Jun 15, 2021 to Jun 17, 2021
The Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) is awarding a $1,997,454 grant to the University of Minnesota to develop models for sustainable supply chains that create markets for crops farmers can grow in the off season.
“While popular cover crops can be used as food or as inputs in other products, there may not be large markets for these crops,” explained FFAR Executive Director Dr. Sally Rockey. “FFAR hopes to increase the use of cover crops – and reap the environmental benefits – by creating a sustainable market with consistent buyers for these crops.”
Planting continuous living cover crops, such as intermediate wheatgrass, winter camelina, pennycress, winter barley and hybrid hazelnut, has several environmental benefits. These perennials which do not require replanting and winter-hardy annual crops decrease fertilizer runoff to surface and groundwater and increase farmland’s ability to absorb and hold rainfall. Croplands th
A group of scientists from the University of Minnesotaâs Minnesota Center for Prion Research (MNPRO), have come up with a new tool in the fight against Chronic Wasting Disease that could lead to more efficient testing in the field and in turn potential slow the spread of the disease in this state and beyond.
Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), a fatal neurological disease that affects whitetail deer and for which there is no cure, has become a major problem in parts of Minnesota, and throughout some neighboring states like Wisconsin, over the last several years.
Itâs a disease that has the potential to not only devastate the deer population in Minnesota, but to end deer hunting as we know it, if left unchecked.
Development of field test for CWD comes as its threat grows
A University researcher announced the development of a deployable field test for CWD to a House committee. The DNR will be stepping up monitoring and require mandatory testing on the opening weekend in zones managed for CWD this year as discussion focused on the growing concerns this disease poses to our deer herd and economy. 9:44 am, Apr. 23, 2021 ×
Dr. Peter Larsen
Photo courtesy of University of Minnesota
A team at the University of Minnesota has developed a deployable field test for Chronic Wasting Disease that will greatly improve our ability to monitor the disease in the state’s deer population.
Apr 23, 2021
University of Minnesota researchers at the Minnesota Center for Prion Research (MNPRO) have developed a novel approach to field testing chronic wasting disease (CWD). The development makes them the first-ever scientists to successfully deploy a CWD field test.
There are limited testing options available for CWD, leading scientists to investigate several new approaches with the hopes of obstructing the disease’s spread. Last spring, the MNPRO team worked with the Minnesota DNR to analyze tissue samples from CWD-positive white-tailed deer using a technique known as RT-QuIC. The team managed to obtain confirmation of protein-misfolding in just nine hours with that approach. Only a handful of labs currently have access to this top-of-the-line technology for CWD testing.
April 19, 2021
University of Minnesota researchers at the Minnesota Center for Prion Research (MNPRO) have developed a novel approach to field testing chronic wasting disease (CWD). The team confirmed their findings in southeast Minnesota the week of March 8, 2021, making them the first-ever scientists to successfully deploy a CWD field test.
There are limited testing options available for CWD, leading scientists to investigate several new approaches with the hopes of obstructing the disease’s spread. Last spring, the MNPRO team worked with the Minnesota DNR to analyze tissue samples from CWD-positive white-tailed deer using a technique known as RT-QuIC. The team managed to obtain confirmation of protein-misfolding in just nine hours with that approach. Only a handful of labs currently have access to this top-of-the-line technology for CWD testing.