Tag College of Agricultural and Life Sciences
Like humans, ants use bacteria to make their gardens grow
Leaf-cutter ants, which cultivate fungus for food, have many remarkable qualities. Read More
Evolution institute named for pioneering UW–Madison geneticist
A few days before the 150th anniversary of the "Origin of Species," Charles Darwin's epochal book on evolution, plans for a new evolution institute moved closer to final approval at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Read More
Street markets are this professor’s laboratory
Alfonso Morales didn’t sit in a library to do research for his graduate degrees. Instead, he worked as a vendor in Chicago’s famed Maxwell Street Market, where he saw firsthand that public markets serve as fertile ground for entrepreneurs and new businesses, gathering places for communities and an entry point into the economy and society for new arrivals to the United States. Read More
Goldman named CALS interim dean
Irwin Goldman, vice dean and associate dean for research in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, has been named the college's interim dean by Chancellor Biddy Martin. Read More
Virent Energy Systems CEO to speak at Bioenergy Summit
Lee Edwards, president and chief executive officer of Madison's Virent Energy Systems, will deliver the keynote address at the second annual Wisconsin Bioenergy Summit at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 28, at the Pyle Center, 702 Langdon St. Read More
Spooner research station marks centennial
On Tuesday, Oct. 20, the University of Wisconsin–Madison's Spooner Agricultural Research Station will celebrate its 100th birthday and commemorate a milestone in the history of Wisconsin agriculture. Read More
CALS dean to serve in USDA post
Molly Jahn, dean of the University of Wisconsin–Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS), has been appointed to a senior position in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), university officials announced today (Oct. 12). Read More
Survey: Broad support for biofuels in Wisconsin, but clear partisan differences
Although almost two-thirds of Wisconsinites support the use and production of biofuels, less than half think the government should subsidize their development, according to a new study by University of Wisconsin–Madison researchers. Read More
Ag industry views on food, farming and Michael Pollan to be discussed
Viewpoints from the Wisconsin Farm Bureau, Organic Valley Co-op and the state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection board regarding food, farming and the work of author Michael Pollan will be presented in a panel discussion on Thursday, Oct. 1. Read More
USDA chief economist to speak at department centennial
The USDA's chief economist will speak at UW–Madison on Thursday, Sept. 24. Read More
UW-Madison entomologist helps farmers deal with tricky crop pest
Historically, crop rotation has worked to keep the western corn rootworm in check in Wisconsin. Read More
Research aims to cool runoff to protect coldwater streams
The ocean of stormwater that flows off of the sun-baked urban landscape is packing heat, and trout are starting to feel it. Read More
Potato blight reveals some secrets as genome is decoded
Late blight caused the 19th century famine that sparked a wave of emigration from Ireland to the United States, but the disease has also infected tomatoes and potatoes this year. Potatoes, the world's fourth-largest food crop, were raised on 65,500 acres in Wisconsin in 2007. If a potato field is not treated with pesticide, late blight can destroy the crop in a few days. Read More
Science and media disconnect? Maybe not, says a new study
The prevailing wisdom among many scientists and scientific organizations is that, as a rule, scientists are press shy, and those who aren't are mavericks. Read More
Chancellor’s lecture launches Year of the Humanities
A lecture that delves into the songs and sexuality of ancient Greek drinking parties and a talk on the 1989 German revolution that brought down the Berlin Wall are just two events that will mark the Year of the Humanities on the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus. Read More
Late blight won’t affect availability or quality of Wisconsin’s potato crop
News about late blight has raised concerns among retailers, processors and other users about the availability and quality of stored potatoes in Wisconsin this winter, reports A.J. Bussan, University of Wisconsin–Madison extension vegetable specialist. But Bussan doesn't think that either quality or quantity will be a problem. Read More