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Study: ‘Legacy’ phosphorus delays water quality improvements in Gulf of Mexico
The same phosphorous that fertilizes the thriving agriculture of the Midwest is also responsible for a vast “dead zone” in the Gulf of Mexico near the Mississippi Delta. Efforts to reduce the amount of phosphorus that enters the Mississippi River system are underway, but research led by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign suggests that remnants […]

Microbial division of labor produces higher biofuel yields
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Scientists have found a way to boost ethanol production via yeast fermentation, a standard method for converting plant sugars into biofuels. Their approach, detailed in the journal Nature Communications, relies on careful timing and a tight division of labor among synthetic yeast strains to yield more ethanol per unit of plant sugars […]

Paper: Multistate foodborne illness outbreaks impact restaurant stock price, public perception
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — As demand for food from restaurants soars in the U.S., so does the importance in understanding the impacts of foodborne illness outbreaks. A new paper co-written by a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign expert in food marketing and food policy finds that outbreaks spanning multiple states bring swift financial losses, increased media attention […]

Genetic sequencing uncovers unexpected source of pathogens in floodwaters
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Researchers report in the journal Geohealth that local rivers and streams were the source of the Salmonella enterica contamination along coastal North Carolina after Hurricane Florence in 2018 – not the previously suspected high number of pig farms in the region. These findings have critical implications for controlling the spread of disease […]

Lightning sparks scientists’ design of ultraviolet-C device for food sanitization
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Scientists at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have developed a portable, self-powered ultraviolet-C device called the Tribo-sanitizer that can inactivate two of the bacteria responsible for many foodborne illnesses and deaths. The Tribo-sanitizer’s UVC lamp is powered using the triboelectric effect – electricity that is generated when two dissimilar materials come into contact. […]

In TED Talk, Long describes three photosynthetic changes that boost crop yields
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — In a newly released TED Talk, Stephen Long, a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign professor of plant biology and crop sciences, detailed his and his colleagues’ efforts to boost photosynthesis in crop plants. He described three interventions, each of which increased crop yields by 20% or more. Long is the director of the […]

Management zone maps of little use to corn growers, study finds
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — A multiyear analysis tested whether management zone maps based on soil conditions, topography or other landscape features can reliably predict which parts of a cornfield will respond best to higher rates of seeding or nitrogen application. The study found that – contrary to common assumptions – crop-plot responses to the same inputs […]

Library’s 15-millionth volume is influential manuscript on agricultural management from Middle Ages
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — A medieval manuscript by an English agronomist describing the agricultural management of a manor is the 15-millionth volume of the collection of the University Library at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The manuscript is a 14th-century copy of the text of Walter of Henley’s 13th-century work “Hosbondrye,” one of the most influential […]

Researchers propose a unified, scalable framework to measure agricultural greenhouse gas emissions
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Increased government investment in climate change mitigation is prompting agricultural sectors to find reliable methods for measuring their contribution to climate change. With that in mind, a team led by scientists at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign proposed a supercomputing solution to help measure individual farm field-level greenhouse gas emissions. Although locally […]

New book chronicles personal, professional journey studying futures markets
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. —A new book by a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign expert in agricultural commodity markets explores a lifetime spent studying the massive markets that underpin the global financial system. Scott Irwin, the Laurence J. Norton Chair of Agricultural Marketing in the department of agricultural and consumer economics at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, is […]

Bollero named College of ACES dean
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Germán Bollero will be the next dean of the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, pending approval by the University of Illinois Board of Trustees. The appointment takes effect April 16. Bollero’s title will be dean designate until board approval. Bollero has served as the […]

Are Illinois farmers aware of the risk of tick-borne diseases?
Tick-borne illnesses like ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever are on the rise in Illinois, and outdoor workers like farmers are at higher risk than those who spend more time indoors. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Ph.D. candidate Sulagna Chakraborty and her colleagues at Illinois led a new study on the subject that surveyed […]