Priority Area: Stewarding land and water resources
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Building water monitoring infrastructure at Mann Valley Farm
Mann Valley Farm is taking an important step toward protecting water quality by installing specialized monitoring equipment to study runoff and groundwater contamination. This project is expected to establish 12…
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Instrumentation updates for monitoring water quality and soil health from basins 5, 10, and 11 at Pioneer Farm.
This project will enable equipment upgrades for monitoring water quality and soil health in hydrologic basins 5, 10, and 11. These upgrades will support paired basin research focused on determining…
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Precision manure nutrient application using a real-time near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) nutrient sensing technology
Manure is a vital resource in dairy systems, as it contains organic matter and essential nutrients that can be returned to crop production systems. However from a nutrient management perspective,…
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Real-time PCR based quantification of alfalfa root rot pathogen
Root rot of Alfalfa caused by Aphanomyces euteiches, an Oomycete pathogen, poses significant threat to alfalfa production in Wisconsin and many parts of the world. The pathogen infects both young…
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Ecological intensification for productivity, profitability, soil health, and carbon sequestration in the dairy-forage and cash-grain agroecosystems of the North Central US
Several farming practices (e.g., cover crops, no-till) are promoted to improve soil health, sequester carbon (SOC), and enhance crop yields and economic returns. However, the efficacy of such practices is…
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Bioconversion of whey permeate to 2,3-butanediol at bioreactor scale
Bioconversion of whey permeate (WP) to value-added compounds and materials is a key prerequisite to eliminating the burden of this waste stream on the dairy industry, and in turn, safeguarding…
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Assessing the impact of states and national climate policies and food behavioral changes on the US dairy industry
Wisconsin is the second-largest dairy producer in the US, but the industry is facing challenges, including climate change and changes in dietary patterns. US climate policies, including carbon pricing, are…
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Assessing soil health and forage quality in dairy agricultural systems using multispectral and thermal sensors onboard of an unmanned aerial vehicle
Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) applications have become more prevalent in recent years. Their use ranges from vegetation monitoring, including reflectivity and surface temperature, to fertilizer, seeding and herbicide applications, to…
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Development of whey protein-lignin based film/coating materials for dairy food packaging applications
Whey, a primary by-product and environmental pollutant from the dairy industry, stands out as a promising raw material for creating biodegradable films designed for food packaging applications. However, the considerable…
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Filling existing gaps in the monitoring of soil greenhouse gas emissions and environmental health at Mann Valley Farm
Dairy agriculture systems are often large sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to Earth’s atmosphere with many opportunities to economically and sustainably reduce these emissions that are usually unrealized. However,…