CALS students are doing amazing things! Meet some of them in our Q&A series. This week, we’re hearing from Langston Jones, a junior majoring in agronomy. How are you involved on campus?  I am secretary of the Badger Crops Club, which is a student organization whose goal is to promote and connect students who are interested in agriculture. As an officer, I help find speakers for our meetings, organize trips and run the Instagram page. I am also part of the Badger Crops Judging Team, which competes with other schools around the country. We are judged based on our ability to identify ov ..read more

A CALS agronomy group is partnering with farmers on a 10-year study to find out if improved agricultural practices can really sequester carbon and help fight climate change. In fall 2022, right after Midwestern farmers had gathered the last crops of the season, a team of CALS agronomy researchers hurried into the fields to collect samples of the soil. They had just received a grant for the Soil Organic Carbon network (SOCnet), a new decade-long study that could change the way farming affects the earth. To kick-start the project, the research group needed to take baseline samples post ..read more

Wisconsin weather has grown increasingly unpredictable and extreme since the 1950s. The rapid shift poses difficult challenges for farmers, researchers, and the public. But with the help of a statewide network of weather stations, known as a mesonet, Wisconsinites will be better equipped to face the uncertainties of a changing climate. “Mesonets can guide everyday decision-making for the protection of crops, property, and people’s lives while also supporting research, extension, and education,” says Chris Kucharik, professor and chair in the Department of Agronomy. Kucharik is leading a m ..read more

A CALS agronomy group is partnering with farmers on a 10-year study to find out if improved agricultural practices can really sequester carbon and help fight climate change. In fall 2022, right after Midwestern farmers had gathered the last crops of the season, a team of CALS agronomy researchers hurried into the fields to collect samples of the soil. They had just received a grant for the Soil Organic Carbon network (SOCnet), a new decade-long study that could change the way farming affects the earth. To kick-start the project, the research group needed to take baseline samples post ..read more

The University of Wisconsin–Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS) is proud to announce the selections for its 2023 Honorary Recognition, Distinguished Alumni and Distinguished Service Awards. CALS will present the Honorary Recognition Award to Corey Geiger and Dan and Mark O’Brien; its Distinguished Service Award to George Shook and Paul Williams; and its Distinguished Alumni Award to Dennis Dimick. These are the highest honors bestowed by the college. 2023 marks the 175th anniversary of the founding of UW–Madison (175.wisc.edu). CALS is excited to pay tribute to this import ..read more

On Friday, June 9, Kikkoman Foods, Inc. held a celebration to mark the 50th anniversary of the opening of its soy sauce production facility in Walworth, Wis. At the event, the Kikkoman Foods, Inc. Foundation presented a $3 million gift to the UW–Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. The donation will support two CALS research programs that aim to protect the resources that initially drew the world’s leading soy sauce producer to Wisconsin. “The time-honored traditional brewing process for soy sauce uses just four simple ingredients: water, soybeans, wheat, and salt,” says Mr. Yuza ..read more

Chenxin Luo, who grew up in Nanjing, China, will be graduating this spring with a bachelor’s degree. She is majoring in both agronomy and in genetics and genomics. In this Q&A, she talks about doing meaningful research as an undergrad, being a mentee and then mentor in the Women in Science & Engineering learning community, and her experiences as a member of the Badger Crops Club. Why did you choose your major? I came to UW-Madison choosing to major in agronomy. My family has some agricultural background and I always want to work with crops. During my freshman year, two entry-level cou ..read more

A new era for weather data in Wisconsin is on the horizon, thanks to an effort at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Wisconsin weather has become increasingly more unpredictable and extreme since the 1950s, posing challenges for farmers, researchers, and the public. But with the help of a statewide network of weather stations known as a mesonet, the state would be better equipped to deal with the future obstacles of a changing climate. Chris Kucharik in 2019. Photo by Michael P. King/UW–Madison CALS “Mesonets can guide everyday decision-making for the protection of crops, property, and peopl ..read more

For students interested in global health, nutrition, health equity or the economics of food, there is a lot to learn in World Hunger and Malnutrition. The UW–Madison class, which is offered as an online, asynchronous course during the summer term, is an opportunity for students to explore the biology of nutrition as well as the socio-economic factors that affect food consumption. “The class provides students with a broad understanding of malnutrition throughout the world,” says agricultural and applied economics professor emeritus Ian Coxhead, who teaches the economics-focused portion of the c ..read more

On a walk through the woods in Wisconsin, you might expect to see a few squirrels, a variety of birds, and maybe even a whitetail deer. Goats, on the other hand, don’t make that list. But goats might be spotted among the trees more often if ongoing CALS research shows they’re useful for controlling invasive species. Invasive shrubs pose problems for wooded areas, whether they’re used for agricultural production or managed as natural areas. In cases of silvopasture, where trees and grazing livestock are integrated, the shrubs create a dense canopy that prevents forage growth. The shrubs also ou ..read more