Purdue Prof gets $1M for Rapid Test for African Swine Fever

Mar 08, 2022

A Purdue University researcher has landed a $1 million grant to boost his work on a rapid test for detecting African swine fever.

The funding for Mohit Verma, an assistant professor of agricultural and biological engineering, was included in the U.S. Farm Bill to help enhance the nation’s ability to develop rapid tests for high-consequence diseases, the Journal & Courier reported.

Verma is collaborating with two other Purdue researchers to develop a portable paper-strip test for African swine fever, which he calls “a devastating disease.”

Verma said that when an outbreak of African swine fever hit farms in China a few years ago “it wiped out 50% of the country’s pig population."

Developing a rapid test that can be done in the field for the virus that causes the fever is important because “hours, even minutes, matter in containing it,” he said.

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Video: Dicamba Returns for Georgia Farmers: What the New EPA Ruling Means for Cotton Growers

After being unavailable in 2024 due to registration issues, dicamba products are returning for Georgia farmers this growing season — but under strict new conditions.

In this report from Tifton, Extension Weed Specialist Stanley Culpepper explains the updated EPA ruling, including new application limits, mandatory training requirements, and the need for a restricted use pesticide license. Among the key changes: a cap of two ½-pound applications per year and the required use of an approved volatility reduction agent with every application.

For Georgia cotton producers, the ruling is significant. According to Taylor Sills with the Georgia Cotton Commission, the vast majority of cotton planted in the state carries the dicamba-tolerant trait — meaning farmers had been paying for technology they couldn’t use.

While environmental groups have expressed concerns over spray drift, Georgia growers have reduced off-target pesticide movement by more than 91% over the past decade. Still, this two-year registration period will come with increased scrutiny, making stewardship and compliance more important than ever.