Priority Area: Stewarding land and water resources
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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,…
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Growing a new UW collaboration to continuously measure groundwater nitrate in western Wisconsin farm wells using a novel sensor technology
Nitrate contamination of groundwater in Wisconsin affects the health of rural residents and the bottom-line of farming operations. This proposal seeks funding to initiate a collaboration between UWRF and UW–Madison…
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Establishment of long term biochar research plots for evaluation of applications to dairy rotations
Biochar has been shown to be a potential method to sequester carbon in the soil to improve sustainability and climate smart practices. However, there is a knowledge gap in the…
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Exploring factors that contribute to nutrient use for feed efficiency
White and her postdoc Arshad are exploring the factors that contribute to the nutrient use for feed efficiency. The ultimate goal is to understand nutrient use efficiency at cellular and…
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Testing the efficacy of plant essential oils in the management of Aphanomyces root rot of alfalfa
This project will utilize a fluorescent stereomicroscope (Leica M165FC Fluorescent Stereomicroscope) to assess internal colonization of oomycete pathogen in the infected roots of alfalfa seedlings to estimate disease severity scores.…
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Gaining value from post-anaerobic digestion dairy manure fibers
Anaerobic digestion is a well-regarded manure treatment and management practice that adds value through biogas generation and provides a mechanism to control the release of various manure constituents to the…
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Improving anaerobic digester performance through microaeration
Anaerobic digestion is the process of microbial decomposition of organic substances, including dairy manure, in the absence of oxygen. Anaerobic digestion is an effective tool but is too costly for…
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Towards net-zero dairy: Designing and operating a novel catalytic reactor for valorization of acid whey
Acid whey is a byproduct of the dairy industry, generated primarily during the production of Greek yogurt and acid-coagulated cheese. Acid whey poses unique challenges for processing due to its…
