DOE grants $10.6M to U of I for more biodiesel, biojet fuel

URBANA, Ill. — The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) awarded the University of Illinois a $10.6 million, five-year grant to transform two of the most productive crops in America into sustainable sources of biodiesel and biojet fuel.

The new research project, Renewable Oil Generated with Ultra-productive Energycane, or ROGUE, kicked off on Feb. 25 with a team meeting held in conjunction with the 2018 Genomic Sciences Program Annual Principal Investigator Meeting in Tysons, Va.

“The U.S. continues to enjoy cheap, abundant energy but more than 80 percent of it is derived from natural gas, coal and petroleum,” said ROGUE Director Stephen Long, an Ikenberry Endowed Chair at Illinois. “Heavy, diesel-powered semi-trailers and the aviation industry desire other options, but electric batteries are not feasible, and current biofuel crops cannot meet demands for biodiesel and biojet fuel.”

ROGUE will engineer energycane, a bioenergy crop derived from sugarcane, and miscanthus to produce the oil that is used to create biodiesel and biojet fuel. The work is guided by computer models, which project that these crops can achieve 20 percent oil content in the plant – a dramatic increase from natural levels of less than a tenth of 1 percent.

“If fully successful, these crops could produce as much as 15 times more biodiesel per unit of land compared to soybeans, a food crop that currently produces half of our nation’s biodiesel,” said Long, who leads the project’s efforts at the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology.

Previous work, funded by the DOE Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), achieved 8 percent oil accumulation, and now ROGUE will further increase oil production and target oil accumulation in the stem where it can be accessed more easily with ROGUE’s patented extraction technologies.

“According to our models, ROGUE crops will be much more productive and profitable per acre than corn or soybeans,” said Vijay Singh, director of the Integrated Bioprocessing Research Laboratory, who will lead the project’s techno-economic analyses and processing technologies.

ROGUE is a collaboration amongst researchers from Illinois as well as Brookhaven National Lab, University of Florida and Mississippi State University, with support from the DOE Office of Science (Office of Biological and Environmental Research).

I-BELIEF grant will train Illinois leaders in beef cattle nutrition

URBANA, Ill. — A new grant from the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture will provide more than $250,000 to train 20 undergraduate students in beef cattle nutrition research over the next four years.

The unique program, known as the Illinois Beef Experiential Learning and Industry Exposure Fellowship (I-BELIEF), pulls underrepresented students from four public agricultural universities across the state to leverage the research resources available within the University of Illinois system.

“One of the things we’re excited about is strengthening the relationship with our partner institutions: Illinois State University, Western Illinois University and Southern Illinois University. Illinois is unique in having four public institutions with programs in animal science and beef cattle,” said Josh McCann, assistant professor in the Department of Animal Sciences at U of I, and co-principal investigator on the grant.

Dan Shike, associate professor in the department and co-principal investigator on the grant, said they’re hoping the program will diversify beef cattle industry leadership in the long term.

“For example, we have a huge population of female undergraduates in the department, but there are very, very few female faculty members in beef nutrition and a pretty small number of female scientists in industry. We’re lucky to have female mentors in the program, but that trend has to change,” he added.

The program will admit five rising juniors and seniors each year, two from U of I and one each from the other three universities. The heart of the program is a 10-week summer research experience at the Urbana Beef and Sheep Research Field Laboratory, Dixon Springs Agricultural Center or Orr Agricultural Research and Demonstration Center. But the students will actively participate in the program throughout the year.

The students are spread out across the state, but they will come together on the U of I campus multiple times each year. During their summer research experience, they’ll go to the Illinois Beef Assoc. summer conference as a group, which will give them some good industry exposure. The school will also bring in alumni who are industry experts to help students figure out a career action plan.

Students will develop a research abstract and present their work at the Midwest Animal Science meeting the following spring. The result, according to Shike and McCann, will be well-prepared graduates ready to launch into graduate school or a career in beef nutrition.

Students have been accepted to the program for 2018, but interested students can contact McCann, Shike or faculty at the partner institutions to learn how to apply for the summer of 2019.

Extension offering testing of dial gauge pressure canners

URBANA, Ill. — Preserving foods at home by canning is a great way to have fruits, vegetables and meats year-round. A pressure canner is needed to process low-acid foods. But over time, calibration of a dial gauge on pressure canners can become inaccurate.

“If your pressure canner dial gauges are inaccurate, your foods may not reach the recommended pressure to be safely preserved,” explained Caitlin Huth, a University of Illinois extension nutrition and wellness educator.

Testing of dial gauge pressure canner lids and gauges is recommended once a year for safety in the canning and preserving process. Before you start canning for the season, have your pressure canner tested at an extension office near you. For more information, visit http://go.illinois.edu/fcs

Huth has also created a video on testing pressure canner lid gauges, available at www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIJMlrF790I

MSU Innovation Center recognizes faculty, student inventors

EAST LANSING, Mich. — The 2018 Innovation Celebration highlights ground-breaking technology from Michigan State University labs and startup companies from across campus.

The MSU Innovation Center recognizes the MSU Innovator of the Year, Innovation of the Year, Corporate Connector of the Year and an award for lifetime Technology Transfer Achievement. Commended for their perseverance and creativity at the MSU Innovation Celebration, awardees are presented with plaques and a cash prize.

The 2017 Innovation of the Year award goes to Dr. Donald Morelli, chair of the Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science. His work in thermoelectric materials converts waste heat sources into electricity.

The 2018 Innovators of the Year are Drs. Christoph Benning and John Ohlrogge, for their work in understanding how plants accumulate oil, via WRINKLED1 genetic research. Their key discovery, WRINKLED1 is the name for a ubiquitous regulator in oil-accumulating plant tissues.

Many plant species accumulate vegetable oil in their seeds as a major storage component, which provides carbon and energy for seedling development. These oils are a staple in the human diet and are increasingly important as renewable feed stocks for industry.

Benning is MSU Foundation Professor and director of the Plant Research Laboratory, and Ohlrogge is professor emeritus of Plant Biology and University Distinguished Professor at MSU.

With nearly 100 inventions disclosed, more than 400 peer-reviewed papers, 35 patents and 16 technologies licensed to industry, the 2018 MSU Technology Transfer Achievement Award goes to Dr. Lawrence T. Drzal, University Distinguished Professor in the Chemical Engineering and Materials Science. Applications for his expertise range from automotive and construction industries to fuel cells, batteries and electronics.

MSU's Corporate Connector of the Year is Dr. David J. Closs, the John H. McConnell Chair Professor of Business Administration in the Department of Supply Chain Management. His extensive work as an active mentor, connector and member on the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals has connected countless undergraduate and graduate students to future employers, and brought MSU's innovative research to real-world business challenges around the world.

Farmland donated to benefit Clinton County extension in Illinois

URBANA, Ill. — A new sign placed at a Clinton County farm celebrates the generosity of the late Cecilia and Herman Wiedle. The Cecilia Wiedle Trust provided 70 acres of farm ground for the benefit of the Clinton County Extension Foundation.

The University of Illinois Foundation is managing the farm and will continue the relationship with current tenants Tim and Larry Hanke.

Herman Wiedle passed away in 2010, and Cecilia passed away in 2017 at the age of 94. Cecilia’s family described her as a vibrant personality. She enjoyed travel, dancing and sewing, often making her own clothes. She was an active member of the Clinton County Home and Community Education organization. Cecilia was also actively involved in farm work.

Through Cecilia’s trust, the Wiedles left 70 acres of ground to Illinois extension and more than 150 acres of farm and woodland to the Illinois Farm Bureau. On March 21, family, friends, neighbors and Clinton County Extension Foundation members gathered with U of I representatives to celebrate the property.

Jeannie Brendel, president of Clinton County Extension Foundation, said the Wiedles’ gift will help provide scholarships for local youth to attend 4-H programs. “(The Wiedles) always worked very closely with 4-H and extension. They believed in being stewards of the planet, so to speak, and they wanted to continue their legacy through the 4-H program,” she said.

For more information about supporting the U of I through gifts of farmland, contact the College of ACES Office of Advancement at 217-333-9355 or acesadvancement@illinois.edu

INFB’s Hall receives Apex Award from Purdue University

(mug in 6415)

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Indiana Farm Bureau (INFB) Director of Public Policy Katrina Hall was honored by the Purdue University Department of Agricultural Economics. Hall was one of four recipients of the department’s annual Apex Awards.

The award recognizes alumni with a strong connection to the department who have made great contributions in their field. Hall was recognized for her policy advocacy efforts throughout her career on the behalf of INFB members at the state, local and national level. She is well respected by her peers as an expert on tax and fiscal issues, local and state government and education policy. Hall serves as the chair of the board of the Indiana Fiscal Policy Institute.

“I grew up knowing that the Purdue Department of Agricultural Economics was the thought leader in ag policy and witnessed firsthand their direct outreach to farmers,” Hall said. “They are a critical partner working toward the betterment of agriculture through the policy process at Farm Bureau. I cannot say enough about the contribution this department and the College of Agriculture make in Indiana.”

Hall has been with INFB since 1999. Before becoming the director of public policy, she served as its director of state government relations and its tax and local government specialist, before that.

UT ag economist will help lead national think tank

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Dr. Andrew Muhammad, professor and Blasingame Chair of Excellence at the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, has been invited to serve on the board of directors for the Council on Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics, also known as C-FARE.

The council provides information and expertise to decision makers in Washington and functions as a catalyst for incorporating economic principles into the analysis of agricultural and resource decisions. C-FARE matches expertise to public needs, serving as a conduit between academic research, extension and national policymakers.

Muhammad’s considerable experience includes leadership positions at USDA’s Economic Research Service, where he developed an extensive network of trade policy experts and forged solid working relationships with decision makers in the public and private sectors. His research on global food demand has been widely cited and used in economic and global models used by USDA (the baseline GTAP model) and by the International Food Policy Research Institute (the IMPACT model).

Muhammad’s current research focuses on agricultural trade and trade policy, effects of trade on developing countries and global food demand. His appointment began May 1, and he will serve a three-year term.

Research made possible through ICMC assistantships

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — The Indiana Corn Marketing Council (ICMC) has awarded two Purdue University students the annual Graduate Student Corn Research Assistantships to fund their research in the 2018 academic year.

These funds, provided by ICMC in collaboration with the Department of Agricultural Research and Graduate Education in the College of Agriculture, are intended to support the research phase of graduate students’ master’s and doctoral programs. Nicholas Thompson and Aaron Etienne are this year’s recipients of ICMC’s annual assistantships of $25,000.

Thompson, who works with Dr. Tony Vyn in cropping systems research, is currently working on two projects that study corn yield and efficiency consequences of alternate N fertilizer timing and placement strategies with modern equipment in large field experiments.

Etienne, who works with Dr. Dharmendra Saraswat in the agricultural and biological engineering department, researches artificial intelligence-based image classification methods. He is currently analyzing different classification methods to discover one that results in accurate differentiation between weeds, corn and soybeans, with the goal of implementing the best algorithm into a broader sensor system to accurately detect weeds in the field in real time.

The Graduate Student Corn Research Assistantships were established in 2015 by ICMC in honor of Indiana Corn farmer and former ICMC chair Gary Lamie, who passed away suddenly in 2013.

University of Tennessee announces 2018 Farm Credit Scholars

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. ― For now they’re bright, talented students. In the near future, they’ll be charged with taking their passion for agriculture and helping to feed the world and care for our planet.

The College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources at the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture is announcing the selection of five new members of the Farm Credit Scholars Program, which is funded by Farm Credit Mid-America and provides scholars with a $3,000 annual scholarship and many educational and professional development opportunities.

These students will study customized coursework, travel to Washington, D.C., take field trips to agricultural enterprises, have mentoring opportunities and work in a Farm Credit internship. This partnership was formed in 2012, and 37 students have received the honor of participating in this program.

This year’s Scholars are Erin Bacon, a sophomore from Dandridge, Tenn., in ag leadership, education & communication and animal science; John Calvin Bryant, a junior from Lawrenceburg majoring in food science; Cora Beth Key, a sophomore from Celina in animal science; Hailey Rose Viars, a sophomore from Loudon in ag leadership, education & communications and public relations; and Madison Kilbarger, a sophomore from Jamestown, Ohio, majoring in food and agricultural business.

The students will take courses in agricultural law, farm management, agricultural finance, communications and leadership. In addition, they are required to complete a special project during their internship with written and oral reports to Farm Credit administrators, as well as UT faculty and fellow students. The recipients may renew the scholarships each year of their undergraduate studies provided they meet the requirements.