ABE

Soils that are exposed to prolonged drought often develop desiccation cracks, which impact soil properties and exacerbate moisture loss through evapotranspiration.

The Illini Pullers from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign secured first place in the 2026 American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) International Quarter-Scale Tractor Student Design Competition on May 28th through 31st where teams design ¼ scale tractors throughout the year that are put to the test by a panel of industry experts at the competition.

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.

URBANA, Ill. — The agricultural and biological engineering graduate program at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is once again ranked No. 4 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report.

Hydrological models represent water movement in natural systems, and they are important for water resource planning and management. But the models depend on reliable input data for weather factors, and precipitation can be very difficult to measure and represent accurately.

Dr. Salah Issa’s career in agricultural safety began in an unexpected way. Starting out at a graduate program in Ecological Sciences and Engineering at Purdue University as a self-described “city kid”, he was unaware that agricultural engineering was even a career option. It wasn’t until he took a course in agrosecurity that the world of agriculture, and its hazards, opened up to him. 

Illinois may be famous for being the Land of Lincoln and home of “Da Bears,” but few are familiar with one of its lesser claims to fame, which lies underground.

The commercial cultivation of horseradish in Southern Illinois took root in the 1850s, when German immigrant farmers discovered that the region’s sandy, nutrient-rich soil created an ideal environment for the unassuming crop to thrive. 

Life on Mars may sound like science fiction for some, but for Luis Rodríguez, it marked the beginning stages of his career in biosystems research. He laughs, remembering his first major project after completing his Ph.D. in industrial and systems engineering and bioresource engineering at Rutgers University: designing reliable zero-waste ecosystems capable of supporting crop production on Mars at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. 

Roscoe L.