United States 

Department 

of Agriculture

Agricultural 

Research 

Service

Program Aid 

1626

Beltsville 

Agricultural 

Research 

Center
Introduction

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural 

Research Service (ARS) Beltsville Area consists of the Beltsville 

Agricultural Research Center (BARC) in Beltsville, MD, the 

U.S. National Arboretum in Washington, D.C., and worksites in 

Chatsworth, NJ, Presque Isle, ME, and McMinnville, TN.

BARC is the largest and most diversified agricultural research 

complex in the world and is one of over 100 research locations that 

make up ARS. USDA’s chief scientific research agency, ARS 

conducts research to develop and transfer solutions to agricultural 

problems of high national priority and provides information access 

and dissemination to—

• Ensure high-quality, safe food and other 

agricultural products; 

• Assess the nutritional needs of Americans;

• Sustain a competitive agricultural economy;

• Enhance the natural resource base and the 

environment; and

• Provide economic opportunities for rural citizens, 

communities, and society as a whole.

BARC’s record of accomplishments has made it a world leader in 

agricultural research. Its international reputation attracts thousands 

of visitors each year from within the United States and abroad. The 

following sections provide some examples of BARC research 

addressing ARS priority issues.
BARC researchers recognize that animal well-being is closely 

affected by parasites that cause reductions in weight gain, feed conversion, and overall production efficiencies. Scientists at Beltsville 

are doing their part to ensure that animal parasites do not endanger 

national and world food supplies. Currently, BARC researchers are 

conducting large-scale DNA sequencing studies to identify animal 

groups that are resistant to many common parasites of livestock and 

poultry, and they are developing diagnostic tests to help producers 

identify their parasite problems and assist them in designing management programs to control on-farm infections. Beltsville scientists are 

also studying the relationship between climate change, host-parasite 

associations, and changes in transmission patterns. Important findings have emerged regarding the role humans inadvertently play in 

transporting detrimental parasites around the world.

Global Food Security

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Changes in several environmental factors, such as atmospheric 

carbon dioxide concentration and tropospheric ozone concentrations, 

are occurring in addition to the predicted global warming. The 

projected changes could have many serious consequences for agriculture, and ensuring an abundant, high-quality supply of food and 

fiber will require adapting crops and crop management strategies 

to altered environmental conditions. Scientists at BARC carry out 

research that includes the application of system theories to complex 

agricultural problems. Work is underway to measure the response 

and adaptation of crops and weeds to elevated CO2

 and global 

warming. Specifically, researchers are examining changes in the 

expression of genes with exposure to elevated CO2 to understand 

why some crop varieties are negatively affected but not others.

Climate Change

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Beltsville children’s nutrition/health research focuses on two areas: 

nutrition monitoring and nutrient requirements/function, which 

prevent development of chronic disease. Beltsville is responsible 

for the annual What We Eat in America Survey, part of the National 

Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, and the USDA National 

Nutrient Database, which provides updated values for up to 140 

nutrients in over 7,500 foods commonly eaten in the United States. 

The Database supports the determination of dietary intake of children and thus permits research on diet-health relationships. Health 

benefits of nutrients and active food components from fruits and 

vegetables are also being studied at Beltsville with emphasis on 

reducing risk of diabetes and other metabolic diseases. A focus of 

this research is on disease development and the relationship with age.

Child Nutrition and Health

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The growth and long-term viability of bioenergy production in the 

Nation are impeded by a number of technical and commercial 

barriers. While new varieties and hybrids of bioenergy feedstocks 

are being developed, the role of climate change could have a negative impact on crop production. Scientists at BARC have developed 

computer models that simulate crop (corn and soybeans) responses 

to climate changes. These models project crop biomass volume and 

crop yields. The data evaluate crop potential as sustainable biofuel 

feedstocks and how severe weather may affect biofuel feedstock 

production.

Bioenergy

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As U.S. consumers continue to enhance their diet with fresh fruits 

and vegetables, it is paramount that these commodities be safe from 

pathogenic foodborne pathogens. Beltsville scientists study the 

survival and persistence of pathogenic E. coli and Salmonella on 

leafy green commodities, tomatoes, and apples found in irrigation 

water and soil. BARC researchers are developing technologies and 

methods to more efficiently and rapidly detect the presence of 

foodborne pathogens. Systems are being developed to reduce 

pathogen load on produce through the use of chemical sanitizers, 

and biological treatments that can target foodborne pathogens are 

being evaluated. Scientists are working with advanced hyperspectral 

imaging systems to detect the presence of chemical compounds or 

bacteria that indicate microbial contamination on produce surfaces 

and poultry carcasses.

Food Safety

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For more information about Beltsville Area research, visit— 

 

 www.ars.usda.gov/ba

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, 

national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital 

status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, 

genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part 

of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance 

program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons 

with disabilities who require alternative means for communication 

of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should 

contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and 

TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, 

Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., 

Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or 

(202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and 

employer.

Revised May 2011

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