June 26, 2024
Cacao, the chocolate tree, is one of the world’s most important economic crops, generating hundreds of billions of dollars annually. However, cocoa is affected by a range of pests and diseases, with some estimates putting losses as high as 30% to 40% of global production. Now, a team led by researchers at Penn State has created a genetic information resource to help plant breeders develop resistant strains of cacao that can be grown sustainably in its native Amazon and elsewhere, such as the tropical latitudes of Central and South America, the Caribbean, Africa and Asia.
June 20, 2024
Penn State Extension, in collaboration with Cornell University, recently produced four “learn-now” videos aimed at educating grape growers about clean grapevines.
June 20, 2024
Thanks to the dedicated efforts of Penn State Extension educators and their network, the football field at Westinghouse Academy in Pittsburgh has been transformed into a safe facility that promises to be a game-changer for the community.
June 6, 2024
Mark Guiltinan, professor of plant molecular biology and J. Franklin Styer Professor of Horticultural Botany, has been named director of the Penn State Plant Institute.
May 23, 2024
A faculty member in the Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences has been named recipient of Research.com’s Plant Science and Agronomy Leader Award for 2024 and is included in the academic platform’s 2024 Ranking of Best Scientists in the Field of Plant Science and Agronomy.
May 21, 2024
The Sustainable Labs Program provides educational support and networking opportunities to labs across Penn State, helping them implement changes to become more energy and resource efficient. Actions taken by participating labs are estimated to result in over $155,000 in savings for the University and reduce about 490 tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually.
May 14, 2024
The Erickson Discovery Grant, which funds independent research projects for undergraduate students, has been awarded to 43 recipients this year.
May 6, 2024
A research team in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences has received a grant of nearly $1 million from the U.S. National Science Foundation to fund a novel project investigating the molecular and physiological processes that support corn kernel development.
April 22, 2024
States that are associated with signature varietals of wine can realize an economic benefit — some examples are regions in California linked with zinfandel, cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay, Oregon with pinot noir and the Finger Lakes region of New York with riesling. Now, a new study by Penn State researchers suggests that a wine grape called grüner veltliner could potentially do the same for Pennsylvania.
April 18, 2024
Penn State Climate Consortium announced 11 workshops designed to create and implement climate change solutions through its Climate Solutions Accelerator program.
April 16, 2024
High-tunnel growing systems, sometimes called hoophouses, have gained popularity for their ability to enhance growth conditions and extend the growing season of horticultural crops. Now, a team led by Penn State researchers has demonstrated that growers can select various plastic film coverings on the structures — depending on their desired light-filtering properties — to protect plants and enhance their health.
April 12, 2024
Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences recently honored three of its alumni with 2024 Outstanding Alumni Awards: Vijay Nandula, Shah Chowdhury and Hunter Swisher.
April 12, 2024
A nationwide team of agricultural scientists, including researchers at Penn State, has launched a decision aid that provides an unbiased, science-based interpretation of soil test phosphorus and potassium values for crop fertilization, with an eye toward potentially saving farmers millions of dollars annually while reducing excess nutrient losses to the environment.
April 8, 2024
During its annual meeting on April 3, the Penn State chapter of Gamma Sigma Delta, the agricultural honor society, honored faculty and students from the College of Agricultural Sciences.
April 2, 2024
Graduate students in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences were lauded for their achievements during the 2024 Graduate Student Award Celebration, hosted by the Office for Research and Graduate Education and held March 20 on the University Park campus.
March 19, 2024
As climate change worsens global drought conditions, hindering crop production, the search for ways to capture and store atmospheric carbon causing the phenomenon has intensified. Penn State researchers have developed a new high-tech tool that could spur changes in how crops withstand drought, acquire nitrogen and store carbon deeper in soil.
March 7, 2024
Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences has recognized seven faculty members for outstanding teaching in 2023.
March 5, 2024
At the inaugural “Pennsylvania Partners for Climate Smart Commodities Summit,” held in February on Penn State’s University Park campus, a diverse group of stakeholders came together to discuss how climate-smart agriculture offers innovative solutions to help farmers adapt and safeguard their livelihoods.
February 26, 2024
Indigenous scholar Tiokasin Ghosthorse will share his extensive knowledge with the community on Mar. 13 in the HUB Flex Theatre and online.
February 16, 2024
An often-overlooked water plant that can double its biomass in two days, capture nitrogen from the air — making it a valuable green fertilizer — and be fed to poultry and livestock could serve as life-saving food for humans in the event of a catastrophe or disaster, a new study led by Penn State researchers suggests.
January 29, 2024
Six Penn State researchers who were nominated by the Penn State community for their collaborative, interdisciplinary research efforts were recognized with Institute of Energy and the Environment’s Research Awards.
January 25, 2024
With 36 years of experience at Penn State as a researcher and educator in weed and vegetation management, Art Gover specializes in handling invasive species in natural settings. Now retired, he continues to share his expertise as a volunteer with the Penn State Extension Master Watershed Steward program. Gover, based in Centre County, recently earned the 2023 Natural Resource Education Champion Award from the Pennsylvania Association of Natural Resource Extension Professionals.
January 16, 2024
A team comprised of faculty from five departments in the Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences and the Department of Biology in the Eberly College of Science, funded by a $262,500 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, has created a novel program to train doctoral degree students to conduct interdisciplinary research on the relationship between soils, plants and consumers.
December 7, 2023
In watersheds degraded by runoff of nutrients from farmland, land managers may struggle to pinpoint the best locations to install riparian buffer strips along streams or other pollution-reduction practices, but a new technology devised by Penn State scientists could potentially make the search for those sites easier and less expensive.
November 28, 2023
Lyla June Johnston, an Indigenous musician, scholar and community organizer of Diné (Navajo), Tsétsêhéstâhese (Cheyenne) and European lineages, will delve into the lessons of ancient native food systems on Tuesday, Nov. 28, at 7 p.m. in the HUB Flex Theater and online.
November 21, 2023
Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences lauded outstanding accomplishments in research during the 2023 Research Awards Ceremony, held Nov. 1 at the Hintz Family Alumni Center on the University Park campus.
November 20, 2023
An international team of researchers that includes Penn State faculty has characterized the abundances and distributions of plant beneficial bacteria from soils collected across the globe — and modeled how climate change may impact their numbers in the coming century. They published their findings in Nature Food.
November 16, 2023
A new grant for more than $7 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture will fund an upcoming project led by Penn State researchers, who aim to develop new pest management tools for mushroom crops.
October 3, 2023
Andrew McNitt, professor of soil science, director of the Center for Sports Surface Research and technical adviser to the National Football League, recently retired from Penn State after an innovative and distinguished career in the College of Agricultural Sciences.
September 25, 2023
Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences has awarded three faculty members with funding to support the development of innovative course curricula through the college’s Harbaugh Faculty Scholars program.
