Tag College of Agricultural and Life Sciences
From raw biomass, chemical process produces simple, fermentable sugars
A University of Wisconsin–Madison research team has developed a promising new chemical method to liberate the sugar molecules trapped inside inedible plant biomass, a key step in the creation of cellulosic biofuels. Read More
DNR taps UW–Madison expertise to measure, manage state deer herd
Wisconsin wildlife managers are tapping into University of Wisconsin–Madison expertise in wildlife ecology, forest ecology and environmental communications in order to better manage the state's population of white-tailed deer. Read More
Wisconsin’s organic farmers are largely weathering the economic storm
The current financial downturn hasn't spared Wisconsin's organic farmers, but in general they have been able to ride it out, says a new report about the state's organic sector. Read More
Demand for local food challenges distribution systems, report finds
Consumers' growing appetite for locally produced food presents both an opportunity and a problem for local growers. Read More
New UW–Madison agronomist leads international corn-breeding project
When corn breeder Kevin Pixley arrived on the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus in November, one of the first things he had to do was learn to use the word "corn." Read More
Stem cells: Science, economy edge religion at the polls
When it comes to stem cell research as a political issue, Wisconsin voters are more likely to be motivated by ideas of economic benefit and scientific progress than by religious objections, according to a new report. Read More
Diving milk prices cut state net farm income by more than half in 2009
Times were hard for farmers across the country in 2009, but they were harder than average for Wisconsin farmers. Read More
National agribusiness news program to tape town-hall event
"Market to Market," the nation's longest-running agribusiness news show, will host a rural economic summit on Wednesday, Jan. 20, immediately following the Wisconsin Agricultural Economic Outlook Forum. Read More
U.S. faces widening information gap on nanotechnology
As the global nanotechnology industry continues to produce cutting-edge consumer products, the scientific community is leaving a key part of the U.S. public behind when sharing knowledge of this new field of science, according to a new study by the University of Wisconsin–Madison and Arizona State University. Read More
UW-Madison scientists create super-strong collagen
A team of University of Wisconsin–Madison researchers has created the strongest form of collagen known to science, a stable alternative to human collagen that could one day be used to treat arthritis and other conditions that result from collagen defects. Read More
Regulatory network balances stem cell maintenance, differentiation
While much of the promise of stem cells springs from their ability to develop into any cell type in the body, the biological workings that control that maturation process are still largely unknown. Read More
Migratory birds bear brunt of climate-charged weather
As global climate change fuels more frequent and intense hurricanes and droughts, migratory birds, especially those whose populations are already in decline, will bear the brunt of such climate-fueled weather, suggest a pair of new studies. Read More
Forum to unveil 2010 forecast for Wisconsin’s agricultural economy
The third annual Wisconsin Agricultural Economic Outlook forum will review the impact of the 2009 economic downturn on the financial condition of the state's agricultural sector and consider its prospects for 2010. Read More
Conservation areas threatened nationally by housing development
Conservationists have long known that lines on a map are not sufficient to protect nature because what happens outside those boundaries can affect what happens within. Now, a study by two University of Wisconsin–Madison scientists in the department of forest and wildlife ecology measures the threat of housing development around protected areas in the United States. Read More
Surveying bird biodiversity from space?
A fundamental rule of wildlife ecology says that diverse habitats foster greater biodiversity: The Amazon has far more species than Greenland. But how do habitat and biodiversity relate in a state like Wisconsin, with its range of farms, forests, wetlands, cities, suburbs and highways? Read More
Fighting the Grinch who stole Wisconsin’s Christmas trees
An entomology research team from UW–Madison aims to squash a grub that plagues as many as one-third of Wisconsin’s approximately 1,100 Christmas tree farms. Read More
Greenhouse gas carbon dioxide ramps up aspen growth
The rising level of atmospheric carbon dioxide may be fueling more than climate change. It could also be making some trees grow like crazy. Read More
Trees and skis: wintry weather coincides with campus events
With fresh snow blanketing campus, a pair of weekend events, a Christmas tree sale and a ski and snowboard resale, seem especially well-timed. Beginning on… Read More
UW-Madison soil science professor receives national teaching award
Teresa Balser, associate professor of soil science at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, has received the 2009 National Teaching Award from the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU). Read More
New UW–Madison ‘Ants and Agriculture’ exhibit opens
University of Wisconsin–Madison scientists are putting the finishing touches on a new "Ants and Agriculture" display in Microbe Place, an outreach facility in the lobby of the Microbial Sciences Building. Read More