Research

Spring peepers are singing, and walleye harvesters are ready to go out on Mille Lacs Lake, as they have for hundreds of years. The walleye spawn is on.

Mobile apps that allow people to share their location with others have become increasingly popular. But how and why do we use these apps, and what are the implications for interpersonal communication? That’s the topic of a new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Growing up in disadvantaged communities can take a toll on children, with greater stress leading to mental health issues and delays in psychological development. But a decade’s worth of research suggests there’s an effective and nearly free remedy that may level the playing field with their advantaged counterparts: time in nature. 

Tile drainage is common in U.S. Midwest agricultural fields, helping to remove excess water and aerate the soil. While the practice enhances crop productivity, it can cause phosphorus to leak into nearby waterways, where it contributes to harmful algal blooms. Directing tile-drain runoff through a structure filled with biochar – a form of charcoal produced from organic waste – provides a potential remedy for phosphorus pollution, but the method is novel and not fully explored.

Eggs and poultry provide important sources of protein globally, driving a major industry with large economic impacts. Challenges to hatchery operations include embryo mortality, fertility, sex determination, and eggshell characteristics. These features have a substantial impact on production, but they are difficult and time-consuming to estimate.

Larry Dallas’ farm in Central Illinois’ Douglas County is as flat as it gets. That’s a good thing for planting straight rows and maneuvering farm equipment in the field, but there’s a major downside, too.

“Heavier rain is hard for us to deal with because of the poorly drained soils and the lack of any roll to the ground. It's hard for the water to get away when the rain starts,” Dallas said. “We have installed a lot of drainage tile trying to mitigate that.”

Conservation tillage practices, such as no-till and reduced till, are critical for sustainable agriculture, and they are gradually becoming popular with farmers across the Midwest. Monitoring tillage usage can provide insights into soil health, water levels, and nutrient loss, as well as guide management and policy decisions. 

In the largest genomic study of African elephants to date, an international team of researchers analyzed 232 whole genomes from both savanna and forest elephants, collected across 17 African countries. This is the first large-scale, continent-wide genetic study since African elephants were recognized as two separate species. To achieve this herculean task, the researchers used samples that have been biobanked during previous genetic research more than 30 years ago and generated high-quality genomes through the iConserve program of the biotechnology company Illumina.

As winter comes to a close, many people look forward to warmer temperatures and spring blooms, but for land managers working to preserve or restore oak-dominated forests, it is prescribed burn season. Fire brings more light into forests, which is crucial for young oak tree growth, but many land managers are concerned about how non-native plants affect fire intensity and young tree survival rates.

Precision agriculture first gained traction in the 1990s, when GPS technology made it possible for farm equipment to map and manage fields with a level of detail that was not possible before. Farmers could accurately apply fertilizer or seed at different rates across a field, responding to variations in field conditions.