ARS research units focus on pests, diseases, and management practices of horticultural crops. The is located on the campus of the University of Minnesota in Saint Paul. It primarily hosts research into rusts and Fusaria of cereals. The San Joaquin Valley Agricultural Sciences Center in Parlier, California conducts research on specialty crops including grapes, citrus, almonds, alfalfa, peaches, pomegranates, and many others. Several research locations throughout the US also house germplasm collections of plant species important for agricultural and industrial uses as part of the National Genetic Resources Program. Research impacts From the very beginning the Department of Agriculture and in turn the Agricultural Research Service has been focused on improving not only the farming industry but also the quality of food and the health of Americans. In 1985, technology to produce lactose-free milk, yogurt, and ice cream was developed through the Agricultural Research Service. The grape breeding program, currently located in Parlier, CA which began in 1923, developed seedless grapes and continues to release new grapevine varieties with improved traits. The ARS Citrus and Subtropical Products Laboratory in Winter Haven, Florida, actively works to improve the taste of orange juice concentrate. The Agricultural Research Service had a Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) research program, which experimented on cats infected with the parasite, from 1982 until 2018. Through their research, the prevalence of T. gondii parasite has been reduced by 50% in the U.S. As of September 2018, the USDA has discontinued the use of cats in their research. More recently, the ARS has focused research on genetics and plant and animal DNA. Their research has developed pest-resistant corn, faster growing plants and fish, and a focus on plant and animal genome research and mapping. Outside of scientific research, the ARS has worked to release databases on food components in order to assist consumers with making informed decisions about food choices. See also Title 7 of the Code of Federal Regulations Agricultural Resource Management Survey Germplasm Resources Information Network Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging National Clonal Germplasm Repository National Agricultural Center and Hall of Fame U.S. Horticultural Research Laboratory National Interagency Confederation for Biological Research References Sources – An online catalog from the Agricultural Research Service Information Staff. External links Agricultural Research Service in the Federal Register United States Department of Agriculture agencies Agricultural research institutes in the United States Government agencies established in 1953 Research institutes established in 1953