|  | | | Faculty in the News - August 2007 | |
U.S. corn crop expected to pull through
Bismarck Farm & Ranch Guide, August 30, 2007
The
John Deere Pro Farmer Midwest Crop Tour brought good news that much of
the Corn Belt will produce a pretty big corn crop. ... "We've had rain
over much of the heart of the Corn Belt recently," said Ed Usset,
University of Minnesota Extension grain marketing economist. "There is
no one that should be talking about a lack of rain." | | |
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Soybean industry seeks out size of 2007 U.S. crop
Bismarck Farm & Ranch Guide, August 30, 2007
The
soybean market continues to trade in a volatile fashion. ... "The
number of acres is the next big issue here," said Ed Usset, University
of Minnesota Extension grain marketing economist. "The acreage issue is
huge. There are acres in the southern part of the United States where
decisions are being made on winter wheat. |
DNR policy shift could mean more walleyes for Leech Lake
The Pilot Independent, August 30, 2007
The
Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced at a Leech Lake Fishing
Task Force (LLFTF) meeting in Walker Aug. 8 that it will now allow use
of Cut Foot Sioux strain walleyes for stocking in Leech Lake.... This
policy shift is the result of genetic testing done by the Department of
Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology at the University of
Minnesota. | | |
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State to send retroactive subsidies to ethanol plants
Rochester Post-Bulletin, August 30, 2007
State
government is preparing to send $1.8 million in ethanol subsidies to 13
plants to make up for payment cuts made during a budget crisis four
years ago. ... C. Ford Runge, a University of Minnesota economist,
questions the decision."In a period when resources are being stretched
by natural and man-made disasters, it seems odd to give money to
ethanol companies that are swimming in profits," he said. |
How best to protect Lake Hallett rallies St. Peter
Mankato Free Press, August 30, 2007
The
differing parties agree that Lake Hallett in St. Peter is a community
resource worth preserving. But how to best tend to that is where their
roads fork. Recent lab tests found higher than acceptable levels of e.
coli in the lake. "There are always high levels after surface rains,
so this doesn't surprise me," says Barb Liukkonen, who heads the
University of Minnesota monitoring project. | | |
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About the fall fertilization of lawns
Aitkin Independent Age, August 29, 2007
Growing
plants depend on soil for water, nutrients and root growth. Additional
nutrients should be applied when essential elements are at low levels.
... A reputable soil test laboratory, such as the University of
Minnesota laboratory will give fertilizer recommendations based on the
soil, crop and desired yield goal. |
Local
crops growing well
Albert Lea Tribune, August 22, 2007
Southern
Minnesota farmers have seen some extreme weather during prime growing
months this year — from hot, almost drought-like conditions to buckets
of rain. ... Mark Seeley, a University of Minnesota Extension Service
climatologist, said the recent rain in Freeborn County has helped the
crops, even if it did cause flooding in other parts of the state. | | |
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First the crown, then 8 hours in the cooler
Star Tribune, August 22, 2007
Ann Miron, a 19-year-old college student from Hugo, was named
Princess Kay of the Milky Way on Tuesday at the Minnesota State
Fairgrounds. As Princess Kay, Miron, who represents Washington County,
will serve as the official goodwill ambassador for Minnesota's 5,000
dairy farmers. She is a student at the University of Minnesota majoring
in agricultural education. |
Park rangers say leave mussels alone
Spooner Advocate - WI, August 22, 2007
“The
gathering and use of all live and dead mussels and empty mussel shells
is prohibited,” reads the Code of Federal Regulations that the National
Park Service enforces along the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway. ...
Mark Hove, Research Fellow at the University of Minnesota and mussel
researcher on the St. Croix, positively identified six species from
photographs the rangers took when apprehending the youth. | | |
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Flooding damages organic farmers' crops
Business Week, August 22, 2007
Richard
de Wilde estimates he lost hundreds of thousands of dollars this week
when a foot of rain inundated his organic beef and vegetable farm in
southwestern Wisconsin. ... "We have a lot of steep, hilly country and
we've had a lot of mudslides," said Tom Van Der Linden, the local
University of Minnesota extension educator. "The biggest problem we've
had is mudslides that have taken out fences and livestock have gotten
loose." |
Taste may not be such a barrier for
wholegrain acceptance - study
AP Food Technology - France, August 21, 2007
Taste
has been identified as a key restraining factor on consumer acceptance
of wholegrain products, despite the health benefits associated with
wholegrains over refined grains. ... "A segment of the consumer
population liked refined breads better than whole wheat breads,
indicating that sensory properties are a barrier to consumption of
whole wheat bread," wrote the researchers, led by Zata Vickers from the
University of Minnesota. | | |
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Dangerous silo gas can result from
drought-stressed corn
Hutchinson Leader, August 21, 2007
Farm
workers always need to be aware of dangerous silo gas at silo filling
time, but this year presents an especially dangerous threat. ... Silo
gas, also known as nitrogen dioxide, is apt to be at higher levels in
plants that have been drought-stressed, says John Shutske, professor
and safety and health specialist with the University of Minnesota. |
Peter Holter: Grazing the grasslands could
help the environment, economy
Albuquerque Tribune - NM, August 21, 2007
Recent
news reports have told us that ethanol, now the "big player" in the
alternative fuels arena, is using up corn that would otherwise be fed
to cattle, dairy cows, swine, sheep and fowl. ... We could create
another source of biofuels. Research conducted at the University of
Minnesota and reported in the December 2006 issue of Science magazine,
indicated that biofuels derived from grassland plants yield up to twice
as much energy per unit of land as corn-based ethanol does. | | |
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Local grower sees opportunity with pair of new blueberry varieties
Fresh Plaza - Netherlands, August 21, 2007
The
American Blueberry Company in northern Dunn County is gearing up to put
Wisconsin on the map for blueberry production. ... The reason Stuart
believes he can put Wisconsin in first place for blueberries — a crop
that has not been commercially viable in either Wisconsin or Minnesota
— is because two new blueberry bush varieties have been developed and
tested by the University of Minnesota. |
World economy impacts corn markets in
August
Farm and Ranch Guide, August 17, 2007
The
U.S. expects to harvest a very large corn crop, and the demand for corn
is also very large. ... “This slows the process of devaluation, or
deflation of these assets,” said Glenn Pederson, University of
Minnesota economist in financial markets and agribusiness. “It
establishes a more normal condition in the market.” | | |
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Southeastern
Minnesota, long prone to flash floods
KARE 11, August 21, 2007
While
a constant, 12-hour downpour was the catalyst for the southeastern
Minnesota floods, there are a number of other factors that contributed
to the devastating weekend. ... "You have a lot of steep slopes, in
addition to the sloped land you have some shallow soil layers," Mark
Seeley, a climatologist with the University of Minnesota
said. Seeley is also the author of Minnesota Weather Almanac. |
Ethanol Will Not Fuel the Future, Oregon Researchers Say
Chronicle of Higher Education, August 17, 2007
If
you’re thinking about running the campus fleet on biofuel, you might
think twice. ... Of course, readers of The Chronicle should know this
already. In the sustainability package last year, an economist from the
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities raised serious questions about the
use of ethanol as a green fuel. The University of Minnesota was touting
its ethanol-burning fleet as “green.” | | |
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Deep Valleys Make SE Minn. Vulnerable
WCCO-TV, August 20th, 2007
Sunday's
devastating floods in far southeastern Minnesota were the product of a
stalled-out weather system meeting the region's rugged topography. ...
One of the earliest recorded fatal floods in Minnesota killed 30
settlers in August 1866 along the Root River, tucked in the southeast
corner of the state, according to University of Minnesota
meteorologist and climatologist Mark Seeley in his book "Minnesota
Weather Almanac." |
Forecasts calling for more rain
Star Tribune, August 20, 2007
After
a brief respite today -- if you can call a few rain showers a respite
-- another inch or two of rain could fall over already soaked areas of
southern Minnesota on Wednesday and Thursday, forecasters said. ... And
now, additional rain probably will not help Minnesota's corn crop, said
University of Minnesota climatologist Mark Seeley. | | |
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Lay of the land opens door to disaster
Star Tribune, August 20, 2007
Sunday's
devastating floods in far southeastern Minnesota were the product of a
stalled-out weather system meeting the region's rugged topography. ...
One of the earliest recorded fatal floods in Minnesota killed 30
settlers in August 1866 along the Root River, tucked in the southeast
corner of the state, according to University of Minnesota
meteorologist and climatologist Mark Seeley in his book "Minnesota
Weather Almanac." |
Blast through harvest bottlenecks
Top Producer, August 3, 2007
Making harvest operations more efficient and avoiding costly
breakdowns are keys to a smooth corn harvest for US farmers.
University of Minnesota agricultural economist Jerry Fruin says, "I
think we're going to see the biggest corn piles of all this fall...if
the export markets hold up we'll probably get rid of the corn crop with
all deliberate speed." | | |
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Crist energy plan fuels skeptics
Florida Today - FL, August 13, 2007
Installing
solar panels and a hydrogen cell at the Governor's Mansion to make his
point, Gov. Charlie Crist seized control of the state's energy policy
from a Legislature he considered too timid. ... In it, University of
Minnesota researchers found that corn yields 25 percent more energy
than it takes to turn it into ethanol. |
Greater
Minnesota growing, too
Mankato Free Press, August 14, 2007
With
about half the state’s population living in the seven county Twin
Cities metro area, it’s easy to believe the rest of the state is seeing
no growth, or losing population. ... The study, done by the University
of Minnesota, was looking at natural resources needs, specifically
regional parks. Regional parks are at least 100 acres and provide
things like camping, hiking and boating. | | |
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Field day gives first look at fertilizer
from turkey litter power plant
West Central Tribune, August 13, 2007
It
wasn’t glamorous, but a new star in the crop fertilizer business made
its debut Tuesday in a field of wheat stubble west of Clontarf. ...
University of Minnesota research, completed at sites in Morris,
Appleton and Lamberton, showed that crops fertilized with Nafgrow
produced the same yield as conventional fertilizer. |
A sparkling endeavor
Chippewa Herald - WI, August 10, 2007
Al
and Donna Sachs like to get their feet dirty. ... Those local grapes
have been developed by the University of Minnesota and carry names like
Frontenac, LaCrescent, and Marquette. “The University of Minnesota
developed hybrid grapes that focused on the characteristics of a good
wine and a heartiness to survive a Minnesota (or Wisconsin) winter,”
Donna said. | | |
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Using
drought-stressed corn for forage
Tri-County News, August 16, 2007
Drought-stressed
corn is prevalent in many areas of the state. Much of this moisture
stress occurred during the critical developmental stages of pollination
and early grain fill. ... Dale Hicks and Paul Peterson, University of
Minnesota, report that the occurrence of drought during or
immediately after pollination could be associated with highest nitrate
accumulations. |
Biomass
development takes center stage
Agri News, August 14, 2007
Biomass
development took center stage at two recent workshops. ...
Sustainability was part of the workshop's message, said Dean Current,
program director of the University of Minnesota Center for Integrated
and Natural Resources Management. | | |
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A
plant with all the ‘right stuff’
International Falls Daily Journal, August 15, 2007
Winter
hardy, insect and disease resistant, with delightful ornamental
qualities-sounds like the perfect plant for my garden, especially since
it thrives and glows in the shade where most of my gardening is done.
... This remarkable shrub is Garden Glow (Cornus hessei), a newly
developed dogwood developed by the University of Minnesota. |
Badgersett Research Corporation near Canton has biodiesel
breakthroughs
Bluff Country Newspaper, August 15, 2007
Badgersett
Research Corporation (BRC), announces three major breakthroughs in
sustainable biodiesel production this year. ... Dr. Paul Porter from
the University of Minnesota will be bringing the "on farm" oil press he
has been developing to the field day on Saturday. Badgersett NeoHybrid
hazelnuts will be pressed in several ways, including whole nuts, shell
and all. | | |
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Good data in, good food out
Star Tribune, August 20, 2007
When
your company is being investigated by the Food and Drug Administration
over contaminated Chinese food products, it's good to have proof you
did nothing wrong. ... The company is just one of several that have
jumped at the chance to provide such software, said Jean Kinsey,
co-director of the University of Minnesota's Food Industry Center. |
Can a new wasp help protect soybeans?
Minnesota Public Radio, August 17, 2007
Asian
wasps aren't very scary. ... George Heimpel is an entomologist at the
University of Minnesota. "They lay their eggs inside the aphid and the
aphid hatches and turns into larvae and that larvae feeds on the aphid
from the inside out. So it's kind of like the movie "Alien," Heimpel
says. | | |
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Movies:
A sci-fi monster-movie summer
Star Tribune, August 16, 2007
In
a special free summer edition of Science on Screen, the Bell Museum of
Natural History on the University of Minnesota East Bank campus is
hosting a look at the science in sci-fi monster movies of the 1950s. |
Keep safety in mind when cleaning up after flood damage
Agri-News, August 28, 2007
As
flood and storm damage cleanup efforts continue, it is important to
consider safety issues. Often times, people may know safety guidelines
but fail to put them into action after a dramatic and stressful event
like a flood, said John Shutske, safety specialist for the University
of Minnesota. | | |
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"Super-tasters" study your taste senses
Daily Aztec - California, August 29, 2007
They
came from the Netherlands to discuss how children make faces in
response to food they like or dislike. ... If your strawberry yogurt is
the third best seller, these people can tell you how it is different
from the first, and what can you do," said Zata Vickers of the
University of Minnesota's Department of Food Science and Nutrition. |
Silo gas especially dangerous this year
Agri-News, August 28, 2007
Farm
workers always need to be aware of dangerous silo gas at silo-filling
time, but this year presents an especially dangerous threat.
University of Minnesota safety and health specialist John Shutske says
drought-stressed corn is apt to produce more of the dangerous gas. | | |
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Discovering Re-Growth After BWCA Forest Fires
WCCO-TV, August 27, 2007
There
are few places on earth more tranquil and serene than Minnesota's
Boundary Waters. ... To see first hand how nature recovers from fire,
WCCO-TV toured the area with University of Minnesota Forestry
Professor, Lee Frelich. |
Good planning helps recovery from tornado, wind damage
Hutchinson Leader, August 23
Nearly
every year in the upper midwest a number of unfortunate farm families
experience the destructive forces associated with tornadoes or high
winds. ... Individual reactions to these kinds of losses vary, but many
people experience shock and extreme stress, say Larry Jacobson and
Kevin Janni, engineers with University of Minnesota. | | |
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Rain ignored some, helped some -- and brought misery to others
Star Tribune, August 23, 2007
Despite
torrential weekend rains in southern Minnesota, a wide swath of central
and northeastern Minnesota received little precipitation and remains in
extreme drought, a new federal report said Thursday. ... "In the past
200 years I can't find another point in time when Minnesota's landscape
was exhibiting this range of hydrological extremes," said Mark Seeley,
University of Minnesota climatologist and meteorologist. |
It's official: Rain that flooded SE Minnesota is a state record
Star Tribune, August 23, 2007
Now
it's official. The torrential rains that flooded southeastern Minnesota
last weekend set a state record for rainfall during a 24-hour period,
smashing the old record by more than 4 inches. ... In this case, the
vote was unanimous, said Mark Seeley,climatologist for the University
of Minnesota. | | |
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Using drought-stressed corn for forage
Lakeville Sun Current, August 16, 2007
Drought-stressed
corn is prevalent in many areas of the state. ... Dale Hicks and Paul
Peterson, University of Minnesota, report that the occurrence of
drought during or immediately after pollination could be associated
with highest nitrate accumulations |
Smithsonian scientists show differing
patterns of rainforest biodiversity
Yuba Net - CA, August 9, 2007
Rainforests
are the world's treasure houses of biodiversity, but all rainforests
are not the same. ... The group of international researchers working in
New Guinea includes Scott Miller and Karolyn Darrow from the
Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History and Yves Basset from
the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama, with National
Museum of Natural History research associates Vojtech Novotny (Czech
Academy of Sciences) and George Weiblen (University of Minnesota). | | |
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Pawlenty
wants to pump up biodiesel
Pioneer Press, August 9, 2007
Gov.
Tim Pawlenty wants to raise Minnesota's biodiesel mandate from 2
percent to 20 percent, a move that would boldly send Minnesota where no
state has gone before. ... "If you want to increase the amount of
biodiesel in fuel, that's more demand, and more demand is higher
prices," said Ed Usset, a grain marketing specialist at the University
of Minnesota. "I learned that on the first day of economics." |
Food
vs. fuel still subject of hot debate
StarTribune, August 8, 2007
If
1,800 ethanol producers came to a national conference in St. Paul to be
flattered, the editorial cartoons flashed before them must have come as
a disappointment. ... If the battle of "food vs. fuel" is over,
however, University of Minnesota economist C. Ford Runge didn't hear
about the truce."Urbanchuk is essentially trying to muddy what is a
clear relationship between ethanol and a wide range of foods, including
milk, eggs, poultry, beef, processed foods and corn syrup," Runge said. | | |
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How to save trees in these drought
conditions
Shakopee News, August 8, 2007
Minnesota’s
trees are dying and need help. ... Extension professor Gary Johnson,
University of Minnesota Department of Forest Resources, adds bad
planting practices to the list of stressors but says, “A lot of sins
can be forgiven if water is managed. Newly planted trees need
(watering) twice a week, 3 to 5 gallons at a time.” |
Sewage sludge meets wall
Mille Lacs County Times, August 1, 2007
Mille Lacs County Commissioners were again
asked to consider the
request by the City of Princeton to apply the bio-solids from its waste
water treatment facility onto farm land in Bogus Brook Township.
Professor Chuck Clanton represented the University of Minnesota's
Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering. He said "This is
a hot topic, a hard topic." | | |
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Israeli species could offer solution to looming global wheat disease
Israeli 21C - CA, August 6, 2007
A
native Israeli wheat species is the likely botanic "antidote" to a new
fungus strain that threatens 70 percent of the world's wheat crops and
is relentlessly moving north from Africa. ... Researchers at the
University of Minnesota (UoM), who are working with botanists at Tel
Aviv University (TAU), have found that Sharon goatgrass is almost
completely safe from the fungus, which was discovered eight years ago
in Uganda. |
City
officials gear up for Monday's commute
USA Today, August 4, 2007
Officials
bracing for Monday's commute say it will be the first real test of the
city's hobbled transportation system since the Interstate 35W bridge
collapsed Wednesday into the Mississippi River. ... In Minneapolis,
commuters aren't the only motorists who will take a hit. So will
truckers who deliver goods to and from downtown, said Jerry Fruin,
associate professor of transportation logistics at the University of
Minnesota, Twin Cities. Fruin said about 5,000 trucks crossed the
bridge each day. | | |
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Impact on businesses from the 35W collapse
The York Daily Record, August 3, 2007
Drivers
of semi-trucks loaded with freight found themselves stuck in congestion
Thursday on detours around the collapsed Interstate 35W bridge in
Minneapolis, part of a major artery through town, delaying loads and
prompting a trade group to appeal to Gov. Tim Pawlenty for help. ...
Coal and scrap iron also moves through the stretch of river near the
collapsed bridge, said Jerry Fruin, a professor of applied economics
and a bulk commodities transportation expert at the University of
Minnesota. |
Winona County is fortunate to be part of
organic growth
Winona Daily News, August 1, 2007
I
had the pleasure recently of stopping by the Winona Farmers Market for
some local organic chicken, fresh fruits and veggies. ... Organic dairy
farmers Dale and Carmen Pangrac of Lewiston recently hosted a
University of Minnesota Extension tour of their operation. | | |
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The Environmental Costs of
Ethanol
National Center for Policy
Analysis - TX, August 2, 2007
There
is growing bipartisan political support for increased use of ethanol.
... If every acre of corn were used to produce ethanol, it would supply
the equivalent of only 12 percent of current gasoline use, according to
researchers at the University of Minnesota. |
University
of Minnesota experts on hand at Farmfest
Hutchinson Leader, August 2, 2007
Tips
will be available on everything from corn-growing to the current
drought at the University of Minnesota’s tent at the 26th annual
Farmfest, Aug. 7, 8 and 9, at the Gilfillan Estate in Redwood County.
... University of Minnesota experts on hand can connect visitors with
information about agriculture, natural resources, food and nutrition
and other areas. Production agriculture specialists will be on hand
each day to answer questions about the latest research. | | |
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Energy plan has skeptics
Pensacola NewsJournal, August 5, 2007
Installing
solar panels and a hydrogen cell at the Governor's Mansion to make his
point, Charlie Crist seized control of the state's energy policy from a
Legislature he considered too timid. ... In it, University of Minnesota
researchers found that corn yields 25 percent more energy than it takes
to turn it into ethanol. |
Dry
as a bone and all alone
Pioneer Press, August 1, 2007
Minnesota's
corn crop is shriveling in the drought, yet the grain markets keep
yawning. Corn prices have barely moved in two weeks. ... "The markets
aren't yawning at us," said Ed Usset, a grain-marketing expert at the
University of Minnesota. "The markets look at the Corn Belt as a whole.
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