Page 7 - Impact Fall 2024

INVESTING IN THE
AMERICAN BIOECONOMY
In August, the U of M welcomed U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack, who announced
that USDA is funding 160 projects in 26 states to expand
access to clean energy systems and increase the
availability of domestic biofuels that will create new market
opportunities and jobs for U.S. farmers, ranchers, and
agricultural producers.
He made the announcement from the U of M’s
McNamara Alumni Center at a roundtable discussion
including U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, U.S. Senator
Tina Smith, U.S. Congresswoman Betty McCollum, U.S.
Congresswoman Angie Craig, Minnesota Department of
Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen, CFANS Dean
Brian Buhr, and public and private partners from industry
and research.
Vilsack underscored USDA’s efforts to invest
in climate-related research and development by
institutions like the U of M, which helps result in scientific
breakthroughs such as innovative biofuel technologies
that combat the climate crisis, lower costs for American
producers, and boost American energy independence.
During the discussion, Buhr emphasized the
importance of taking an integrated approach to
agriculture that starts with land and water, and the need to
continue to work across domains, including industry and
government, to develop new ideas and bring them forward.
Breakthrough on tar spot
pathogen enables field research
CFANS researchers have developed the first
method to infect corn plants with the tar spot
pathogen in the field, advancing research on
this emerging disease that threatens U.S. corn
production. The novel process enables scientists to
study the disease in real-world conditions, a critical
step in understanding how it spreads. Tar spot first
appeared in Minnesota in 2019, and this research
represents a significant breakthrough in combating
the pathogen.
Graduate student and lead author José E.
Solórzano highlighted the importance of the
discovery: “We have figured out how to induce the
disease in controlled and field environments, which
enhances our research and understanding of the
disease, and we expect it will help other researchers
as well.”
The study outlines a process for collecting,
storing, and applying inoculum to corn foliage to
induce infection in the field. Key findings include that
a single inoculation event can trigger tar spot and its
spread, inoculum stored
at -20°C remains viable
for 10 months, and tar
spot can develop in
drier conditions than
previously thought.
Co-author and
CFANS professor
Dean Malvick from the
Department of Plant
Pathology emphasized
the significance of
the research: “Corn
tar spot is a new and
emerging disease that
is poorly understood.
This work advances the
capacity to conduct research leading to improved
understanding and management of this disease.”
Future studies will focus on the pathogen’s biology
and host range to develop better management
strategies.