The Michigan State University Board of Trustees has authorized two infrastructure projects critical to the future of Michigan food production and agriculture. Substantial renovations and additions to the Plant Sciences Greenhouses are being made as well as the construction of an updated, state-of-the-art Dairy Cattle Teaching and Research Center, with the state of Michigan providing …
Younsuk Dong, an assistant professor and Extension specialist at Michigan State University’s Department of Biosystem and Agricultural Engineering, has been recognized by MSU Extension with the 2023 Innovative Technology Award for his LOCOMOS technology. LOCOMOS (Low-Cost Monitoring System) uses affordable sensors and monitoring tools to provide real-time data on soil moisture levels, allowing farmers to …
In plants, the jasmonate, or JA, signaling pathway helps plants control their defense responses to environmental stresses. Like the human body, plants respond differently to individual threats. Just as people wouldn’t get a fever due to a sprained ankle, plants deal with harmful elements in particular ways. A study from the MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory …
Michigan State University researcher Bruno Basso suggests that advanced plant sensors can provide farmers with real-time data on soil, crops, and weather. However, their uptake remains slow due to high costs and complexity. Furthermore, extreme weather events driven by climate change are decreasing yields. While sensors could and would help farmers adapt to the new …
Funded by the Michigan Strategic Fund through the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), the Michigan Translational Research and Commercialization (MTRAC) Program was established in 2012 in order to accelerate the creation and transfer of new technologies from Michigan’s institutions of higher learning into the commercial market by way of licenses to existing companies or startups. …
Michigan State University plant biologists have made a discovery that could help turn a natural kill switch in plant cells into a “life switch” that helps crops better survive the challenges presented by climate change. At its core, though, this is a fundamental finding, shared in the journal Nature Plants, that has implications across biology for …
The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded the Michigan State University-Department of Energy (MSU-DOE) Plant Research Laboratory (PRL) a $12 million DOE Office of Basic Energy Sciences competitive renewal grant to continue research in photosynthetic energy capture, conversion and storage. The three-year grant (2023-2026) will allow PRL scientists to continue in their mission to understand …
Newly published research from Michigan State University scientists demonstrates how regionally specific machine learning-based modeling more effectively monitors levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) chemicals in Michigan drinking water compared to nationwide models. Findings were published in the journal Water Research. The project was led by A. Pouyan Nejadhashemi, MSU Foundation Professor in the departments …
One of the next climate change solutions might be found at your local dairy farm. A team of MSU researchers is studying ways to generate renewable energy from dairy farm waste to charge electric vehicles (EVs). Wei Liao, a professor in MSU’s Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering (BAE) and the director of MSU’s Anaerobic Digestion …
The world’s population is expected to reach 10 billion people by 2050. A growing population means more food will be needed to feed that population. According to the United Nations, food production must double to meet that demand. Livestock products are a piece of that demand. There are challenges to be overcome and changes to …
