United States Department Introduction

The recent introduction of genetically modified crops has changed both the agriculture and food industries. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) surveys report that 25% of corn, 61% of cotton and 54% of soybean acreage grown in the USA in 2000 were genetically modified. ... 

A comprehensive historical review of the analytical applications of infrared spectroscopy from the first experiments to the introduction of FTIR spectrometers has appeared.221 The first study of the absorption of infrared radiation by a range of chemical substances was made in 1881 by Abney and Festing, after the former had developed a photographic method of detecting radiation in the near-infrared region. Over the next 25 years a number of other studies were made. This early phase culminated in the work of W. W. Coblentz in the United States, which was published in 1905.222 It became evident from Coblentz s data that infrared spectra were related to molecular structure, but IR spectroscopy remained principally the province of researchers in university physics departments until World War n. 

Also think about quarantines if you plan to import or export plants from the United States. In 1912, the Federal Plant Quarantine Act was passed to prevent the introduction of foreign pathogens into the United States. Federal plant quarantine laws limit the importation of plants, plant products (even seeds), and soil from other countries. Some states have their own, more restrictive, exclusions. Before you bring any plant into this country, check with the US. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and your state department of agriculture to see if any restrictions apply. Write to USDA/APHIS/PP Q, Federal Center Building, Hyattsville, MD 20782, for information. 

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