Volume 3 | Issue 1
DISCOVER UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURAL, CONSUMER AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
WHAT WE DO + WHY IT MATTERS
Research within the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences impacts all our lives. With expertise in agriculture and the environment, family and communities, and health and wellness, our reach is both broad and deep. Uniting us is a reliance on the latest innovations in data and technology, as well as a deep commitment to solving real-world problems affecting Central Illinois, the United States, and the globe. Here, we highlight a fraction of our world-class research in the area of agriculture and the environment, showcasing our commitments to solving hunger across the globe, conserving wildlife, and reducing the environmental impacts of agriculture.
DELIVERING MORE MILK TO FOODINSECURE TROPICAL COUNTRIES A philanthropic project from the College of ACES is bringing the milkproducing power of Holsteins together with the heat tolerance of cattle indigenous to tropical climates. Using traditional breeding techniques along with artificial insemination, the project promises to deliver tropicaladapted cattle capable of producing 10 times the milk of indigenous breeds. Although similar hybrid breeds are common in Brazil, they can’t be exported to other countries due to endemic diseases. The high health status of the U.S. herd, along with access to the world’s best Holstein genetics, set the Illinois project apart. Better still, the researchers are simply giving the embryos away to developing countries, with the goal of establishing local herds and boosting food security for generations.
COULD CORN’S LOST MICROBIAL PARTNERS BE RESTORED? Before the Green Revolution, corn plants took advantage of partnerships with soil microbes to meet their nitrogen needs. But 40 years of corn breeding during a period of sharply increasing synthetic fertilizer application had some unintended outcomes, according to new research from ACES scientists. Not only did corn lose the ability to recruit “good” microbes – the ones that help plants acquire nitrogen without fertilizers – the crop now actively enlists “bad” microbes that contribute to nitrogen loss. The researchers hope to “rewild” the corn microbiome, bringing genes from ancient corn relatives into the modern crop to help restore partnerships with good soil microbes. If successful, they could reduce farmers’ reliance on synthetic fertilizers, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and avoid nutrient pollution in waterways.
Illinois-bred cows can produce 10x the milk of indigenous breeds in tropical climates.
Through 40 years of breeding, corn left nitrogen-acquiring microbes behind.
DISCOVER: AG & ENVIRONMENT aces-research@illinois.edu
aces.illinois.edu/research/areas/ag-env
RETHINKING BAT BOXES Many conservation professionals and homeowners install bat boxes in an attempt to protect the sensitive and ecologically important creatures. But many of these roosting boxes are small or painted in dark colors, potentially causing bats who use them to overheat and even die. ACES researchers are studying the impact of these products on bat populations, finding that the flying mammals often choose hot bat boxes over more suitable roosting sites. The researchers are working to educate the public about the dangers of certain bat boxes and encouraging homeowners to take other steps to create habitat for bats, such as planting native vegetation and providing clean water sources. They are also testing safer, cooler bat box designs.
Dark-colored bat boxes can exceed bat-safe temperatures by 40 degrees F
REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE INITIATIVE TAKES SHAPE AT ILLINOIS With climate change mounting an ever-growing threat to food security across the globe, it is critical to commit to sustainable farming practices. The University of Illinois has been innovating in the agriculture space for more than 150 years, and, with the launch of the new Illinois Regenerative Agriculture Initiative (IRAI) in 2020, it is advancing productivity, profitability, and environmental health through outcome-driven approaches. The IRAI encourages interdisciplinary research collaborations and requires each project to be conducted with the partnership of stakeholders, including producers, land owners, end users, policymakers, and more. Through these partnerships, the IRAI will enhance food security, reinvigorate rural and urban communities, and restore natural systems upon which life depends.
Source: General Mills
Regenerative agriculture integrates multiple disciplines and stakeholder perspectives while minimizing impact on the land.
FUNDING SOURCES Delivering Milk: An anonymous donor provided $1.2 million to this project Matt Wheeler, Animal Sciences Contact: Matt Wheeler, mbwheele@illinois.edu Corn Microbes: USDA-NIFA’s Agricultural Microbiomes Program ($750,000) and the Illinois Nutrient Research and Education Council ($250,000) Angela Kent, Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences | Alonso Favela, Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences | Martin Bohn, Crop Sciences Contact: Angela Kent, akent@illinois.edu Bat Boxes: No external funding Joy O’Keefe, Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences | Reed Crawford, Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences Contact: Joy O’Keefe, jmokeefe@illinois.edu Regenerative Agriculture: FreshTaste ($818,,000) Emily Heaton, Crop Sciences | Adam Davis, Crop Sciences | Madhu Khanna, Agricultural and Consumer Economics | Kim Kidwell, ACES Administration Contact: Emily Heaton, heaton6@illinois.edu
