When it comes to farming, becoming more sustainable can also mean becoming more profitable. So it’s only natural that farmers would look to Spartans for help going — and making — green. Michigan State University researchers have garnered a nearly $2.6 million grant to work with farmers across the country to make their fields more …
Michigan State University scientists, from their labs on campus to the fields of farmers in Michigan and beyond, are creating a roadmap to feed the world. It’s not without challenges. The obstacles include climate change, shrinking land suitable for growing crops and an unrelenting demand for food to fortify a booming population that is expected …
Dispatching drones equipped with remote sensing technology in the air and taking smartphone images on the ground, a Michigan State University researcher is helping farmers more quickly predict and quantify tar spot, a disease found in maize crops. “The fungus that causes tar spot likes cool temperatures and wet leaves,” said Addie Thompson, assistant professor …
Dairy cows often appear as slow, docile animals, but under the surface lies a highly tuned, milk-producing machine. “Compared to human athletes, dairy cows burn as much energy as a marathon runner,” said Dr. Barry Bradford, Dairy Management and Nutrition professor at Michigan State University’s (MSU) Department of Animal Science. Bradford’s research is focused on …
For centuries, potatoes have been a staple crop of many countries and, to this day, remain an essential crop in many nations worldwide. However, potatoes can be susceptible to various fungal infections called blights, which can wipe out entire crops. One of the most notable examples, the Irish Potato Famine, was caused by a potato …
Newly published research from Michigan State University demonstrates how to evaluate soil carbon stock changes more accurately. This calculation has significant implications on measuring the actual environmental benefits of regenerative agriculture practices and economic consequences through emerging carbon markets. The findings were published in Scientific Reports, a Nature Portfolio journal. The project was led by …
Younsuk Dong, an Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist at the MSU Department of Biosystem and Agricultural Engineering (BAE), has created a system that will improve irrigation and plant disease management. Dong’s hardware, entitled the Low-Cost Monitoring System (LOCOMOS), is aimed at helping farmers determine optimal crop water patterns and can help farmers decide when crops …
Michigan State University AgBioResearch Engineer Dana Kirk grew up working on his family’s dairy farm “running around scooping manure,” while simultaneously developing a curiosity for the symbiotic relationship farming has with the environment. Kirk’s interests blossomed into an academic career focused on the development and implementation of waste management systems and waste-to-energy systems for dairy …
Michigan State University is now home to one of the nation’s newest Energy Frontier Research Centers. Led by Cheryl Kerfeld, a Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and the MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory is focused on building ‘nanofactories’ inspired by natural processes found in bacterial microcompartments. These bacterial compartments house specific biochemical …
Dr. Muhammad Rabnawaz, assistant professor in the School of Packaging and professor in the Chemistry Department, is developing new ways to create plastics. Rabnawaz is researching ways to produce biodegradable plastics and recycle polymers. He utilized resources at the MSU Innovation Center to assist on the technological side of his work and stated that the …
