Farmers Robert and Rodney Donald review the Adapt-N tool with Cornell extension associate Bianca Moebius-Clune. They saved thousands of dollars after applying Adapt-N recommendations during a trial at their Moravia farm.New tool helps farmers nip nitrogen losses [Cornell Chronicle 2013-05-13] – The free Web-based tool, Adapt-N, draws on local soil, crop and weather data – including high resolution climate data stored at the Northeast Regional Climate Center at Cornell – to provide better estimates of nitrogen fertilizer needs for corn (including sweet corn), in real time, throughout the season. Adapt-N was chosen as AgProfessional’s 2012 Readers’ Choice Top Product of the Year, taking 52 percent of the vote and being the first product developed by a university to receive the award. In addition to reducing farmers fertilizer costs and nitrogen pollution, the tool can also reduce emissions of nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas that is 300 times better at trapping heat than carbon dioxide. Nitrous oxide emissions from nitrogen fertilizer use rival the global warming impact of the entire U.S. aviation industry.
Adding veggies to your diet helps cut global warming [Cornell Chronicle 2013-05-09] – If the carnivorous U.S. population – as a whole – ate a more-vegetarian diet that included egg and milk products, the environment would be greatly relieved, says a preliminary Cornell study by life-cycle engineer Christine Costello, a postdoctoral researcher in the field of ecology and evolutionary biology. Collaborators in the project funded by Cornell’s Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future included Ian Merwin and Laurie Drinkwater.
High marks on the ground, in the stars [Cornell Chronicle Essentials blog 2013-05-08] – Cornell ranks No. 3 in the world in agriculture and forestry, according to the 2013 QS World University Rankings by subject. QS evaluated 2,858 universities, ranked 678 institutions, analyzed 68 million citations and verified 8,391 programs.
