In this Voices of Agriculture feature, Solito Sumulong reflects on lessons drawn from years at the forefront of this transition—from pheromone biocontrols and nanotechnology to peptide bioinsecticides.

Maximum Residue Limits are legal benchmarks for pesticide use, not safety thresholds, and decades of monitoring show our food supply remains well within safe limits.

Investing in agricultural research—domestic and international—yields high returns that strengthen U.S. farming, trade, and food security.

EPA’s reliance on screening-level risk assessments to guide pesticide mitigation under the ESA creates uncertainty, underscoring the need for higher-tier science to ensure both effective species protection and fair outcomes for agriculture.

For decades, low-moisture foods such as wheat, flour, nuts, and spices were regarded as “microbiologically safe” because of their low moisture content. This attribute has led to a general confidence that these products are low-risk foods (Jung & Harris, 2022). However, recent outbreaks and recalls, which were previously unexpected, tell a different story: low does not mean no.

Tassel wrapping, an unusual phenomenon reported across Midwestern corn fields this summer, occurs when leaves trap the developing tassel and delay pollen shed, disrupting pollination timing and potentially reducing yields.