Vegetable Crop Science Lab
Our research focus is to investigate and advance novel technologies and solutions with the goal of improving the sustainability of current vegetable production systems and enhancing the nutritional quality of vegetables.
Latest News
August 26, 2025
Fine-tuning Zinc Supplementation, Light Exposure to Boost Microgreens' Nutrition
Microgreens, which are young, edible plants that only take one to three weeks to harvest, are more than garnish at trendy restaurants — they could be the answer to global hunger, according to plant scientists at Penn State. Two new studies have revealed that microgreens, already densely packed with nutrients, can be made even more nutritious with a couple of minor growing adjustments.
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August 18, 2025
Ag Progress Days 2025
Ag Progress Days brought thousands of visitors to the Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center from August 12-14 for demonstrations, exhibitions, and talks on every aspect of the agricultural industry. Visitors learned about wildlife, farm equipment, hot air balloons, and even virtual reality as they wandered through the center's booths and stages. Below is a gallery of photos from this year's event.
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July 21, 2025
Simulating the Unthinkable: Models Show Nuclear Winter Food Production Plunge
A team led by researchers at Penn State have modeled precisely how various nuclear winter scenarios could impact global production of corn — the most widely planted grain crop in the world. They also recommended preparing "agricultural resilience kits" with seeds for faster-growing varieties better adapted to colder temperatures that could potentially help offset the impact of nuclear winter, as well as natural disasters like volcanic eruptions.
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February 27, 2025
New Computer Vision System can Guide Specialty Crops Monitoring
Soilless growing systems inside greenhouses, known as controlled environment agriculture, promise to advance the year-round production of high-quality specialty crops, according to an interdisciplinary research team at Penn State. But to be competitive and sustainable, this advanced farming method will require the development and implementation of precision agriculture techniques. To meet that demand, the team developed an automated crop-monitoring system capable of providing continuous and frequent data about plant growth and needs, allowing for informed crop management.
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Contact Us
- Associate Professor of Vegetable Crop Science
- Email fxd92@psu.edu
- Office 814-863-2195
