Agricultural Science
Dr Amber Adams-Progar – A Holistic Approach to Improving Dairy Farming
Dairy farming is a tough business, where farmers experience countless challenges on a regular basis, from ensuring the health and welfare of their cattle to protecting the safety of their employees. Dr Amber Adams-Progar and her team in the Department of Animal Sciences at Washington State University are involved in many research projects, which aim to improve various aspects of the dairy industry, by protecting farm profits, worker safety and animal welfare.
Dr Steven Running – Monitoring Plant Productivity on a Global Scale
Net primary productivity, or NPP, refers to the amount of carbon dioxide that plants take in during photosynthesis, minus the amount released during respiration, resulting in final observable biomass. As carbon dioxide is the primary driver of climate change, having a full understanding of this process is now critical. However, until recently, global NPP and how it is affected by climate change were poorly understood. To obtain a complete picture of NPP and the factors that drive global changes, Dr Steven Running and his team at the University of Montana have been investigating satellite data from the past few decades.
Dr Lauren Lazaro – Weeding out Herbicide Resistance
Weeds that are resistant to herbicides pose an ever-growing danger to our major crops, threatening global food security. Dr Lauren Lazaro and her colleagues at Louisiana State University AgCenter are testing new, herbicide-free techniques to control the spread of these threats.
Professor Ronald Erskine – Improving Milk Quality from the Farm to the Table
The US dairy industry has undergone major restructuring over the past couple of decades, with growing herd sizes and an increased reliance on labour from outside the family. These changes have brought about new challenges to prevent infectious diseases among cattle....
The CucCAP Project – Harnessing Genomics for Disease Resistance in Cucumbers, Melons and Squashes
Watermelons, cucumbers and squashes represent a vital source of food worldwide, and their industries are worth billions. However, these important crops are being held back by a number of serious diseases. Through genomic studies, Dr Rebecca Grumet of Michigan State...
Dr Gary Williams | Dr Rodolfo Cardoso – Probing the Link Between Perinatal Nutrition and Puberty in Cattle
For almost two decades, Dr Gary Williams and his graduate students at Texas A&M AgriLife Research/Texas A&M University have worked to unveil the mysteries of puberty in young female cattle. With this research, Dr Williams and his former graduate student and...
Dr Hernan Garcia-Ruiz – When Viruses Infect Plants
Just as human beings can catch a cold, plants can also get viral infections. Understanding the mechanisms regulating the interactions between plants and viruses is the first step towards developing better management strategies and using biotechnology methods to...
Orange Innovation: Creating Citrus Disease Resistance
Florida’s citrus industry is under threat from Huanglongbing (HLB, or citrus greening disease), a devastating plant disease. A collaboration between the University of Florida and the University of Connecticut aims to develop resistance to HLB in citrus plants, using...
Outcomes of Gender Summit 11, Co-hosted by NSERC
From November 6 to 8, 2017, more than 675 advocates of gender equity from across many different fields in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) took part in Gender Summit 11, in Montreal, Quebec. Co-hosted by the Natural Sciences and Engineering...
Dr Merari Feliciano-Rivera – Towards Sustainable Yam Production in Puerto Rico
Yams provide a staple food source in Puerto Rico, supplying an essential source of nutrients and fibre. However, pests and disease have been severely diminishing local yields. To tackle this problem, Dr Merari Feliciano-Rivera and her team at the University of...
Dr Laurent Ahiablame – Balancing Agriculture & Urban Development with Water Management
Our vital water resources are under heavy pressure as the world’s population continues to expand rapidly. Coupled with challenges associated with climate change, the water management discussion has never been more relevant. Dr Laurent Ahiablame, from the...
Dr Amélie Gaudin – Resilient Cropping Systems for a Sustainable Future
Dr Amélie Gaudin at the University of California, Davis explores ways to develop more efficient and resilient cropping systems. Here we take a closer look at just a few of Dr Gaudin’s research projects, which aim to build multifunctional agricultural systems where...
Professor KC Olson – Protecting the Plains: A Comprehensive Approach to Invasive Plant Control
Around the world, invasive species provide a major threat to global biodiversity. The Great Plains of the United States are among the most threatened ecosystems, where a noxious invasive weed is overpowering the native tallgrass prairies. Professor KC Olson and his...
Dr Johanne Brunet – Buzzing & Blooming: Bee-Flower Interactions in Crop Production
Pollination by flying insects is often the forgotten key to high agricultural productivity. Dr Johanne Brunet, research ecologist at the USDA-Agricultural Service, is investigating insect-flower interactions, and their implications for crop production. Bees as...
Dr Ermita Hernandez – Revitalising Puerto Rico Towards Sustainable Vegetable Production
Currently, farming practices in Puerto Rico are largely unsustainable and little information exists to direct growers towards better practice. To address this issue, Dr Ermita Hernandez and her team at the University of Puerto Rico investigate sustainable management...
Greener Pastures: Transforming Land Management Practices in the Cattle Industry
In the face of global climate change and challenges to sustainable use of renewable resources, farmers and ranchers are continually seeking best management practices that are economically viable and environmentally friendly. To meet this need, researchers at Auburn...
Professor Gerald Reeck – The Molecular World of Aphid Feeding
Professor Gerald Reeck and his team at Kansas State University are investigating the molecular basis of aphid herbivory, including suppression of plant defences, using powerful methods of molecular genetics. This research is important for developing new aphid-pest...
AFCERC: The Agribusiness, Food & Consumer Economics Research Center
Research investigating the economic, social, psychological and physiological factors that influence consumers’ food choices can help in gaining a better understanding of how individuals select particular foods. The Agribusiness, Food, and Consumer Economics...
CSU – How Can Agriculture in the Colorado River Basin Best Address Pressures on Its Water?
Dr Te-Ming Paul Tseng – From Foes to Friends: Exploiting the Agricultural Potential of Weeds
Dr Te-Ming Paul Tseng and his research group at Mississippi State University are investigating the biology and ecology of agricultural weeds to limit their damage to crops. The team also hopes to improve crop productivity by incorporating competitive traits from weeds...
Dr C. B. Rajashekar – More Reasons to Eat Your Greens: Boosting Phytochemicals in Vegetables
Many plants contain phytochemicals – unique chemicals that can prevent diseases such as heart disease, cancer and obesity. Dr C. B. Rajashekar and his colleagues at Kansas State University are investigating ways to increase the concentration of these constituents in...
Professor Paul Dyson | Dr Miranda Whitten – Controlling Insect Pests with RNA Interference
Professor Paul Dyson and Dr Miranda Whitten at Swansea University in the UK are developing insect pest control methods using endosymbiotic bacteria that target the insects ‘from within’ using RNA interference. The Insecta class of arthropods is the most diverse group...
Dr Maureen McCarthy – Climate and Agricultural Resilience in the American Southwest: Safeguarding Ancient Traditions Against Modern Threats
Sustaining the availability of clean water is one of the greatest challenges humanity will face, as climate change leads to hotter, more extreme weather patterns that disrupt normal snow and rainfall worldwide. These changes are predicted to hit arid climates...
CHG – Improved Drought Early Warning Science Helps Save Lives and Livelihoods in Africa
Bringing together multidisciplinary scientists and food security analysts from UC Santa Barbara, Africa and Central America, the Climate Hazards Group develops datasets, tools and forecasts that help guide effective disaster responses and long-term development plans...
Dr Sangamesh (Sangu) Angadi – Circles of Hope: Circular Buffer Strip Schemes for Agriculture Dr Sangamesh
Agriculture in the semi-arid US Southern Great Plains depends on irrigation water from the Ogallala Aquifer, the largest in the country. With the aquifer in decline, new ideas will be needed to ensure the future of irrigated agriculture in the region. Dr Sangamesh...
Dr Chad Dechow – The Dairy Cow: Beyond Mass Production
As dairy farmers struggle to make ends meet, economic efficiency often forces the health and wellbeing of cattle to take a back seat. Dr Chad Dechow and his team at Pennsylvania State University have set about tackling this problem, providing a means for producing...
The Consortium of Food Process Validation Experts: Surrogate Bacteria for Food Safety
In the wake of a terrible E. coli food poisoning outbreak, a group of food scientists decided to gear their research towards improving the safety of meat and poultry, whilst reaching out to food industry stakeholders and forming a collaboration known as the Consortium...
Cowpea – An Ancient Crop for Modern Challenges
Cowpea has been cultivated as a crop for thousands of years, and is well-placed to improve the sustainability of modern agricultural systems. As part of a NIFA-funded project, Dr Louis Jackai, Dr Beatrice Dingha and Dr Mulumebet Worku and their students at North...
Dr Macdonald Wick – Illuminating the Causes Behind Muscle Problems in Poultry
Muscle defects and non-infectious anomalies in commercial poultry are increasing in prevalence – with implications for bird welfare, meat quality and economic value. Dr Macdonald Wick and his team at Ohio State University are attempting to elucidate the biological...
Professor Sanford Eigenbrode – Adapting Dryland Cereal Production to Climate Change
Cereal production is vulnerable to climate change. Professor Sanford Eigenbrode is the Project Director of Regional Approaches to Climate Change for Pacific Northwest Agriculture (REACCH), a project that was initiated to address the challenges facing cereal systems in...
Dr Philippe Rolshausen – Utilising the Plant Microbiome in Agriculture
Dr Philippe Rolshausen and his team at the University of California, Riverside, aim to understand the microbial communities that live on and in fruit trees, with implications for crop yield and plant disease. With backing from Californian tree crop industries and...
Dr Martha Giraldo – Solving the Problem of Apio (Arracacia xanthorrhiza) Corm Rot Disease
Essentially un-researched until now, corm rot disease has had detrimental effects on the Puerto Rican agricultural industry. Here, Dr Martha Giraldo and her research team at the University of Puerto Rico collaborate with local farmers to investigate the source of this...