The person next to you at a university field day might be a farmer down the road, also there to learn about new techniques to increase return on investment. Then again, he or she might be a college student there to learn — even a student from a foreign country. At the open house held for the CornBox plots on the agronomy research farm at the University of Illinois this summer, several people on the tour were students from Brazil, but they weren’t just any college students. They were members of a unique program offered by U of I.

“Students in this group were all non-degree students from Brazil,” explains Allison Wheeler, Global Education and Training Program coordinator for Illinois International at the U of I. “Most of these students have farm backgrounds in their home country and are interested in learning about agriculture.”

Wheeler notes that students don’t always have strong agriculture backgrounds, like they did in this case. The three-week on-campus course is designed to give them a well-rounded background in educational topics, including agriculture. The program is not directly linked with the U of I College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, but includes these kinds of experiences — field day educational opportunities — when they make sense.

Students attending this open house event learned about efforts to digitize more measurements in plants, especially how to better understand how nitrogen is used in corn hybrids. They also learned about the potential value of genetic mutations like narrower corn leaves, which allow more light to penetrate the canopy, and genetic traits that could turn plants into sensors as well, revealing whether adequate nitrogen is present during the growing season.  

The students returned to Brazil after completion of the three-week course, Wheeler says. To learn more about Illinois International, visit international.illinois.edu.