URBANA, Ill. – Topping the list of Australia’s major crops, wheat is grown on more than half the country’s cropland and is a key export commodity. With so much riding on wheat, accurate yield forecasting is necessary to predict regional and global food security and commodity markets. A new study published in Agricultural and Forest Meteorology shows machine-learning methods can accurately predict wheat yield for the country two months before the crop matures.

Access to healthy food is a basic human need. Yet, one out of eight people in American is at risk for hunger, and the number is even greater for children.

Food insecurity, defined as limited access to adequate food, exists everywhere in the United States. Overall, 40 million people, or 12.5% of the U.S. population, are food insecure. But there is large regional variation in this rate, says Craig Gundersen, ACES distinguished professor of agricultural and consumer economics at the University of Illinois.  

CHAMPAIGN, Ill – University of Illinois engineers travel to Haiti to encourage solar cooking in a new program for the Big Ten Network. “Engineering Fire” tracks a team of scientists as it develops and tests a solar-cooking device called a Sun Bucket. The 30-minute documentary video on BTN premiered May 12 at 7 p.m. CDT, immediately following the Illinois baseball game versus Purdue University.

URBANA, Ill. – Continuing its longstanding support of the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois, the Illinois Farm Bureau today announced a financial commitment to the new Feed Technology Center to be built south of campus.

URBANA, Ill. – In its efforts to feed a growing population, the U.S. agriculture industry is incorporating advanced digital technologies and increasingly relying on statisticians to process “big data.” Traditional statistics degree programs typically do not provide a background in agriculture or plant science, leading to steep learning curves for new hires in digital agriculture companies.

URBANA, Ill. – The Department of Crop Sciences, part of the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois, will host the 62^nd annual Agronomy Day this year on Aug. 22. The event, which showcases the latest scientific discoveries from ACES researchers and Extension specialists, will feature a larger number of presentations on more diverse topics than previous years.

Article submitted by Emely Lopez, doctoral student and research assistant, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition

A recent ACES alumnus and former International Graduate Grant recipient recently returned to campus to share his experiences with aspiring food scientists, specifically how he led his team to create the world’s very first hemp coffee creamer.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Stephen P. Long, a professor of crop sciences and plant biology at the University of Illinois, has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences, one of the highest professional honors a scientist can receive. He is one of 100 new members and 25 foreign associates recognized for “distinguished and continuing achievements in original research.”

Article submitted by Gregory French, ACES Advisor and Graduate Student Intern, who checked in with several ACES students who spent spring 2019 abroad.

For students who have taken their academics abroad and gained exposure to new cultures, the end of an academic year is an opportunity to reflect upon new, memorable experiences and think about where their semester started in comparison to where their journey has since led them.

URBANA, Ill. – Are pork chops on the menu this grilling season? According to new research from University of Illinois meat scientists, pork enthusiasts can improve taste, juiciness, and tenderness by cooking chops to the new USDA standard: 145 degrees Fahrenheit.