In Focus Articles Stories
As our climate shifts, so do trees
Friday, April 27th, 2018
When we think of migratory species, trees are probably not the first things we picture. Perhaps that’s why the work of Songlin Fei has captured the imagination of the scientific community. Fei, associate professor in the Department of Forestry and Natural Resources and researcher with Purdue’s Climate Change Research Center, led a study that shows…
Read MoreWe want to feed the world. But how?
Friday, April 27th, 2018
You may have read the prediction that by 2050, we’ll have 10 billion people to feed across the globe while facing increasing environmental change. It’s a daunting task but a solid wager that we have the tools and ability to address this challenge. To do so, we need a clear understanding of the threats and…
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$5 million Gates Foundation grant targets weed-resistant crops in Africa
Friday, April 27th, 2018
Striga, a parasitic weed threatening African crops, robs maize, sorghum, rice, pearl millet and sugarcane of necessary nutrients. Its impact on production of these essential crops affects more than 100 million people across the continent. Over the last four years, Gebisa Ejeta has found the molecular mechanisms responsible for imparting striga resistance to sorghum, identified…
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New animal sciences complex has immediate impact
Friday, April 27th, 2018
It was three years in the making, and in March, the Purdue community came together to dedicate its new animal sciences complex. The $60 million, 123,000-square-foot facility includes the Hobart and Russell Creighton Hall of Animal Sciences and Land O’Lakes, Inc. Center for Experiential Learning. The building’s dedication took place in the adjoining Purina Pavilion,…
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Indiana’s digital divide
Friday, April 27th, 2018
Lacking high-speed internet in today’s digital age is a significant economic and educational disadvantage, much like being unable to read or write would have been 100 years ago, says Roberto Gallardo, Purdue Extension community and regional economics specialist and assistant director of the Purdue Center for Regional Development (PCRD). A new study shows that not…
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Sows try to keep their cool
Friday, April 27th, 2018
A team of Purdue researchers has developed a cooling pad that helps keep sows healthier and more comfortable in farrowing houses, where they feed piglets after giving birth. Modern sows are having more piglets than ever, and feeding those larger litters causes the sows to have higher body temperatures. The individual cooling pad is intended…
Read MoreThe what and why of our food supply
Monday, November 27th, 2017
Jayson Lusk, who joined Purdue in July as distinguished professor and head of the Department of Agricultural Economics, was awarded the Borlaug CAST Communication Award at the 2017 World Food Prize ceremony. Presented by the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology, the award honors outstanding contribution to the advancement of science in the public policy…
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Purdue prepares firefighters
Friday, November 17th, 2017
The fall of 2017 was one of the worst wildfire seasons on record, with over 1.3 million acres burned in September alone. With fires burning across Montana, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, and California, thousands of firefighters were required to extinguish them. But to battle wildfires managed by the federal government and many states, firefighters require special…
Read MoreEngaging underrepresented students in STEM
Friday, November 17th, 2017
A research team led by Levon Esters, associate professor of youth development and agricultural education, has received $1.1 million from the National Science Foundation to help underrepresented minority students learn about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Using engineering principles integrated with agricultural and life sciences, approximately 300 fourth through seventh grade students at William…
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Help to go organic
Friday, November 17th, 2017
U.S. growers sold $7.6 billion worth of certified organic commodities in 2016, an increase of 23 percent from the previous year. Hoosier farmers operating on thin margins see opportunity in the fast-growing organic grain market, but there have been few resources in the state to help with the complex transition. A team in the College…
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