These qualities usually come from European hops, which often aren't available to microbrewers at an affordable price. In field tests, Ultra produced twice the yield as its European counterparts. Ultra is grown commercially in Washington and is available from the hop trade. Ultra is the fourth European-style aroma hop released by ARS since 1989. Idaho, Oregon and Washington are the prime hop-growing states.
Some desert shrubs survive because their roots make a U-turn to find water.
In humid areas, roots searching for water usually continue growing downward. But ARS scientists found that roots of some desert shrubs make an about-face at depths of one to several feet. Then they grow upwards, branching near the surface to capture moisture from scarce rainfall. Scientists are uncovering these and other secrets of desert plants, including the relationship of fungi to plants. This part of the desert ecosystem has not been extensively studied until recently.