Two triennial events recently offered the root research community a closer look at projects from around the globe

The University of Missouri College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR) formed the Center for Regenerative Agriculture in January 2021, with the Missouri Department of Conservation providing an initial start-up grant to help the center get established and hire a program manager. The center recently unveiled its website, which offers numerous resources related to regenerative agriculture. While there is no single definition for regenerative agriculture, some key elements of the practice include increasing soil health and biodiversity, integrating a mix of conservation practices, and contributing to overall sustainability and profitability on working farms and ranches.

Complementary funding on cover crops and soil health that supports work related to the center is coming from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, the Walton Family Foundation, and the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research. Rob Myers, adjunct associate professor in the Division of Plant Sciences, serves as the director of the center.

MU researcher is part of an international effort to sequence the genomes of more than 70,000 species of animals, shining a light on the role of genetics in everything from behavior to disease

How to Teach an Entrepreneurial Mindset

The MU Office of Research and Economic Development is offering a virtual professional development seminar from 12-1 p.m. on Friday, June 4, with Jim Fay, titled, “How to Teach an Entrepreneurial Mindset.” Fay, an instructor and chemical engineering alumnus from Iowa State University, invented Huggies® Baby Wipes and Huggies® Pull-Ups® training pants and was part of the team that developed Huggies® disposable diapers. His credits also include Diaper Genie®, DEUS Rescue™ equipment for firefighters and many others.

Registration for the seminar is currently open.

CAFNR Faculty, Staff and Students Earn MU Graduate and Postdoctoral Awards

Numerous CAFNR faculty, staff and students were recently honored during the seventh annual MU Graduate and Postdoctoral Award ceremony.

Pei Liu Earns Dr. Richard Wallace Faculty Incentive Grant

Since its launch in 1994, the Mizzou Alumni Association (MAA) has provided start-up funds of about $700,000 to more than 300 faculty members for the initiation of research or professional development projects. The MAA supports the development of faculty through its Dr. Richard Wallace Faculty Incentive Grants program. Pei Liu, an assistant professor of hospitality management, was a 2021 recipient of one of the Dr. Richard Wallace Faculty Incentive Grants.

Biochemists Receive New TRIUMPH Funding Initiative Through MU School of Medicine

A new pilot grant program led by Senior Associate Dean Bill Fay announced 30 awards to School of Medicine (SOM) investigators, including multiple awards to MU Biochemistry faculty. Four biochemists are principal investigators on a TRIUMPH award, and four others are co-investigators. This program is part of the SOM’s initiative to transform research at MU by promoting advances in translational research and precision medicine. An additional key aim of TRIUMPH is to promote the success of the NextGen Precision Health Institute, scheduled to open in fall of 2021.

CAFNR faculty members have received the following recent grants (listed by Principal Investigator):

Kevin Bradley, Impregnated Fertilizer Expansion via Fall Applications, Corteva Agriscience LLC, 5/1/2021-1/31/2023, $16,000

Heike Buecking, Acquisition of Goods and Services – Plant Genetics, Agricultural Research Service, 4/1/2021-3/31/2022, $95,222

William McKelvey, Jr., 2020 Missouri Food Pantry Client Survey, Feeding MO, 5/1/2021-3/31/2022, $46,200

Craig Paukert, Linking Stream Fish Thermal Ecology and Adaptive Capacity to Inform Watershed-Based Management and Species Status Assessments, Geological Survey, 4/15/2021-12/31/2022, $216,234

MU Shows Fungicides in Soybean at R3 Boost Yield, Reduce Disease

Missouri Ag Connection

The Case for Spoon-Fed Fertility

Farm Progress

Double Stocking: Matching Growth Curves

DTN/Progressive Farmer

Northwest Missouri Ahead for Planting Season

News-Press Now

The header photo shows an example of the Arabidopsis plant grown at the Bond Life Sciences Center used for multiple lab experiments. Gary Stacey’s lab recently made an observation that could lead to interesting future advancements in plant breeding and engineering, which was recently published in Nature Communications. Stacey is a Curators’ Distinguished Professor with appointments in the Division of Plant Sciences and the Department of Biochemistry.