Jackson Somers, assistant professor of agricultural and resource economics in the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources (CAHNR), investigated participation rates and the economics behind residential composting programs. Somers published his findings in the Journal of Environmental Economics and Management.

Somers found that on average, there is a 2.3-pound reduction in the amount of organic waste going into landfills per household per week when a city implements a composting program, using Austin, Texas as an example. This represents only about 30% of the average weekly food waste generated by a U.S. household.

A research team has developed a novel approach combining refined spatial competition mapping with powerful ensemble learning to predict maximum crown width height (HMCW) in Chinese fir with unprecedented accuracy.

The American Chemical Society (ACS) Fall 2025 meeting, held from August 17 to 21 in Washington, DC, has proven to be a monumental event in the scientific community. As the largest international academic event in the field of chemistry, it has drawn researchers, academics, and industry leaders from across the globe, all converging to discuss the latest advancements and challenges in chemistry and its multidisciplinary applications.

Researchers from the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service are opening new markets for America’s fruit growers. Fruit flies are major economic and quarantine pests that impact fresh fruit production and impede international trade. Flies lay their eggs on fruits, making the infested fruit their host, resulting in millions of dollars in damage annually. For international trade, fruits must undergo quarantine treatment or other mitigation measures to control possible infestation by fruit flies and other high-risk pests.