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Researcher tracks agricultural overuse of bug-killing technology
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – High corn prices are leading many growers to plant corn every year and to overuse pesticides and other bug-killing technology to maximize yields, researchers report. In many instances, pesticides are applied without scouting fields to see if they are needed, violating a bedrock principle of integrated pest management. The result is a […]
Expert: Keep consumer protection agency free of ‘regulatory capture’
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – With many Americans now spending most of their adult lives owing debts to financial institutions, the need for a consumer financial agency free of “regulatory capture” is now more acute than ever, according to a University of Illinois expert in consumer credit. Robert M. Lawless, a professor of law, says the U.S. […]
Stink bugs a threat to farmers, smelly guests for homeowners
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The brown marmorated stink bug – scientific name Halyomorpha halys – has been found in four Illinois counties and could be a major threat to fruit, vegetable and agronomic crops if it proliferates. [EMBEDDED_IMAGE_0] First detected in Cook County last fall, several brown marmorated stink bugs were found in moving boxes by […]
Study: Regulatory hurdles hinder biofuels market
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Regulatory hurdles abound for the successful commercialization of emerging liquid biofuels, which hold the promise of enhancing U.S. energy security, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and serving as a driver for rural economic development, according to new research at the University of Illinois. In the study, U. of I. law professor Jay P. […]
Switch from corn to grass would raise ethanol output, cut emissions
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Growing perennial grasses on the least productive farmland now used for corn ethanol production in the U.S. would result in higher overall corn yields, more ethanol output per acre and better groundwater quality, researchers report in a new study. The switch would also slash emissions of two potent greenhouse gases: carbon dioxide […]
How will widespread flooding of farmland affect commodity prices?
Gary D. Schnitkey, an agricultural economist at the University of Illinois, is an expert on risk management who studies issues affecting the profitability of farms. He spoke with News Bureau business and law editor Phil Ciciora about what effect the Mississippi River flooding will have on the summer growing season, and what it could […]
Growing numbers of corn farmers ignoring refuge requirement
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – More than 90 percent of Illinois corn producers polled at the University of Illinois Extension Corn and Soybean Classic meetings indicated that they planned to plant corn that was genetically modified with the insect-killing protein Bacillus thuringiensis this spring. However, significantly fewer – just 75-80 percent – of them said that they […]
Why does the FDA want to test milk for more drugs?
Currently raw milk leaving U.S. dairy farms and destined for human consumption is tested for the beta lactams (penicillin) class of antibiotics. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration met with opposition from milk producers and dairy industry executives when it announced plans to begin testing milk for other drugs, as a result of an […]
ADM funds new postharvest institute
Archer Daniels Midland Co. announced a $10 million grant to establish the ADM Institute for the Prevention of Postharvest Loss at the UI. The global institute will work with farmers in the developing world to help preserve millions of metric tons of grains and oilseeds lost each year to pests, disease, mishandling and other factors. […]
Will 2011 be the year of the global food crisis?
As global food prices skyrocket to an all-time high, world leaders and analysts worry that 2011 could become the year of the global food crisis. Darrel Good, a professor of agricultural and consumer economics at Illinois, is an expert on agricultural commodity markets. He spoke with News Bureau Business and Law editor Phil Ciciora about […]
USDA awards $5.5 million to tackle childhood hunger
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has awarded $5.5 million to fund research that will help alleviate childhood hunger in the United States. Craig Gundersen, a UI professor of nutritional sciences in the department of agricultural and consumer economics, and James Ziliak, of the University of Kentucky Center for Poverty Research, will coordinate a research program […]
Salmon baby food? Babies need omega-3s and a taste for fish
A UI food science professor has two important reasons for including seafood in a young child’s diet, reasons that have motivated her work in helping to develop a tasty, nutritious salmon baby food for toddlers. “First, babies need a lot of the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish for brain, nerve and eye development,” said […]