|  | | | Faculty in the News - June 2007 | |
A long road from China
Waseca County News, June 28, 2007
A
dozen years ago Senyu Chen landed in Waseca. He had just earned his
Ph.D. in nematology at the University of Florida. This July 1, Chen
will begin as a professor in the Department of Plant Pathology at the
Southern Research and Outreach Center, University of Minnesota in
Waseca. | | |
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MN Governor Appoints Seven Members To
NextGen Energy Board
North American Windpower, June 29, 2007
Gov.
Tim Pawlenty, R-Minn., has selected his appointments to the NextGen
Energy Board. ... Pawlenty's appointees are Robert Elde, dean of the
University of Minnesota’s (U of M) College of Biological Sciences; John
Frey, dean of Minnesota State University's Mankato's College of
Science, Engineering and Technology. |
'Most important meal' may stop being most lucrative
Rochester Post-Bulletin, June 29, 2007
Buried
beneath numbers, General Mills' financial results are often a study in
human behavior. ... "Everyone who is going to eat cereal is already
eating as much as they can," said Jean Kinsey, co-director of the Food
Industry Center at the University of Minnesota. | | |
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Have Americans had their fill of cereal?
The Wichita Eagle - Kansas
Buried
beneath numbers, General Mills financial results are often a study in
human behavior. The latest calculus, in results released Thursday:
Americans love convenience, increasingly hate to cook and are probably
eating as much cereal as we're ever going to eat. ... "Everyone who is
going to eat cereal is already eating as much as they can," said Jean
Kinsey, co-director of the Food Industry Center at the University of
Minnesota. |
New science test sparks workshop at SWROC
Redwood Falls Gazette - MN, June 27, 2007
Kindergarten
through sixth-grade teachers from around the region are gathering for a
full 10 days of workshops at the University of Minnesota's Southwest
Research and Outreach Center (SWROC) near Lamberton. ... They are also
learning about cropping systems, crop rotation, drainage and soils
through Dr. Jeffery Strock of SWROC and Dr. Vernon Cardwell, Professor
of Agronomy at the University of Minnesota.
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Wisner says ethanol is most dramatic change ever in ag country
Agri News, June 26, 2007
Iowa's
Robert Wisner argues that ethanol is the most dramatic change to ever
occur in the agriculture sector. ... The jump in corn acres was fueled
by an ethanol boon that has its roots in the 1990 Clean Air Act, said
Doug Tiffany, a research fellow in agricultural energy production and
use at the University of Minnesota. |
U.S. ethanol production keeps right on
building
Agri News - Minnesota, June 26, 2007
The
United States began 2006 with 6 billion gallons of ethanol capacity,
well on the way to the 7.5 billion gallon capacity by 2012 set out in
the Energy Policy Act of 2005. ... Biodiesel is growing as well, with
225 million gallons of production, said Doug Tiffany, a research fellow
in agricultural energy production and use at the University of
Minnesota. Biodiesel may have a tough time expanding in the United
States because of competition for acres. | | |
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Hicks says corn yields may average 200
bushels someday
Agri News - Minnesota, June 26, 2007
Dale
Hicks sees a day in the not too distant future when Minnesota's state
average corn yield tops 200 bushels per acre. ... Hicks, who retires
June 29, is a University of Minnesota professor of agronomy and plant
genetics.
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What's
missing from the back yard? Mosquitoes
Star Tribune, June 26, 2007
In
his back yard in St. Louis Park every Monday, after the sun has dipped
below the horizon, Tim Murch does his mosquito dance. ... Both the
Minneapolis St. Paul International Airport and the University of
Minnesota's St. Paul campus have received about half the normal
precipitation since April 1, making the area one of the most
rain-deprived in the state, in terms of historical averages. | | |
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Natural resources are finally noticed
Star Tribune, June 23, 2007
Minnesota's
natural resources -- its waters, lands, wildlife and the recreation
they provide -- long have been considered the state's jewels. ... Anne
Kapuscinski is a University of Minnesota professor in the Department of
Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology and a key player in the
statewide conservation and preservation plan.
Star Tribune |
Organic matter really does matter
Agri News - Minnesota, June 26, 2007
Organic
matter really does matter, says Jodi DeJong-Hughes, with the University
of Minnesota Extension Service. ... The U.S. House ag committee made
few changes to commodity programs in its 2007 farm bill proposal, says
Kent Olson, an Extension economist at the University of Minnesota.
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Shoppers
dig deeper as grocery costs rise
St. Cloud Times, June 25, 2007
A
trip to the grocery store Friday morning left Kara Sweeter of St. Cloud
shaking her head at the prices on her receipt. ... The bulk of the
increase is due to demand for ethanol, but other factors, such as
weather and international demand, also are to blame for the food price
increases, said Brian Buhr, professor of applied economics at the
University of Minnesota. |
Farmers face hail damage decision
Mankato Free Press, June 23, 2007
Seth
Naeve sorted through a pile of soybean plants brought into a shed from
area fields recently hit by hail. “I’d call this one a loss and this
one a keeper,” said Naeve, a University of Minnesota soybean agronomist. | | |
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Larry Baker: What goes in upriver...must flow down
Star Tribune, June 24, 2007
The
history of modern urbanization has been haphazard, often resulting in
misery and, sometimes, catastrophe. ... Larry Baker is a senior fellow
at the University of Minnesota's Water Resources Center. |
Ethanol adds to cost of filling up
Palm Beach Post, July 25, 2007
The
first indicator that the ethanol solution to high gasoline prices is a
silver bullet with tarnish on it came from Mexico in January. ... That
ethanol would disrupt other markets could be predicted. In fact, it
was, by University of Minnesota economists, C. Ford Runge and Benjamin
Senauer in the May/June issue of Foreign Affairs. Their article had the
attention-getting title "How Biofuels Could Starve the Poor." | | |
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House Ag Committee drafts few major
changes to commodity programs
Farm and Ranch Guide, June 22, 2007
In
their discussion draft released June 15, the House Agriculture
Committee proposes minor adjustments to current provisions for direct
payments and countercyclical payments in the farm bill. ... By Kent
Olson, University of Minnesota Extension |
U
of M Southwest Research and Outreach Center Crop Production Field Day
Hutchinson Leader, June 20, 2007
The
complexities and challenges of today’s crop production systems demand
that growers keep up to date with the latest research, technology and
management strategies. ... University of Minnesota's experts on crop
production will be on hand to present information and answer questions
about many of the factors currently influencing crop production in
southwestern Minnesota. | | |
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Five
more join ranks of regents professors
Star Tribune, June 18, 2007
A
historian who studies families, a plant biologist and a professor of
psychology who has studied the effect of genetics on human behavior are
among the five University of Minnesota professors named as regents
professors. |
Old Wives Tales?
Telegraph.co.uk –United Kingdom, June 19, 2007
Gardening
abounds in received wisdom and advice, handed down from generation to
generation. … I always did this until reading The Truth About Garden
Remedies by Jeff Gillman, a professor in the Department of
Horticultural Science at the University of Minnesota. | | |
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Forage Expo lets producers see equipment
in operation
Agri News, June 19, 2007
Forage
took center stage at last week's Forage Expo. ... Forage expos are
useful events because farmers really like to see demonstrations of the
latest equipment, said Dennis Johnson, a University of Minnesota
professor in dairy production systems based at West Central Research
and Outreach Center in Morris. |
Lifting the carp curse
Science Alert, June 20, 2007
Scientists
are close to sniffing out a solution to one of Australia's worst
invasive freshwater fish – the carp. Professor Sorensen, from the
University of Minnesota, presented his findings together with speakers
from the NSW Department of Primary Industries and the South Australian
Research and Development Institute (SARDI) as part of the first IA CRC
Breakthrough lecture series. | | |
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A
new model for developing biofuels
Minnesota Public Radio, June 18, 2007
The
latest issue of the journal "Science" includes an article that's a call
to action from a University of Minnesota professor. MPR's Cathy Wurzer
talks with the author of the article, University of Minnesota professor
Nick Jordan, who urges a new approach to farming biofuels. |
Honeybee
die-off could be serious
Fergus Falls Daily Journal, June 16, 2007
Should
we be having panic attacks about the honey bee die off? Well, maybe.
There is nothing normal about this die off. ... An entomologist at the
University of Minnesota, Maria Spivak, has been breeding honeybees that
she calls hygienic bees. | | |
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Groceries
taking big bite out of consumers' pocketbooks
Charleston Post Courier - South Carolina, June 18, 2007
Rising
gasoline prices have been getting all the attention, but the cost of
another, more important staple is actually rising even more: food. ...
"We should all hope we have a really good growing season this year,"
said Ben Senauer, co-director of the University of Minnesota's Food
Industry Center. |
Watch your step: E. coli can lurk at the
beach
MSNBC, June 5, 2007
The
perils of a day at the beach aren't always as easy to see as riptides,
broken shells and jellyfish--the sand at the shore may harbor E. coli
and other potentially disease-causing bacteria...researchers found a
type of E. coli "that have learned to kind of grow or reproduce in the
sand" says Dr. Michael Sadowsky of the University of Minnesota. | | |
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Boomer bust puts DNR at a crossroads
Star Tribune, June 9, 2007
It's
the baby boom bulge, and it has nothing to do with overweight
middle-aged coach potatoes. ... David Fulton, an associate professor at
the University of Minnesota's College of Food, Agricultural and Natural
Resource Sciences, said that many jobs require master's degrees, yet
starting pay is around $30,000. Students can go into other fields and
make more money. |
Biocontrol Planned For Bean Aphids
Marshall County Journal, June 6, 2007
South
Dakota State University researchers are involved in a project to give
soybean producers a new ally in their fight against soybean aphids…The
researchers at the University of Minnesota found that this aphid dwells
mostly down in the flower heads of the plant where it lives and feeds,
and is somewhat hidden from the parasitoids. Further, Aphis monardae is
frequently guarded by ants, which protect them from predation. | | |
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Food is eating into U.S. budgets
Daily Breeze, California, June 9, 2007
Rising
gasoline prices have been getting all the attention, but the cost of
another, more important staple is rising even more: food. ... "We
should all hope we have a really good growing season this year," said
Ben Senauer, co-director of the University of Minnesota's Food Industry
Center. |
Bee deaths wane, cause unknown
KARE 11, June 6, 2007
It's
an unsolved mystery that has entomologists, horticulturalists and
beekeepers buzzing. Honeybees are - or were - dropping like flies,
according to Marla Spivak, associate professor at the University of
Minnesota's Department of Entomology in St. Paul. | | |
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Hope on the vine
Morning Sentinel - Maine, June 10, 2007
Clem
Blakney doesn't see fields of grass when he stands outside his new
home. He sees potential. ... Jim Luby, professor of horticulture at the
University of Minnesota, said there has been an increase in the number
of cold weather vineyards thanks primarily to the variety of winemaking
grapes that can now be grown in cold weather climates. |
U prof to try to create dual-duty corn
plant
Star Tribune, June 8, 2007
Can
Americans eat their corn and have it, too? A University of Minnesota
researcher thinks the answer is yes. U of M agronomist Rex Bernardo
will spend the next three years, with the help of a $715,000 federal
grant, to see whether a single corn plant can be developed to feed
stomachs and stills -- to make food and ethanol. | | |
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Grocery runs costing more
The Morning Call, June 13, 2007
Rising
gasoline prices have been getting all the attention, but the cost of
another, more-important staple is actually rising even more: food. ...
'We should all hope we have a really good growing season this year,''
said Ben Senauer, co-director of the University of Minnesota's Food
Industry Center. |
Snap!
Chicago Tribune, June 13, 2007
We
love crisp food. Chefs know this. Food companies know this. We're
seduced by the snap of a carrot, the crackle of a cracker, and the
crunchy deep-fried coating on chicken and fish with its promise of
moist, tender flesh within. .. ."There are lots of connotations with
crisp. It matches with fresh," said Zata Vickers, professor of food
science at the University of Minnesota. | | |
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Beer
Ingredient Used To Clear Algae From Lakes
WCCO-TV, June 13, 2007
Some
cities in Minnesota are now using barley straw to break down the algae
in cloudy lakes. ... The algae needs to be floating on top of the
water, it needs to be oxygenated. So the straw begins to break down and
decomposes naturally," said Kevin Smith, an Associate Professor with
the University of Minnesota, Agronomy and Plant Genetics Department. |
U-M, commodity groups work on strategic
plan
The Farmer, June 2007
The University of Minnesota has hired an independent firm to work
on a long-range strategic plan for the state's agricultural research
and education priorities. The idea of creating a plan comes from
ongoing discussions between the University and farm commodity groups.
...Dean Allen Levine says the goal is to complete a plan for animal
agriculture first. | | |
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What happened to these birds in Minnesota?
Star Tribune, June 17, 2007
Populations
of five common Minnesota birds have plummeted, according to a National
Audubon Society study that sounds the alarm about the nationwide
decline in bird numbers. … The study wasn't persuasive to Bob Zink,
ornithologist at the University of Minnesota's Bell Museum. |
Corn
growers seen limiting cellulosic ethanol
Reuters, Jun 12, 2007
Growth
of a new ethanol made from switchgrass and fast-growing trees could be
limited by competition from corn growers, ethanol experts said. ...
"It's hard to imagine growers have spent 25 years nurturing members of
Congress to support tariffs and blenders credits... in order to give
this game away to grass," C. Ford Runge, an economics professor at the
University of Minnesota, told reporters at the Council on Foreign
Relations in New York. | | |
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Fast-rising food prices pinch consumers
Columbia Tribune, June 11, 2007
Rising
gasoline prices have been getting all the attention, but the cost of
another, more important staple is actually rising even more: food. ...
"We should all hope we have a really good growing season this year,"
said Ben Senauer, co-director of the University of Minnesota’s Food
Industry Center. |
Ethanol debate
CNN, June 10, 2007
University of Minnesota applied economics professor Ben Senauer was
interviewed on CNN's "In the Money" to weigh in on the ethanol
debate. | | |
Randall recognized for years of service at SROC
Waseca County News, June 07, 2007
Dr. Gyles Randall is well known in Waseca County as a warm and
friendly neighbor who is fully engaged with his community and being
devoted to the University of Minnesota Southern Research and Outreach
Center in his professional capacity as a professor of soil, water and
climate..."I had to sit down and catch my breath," Randall says.
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Beach
Sand Found to Be Full of E. Coli Bacteria
FOX News, June 5, 2007
The
perils of a day at the beach aren't always as easy to see as riptides,
broken shells and jellyfish — the sand at the shore may harbor E. coli
and other potentially dangerous disease-causing bacteria, a recent
study showed. ... To test exactly which strains of E. coli were sitting
in the sands around Lake Superior, and whether any of them were
potentially dangerous to humans, a group of University of Minnesota
researchers collected samples and compared the DNA to an existing
library. |
Community
abuzz over mysterious bee deaths
St. Cloud Times, June 06, 2007
It's
an unsolved mystery that has entomologists, horticulturalists and
beekeepers buzzing. Honeybees are — or were — dropping like flies,
according to Marla Spivak, associate professor at the University of
Minnesota's Department of Entomology in St. Paul. | | |
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Consumers feel the heat from rising food
prices
Star Tribune, June 2, 2007
Rising
gasoline prices have been getting all the attention, but the cost of
another, more-important staple is actually rising even more: food. ...
"We should all hope we have a really good growing season this year,"
said Ben Senauer, co-director of the University of Minnesota's Food
Industry Center. |
U
of M, White Earth team up again this summer
Crookston Daily Times, June 1, 2007
The
University of Minnesota and the White Earth Reservation are holding the
ninth annual White Earth Reservation Academy of Math and Science from
June 4-29. | | |
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Maze garden adds twists and turns to Minnesota Landscape Arboretum
Pioneer Press, June 2, 2007
It was
difficult to leave the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. And not just
because we got lost in the winding, juniper-scented paths of the new
maze garden. For a parent who loves the outdoors but can't tell an elm
tree from an ash, the arboretum offers a delightful setting for
meandering walks as well as a friendly, living field guide to help
teach children more about the wonder of the natural world. |
Where the wild things are
Minnesota Monthly, June 7, 2007
Command
central is a red barn filled with folding tables,
microscopes, petri dishes, plant- and animal-identification books, bug
lights, live traps, four pallets of bottled water, and three pallets of
Oreo cookies. Everything one needs, apparently, for the Bell Museum’s
annual BioBlitz, in which hundreds of volunteers join scientists from
the University of Minnesota for 24 hours to seek and catalog any living
thing—plant, animal, or fungi—in a few square miles. | | |
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