Priority Area: Growing farm business and community
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Engineering beyond the brown midrib phenotype: Using tissue- and cell-type specific engineering to improve the agronomic traits of digestible brown midrib maize mutants
Brown midrib (bm) maize mutants are known for their improved forage digestibility, but they often suffer from poor plant growth, limiting their use on farms. This project aims to genetically…
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Fluidized bed drying (FBD) vs. spray drying (SD) of liquid whey protein phospholipid concentrate (WPPC): oxidate self-life, in-vitro digestion, and therapeutic potential
Whey Protein Phospholipid Concentrate (WPPC) is prone to oxidation during processing and storage, which reduces its quality and value. This project explores a new fluidized bed drying (FBD) method that…
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Leveraging blockchain for data security in the dairy farm – phase 2
This project at UW–Platteville’s Pioneer Farm aims to improve how data is managed and protected on modern dairy farms. Today’s farms generate a lot of digital information, but it’s often…
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Integrated data framework for Pioneer Farm: Enhancing analytics and security
Modern dairy farms use many digital tools and technologies to manage everything from feeding to milking. At UW-Platteville’s Pioneer Farm, these tools generate a lot of valuable data, but that…
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Lab to land: testing the efficacy of plant essential oils for the management of aphanomyces root rot of alfalfa in the field
Alfalfa is a vital crop for Wisconsin’s dairy farms, providing high-quality feed for cows in the form of hay and silage. However, a soilborne disease called Aphanomyces root rot poses…
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Feasibility assessment for establishing a choice and sensory evaluation lab (CSEL) at UW–River Falls
This project explores the feasibility of establishing a Choice and Sensory Evaluation Lab (CSEL) at UW–River Falls to support research, teaching, and industry collaboration. The lab would help Wisconsin’s dairy…
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Further development of Dairy Forage Fractionation (DFF) equipment
Wisconsin dairy farms rely on high-quality feed to keep their animals healthy and productive, but current methods for improving forage digestibility are often too expensive or impractical. This project aims…
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Vertical tillage tool for Mann Valley Farm, research and teaching
Mann Valley Farm (MVF) currently relies on conventional tillage to prepare fields for planting, but this method can lead to soil erosion, higher fuel and labor costs, and long-term damage…
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Acquisition of a grinder-mixer to process high oleic soybeans
Palm fat, a by-product of palm oil production, is commonly added to dairy cow feed to increase energy levels, including at Mann Valley Farm (MVF). However, concerns about palm oil’s…
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Development of analytical modeling tools to assess changes to milk pricing under Federal Milk Marketing Orders
The principal justification for this project is that FMMO regulation plays a key role in determining milk prices and profitability for the majority of US dairy farms, and we currently…
