Farmers needed for $4 million conservation innovation grant
URBANA, Ill. – A University of Illinois research team, led by Agricultural and Consumer Economics Professor David Bullock, received a $4 million award from the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to implement on-farm conservation practices.
How ACES students, community can help others during a pandemic
Blood shortages are not uncommon. Still, during a global pandemic, donating blood is especially urgent and important. Nicole Kauffman knows. The Illinois senior studies animal sciences in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) and serves as secretary of the registered student organization, the Blood Club.
Illinois research links soil nitrogen levels to corn yield and nitrogen losses
URBANA, Ill. – What exactly is the relationship between soil nitrogen, corn yield, and nitrogen loss? Most farmers would be forgiven for assuming a straightforward linear relationship: more nitrogen, more grain yield, and maybe, more loss. That’s the assumption many nitrogen management models are based on, but it turns out there’s very little published science to back up that assumption.
Redefining drought in the US Corn Belt
URBANA, Ill. – As the climate trends warmer and drier, global food security increasingly hinges on crops’ ability to withstand drought. But are scientists and producers focusing on the right metric when measuring crop-relevant drought? Not exactly, according to new research from University of Illinois scientists, who urge the scientific community to redefine the term.
Survey shows ACES faculty are working with 76 countries
The College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is actively engaged in 76 countries around the world, as evidenced in a recent faculty survey.
The survey, administered by the Office of International Programs, was completed by 109 faculty members who provided detailed information about their current and recently completed international activities.
Low-income households get nutritious food from food banks, study shows
URBANA, Ill. – Millions of Americans vulnerable to hunger receive support from public food assistance programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). But they also rely on private charities such as Feeding America, the umbrella organization for food banks across the country.
Ribeye-eating pigs demonstrate protein quality for humans
URBANA, Ill. – Nearly a decade ago, the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) developed a new index to assess protein quality in foods. The goal, writ large, was to address food security for the world’s most vulnerable populations, creating more accurate tools for food assistance programs seeking to provide balanced nutrition.
Hans H. Stein at the University of Illinois knew he could help.
Soybean Innovation Lab event unveils new $1M USAID initiative
URBANA, Ill. – The Soybean Innovation Lab (SIL) at the University of Illinois has been selected by United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to lead a new $1 million project — Innovation to Impact (i2i), as part of Feed the Future, the U.S. Government’s global hunger and food security initiative.
City Scholars program expands at Discovery Partners Institute
CHICAGO — The Discovery Partners Institute (DPI) and The Grainger College of Engineering are expanding the City Scholars program to now include the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) and the Illinois Institute of Technology (Illinois Tech).
City Scholars also will pilot a food and agriculture-focused track in Spring 2021.
Sugar promotes sperm longevity in pig reproductive tract
URBANA, Ill. – For many livestock species, artificial insemination (AI) is standard. But it can be tricky to achieve success the first time, thanks to variability in ovulation timing across the herd.