ARS Quality and Utilization of Agricultural Products National Program (306)

This National Program is focused on post-harvest quality and utilization of agricultural commodities and products. In the FY 2001 budget appropriation, ARS received an increase of $1.4 million to expand research on development of biobased products, a program area included under Component II of this National Program. In the FY 2002 budget appropriation, ARS received an additional $3.2 million to strengthen and expand research in this area. In FY 2002, ARS also received an increase of $800,000 to enhance wheat quality research, a program area included under Component I of this National Program. Several research projects under this National Program were revised and subjected to ad hoc reviews last year. Others are currently undergoing revision and ad hoc review. All research projects under this National Program are scheduled for peer panel review in December 2003.

Dip extends shelf-life of fresh-cut melon cubes. A significant amount of fresh-cut melon becomes unmarketable after about three days due to tissue translucency and water release. ARS scientists at Beltsville, Maryland, in collaboration with scientists at the University of the District of Columbia, found that dipping freshly processed melon cubes in chlorine water supplemented with calcium chelate maintained the quality and more than doubled the shelf-life of fresh-cut melon. The new postprocessing technology can be easily incorporated into commercial fresh-cut melon operations.

Postharvest decay control of green mold of lemons is a major problem of the citrus industry because significant commercial losses occur every year and effective safe methods to control it are unavailable. An effective treatment using high-pressure or tank applications of sodium bicarbonate with chlorine was developed. The method for disinfestation was done in collaboration with citrus packing houses in the San Joaquin Valley and Sunkist Growers. This treatment provided an inexpensive and effective option for the citrus industry to control postharvest decay without synthetic fungicides.

Sampling for genetically modified seed. Regulatory agencies and the grain industry need a method to evaluate the performance (buyer's and seller's risks) of sampling plans used to detect genetically modified (GM) seed in grain lots so the efficient sampling plans can be designed. At the request of the FDA, researchers at Raleigh, North Carolina, evaluated the performance of sampling plans used to detect GM seed in grain lots for various sample sizes and accept/reject limits on detecting StarLink corn in bulk commercial grain lots. Based upon minimum risk levels specified by FDA, a sample design was developed for FDA that requires six 400-kernel samples all test zero before lots can be accepted as having negligible GM seed. FDA Guidance to the grain industry describing the sampling plan and showing levels of consumer protection associated with the sampling plan can be found on the web at http://www.cfsan.fda.gov and http://www.cfsan.fda.gov under What's New.

Improved sorting of wheat kernels for karnal bunt. Karnal bunt disease of wheat is a threat to U.S. wheat production and exports, its presence resulting in millions of bushels of wheat being quarantined in the United States in 2001. Researchers at Manhattan, Kansas, in cooperation with USDA/APHIS, several state labs, and Satake USA, applied high-speed sorting, using technology developed at the Manhattan lab, to rapidly screen out and remove bunted kernels from samples, reducing inspector error and significantly reducing sample processing time. This work resulted in a change in the procedure for inspecting samples for bunted kernels and an improved ability to control and detect additional outbreaks, thus helping to ensure the quality of U.S. grain and the preservation of export markets.

Measuring waxiness in wheat. The development of hard winter waxy wheat varieties that are adapted to the North American climate is hampered by the laborious and time-consuming nature of conventional laboratory procedures used to determine the degree of waxyness in breeders' crosses. A faster and easier procedure would allow breeders to screen more lines at earlier generations, thus improving the efficiency of new variety development. ARS scientists at Beltsville, Maryland and Lincoln, Nebraska developed such a procedure, using NIR to determine the number of null waxy alleles and to measure amylose content. As waxy wheat varieties eventually become released, this procedure will allow growers, traders, and processors to easily authenticate this attribute of added value.

Oat kernel size and milling. Distributions of oats kernel sizes are important because oats are separated by size prior to milling for human consumption. Scientists at Fargo, North Dakota, completed a study that determined the sources of variation in oat kernel size. They determined the relative effects of genotype, environment, and position within the panicle and spikelet in determining observed variation in oat kernel size, in particular as they influence the proportions of undersized kernels, which reduce milling yield. A major oat milling company is using these results to influence oat breeding programs to generate new cultivars with kernel characteristics more suitable to the milling process.

Evaluating quality of processing potato lines. Variations in potato process product quality for chips and fries due to disease and sugar accumulation result in large major storage losses costing producers and processors hundreds of millions of dollars annually. Studies at the Potato Research Worksite (East Grand Forks, Minnesota) evaluating postharvest product processing quality of potato germplasm has facilitated the selection of promising new germplasm with improved storage characteristics. In the past year, over 12,000 individual quality evaluations were performed on elite potato lines following storage under defined conditions. This direct selection process will speed the introduction of new potato cultivars with superior processing characteristics.

Improved liming procedure verified for sugar refining. In 2000, most raw sugar factories in the United States operated traditional cold liming clarification, which our past research has unequivocally shown to be less efficient. A large and complex seasonal study was completed on the efficiency of cold versus intermediate and hot lime clarification at Cora Texas Factory, Louisiana. Both intermediate and hot liming processes had much better clarifying efficiency and control than cold liming, as well as more impurity removal and less sucrose (end product) losses. Hot liming had the further added advantage of 20 percent less factory consumption of lime. Sucrose loss savings alone offered by intermediate and hot liming would save each sugarcane factory an estimated $123,000 and $283,000 per year, respectively. Continuing research in clarification has caused Raceland Factory (Louisiana) to change from cold liming to intermediate liming, U.S. Sugar (Florida) to operate hot instead of cold liming, and Cora Texas Factory (Louisiana) to change from intermediate to hot liming, all in the 2000 grinding season.

Streamlined poultry processing. Electrical stimulation, deboning time, and marination are treatments that have been shown to hasten processing times of poultry breast muscle when applied individually. In a study that combined all three treatments and that employed sensory descriptive analysis, it was shown that a combination of stimulation, breast muscle removal at 2 hours, followed by marination treatments could accomplish good quality and shortened processing times. The findings point out the benefits of using a shortened processing procedure that negates the required chilling times of 6 to 8 hours before breast deboning, which results in a large savings to processors.

Improving peanut flavor. Retaining flavor quality is vital for the peanut industry and consumers, but this is often overlooked in breeding of new peanut lines. Scientists at Raleigh, North Carolina, in cooperation with peanut breeders in Florida and North Carolina, determined trends in peanut flavor quality in lines developed since 1930. Virginia-type cultivars showed trends towards reduced overall flavor quality, runner-type cultivars had more variable roasted peanut intensity since 1980, and Spanish-type and fastigiate lines showed consistent improvement in the intensities of roasted peanut, sweet and bitter attributes. These data established that specific ancestral cultivars reduced the flavor quality of some new peanut breeding lines, but with this new understanding and methodology to select parental lines, cultivars with superior flavor profiles can be developed by breeders.

Preserving the Star Spangled Banner. Under a CRADA with the Smithsonian Institution on the preservation of the Star Spangled Banner (SSB), scientists at Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania, sought ways to characterize the weave and yarn faults of this national icon. Digital images of fabrics simulating the SSB fabric (for example, a Civil War flag on loan for the project) and subsequent analyses of these images led to the development of a nondestructive digital imaging method of analysis. Data from photoimages of sections of the SSB can be analyzed by the new method to establish a record of the weave and yarn faults of the SSB for use by the trustees of the flag in deciding on preservation steps.

On the Trail of Dyeing Defects in Cotton Fabric. Some cotton fibers do not accept dye readily because of immature fiber (cellulosic secondary wall poorly developed), resulting in the occurrence of "white specks" in the finished dyed fabric that greatly diminish its value. Maturity, though, is not directly measured on fiber as part of the classing process. In 2001, cooperative ARS work with Australian scientists showed that HVI data on fiber (from the normal classing process) along with measurements made on an AFIS (Advanced Fiber Instrumentation System, a commercially available machine) predicted 2/3 to 3/4 of white speck occurrence. Even better, a new method developed by ARS based on NIR (Near Infra-Red Spectroscopy) was shown to provide 89 percent accuracy in predicting white specks. In 2001, ARS also calibrated a set of 5 bales of cotton as reference standards for maturity, based on direct measurements of wall cross-sectional areas. The new methods for estimating maturity, and the reference standards to assure accuracy and worldwide uniformity of measurements, will be valuable to mills in determining how to use incoming cotton bales.

The Sticky Problem of Sticky Cotton. When whiteflies or aphids attack cotton, they excrete a sugary, sticky exudate that contaminates the open bolls in the field and causes immense processing problems in the cotton mills. Within the last decade, some areas of the United States have been battling these insects and there is risk that large areas of the Cotton Belt will be unable to market their cotton. In 2001, ARS addressed this problem in two broad initiatives, one to detect stickiness in harvested cotton before it reaches the cotton mill, and the other to prevent the occurrence of stickiness by controlling insect populations. First, research showed that at the elevated temperatures reached in the gin, the insect-derived contaminating sugars give off characteristic and unique volatile compounds that can be detected as a measure of stickiness. This work follows earlier pioneering ARS research that identified the key unique sugars found in exudate. NIR (Near Infra-Red Spectroscopy) detection of contaminating insect-derived sugars was also shown to be feasible as an online technology to automatically document stickiness during ginning, although the accuracy needs to be improved. The capability to detect stickiness will allow buyers to distinguish between high-quality and low-quality cotton from affected regions and allow growers to be paid a fair price.

New heart healthy foods can be beneficial for Americans, many of whose diets are high in fat. Nutrim X is a novel food ingredient derived from grains that introduces soluble fiber into foods, and has been shown to reduce blood cholesterol levels. Nutrim X was developed by scientists at Peoria, Illinois, and has been licensed for commercial production to an Illinois-based company, thus making this important new product available to the American public.

New process technology for rice. A cost effective, environmentally friendly, rapid technology is needed by industry for the production of rice starch and protein. An "all natural" process for separating rice starch and protein using physical means was invented by scientists in New Orleans, Louisiana, and scaled-up under a Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) grant with an industry partner. The process yields starch and a value added, functional protein. This technology has the potential of reducing imports and increasing profits for the United States rice industry.

New products from sweet potatoes. In order to fully exploit the potential of sweet potatoes, a highly nutritious vegetable, development of new food products that require minimal home preparation and meet the preferences of today's consumers is necessary. Researchers at Raleigh, North Carolina, developed restructuring technology to determine ways to more fully utilize various sizes and shapes of sweet potatoes. From this research, they developed two types of products, a coated French fry product and a simulated baked product. Their process was awarded a patent, and efforts currently are underway to interest commercial firms in the use of the technology.

Plasticizers from vegetable oils. Epoxidized vegetable oils (largely epoxidized soybean oil, ESO) account for about 15 percent of the approximately one billion pounds of the current domestic plasticizer market. Recently proposed regulations would ban a dominant petrochemical derived plasticizer from most end uses. Epoxidized oils are an alternative to petroleum plasticizers and hence are poised to attain a larger share of the plasticizer market. Fats and oils are traditionally converted to epoxy plasticizers with peracids under a costly and hazardous procedure that also degrades the epoxidized oil. Peroxygenase is an enzyme that also converts unsaturated fatty acids to epoxy derivatives. Scientists at Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania, have isolated this enzyme from an inexpensive source, oat seeds (Avena sativa), and immobilized it onto synthetic membranes. The immobilized enzyme preparation can be used to epoxidize unsaturated fats and oils to produce high levels of epoxidized materials and can be reused. This new process provides an improved method for producing plasticizers from oils and fats.

Glue from soybeans. Proteins derived from animal blood are often used in plywood glues, and replacements for these proteins are needed for health and safety reasons. Using soy-based glue formulations developed by researchers at Peoria, Illinois, a full-scale mill trial was conducted at a plywood mill in Arkansas. Results indicate that the soy-based formulations gave satisfactory performance (based on mixing, processing, and adhesive properties). Successful plant trials bring the soy protein-based adhesive closer to commercialization, and will create a substantial new market for soybeans.

Natural pesticides and crop protectants. Fungal diseases of crops cause very large economic losses through post-harvest spoilage of the commodity, and with the increased regulation and banning of synthetic based pesticides, economical methods to produce natural based pesticides and crop protectants are desperately needed. Scientists at the Southern Regional Research Center (SRRC) in New Orleans, Louisiana, submitted a patent application to the United States Patent Office for a novel fungicidal saponin (CAY-1) which was purified from plant material. CAY-1 killed Aspergillus flavus, A. fumigatus, A. niger, and A. parasiticus. These fungi produce several potent mycotoxins often found on contaminated crops. Non USDA, ARS scientists determined that CAY-1 also inhibits or kills several medically important fungi. Thus, CAY-1 could be employed in combating agricultural and medically important fungal pathogens. This may lead to eventual commercialization of this plant antifungal.

New environmentally friendly process for dehairing hides for tanning. A rapid process for removing hair from a cowhide prior to separation of the hide from the carcass is being incorporated into existing slaughterhouse operations for reasons of food safety. Parameters needed to be established for such processing that minimize its impact on hide quality while promoting safe and efficient recycling of the unhairing agent. Under a CRADA to evaluate the rapid chemical removal of cattle hair with sulfide, prior to hide removal, researchers at Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania, demonstrated a recycle process on a pilot plant scale with a sulfide free effluent. This year, that process has been incorporated into a new meat packing plant scheduled for opening in the summer of 2001. Benefits of this process include: 1) reduction of dirt or manure borne bacteria trapped on the hair that may infect the meat on the carcass; 2) vastly facilitated inspection of hide quality; 3) significant decreases in subsequent chemical usage by tanneries; and 4) minimized impact of rapid unhairing on hide quality.

Cotton Ginning: Cleaner, Faster, Better. Cotton gins today must handle tremendous amounts of cotton quickly, reliably, and efficiently, producing clean, undamaged high-quality fiber that is the lifeblood of one of the largest industries in the United States (as well as a $2 billion export product). In 2001, ARS-developed computerized gin process control technology was expanded, through a commercial partner, to 33 commercial sites ginning over 1.5 million bales annually. A new low-cost rapid-response relative humidity sensor was developed with an active temperature range of 0 to 150 C (32 to 302 F) and relative humidity range of 10 to 100 percent to improve performance and lower cost. A system to measure seed cotton flow into the gin stand was tested successfully in a commercial gin, and during the year a commercial partner expanded installations of the online system to several more gins. New equipment designs increased the yield of lint by 5 to 8 percent, improved lint quality, and decreased power consumption 20 percent.

Rubber and more from guayule, the desert’s wonder plant. Guayule, a scrubby plant native to the deserts of the southwestern United States, produces a high-quality natural rubber, but not nearly on the scale needed for an industrialized society like the United States. A few years ago ARS scientists discovered that latex rubber made from guayule is hypoallergenic and much less likely to stimulate allergic reactions in those who come in contact with it than is conventional latex rubber from the Brazilian rubber tree. Guayule rubber also has other remarkable properties. In 2001, ARS scientists reported that it retains malleability down to temperatures as low as -196 C (-321 F). This property makes it a unique material of choice for use in Arctic explorations, space applications, or for handling cryogenic materials. USDA scientists in cooperation with the University of Arizona and the University of Illinois also demonstrated that guayule resins protect wood products from damage by termites. Composite boards made with guayule residue from processing were untouched [patents pending].