Inside CAFNR

Aug. 30, 2021

Breakthrough Could Lead to Early Detection of Pregnancy Complications

Constantine Simintiras and his colleagues in Thomas Spencer’s lab have found a non-invasive way to study fluid produced in the uterus during pregnancy. The quest to create safer, more successful pregnancies is one of the top goals of modern science. While pregnancy is better understood today than ever before, with improvements in technology helping to lower the risk of negative outcomes, there is much researchers still don’t know about a vital part of the pregnancy process: uterine fluid. Secreted by glands in the uterus during pregnancy, uterine fluid is believed to play an important role in…
The zebra finch is capable of vocal learning, a rare talent in the animal kingdom and the foundation of human speech.

Aug. 30, 2021

Piecing Together the Puzzles of Bird Genomes

In 2003, scientists finished sequencing the entire human genome, paving the way for new discoveries about genetic disorders and the numerous ways that genes influence behavior, health and other traits. But the importance of a complete genome for scientific reference is not limited to humans — researchers are now engaged in an all-out push to assemble the genomes of vertebrates across the animal kingdom, racing to unlock the secrets behind the genetic origins of unusual behaviors and the evolution of devastating diseases. In a flagship paper recently featured on the cover of Nature, more than 100 researchers worldwide contributed groundbreaking research to…
Michael Stambaugh cuts a sample from a white pine in northern Pennsylvania.

Aug. 30, 2021

A Burning Passion for the Good Kind of Forest Fire

Michael Stambaugh wants people to know that fire is not always bad. He knows that to some people, this is like saying water is dry, and after 20 years as a researcher at the University of Missouri, he’s still trying to show the good that can come from one of nature’s most powerful forces. “Fire is a historical legacy,” said Stambaugh, who is currently an associate research professor in MU’s College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR). “We, as people, are linked to it for our survival.” Stambaugh inspects the stump of an old white pine…
The inaugural University of Missouri College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR) Research Day will not only showcase the variety of research conducted within the College, the event will share insights about grants and programs for faculty, staff and students. CAFNR Research Day will be held Friday, May 7, and will be completely virtual. Registration is required for the event.

April 21, 2021

Sharing Insights and Opportunities

The inaugural University of Missouri College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR) Research Day will not only showcase the variety of research conducted within the College, the event will share insights about grants and programs for faculty, staff and students. CAFNR Research Day will be held Friday, May 7, and will be completely virtual. Registration is required for the event. “We’re incredibly excited to be able to offer this opportunity for our faculty, staff and students,” said Sarah Low, associate professor in the Division of Applied Social Sciences (DASS) and chair of the CAFNR Research Council. “The purpose…
Ray Massey

April 8, 2021

Nudging Landowners and Tenants Toward Environmental and Social Stewardship

Ray Massey, Extension professor, and Michelle Segovia, assistant professor, both faculty of agricultural and applied economics in the Division of Applied Social Sciences, recently received a grant from USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). The grant is for $498,833 and is titled, “Nudging Landowners and Tenants Toward Environmental and Social Stewardship.” The grant was part of a recent $11.5-million USDA research investment to help ensure America’s small and medium-sized farms become more profitable and improve the quality of life in American farm communities. “The ultimate goal of our project is to promote societal goals by fostering new leasing…
Maya Puller, senior in Plant Sciences, spoke about the importance of the state-of-the-art Henry Kirklin Plant Sciences Learning Laboratory at the dedication event on Feb. 24. (photo courtesy of News Bureau)

March 12, 2021

A Historic Dedication

On Feb. 24, the 151st anniversary of the founding of our college, CAFNR recognized Henry Kirklin, a celebrated Black farmer and educator who lived in and around Columbia from 1858 until his death in 1938, with the naming of the Henry Kirklin Plant Sciences Learning Laboratory, and the establishment of a scholarship for underrepresented minority students studying plant sciences, in his honor. Nearly a dozen of Kirklin’s descendants were in virtual attendance as leadership of MU and CAFNR, along with city leaders, dedicated the lab, which recognizes the man believed to have been the first Black teacher at the University…
Mary Hendrickson (pictured), associate professor of rural sociology in the University of Missouri College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR), and Kerry Clark, director of CAFNR International Programs and assistant research professor of rural sociology in CAFNR, were the recipients of one of the ORG grants, for more than $420,000. Their project is titled “Understanding and Overcoming Barriers to Adoption of Organic Agriculture in the Mid-South.”

Oct. 19, 2020

CAFNR Researchers Earn Grant Related to Organic Agriculture

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) recently invested $23 million to help boost organic farming and ranching. NIFA awarded 12 Organic Transitions Program (ORG) grants totaling $5.6 million to support research, education and extension efforts to help existing and transitioning organic livestock and crop producers adopt organic practices and improve their market competitiveness. Mary Hendrickson, associate professor of rural sociology in the University of Missouri College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR), and Kerry Clark, director of CAFNR International Programs and assistant research professor of rural sociology in CAFNR, were the…
Jefferson Farm and Garden will host a drive-through pumpkin pick-up from 3-6 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 22, at the Research Center in Columbia. Individuals can donate to the Mammography Fund, as well as pick up a pumpkin and decoration package to take home. Alisha Moreland will host a virtual event through Facebook for everyone to decorate together if they are interested.

Oct. 15, 2020

Pumpkins With a Purpose

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced individuals and groups to find creative solutions to canceled in-person events. For years, the University of Missouri College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR) has partnered with Alisha Moreland and her Alisha’s Pink Pumpkin Painting Party. Through those parties, Moreland raises funds and brings awareness to breast cancer. The funds go to the Ellis Fischel Cancer Center Mammography Fund. Moreland has scheduled parties at either the Bradford Research Center or the South Farm Research Center, both in Columbia, since 2014. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced Moreland to cancel her in-person parties; however, working alongside…
A trio of researchers in the University of Missouri College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR) Division of Animal Sciences recently received a 2020 Research Equipment Grant from C-Lock Inc. to purchase one GreenFeed Pasture System, which measures the amount of methane, carbon dioxide, oxygen, hydrogen and hydrogen sulfide gases released by cattle.

Oct. 8, 2020

Division of Animal Sciences Receive 2020 Research Equipment Grant

A trio of researchers in the University of Missouri College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR) Division of Animal Sciences recently received a 2020 Research Equipment Grant from C-Lock Inc. to purchase one GreenFeed Pasture System, which measures the amount of methane, carbon dioxide, oxygen, hydrogen and hydrogen sulfide gases released by cattle. Jared Decker, associate professor and state beef Extension specialist, Eric Bailey, assistant professor and state beef Extension specialist, and Derek Brake, assistant professor, are the trio leading the project for CAFNR. Their focus will be on using GreenFeed for the prediction of cow efficiency genetic…
Aerial view of CAFNR's South Farm Research Center

Aug. 12, 2020

A New Path

A new road will soon be constructed through CAFNR’s South Farm Research Center, but disruption to operations will be minimal and visibility for the research center will be increased, according to Tim Reinbott, South Farm superintendent and assistant director of the Missouri Agricultural Experiment Station. Discovery Parkway will soon extend from the Discovery Ridge exit off of Hwy 63 north to the intersection of Rolling Hills and New Haven roads, passing through South Farm from the south. The effect on the Research Center will include removing the portions of Sugar Grove Road that would intersect Discovery Parkway. Sugar Grove Road…