Research Videos
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Transcripts of most videos are also available.
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Switchgrass Science
At the University of Tennessee, switchgrass is all the buzz. It's a plant that's farmer & environment-friendly, and a cheap alternative to high-priced corn ethanol. Transcript |
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Cattle Sell-Off
Some livestock barns around Tennessee are selling three and four times the usual number of cattle, but that’s not necessarily positive for farmers. Many producers have been forced to sell parts of their herd because of drought. Transcript |
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Shorebirds
Many species of birds migrate to Tennessee from the tundra of Canada this time of year, and take up residence on our wetlands. UT scientists are researching the importance of so-called “mudflats” and how that habitat impacts shorebirds. Transcript |
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Biofuel Site Announcement
UT’s Institute of Agriculture has now named a site where it will build a refinery to produce biofuels. It’s part of a statewide initiative to make Tennessee a leader in our nation’s efforts to find new ways to make fuel and energy. Transcript |
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Cotton Irrigation
Like all crops in Tennessee, cotton is hurting because of this summer’s drought. Researchers with UT’s Institute of Agriculture are studying how cotton reacts to a lack of moisture – and just how much water is enough for a plant to grow. Transcript |
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Gnats (Black Flies)
In Tennessee’s warm season months, gnats are a nuisance to people and animals. UT researchers are working to reduce the gnat population by eliminating the insects before they’ve hatched from rivers and streams. Transcript |
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Drought
Tennessee is having one of its’ driest years ever. The National Drought Mitigation Center reports the entire state is experiencing moderate to severe drought. Experts with UT’s Institute of Agriculture say we’ve missed out on a lot of rain for the first half of 2007, but there’s still time for crops and landscaping to recover. Transcript |
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Quonset Barn
Most barns are pretty standard in shape - square or rectangular, and usually painted red with a loft to store hay. But now some Tennessee farmers are looking at a more-modern day barn that’s built to last a long time. Transcript |
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Beef Cattle
Beef cattle farming is Tennessee’s number one agricultural commodity - and herd reproductive health is critical for producers to stay in business. UT’s Institute of Agriculture is working on research to boost cattle pregnancy rates. Transcript |
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Biofuel
A recent government report says the U.S. could easily produce more than a billion tons of materials to make biofuels each year - and it wouldn’t impact our food supply. Researchers at UT’s Institute of Agriculture are working on ways to produce biomass and alternative fuels. Transcript |
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Jack Daniels Trees
It’s one of Tennessee’s best-known products – Jack Daniel’s Whiskey – produced for 140 years in the pretty town of Lynchburg. Now people at the distillery are also working with UT researchers so that area forests remain diverse. Transcript |
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Narrow Cotton
More than half of all clothing purchases in the U.S. are garments that are 100 percent cotton. Tennessee farmers grow half a million acres of cotton each year. Transcript |
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Golf Turf
Turf grass researchers with UT’s Institute of Agriculture work to improve fairways and greens on golf courses around the state and country. Transcript |
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Pine Thinning
A thick forest isn’t necessarily full of healthy trees. Researchers are studying the impact of thinning groves of pines as a way to produce higher quality timber. Transcript |
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Butternut Trees
A tree that used to thrive in the Smoky Mountains now is threatened by disease. Researchers at UT’s Institute of Agriculture are working to save butternuts as part of the university’s tree improvement program. Transcript |
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Neyland Turf
...While most of us pay attention to the action on the field – the field itself in Neyland Stadium gets special attention from UT researchers. Transcript |
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Burning Fields
If something is purposefully destroyed, it can make a comeback. In this instance, we’re talking about vegetation for wildlife. UT researchers are conducting experiments where they burn fields – with a belief that what grows again will be even better than before. Transcript |
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Dairy
Tennessee has lost roughly half its total dairy farms in the last decade. It just doesn’t pay to produce milk for many farmers... Transcript |
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Thai No-Till
No-till agriculture has become the norm on many Tennessee farms. That’s where crops are grown on un-plowed fields in order to slow soil erosion. Now UT scientists are taking this successful farming technique around the world. Transcript |
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Dogwoods
Known the world over for some of the prettiest blooms nature provides – the dogwood might truly be called Tennessee’s tree. We’re the nation’s leading dogwood producing state, and home to more than one hundred species of the tree. Transcript |
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Switchgrass
High gas prices have many of us wishing for a solution to America’s dependence on foreign oil. Experts with UT’s Institute of Agriculture believe we may be within a few years of a viable fuel alternative. Transcript |
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Blueberries
Blueberries are one of Tennessee’s top fruits, and experts with UT’s Institute of Agriculture say you can probably find a pick-your-own place near you. Transcript |
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Soybean Germplasm
The combination of agriculture and science produces some amazing things. UT researchers recently announced that in the near future, they’ll be able to produce new breeds of soybeans unlike any grown before. Transcript |
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Hollies at the Arboretum
A perennial Christmas favorite shows its colors. |