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Agriculture

La Niña Is Now Here: What It Means For Winter Weather Patterns La Niña Is Now Here: What It Means For Winter Weather Patterns
La Niña Is Now Here: What It Means For Winter Weather Patterns She’s back!  La Niña has arrived, and its global ripple effects are already taking shape.  Cooler-than-average sea surface temperatures in the tropical Pacific, combined with stronger trade winds, are influencing weather patterns worldwide.  The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) confirmed this shift on Thursday, Jan. 9. What Is La Niña? La Niña is part of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), a natural climate phenomenon that disrupts atmospheric circulation.  During La Niña, cooler Pacific waters can lead to significant changes in rainfall, s…
Rare Bugs Intercepted at Dulles International Airport: First-In-Port, Decades-Old Find: CBP Rare Bugs Intercepted at Dulles International Airport: First-In-Port, Decades-Old Find: CBP
Rare Bugs Intercepted at Dulles International Airport: First-In-Port, Decades-Old Find: CBP Agriculture specialists at Washington Dulles International Airport made a major discovery while inspecting flower imports from South Africa, intercepting two invasive insect pests that could potentially wreak havoc on American agriculture. The pests include a first-in-port find of Caprhiobia sp. (Lygaeidae), a destructive plant bug, and Oxycarenus maculatus, or the Protea seed bug, which has not been seen in the area since 1984, according to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). The bugs were discovered in an October shipment of 188 protea and chamelaucium cut-stem flowers destined for K…