IU Research Focused on Ag Issues
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowThe vice president of research for Indiana University says while the pandemic has raged for more than six months, research at IU has remained active and has embraced the challenges associated with COVID-19.
“We have actually submitted more grants, and we’ve received more grants,” said Fred Cate, vice president of research at IU. “We’ve got more work going on as folks rather than being set back by this pandemic really see as an opportunity to get that research out there that helps us fight COVID and helps us advance the state.”
One way to help the advancement is by putting more research attention and resources towards Indiana’s vast agricultural industry.
“In the way of the agbioscience, food, agriculture, ag tech at IU, there’s a lot being done in that area,” said Cate in this week’s Ag+Bio+Science podcast presented by AgriNovus Indiana.
Cate says he’s a lawyer by training, where he focused much of his attention on the expanding field of data, in terms of privacy, security, ownership, and how data can advance the economy and pose threats to the economy.
He says data in the agbiosciences sector is an expanding area of research at IU.
“It’s hard to imagine a farmer today or an agricultural innovation that is not frankly having to rely on data more and more and data technologies,” said Cate “We have projects on data analytics, so that you can use the data you’re getting from sensors in your field and from other sources to know exactly what’s happening in terms of moisture and nutrients in the soil and pests that may be bothering those crops.”
Cate told podcast host Gerry Dick that he recently met with AgriNovus Indiana to explore more ways that IU can support the sector, including collaboration with Purdue University and other industry partners.
Cate said the state is well-positioned for public and private sectors to collaborate and grow the agbioscience industry and create career opportunities.
“We’re turning out people who are better prepared to work in the industry in the future. They’re not learning about last year’s challenges, they’re learning about future of these industries and how to move forward,” said Cate.
Learn more about IU’s growth in ag-focused research in the next episode of the Ag+Bio+Science podcast which will be available Monday morning. Click here for more information on how you can listen.