University of Missouri goes organic

The University of Missouri's Bradford Research and Extension Center is embarking on the university's first nationally funded organic farming research project. The cover crops of cereal rye and hairy vetch, are the first stage in a project funded by the US Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) with a grant of US$740,000 (€554,452.4).

The project hopes to advance organic cropping systems with a focus on weed suppression, minimising greenhouse gas emissions, increasing fertility in an environmentally friendly way and improving grain productivity. MU joins 23 other institutions that shared US$19 million (€14.236 million) in grants from NIFA. Read more ...

New cheaper turkey feed could help producers increase profits

Feeding turkeys has become a costly issue to turkey farmers in the US, and the cost of the feeds account for up to 70 percent of production. Now a University of Missouri researcher has produced a cheaper turkey feed, which could fill turkeys and producers pockets. "Cost reduction is a critical concern in the industry," said Jeff Firman, a professor in the MU College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources. "High feed costs pose long-term problems to the industry and make it difficult to maintain a competitive edge against other sources of protein, such as pork and chicken." Read more ...