Connecticut Agricultural Experimental Station

The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station Receives Hatch Act Capacity Funding to Address the Challenges and Priority Areas Identified by Connecticut Residents. the Priority Research Areas Are: (1) Adaptation and Resilience to a Changing Climate: for Example, Hatch Project Accession No. 1018780 Supported Aquatic Invasive Plant Surveys in 15 Lakes and Ponds as Well as the Connecticut River. Comparing Invasive Plant Management Techniques, We Report That Deep and Long Drawdowns of the Water Level During Winter Provide Good Short-term Control of Invasive Plants. This Finding Will Be Used to Inform Management of Invasive Plants in CT Waterways as Climate Change Permits the Introduction of New Plants. , (2) Enhancing Health and Well-being: for Example, Hatch Project Accession Number 1021837 Found That Treating Mosquito Habitats With Larvicides Effectively Decreased the Abundance of West Nile Virus Vector Larvae in Two Connecticut Towns. However, This Did Not Affect the Overall Predicted Risk Level for West Nile Virus. This Study Will Help State and Local Governments in Their Future Decision Making on Mosquito Control Programs. (3) Sustainable Agriculture and Food Supply: for Example, Hatch Project Accession 1025562 Aims to Understand the Effect of Ornamental Pesticides on Honeybees. by Chemical, Genetic, and Microscopic Analysis of Pollen Collected From Bees That Visited Nurseries, the Study Found That Bees Were Only Collecting a Small Portion of Their Pollen From the Nurseries, and That Only a Few of the Nursery Pesticides Could Be Detected in the Bee Pollen. This Is Important Information for Nursery Managers and Beekeepers in Connecticut, as They Make Decisions to Keep the Food Supply Safe. (4) Sustainable Landscapes Across Urban-rural Interfaces: Here, Caes Researchers Studied Improved Methods for Treatment and a Nalysis of Agricultural Runoff and Wastewater. for Example, Hatch Project Accession Number 1018681 Found That a Harmless Biodegradable Molecule Called Pica (picolinic Acid) Is a Safer and More Effective Replacement for the Use of Iron Salts in Treatment of Wastewa Ter. the Hatch Project Accession 1019062 Helped Develop New Software and Methods for Screening of Pfas, a Widespread Contaminant in Agricultural Soil and Drinking Water. These Studies Will Help Develop Strategies to Improve Water Quality for Both Agricultural and Human Consumption in Urban-rural Interfaces.