The Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center and Ohio State University Extension work together with the beekeeping industry and others to deliver programs which promote healthy bees and environments that boost bee numbers.
Improving Water Quality: Wetlands Offer Keys to Cleaner Water
Cleaner water for Ohioans could spring from 52 acres in Columbus. The Ohio State University’s Wilma H. Schiermeier Olentangy River Wetland Research Park, supported in part by the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, conducts globally known, locally relevant research on wetlands and how to protect, build and use them to improve water quality.
New Hypoallergenic Latex Creates Business Opportunity
Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center researchers have developed new materials that will allow medical professionals to have the natural latex gloves they prefer, while avoiding the risk of allergic reactions.
On-Field Ohio: Rewriting Ohio’s Phosphorus Risk Index
Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center researcher Elizabeth Dayton, who is in the midst of the three-year On-Field Ohio project, which seeks to revise the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Natural Resources
Conservation Service Ohio Phosphorus (P) Risk Index to be more precise in predicting the risk of phosphorus moving off farm fields.
Opening Doors for New Research into Cancer-fighting Food Dyes
Anthocyanins are powerful antioxidants that also give color to most red, orange, purple and blue fruits and vegetables. Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center scientist Monica Giusti is internationally known for her research on their potential as cancer-fighters and as natural food dyes. But Giusti’s lab budget wasn’t limitless and the anthocyanins she studied weren’t cheap. So she made her own — slashing costs 10- to 20-fold.
Serving, Growing Ohio’s Grape and Wine Industry
The “polar vortex” winter of 2013–2014 hit Ohio’s wine grapes hard. Ohio grape growers estimated their vinifera losses at 97 percent. Imed Dami, who works to help growers recover from that damage and reduce or prevent it in the future as the leader of the Ohio Agricultural Research andDevelopment Center’s viticulture, or grape-growing, research.
Tackling a New Swine Disease and its Economic Impact
In 2013, a new swine disease showed up in the U.S. With funding from the National Pork Board, Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center scientists are conducting research to answer crucial questions about and develop effective tests and vaccines against PEDv.
Two-stage Ditch a Win-Win for Farmers and the Environment
Drainage ditches are often a must to grow crops in Ohio. But conventional ditches can have drawbacks. Today there’s a better way to dig a ditch, thanks to Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center scientists and the innovative “two-stage” ditch design, which benefits not just farms but water quality.
Vegetable Safety Team Tackles Food Safety Head-on
The Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center’s Vegetable Safety Research and Extension Program comprises one of the most comprehensive teams at a single institution studying the overlap of vegetable production and safety.