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CAFNR Research Digest
CAFNR Office of Research Newsletter // July 30, 2020 // 2(14)
Message from the Associate Dean for Research

The No. 1 research goal in CAFNR’s Strategic Plan is to “Create a culture of research and innovation excellence.” As a part of that goal, we are launching two new awards that recognize the excellence in our research enterprise.

The awards will recognize two of the college’s outstanding graduate students along with their advisors for the quality of their master’s thesis and doctoral dissertation.

Please consider nominating your graduate students for these new awards by Aug. 31! For more information on the Distinguished Dissertation and Thesis Awards, and the nomination process, you may click here.

Also, I would like take this opportunity to thank David Cope, superintendent of the Southwest Research Center, for his leadership and service to the Missouri Agricultural Experiment Station and our stakeholders during the past six years. David’s last day with Southwest is July 31. We wish him the very best in his future endeavors.

Shibu Jose
Associate Dean for Research
Director, MO Agricultural Experiment Station

Feature Stories
An Investment in Animal Reproduction Research (click to read)
An Investment in Animal Reproduction Research »

The Division of Animal Sciences received nearly $1.5 million in funding from USDA-NIFA. A total of 14 awards were handed out to 11 institutions, with CAFNR earning three of the awards.

Ray Massey Receives 2020 C. Brice Ratchford Memorial Fellowship Award (click to read)
Ray Massey Receives 2020 C. Brice Ratchford Memorial Fellowship Award »

The C. Brice Ratchford Memorial Fellowship Award recognizes a University of Missouri faculty member who demonstrates commitment, dedication and effectiveness in advancing the land-grant mission through Extension, international education and agricultural economics programs.

Agricultural Research Centers
Greenley Research Center Virtual Field Day - Aug. 4 »

This year, the Greenley Research Center is going to kick-off CAFNR’s Agricultural Research Center field day season virtually. They will offer a handful of online, prerecorded presentations that will be available via the Center’s website and Facebook page.

Hundley-Whaley Research Center Virtual Field Day - Aug. 11 (click to read)
Hundley-Whaley Research Center Virtual Field Day - Aug. 11 »

Instead of offering an in-person Twilight Tour, Hundley-Whaley will go virtual this year, along with the majority of the other Research Centers in the Missouri Agricultural Experiment Station network.

Research Roars

Wes Warren, Professor in the Division of Animal Sciences, Receives USDA-NIFA Grant

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) recently announced 10 animal breeding, genetics and genomics grants to improve the quality of genome sequences, characterization of genes along with their function and control, and analytics for animal selection and breeding. These projects will lead to higher efficiency of agricultural animals through precision breeding that will improve productivity and profit. These grants are part of NIFA’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative.

Wes Warren, professor in the Division of Animal Sciences, received one of the grants. His project title is, “A Chicken Pan-Genome Reference Panel and Single Cell Atlas to Broadly Study Environmental Challenges.”

Sofia Ortega Named Zamorano AGEAP USA Alumni of the Month

Sofia Ortega, assistant professor of reproductive physiology in Animal Sciences, has recently been recognized as the AGEAP USA Alumni of the Month. Ortega’s interest in reproductive physiology began at Zamorano (Class of 2003), through her work in Honduras. To read more, click here.

In the News

A Partnership Yields New Insights into Food Systems in Underserved Communities

Engineering for Change

The important role demand plays in the livestock market

Brownfield AG News

Avoiding food contamination with a durable coating for hard surfaces

Technology

Heavy weed pressure? Consider two-pass herbicide system

The Farmer

NIFA grants focus on animal reproduction research

FeedStuffs

Alfalfa harvest is happening at the Foremost Dairy Research Center (Columbia, Mo.). This alfalfa is being stored in a silage pit rather than baled for hay. It will be mixed with other forage throughout the year for the cows. Click here to learn more about the Foremost Dairy Research Center.