DISCOVER
Research that matters from the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences
Research within the College of ACES impacts all our lives. With expertise in agriculture and the environment, data and technology, family and communities, and health and wellness, our reach is both broad and deep. Uniting us is 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 the area of agriculture and environment, focusing on science and policy that could make meaningful impacts for generations to come.
RECRUITING COWS IN THE FIGHT AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
A new three-year, $3.2 million project led by ACES animal scientists is targeting methane production in cattle as a means to reduce the potent greenhouse gas and mitigate climate change. Microbes in the rumen break down dietary components to create energy. In the process, waste hydrogen ions are attached to carbons, generating methane molecules that escape and trap heat in our atmosphere. The research team plans to study the process in detail in the rumen before investigating compounds that can redirect waste hydrogens away from methane and toward energy-packed molecules. If successful, this research will reduce the climate burden without compromising growth and performance of beef and dairy cattle.
A new ACES project aims to reduce methane production in the rumen by 30-40%
EXTREME RAINFALL INCREASES AG NUTRIENT RUNOFF, MITIGATION STRATEGIES CAN HELP
Nutrient runoff from agricultural production is a significant source of water pollution, and climate change that produces extreme precipitation is likely to exacerbate the problem. Researchers from the University of Illinois, the University of Massachusetts, and the University of Wisconsin correlated ammonia and phosphorus concentrations in watersheds across Wisconsin with the location of livestock farms and crop acreages. They found nutrient spikes after extreme rainfall; the effect increased with the amount of precipitation and was higher in areas with more crop or livestock agriculture. However, soil conservation strategies such as cover crops can mitigate the problem. Phosphorus levels remain elevated months after an extreme rain event, but an additional 5% of crop acreage with winter cover crops can mitigate approximately one extreme precipitation event per year. Cover crops
DISCOVER : Agriculture & Environment
Micro- and nanoplastics in agricultural soils could lead to more antibioticresistant bacteria in the food supply
SOIL MICROPLASTICS COULD THREATEN SAFETY OF FOOD SUPPLY
Micro- and nanoplastics have been detected in every ecosystem, and agricultural soils are no exception. But in ag soils, microplastics could impact the food supply and public health. In other systems, microplastics are known to provide a place for microbes to congregate and swap genes, including antibiotic resistance genes. If this phenomenon also occurs in soils, which ACES researchers suspect it does, antibiotic resistant microbes could come in contact with or even enter harvested crops. A team of ACES food scientists is currently investigating. They say it’s important to understand the impacts of micro- and nanoplastics in the soil and our food system, raise awareness, and push toward biodegradable plastic alternatives.
THE SILVER BULLET THAT WASN’T
When glyphosate-tolerant corn and soybeans arrived on the market a quarter century ago, the advance was heralded by some as a silver bullet for weed control. Soon, farmers across North America were exclusively growing tolerant crops and spraying just one herbicide - glyphosate. But when ACES and USDA-ARS researchers examined 25 years of data from U.S. and Canadian universities, they revealed glyphosate lost efficacy against every major weed species examined within 2-3 years, a trend that only worsened with time. The study clearly shows weeds adapt rapidly to management. In other words, there is no silver bullet for weed control. The researchers say weed management complexity, not simplicity, is the way forward.
FUNDING SOURCES
Methane Reduction: The $3.2 million project is part of the Greener Cattle Initiative, led by the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research. Rod Mackie, Department of Animal Sciences and Josh McCann, Department of Animal Sciences
Contact: Rod Mackie, r-mackie@illinois.edu
Microplastics: This work is supported by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
Pratik Banerjee, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition and Jayashree Nath, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition
Contact: Pratik Banerjee, pratik@illinois.edu
Over-reliance on a single method of weed control led to a very rapid decline in efficacy, according to new ACES research
Herbicide: This study received no external funding.
Aaron Hager, Department of Crop Sciences, Chris Landau, USDA Agricultural Research Service, and Martin Williams, USDA Agricultural Research Service and Department of Crop Sciences
Contact: Martin Williams, martin.williams@usda.gov
Extreme Rainfall: Funding for this project came from the University of Wisconsin Dairy Innovation Hub
Marin Skidmore, Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics
Contact: Marin Skidmore, marins@illinois.edu
