From weeds to Washington: Penn State agronomy student advocates for change

April 25, 2019

Haleigh Summers, a master’s degree student in agronomy in the College of Agricultural Sciences, is one of this year’s 18 recipients of the American Society of Agronomy’s Future Leaders in Science Award.

Stearns receives Educator of the Year award from national landscape association

April 22, 2019

Dan Stearns, J. Franklin Styer Professor Emeritus, who served as the inaugural professor and program coordinator of the landscape contracting program in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, recently was named Outstanding Educator of the Year by the National Association of Landscape Professionals during its annual conference in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Insect-deterring sorghum compounds may be eco-friendly pesticide

April 3, 2019

Compounds produced by sorghum plants to defend against insect feeding could be isolated, synthesized and used as a targeted, nontoxic insect deterrent, according to researchers who studied plant-insect interactions that included field, greenhouse and laboratory components.

Manure application changes with winter crop can cut nitrogen loss, boost profits

April 2, 2019

Dairy farmers in the Northeast can improve water quality and boost the profitability of their operations by changing the timing and method of applying manure to their fields in the fall, along with planting rye as a cover crop between corn crops — or by double-cropping rye and corn, according to Penn State researchers.

Penn State research featured in new report on supercharging U.S. ag science

March 27, 2019

A new report issued today (March 27) shows how U.S. farmers — facing a surge of weather events and disease outbreaks — can increase production and revenues with innovations produced by federally funded agricultural research, including studies performed in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.

Guiltinan receives Black Award for excellence in research

March 26, 2019

Mark Guiltinan, J. Franklin Styer Professor of Horticultural Botany in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, is the recipient of the 2018 Alex and Jessie C. Black Award for Excellence in Research.

Penn State sophomore blooms in plant science studies, internship

March 25, 2019

Jessica Yaeger, a plant science major with a horticulture option, has been named the 2019 GPN/Nexus Intern of the Year, an award sponsored by Greenhouse Product News and Nexus Greenhouse Corp.

Harper to take the reins at Penn State's Fruit Research and Extension Center

March 1, 2019

Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences has named Jayson Harper, professor of agricultural economics, as interim director of the college's Fruit Research and Extension Center, effective March 1.

Penn State World Campus helps University stay true to founding mission

February 22, 2019

Penn State remains committed 164 years after its founding to providing an agricultural education — no matter where its students live.

Manure injection offers hope, challenge for restoring Chesapeake water quality

February 6, 2019

Widespread adoption by dairy farmers of injecting manure into the soil instead of spreading it on the surface could be crucial to restoring Chesapeake Bay water quality, according to researchers who compared phosphorus runoff from fields treated by both methods. However, they predict it will be difficult to persuade farmers to change practices.

College of Agricultural Sciences faculty members honored for teaching excellence

January 25, 2019

Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences has recognized six faculty members for outstanding teaching in 2018.

Unraveling of 58-year-old corn gene mystery may have plant-breeding implications

January 18, 2019

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — In discovering a mutant gene that "turns on" another gene responsible for the red pigments sometimes seen in corn, researchers solved an almost six-decades-old mystery with a finding that may have implications for plant breeding in the future. The culmination of more than 20 years of work, the effort started when, in 1997, Surinder Chopra, professor of maize genetics at Penn State, received seeds from a mutant line of corn. At the time, Chopra was a postdoctoral scholar at Iowa State University, and he brought the research with him when he joined the Penn State faculty in 2000.

College of Agricultural Sciences student selected for Land O'Lakes internship

January 16, 2019

This past summer, Izaiah Bokunewicz, a plant sciences major in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, had a unique opportunity to advance his knowledge of food security and global hunger by participating in a prestigious program sponsored by Land O'Lakes.

Unique graduate student cohort will explore gender and agriculture

December 19, 2018

Faculty in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences are spearheading an initiative that will provide selected doctoral students with the opportunity for extensive study on gender and its relationship to agricultural production.

Recruiting ants to fight weeds on the farm

December 18, 2018

Harvester ants that eat weed seeds on the soil's surface can help farmers manage weeds on their farms, according to an international team of researchers, who found that tilling less to preserve the ants could save farmers fuel and labor costs, as well as preserve water and improve soil quality.

Penn State root research results in breeding of improved bean plants for Africa

November 28, 2018

In the culmination of more than a decade of research on root traits conducted by Penn State plant scientists, about three tons of seed for common bean plants specifically bred to thrive in the barren soils of Mozambique will be distributed there Dec. 11.

Penn State creates model nutrient management plan for Bay drainage golf courses

November 19, 2018

Lost Creek Golf Club in Juniata County is unusual because a high quality, extremely productive wild trout stream runs through it, and Penn State turfgrass scientists recently developed a nutrient management plan for the course to protect the creek.

'Scaring' soybeans into defensive mode yields better plants a generation later

November 13, 2018

By temporarily silencing the expression of a critical gene, researchers fooled soybean plants into sensing they were under siege, encountering a wide range of stresses. Then, after selectively cross breeding those plants with the original stock, the progeny "remember" the stress-induced responses to become more vigorous, resilient and productive plants, according to a team of researchers.

Students gain valuable insights at national agriculture conference

October 26, 2018

Three students from Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences traveled to Hartford, Connecticut, in September for the annual meeting of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture.

Golf course managers challenged by fungicide-resistant turf grass disease

October 25, 2018

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Dollar spot — the most common, troublesome and damaging turfgrass disease plaguing golf courses — is becoming increasingly resistant to fungicides applied to manage it, according to Penn State researchers. An aggressive and destructive disease caused by the fungal pathogen Clarireedia jacksonii, dollar spot overwinters in plant tissues, often re-emerging in multiple epidemics throughout the year over the spring, summer and fall. The symptoms on highly maintained, closely mown turf typically consist of small patches of bleached plants that are unsightly and can affect playability of putting greens or fairways.

Annual Penn State Horticulture Show slated for Oct. 20-21

October 12, 2018

A fall favorite of residents from Centre County and beyond, the Penn State Horticulture Show, will take place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Oct. 20 and 21 at Penn State's University Park campus.

Registration open for Northeast Cover Crops Council Conference at Penn State

October 3, 2018

Registration is open for the second Northeast Cover Crop Council Conference, which will be hosted by Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, Nov. 15-16.

Penn State education helps horticulture alumnus dig deep into potato industry

September 25, 2018

Curtis Frederick really digs potatoes. And that's a good thing considering that the 2009 graduate of Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences is enjoying a career as a senior agronomist at Sterman Masser Inc., a large, family-owned potato company, in Sacramento, Pennsylvania.

Fruit research and extension projects receive funding from industry groups

September 21, 2018

The State Horticultural Association of Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Apple Program recently awarded nearly $233,000 in funding to support new and ongoing fruit research and extension projects in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences. The grants will support projects aimed at enhancing pest management, production efficiency and fruit quality.

Plant science faculty member named Styer Professor

September 21, 2018

Mark Guiltinan, professor of plant molecular biology in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, recently was named the J. Franklin Styer Professor of Horticultural Botany. The Styer Professorship is intended to supplement departmental support for outstanding faculty and further the scholar's contributions to teaching, research and service.

Conservation dairy farming could help Pa. meet Chesapeake target

September 13, 2018

If the majority of dairy farms in Pennsylvania fully adopt conservation best-management practices, the state may be able to achieve its total maximum daily load water-quality target for the Chesapeake Bay, according to researchers.

Doctoral student in plant science recipient of inaugural FFAR Fellow Award

August 28, 2018

Zachary Dashner, a doctoral student in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, was one of 17 recipients chosen by the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research, or FFAR, to receive the inaugural FFAR Fellow Award.

Farmer Field School addresses food insecurity, gender inequality in Honduras

August 27, 2018

Researchers in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences are among an interdisciplinary team dedicated to elevating Hondurans — especially women — by teaching them how to diversify their farm operations to improve family diet and income, while advancing gender equality.

Pa. Turfgrass Council names graduate fellowships for three turfgrass icons

August 21, 2018

The Pennsylvania Turfgrass Council recently established three graduate fellowships in the College of Agricultural Sciences in honor of three alumni of the turfgrass program.

College of Ag Sciences student invites peers to grow their leadership skills

August 20, 2018

Dylan Schoemaker's desire to grow as a student and a leader served as the springboard for him to dive into the many opportunities provided through Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences. One of those pursuits is his appointment as campus ambassador for Agricultural Future of America.