The University of New Hampshire is one of 12 land-grant universities in the Northeast to join a coalition of peer institutions in the USDA Northeast Climate Hub, a collaboration of U.S. Department of Agriculture agencies, state agencies, and land-grant university partners.

For the first time, University of New Hampshire scientists have tracked the spread of an exotic tree native to Asia that has invaded Durham-area forests to a single tree planted on campus in the early 1970s. The research funded by the New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station is part of a larger effort to detect and respond to exotic plants that can have a potentially negative effect on native plants and forest ecosystems.

In the first study of the performance of modern sweet potato cultivars in northern regions, University of New Hampshire researchers have found that sweet potatoes can be a viable crop for growers in areas with short growing seasons such as New England.

Faculty and graduate student scientists, and alumni from the University of New Hampshire were among those recognized recently for their work in helping conserve the White Mountain National Forest. The Two Chiefs Partnership Award is a national honor given annually by the chief of the USDA Forest Service and the chief of the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service in recognition of partnership efforts that promote landscape conservation across jurisdictional and resource boundaries.

One of the most important factors in addressing climate variability is being able to estimate carbon sequestration -- the long-term storage of carbon in the environment. Researchers with the NH Agricultural Experiment Station are tackling this issue using a novel combination of census and remote sensing data to investigate how forests change and, thus, make better estimates of carbon sequestration.

The Northeast’s increasingly erratic spring weather patterns are presenting new challenges for apple growers trying to manage diseases that can damage or destroy their crops. To help growers, scientists with the NH Agricultural Experiment Station at the UNH College of Life Sciences and Agriculture have been fine-tuning the use of sophisticated weather models that have allowed them to successfully predict when an orchard is at risk for infection.

Northeastern organic dairy farms say their top concern is receiving steady, fair prices for their milk from milk processors, according to a new survey that is the first to assess the research and educational needs of organic dairy farmers in the region. The research is funded by the NH Agricultural Experiment Station at the University of New Hampshire College of Life Sciences and Agriculture.

Strawberry shortcake. Strawberry rhubarb pie. Strawberry ice cream. Summertime in New England wouldn’t be the same without these bountiful, sweet, juicy berries.

May 21, 2014

When it comes to the factors that can send low-income rural families into a downward spiral, health issues and relationship changes appear to be major trigger events. Fortunately, support networks – in particular, extended families – can help ease these poverty spells, according to new research from the NH Agricultural Experiment Station at the University of New Hampshire College of Life Sciences and Agriculture.