A Comprehensive Digest of Impact Stories from the 2026 Southern Region Featured Impacts Collection

Agricultural research in the Southern Region is part of a nationwide effort to tackle

real world challenges—from how we grow food and care for natural resources to how we nourish people—using trusted, science based solutions that make a difference locally and globally.

By the Southern Research Communications Consortium — summarized for agInnovation

We’re excited to highlight research impact stories from the 2026 Southern Region Featured Impacts in the National Land Grant Impact Database (NIDB), showcasing how Southern land grant universities are making a real difference and strengthening agriculture across the nation.

New Robigus app allows viewers to track invasives, crop diseases worldwide

Plant diseases pose a global threat to food security, yet critical data on outbreaks are scattered across thousands of journals and reports. This fragmentation makes it difficult to access timely information about

the disease, delaying the search for

treatments and potential best management control practices. 

The new app, Robigus, developed by a researcher at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) consolidates 45 years of global plant disease data into an easy-to-access interactive platform. Named after the Roman god who once guarded wheat fields from blight, the scientist built Robigus, hosted on the University of Florida’s HiPerGator supercomputer, to serve as the newest tech ally in the fight against plant diseases. Robigus gives access to over 9,600 records with the tap of a screen, desktop keyboard, or smartphone. The app aggregates global plant disease reports, enabling users to filter by crop, pathogen, country, or year. Robigus provides a new, practical tool to empower growers and homeowners, as well as scientists, to track outbreaks, anticipate risks, and protect crops, advancing food security worldwide.

View the full statement on the NIDB.

Cold plasma-treated rice seeds inhibit fall armyworm, improve early crop vigor

Fall armyworm, a major crop pest particularly damaging in rice, often requires repeated insecticide applications for control. Plasma—the same electrically charged matter responsible for the northern lights—may offer a new way to support crop growth and reduce damage from this major pest, according to Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station researchers. 

Scientists exposed rice seeds to atmospheric cold plasma and plasma-activated water to evaluate the effects on plant growth and insect defense. Results demonstrated that plasma-treated rice plants had improved early growth traits, and that treatments reduced growth and development of fall armyworm.

While benefits were strongest in early plant stages, the findings suggest cold plasma could be a new tool to complement existing seed treatments, enhancing early plant vigor and natural insect resistance, potentially reducing the need for chemical insecticides.

View the full statement on the NIDB.

New vaccine and delivery system protect catfish against fatal disease, reduce

antibiotic reliance

Catfish is the largest aquaculture industry in the United States. For decades, catfish producers have struggled against pervasive infestation from E. ictaluri, which mainly affects fingerlings (juveniles), targeting the fish’s brain and resulting in abnormal behavior and swimming patterns, swelling, ulcers, and death. Enteric septicemia, or ESC, has been treated with antibiotics delivered through feed. However, as orders for medicated feed rose substantially around 2013, the bacterium began to develop antimicrobial resistance, rendering the treatment less effective. The economic impact of ESC has threatened the viability of the catfish industry in many areas, causing losses of between $14 million and $45 million annually.  

Scientists at Mississippi State University’s Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, with partners in the College of Veterinary Medicine and USDA, have now developed a novel, live-attenuated oral vaccine and delivery platform to prevent the spread of ESC in catfish. The ESC vaccine has significantly improved fingerling survival rates, allowing fish to reach full growth. This outcome is already changing

the fate of the industry, improving profits for catfish farmers, reducing reliance on antibiotics and ensuring a secure supply of safe, healthy U.S.-produced catfish for consumers.

View the full statement on the NIDB.

Scientists Unravel Corn Pest’s Overwintering Genes

Western and northern corn rootworms cost U.S. corn growers more than $1 billion each year, damaging roots, reducing yields, and evading many traditional control measures. A key to their persistence is diapause—a monthslong pause in embryo development that allows eggs laid in soybean fields to survive freezing winter soils and hatch when corn returns in spring.

University of Kentucky entomologists have uncovered the genetic mechanisms behind this survival strategy. By tracking gene activity across the entire diapause cycle, the researchers analyzed messenger RNA from rootworm eggs at multiple stages, identifying when metabolism slows, development halts, and cold tolerance proteins are activated.

Supported by USDANIFA and the National Science Foundation’s Center for Arthropod Management Technologies, the team also tested a novel approach: feeding adult beetles double stranded RNA targeting key diapause genes. The RNA was transferred from females to their eggs, enabling gene silencing without genetically modifying the crop.

Suppressing two major genes reduced egg winter survival by up to 70% under simulated field conditions. The findings open new pathways for targeted, environmentally sensitive rootworm control and faster development of next generation pest management tools.

View the full statement on the NIDB.

Wild peanut varieties source of disease resistance

Cultivated peanuts are plagued by diseases and pests, which make them expensive to grow as use of chemical controls account for more than 30% of

the cost of production. Peanuts have little genetic variety, so there is a small pool of resistance genes to combat sickness in this plant. 

Wild peanut species, on the other hand, have strong resistances to diseases and pests and are better at adapting to environmental stresses. However, the use of wild species in traditional peanut crossbreeding has been hindered by differences

between the number of chromosomes sets in the cultivated and wild species. 

Work in Georgia is unlocking the genetic potential of wild peanut varieties for crop improvement. The research team has produced new peanut lines that retain less than 5% wild genome while expressing strong pest and disease resistance. These lines are being integrated into elite local varieties through collaborations with breeding programs across the nation.

View the full statement on the NIDB.

Combating rice delphacid in the Southwest

Rice delphacid, an invasive insect causing economic damage in the Southwest, has prompted a rapid response from Texas A&M AgriLife focused on research, producer

education, and close collaboration with the Texas rice industry. The pest poses a serious challenge for Texas growers, who already face production costs $400–$500 per acre higher than the national average due in part to rapid growth in the Houston area.

Compounding the problem, currently available insecticides and rice cultivars used in the United States have shown little effectiveness against rice delphacid, increasing the risk of widespread crop losses and limiting economic viability for farmers.

In 2025, the AgriLife Extension rice agronomy program led a coordinated statewide effort to identify potential solutions. Insecticide trials conducted in Wharton County and at approximately 20 on-farm locations across Texas evaluated promising active ingredients and candidates for future labeling.

Results from these trials were shared during legislative meetings, including briefings with congressional representatives and testimony to the Texas House Agriculture Committee. These coordinated research and outreach efforts are expected to accelerate insecticide labeling and strengthen management options for Texas rice producers.

View the full statement on the NIDB.

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