Research

In a new study published in PLOS Genetics, Decker and his team have uncovered evidence showing that cattle are losing important environmental adaptations, losses the researchers attribute to a lack of genetic information available to farmers.

Aug. 29, 2021

Cattle Losing Adaptations to Environmental Stressors, MU Researchers Find

As a fourth-generation cattle farmer, Jared Decker knows that cattle suffer from health and productivity issues when they are taken from one environment–which the herd has spent generations adapting to–to a place with a different climate, a different elevation or even different grass. But as a researcher at the University of Missouri, Decker also sees an opportunity to use science to solve this problem, both to improve the welfare of cattle and to plug a leak in a nearly $50 billion industry in the U.S. “When I joined MU in 2013, I moved cattle from a family farm in New…

Aug. 29, 2021

Unconscious Biases can Drive Foodborne Illness Outbreaks, MU Researchers Find

In the midst of a pandemic that has claimed more than 2 million lives worldwide and disrupted nearly every facet of society since it appeared more than a year ago, understanding the factors that create and facilitate disease outbreaks is more important than ever. Now, researchers at the University of Missouri have determined that cognitive biases — patterns of errors in thinking that affect judgments and behaviors, often unconsciously — can help create and worsen foodborne disease outbreaks. Harvey James believes studying unconscious biases can help researchers learn how outbreaks are born. “Unethical behavior isn’t always…
The zebra finch is capable of vocal learning, a rare talent in the animal kingdom and the foundation of human speech.

Aug. 29, 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…
Earl Vories, an agricultural engineer with USDA-ARS, has been studying irrigation on the variable soils at the Fisher Delta Research Center, with a focus during the past five years on variable rate irrigation in cotton fields.

July 28, 2021

Studying Variable Rate Technology

Earl Vories has been researching variable rate irrigation in cotton fields at the Fisher Delta Research Center.

June 30, 2021

Studying Oxygen Levels in Lakes Around the World

A recent study shows that oxygen levels in temperate lakes around the world are declining rapidly, a trend that is largely driven by warming temperatures that threatens freshwater biodiversity and drinking water quality. Rebecca North, assistant professor of limnology in the University of Missouri (MU) College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR), took part in a world-wide study, which used data from over 400 lakes around the world, looking at oxygen levels. Of the 400 lakes studied, data from 30 reservoirs in the state of Missouri were used. The paper, titled Widespread Deoxygenation of Temperate Lakes,…
Cattle close-up of face

June 24, 2021

Supporting Future Scientists

Two postdoctoral fellows in the Division of Animal Sciences have received Lalor Foundation fellowships in the past three years.
Bryon Wiegand was recently named the director of the Division of Animal Sciences. Wiegand first joined Mizzou as an associate professor in 2007 and has served as a professor in the division since 2015, with assignments in teaching, research and Extension. He was named the associate division director in 2019. Photo courtesy of Bryon Wiegand.

May 13, 2021

A Humbling Opportunity

As an alum of the University of Missouri, Bryon Wiegand has worked at his alma mater since 2007, in the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR) Division of Animal Sciences. Wiegand first joined Mizzou as an associate professor and has served as a professor in the division since 2015, with assignments in teaching, research and Extension. He was named the associate division director in 2019 – and was recently tapped as the director of the Division of Animal Sciences. The new role is effective Saturday, May 15. “As a Mizzou alum, I am humbled to…
Ray Massey

April 7, 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…
The Precision and Automated Agriculture Lab (PAAL) in the CAFNR Division of Food Systems and Bioengineering recently teamed up with researchers in the CAFNR Division of Plant Sciences to study yield estimation of soybean breeding lines under drought stress using unmanned aerial vehicle-based imagery and convolutional neural network. Their work resulted in a paper published by Biosystems Engineering. Pictured is Jing Zhou flying a drone at the Fisher Delta Research Center. Photo courtesy of Jing Zhou.

April 6, 2021

A Different Perspective

High yield potential is often the top trait crop breeders look at, as higher yielding crops can lead to more money in a producer’s pocket. Researchers in the University of Missouri College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR) conduct a variety of trait-related trials through various breeding programs. The Precision and Automated Agriculture Lab (PAAL) in the CAFNR Division of Food Systems and Bioengineering recently teamed up with researchers in the CAFNR Division of Plant Sciences to study yield estimation of soybean breeding lines under drought stress using unmanned aerial vehicle-based imagery and convolutional neural network.
Kiruba Krishnaswamy

March 17, 2021

Food Innovations to Address Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2 – Zero Hunger

Kiruba Krishnaswamy, assistant professor of food science in the Division of Food Systems and Bioengineering, recently received a VentureWell Faculty Grant that will support a new course that incorporates experiential learning to create innovative solutions in food and agricultural systems. The course will be aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goal to eradicate hunger. “Students will learn about global challenges in food systems, including chronic hunger and hidden hunger, and learn how to become agents of change through food systems innovation,” Krishnaswamy said. Krishnaswamy was one of 13 recipients from across the United States who were chosen…