Tank-mixing herbicides may not be enough to avoid herbicide resistance

URBANA, Ill. — Eight years ago, University of Illinois and USDA-ARS scientists turned weed control on its head. More and more herbicide resistant weeds were popping up, and the pest plants were getting harder to kill. It was clear farmers could no longer rely on the same chemicals year after year. Industry campaigns and herbicide applicators began touting the benefits of rotating herbicides annually to avoid developing resistance, and rotation quickly became common practice.

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Winter cover crops could reduce nitrogen in Illinois drainage water by 30%

URBANA, Ill. – As Corn Belt states seek ways to curb nitrogen flow from farms into the Gulf of Mexico, new University of Illinois research adds evidence for winter cover crops as an important part of the solution. A simulation study published in Science of the Total Environment finds widespread planting of cereal rye in Illinois could reduce nitrate in the state’s tile drainage water by 30%.

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Simple addition to corn bran could boost grain's nutritional value 15-35%

URBANA, Ill. – What if, by adding a couple of cell layers inside a corn kernel, the grain could become significantly richer in essential nutrients like iron, zinc, and protein? Such an improvement could benefit people who rely on corn for a large portion of their diet, as in many parts of the global south.

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Three ACES faculty honored with Campus Awards for Excellence

Three ACES faculty members were among those honored at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign this week for excellence in teaching, mentoring and advising, collectively known as the Campus Awards for Excellence in Instruction.

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RIPE director Long to speak at TED2023 - POSSIBILITY

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. —  Steve Long, director of the RIPE Project, is set to speak at TED2023: POSSIBILITY in Vancouver, British Columbia, later this month.

Long joins other experts, entrepreneurs, and content creators as part of the April 17-21 program that will touch on many topics in technology, entertainment, design, science, and global issues facing the world.

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New grant to reveal tillage effects on crop yield, farmland sustainability

URBANA, Ill. – Researchers from the Agroecosystem Sustainability Center (ASC) at the University of Illinois can detect soil tillage practices from space, weaving together data from ground images, airborne sensors, and satellites.

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Crop sciences professor named University Scholar

URBANA, Ill. -- Professor D.K. Lee, Department of Crop Sciences, has been named one of five University Scholars at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus. The honor recognizes excellence in teaching, scholarship, and service and is presented by the University of Illinois System to faculty members from the Chicago, Springfield, and Urbana universities.

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Could AI-powered object recognition technology help solve wheat disease?

URBANA, Ill. – A new University of Illinois project is using advanced object recognition technology to keep toxin-contaminated wheat kernels out of the food supply and to help researchers make wheat more resistant to fusarium head blight, or scab disease, the crop’s top nemesis.   

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How have Illinois soils changed over 120 years? U of I scientist needs your help

URBANA, Ill. – When he heard an old barn on the University of Illinois campus was scheduled for demolition, soil scientist Andrew Margenot went to investigate. Inside, on dusty shelves, he discovered a time capsule in the form of thousands of jars of soil from around the state, some dating as far back as 1862. 

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