Scientists have documented an array of benefits to the environment and to humans resulting from turfgrasses. Water management is a key component of healthy turfgrasses, and it directly affects nutrient use efficiency and plant productivity. This Special Publication, which follows from a 2006 workshop, presents the best current science for the efficient use of water for turfgrasses in urban landscapes, including considerations for low-precipitation landscapes, water quality protection, water use policies, pesticide leaching, nutrient transport in surface runoff, water requirements, cultural practices, and irrigation systems.

This Issue Paper identifies the nature of gene flow and discusses the relatively limited situations in which it is likely to cause economic problems in the production of commercial biotech crops.

In an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, expand domestic energy production, and maintain economic growth, public and private investments are being used to pursue dedicated feedstock crops for biofuel production.

Avian influenza (AI) vaccine can be used in emergency, routine, and preventive programs, although vaccine alone will not completely eliminate AI. Written and reviewed by an international Task Force, this CAST Special Publication provides a summary and education on the crucial issues surrounding AI vaccination.

Controlled human studies have revealed a diverse range of health benefits from consumption of probiotics, due largely to their impact on immune function or on microbes colonizing the body. This publication reviews the literature on probiotics, describes the characteristics of probiotics, discusses the microbes that colonize the human body, and explains how probiotics can treat and prevent disease.

The correct use of efficacious poultry vaccines is a critical component of overall control and eradication of avian influenza. Speculation about potential problems of vaccine use must be balanced with the real problem of outbreaks in susceptible poultry.

PART 6, “ANIMAL AGRICULTURE’S FUTURE THROUGH BIOTECHNOLOGY.”This paper describes the potential for transgenic livestock to advance the development of new medications for the treatment of human disease. Two techniques discussed in this paper are the predominant methods used to produce transgenic livestock, pronuclear microinjection and somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT).

Recent dramatic increases in energy costs are having a direct bearing on all agricultural activities within the United States. This Commentary discusses the use of energy in agriculture and the food industry in light of current federal and state policies.

PART 5, “ANIMAL AGRICULTURE’S FUTURE THROUGH BIOTECHNOLOGY.”As the global land area of biotechnology-derived crops continues to increase, these crops have become an increasingly important source of feedstuffs for farm animals, and it is important to review the safety of meat, milk, and eggs derived from animals fed these crops.

As an industrial chemical, acrylamide has been studied extensively for more than 40 years, resulting in a broad base of scientific knowledge covering various toxicological endpoints, metabolism, kinetics, mode of action, and health effects in animals. Very little scientific evidence is available in humans, particularly with respect to food.