Research

A new simulation study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign suggests winter canola could be profitable and environmentally beneficial if added to a conventional corn-soy rotation in the U.S. Midwest. 

Heart-healthy oats are finding their way into a wider variety of products and recipes as consumer demand grows. Although oats are grown on far fewer acres than other U.S. crops, farmers are able to keep up with the demand through genetic gains in yield and other important agronomic traits.

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign student Xylia Greeson is a recipient of the prestigious National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship.

“I didn’t initially believe it,” Greeson said about when she first received the announcement. “It was a very pleasant surprise, and it will open so many more doors in the field. Being at Illinois, and now receiving this fellowship, has been a dream come true. I’m so thankful and blessed.” 

A couple of miles south of the main quad at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, a remarkable agricultural experiment is taking shape. The so-called Alma Mater Plots are unique in their setup — with 64 one-acre plots, each individually tile-drained, it’s the largest experiment of its kind anywhere. And, to maximize the value of the experiment to Illinois and Midwest agriculture, scientists are teaming up with farmers in deciding what, exactly, to study.

Technological advances in autonomous truck technology are poised to have significant economic ripple effects for U.S. interstate commerce, highway infrastructure and labor costs, says new research co-written by a team of University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign economists.

Self-driving truck technology “has a very high potential to change the economic geography of the U.S.,” said Taejun Mo, an Illinois graduate student and first author of the paper.

Back in the late 1990s, a distressing trend took hold for rural America. At that time, rural and urban mortality rates started to diverge, with rural populations experiencing 9% higher mortality in working-age adults. Unfortunately, the divide has only grown over time. As of 2019, working-age adults in rural areas were 43% more likely to die from natural causes than their urban counterparts, but researchers have struggled to explain this gap.

The College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign often cites its land-grant legacy, but the land-grant university system is not a well-known concept outside of higher education. In fact, many current students, staff, and faculty struggle to define it. So, let’s get into what it means, how it came about, and why it still matters. 

Bugs run rampant in the summer, and if you have ever suffered from a mosquito bite and regretted not putting on bug spray, you should know about nature’s insect repellent: the Indiana bat. Federally endangered since 1967, the Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis) helps with pest control and supports tree growth in forests, but their habitat has been shrinking. 

If your social media feed has suddenly filled with content about ultra-processed foods (UPFs), you’re far from alone. Since Health and Human Services tasked federal agencies last year with developing UPF guidelines, the buzz has been hard to miss. Yet, despite widespread attention on the topic, federal guidelines have not yet materialized and Americans are unsure how to make healthy choices for their families.

 The aviation industry accounts for a large portion of global greenhouse gas emissions. Biobased, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) can mitigate climate impacts, but transitioning to SAF faces critical supply chain constraints.