Leanne Dillard has always loved puzzles, and her work as an associate professor and an Alabama Cooperative Extension System specialist is like one big puzzle.
Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station Articles
Latest
Flourishing forages: Alabama cattlemen’s secret weapon to diversified production
From the Coastal Plain to the Black Belt, Alabama cattle producers are utilizing forage systems to their advantage to meet the challenges of modern agriculture. Alabama ranks 17th nationally in beef cattle, according to the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association. Alabama...
Planting shifts into high gear at Alabama agricultural research units
As spring planting shifts into high gear in farmers’ fields throughout the Southeast, few agricultural operations come close to matching the diversity of crops and locations as the outlying units of the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station at Auburn University....
Developing high-performing genetic lines and hybrids for the catfish industry
Better breeding ability would make catfish farming more efficient and profitable The $437 million U.S. catfish industry is in need of better genetic and breeding...
Agricultural grants address problems on Alabama farms
Is growing a cover crop on Alabama farms a solution or a problem for growers in the state who are trying to prevent soil and water erosion losses? A grant funded...
Better than he found it: Patterson steps down as agriculture dean, experiment station director
As 2024 draws to a close, Paul Patterson is stepping away from his roles as dean of the College of Agriculture and director of the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station, effective Jan. 1. He led both to record numbers in the areas of teaching, research and outreach since he assume the positions in March 2016…
No off-season for variety trial researchers
Alabama Cooperative Extension System As farmers were planning this year’s crop, Alabama Cooperative Extension professionals and Auburn University College of Agriculture faculty were working ahead to determine the best varieties for farmers across the state....
Working across state lines to increase fruit tree production
Auburn University’s College of Agriculture is working across state lines with other land-grant institutions to help increase fruit tree production in the U.S.Nearly 30 land-grant institutions, representative of the Western, North-Central, Southern and Northeastern...
$2.5 million named gift to honor poultry industry pioneer
AUBURN, Ala.—A new, state-of-the-art poultry science research and education complex to be constructed on the north campus of Auburn University over the next two years will be named in honor of a forward-thinking poultry industry pioneer, thanks to an Atlanta, Georgia,...
Auburn scientists: Widespread outbreak of Zika virus not likely in United States
by MAGGIE LAWRENCE AUBURN, Ala.—Public health officials are working to contain an outbreak of Zika virus across Central and South America. But scientists at Auburn University do not believe that the United States will face the disease in the numbers appearing in...
Precision ag workshop set Jan. 28 in Auburn
AUBURN, Ala. —Auburn University College of Agriculture and Alabama Extension professionals will host a precision agriculture workshop in Auburn Thursday, Jan. 28, at the Auburn University Hotel and Dixon Conference Center. Cutting-edge precision agriculture...
Fisheries Ph.D. student wins People's Choice in 3MT contest
Hisham Abdelrahman, a Ph.D. candidate under the direction of veteran School of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences professor Claude Boyd, was the runner-up and also won the coveted People’s Choice Award during Auburn University’s Three-Minute Thesis, or 3MT,...
Process for approving genetically engineered animals flawed, says AU professor
Federal regulators have approved a fast-growing transgenic salmon as the first genetically engineered animal available for human consumption. And while some are hailing it as a historic breakthrough, others are questioning whether the current approval process for the technology is stringent enough to prevent risks to the environment. One of those doing the questioning is Auburn University’s Conner Bailey.
Corn and Wheat Short Course to be held in Auburn
AUBURN, Ala.—The 2015 Alabama Corn and Wheat Short Course will be held at the Auburn University Hotel and Dixon Conference Center Dec. 14-15.Presenters from the Auburn University College of Agriculture, the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, other land grant...
Protecting our water supply
Helping farmers get “more crop per drop” is the overarching goal of an AAES study.
Protecting water quality
Protecting and maintaining our current water supply is a priority of scientists with the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station, who were addressing the issue through research aimed at overall environmental quality and sustainability. David Blersch, an ecological...
Long-term field experiments offer new breakthroughs
Researchers from the College of Agriculture are using the oldest continuous cotton experiment in the world to find answers to some of the most vexing problems of modern-day agriculture. The “Old Rotation,” established in 1896, is the third oldest field crop experiment...
Looking for ways to perfect the peanut
Genetically improved peanut varieties promise more drought tolerance for farmers and improved food safety for consumers.
Auburn scientists developing food pathogen detection system
A simple, economical tool that could be used to detect and identify harmful bacteria on food products in minutes instead of days and could significantly reduce the incidence of foodborne illnesses in the U.S. and beyond is in the works in biochemist Jacek Wower’s...
Auburn study zeroes in on salmonella in ground poultry
Auburn University graduate student Elle Chadwick, under the direction of Ken Macklin, is studying antibiotic-resistant salmonella serotypes that are known to cause foodborne infections in humans. If the two-year salmonella study launched by Auburn University poultry...
Auburn scientists find tar balls are better left alone
The April 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and the waves of tar balls deposited on the beaches shortly thereafter prompted the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to produce a tar ball fact sheet. Among the factoids was one stating...
Auburn scientists explore how bird flu virus enters poultry farms
Auburn University researchers are helping poultry producers combat a massive and costly outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza. Auburn University poultry scientists Joe Giambrone and Ken Macklin are using funding from the U.S. egg industry to investigate how...
Auburn scientists use laying hens to study fibroid tumors
An estimated 70 percent of women in the U.S. develop fibroid tumors in the uterus by age 50, and while the noncancerous tumors cause no symptoms for the majority of those women, they make life miserable for tens of thousands of others. Within his own family, Wallace...
Ensuring the safety of locally produced foods
Animal sciences assistant professor Christy Bratcher and a multidisciplinary team of scientists from Auburn and Tuskegee universities are working on a multi-year, $4.8 million grant from USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture to help ensure the safety of...
Specialty crops to boost rural economies
Developing new specialty crops like grapes is one way of growing and revitalizing rural areas of Alabama. Elina Coneva, an associate professor in Auburn University’s Department of Horticulture, dreams of making the grape a profitable specialty crop for Alabama...
Southeast Climate Extension project recognized for helping farmers
The Southeast Climate Extension project, a large-scale partnership of six universities across the Southeast, was recently awarded the National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s Partnership Award for Multistate Efforts. Brenda Ortiz, an associate professor in Auburn...
Climate impacts measured in production agriculture
Brenda Ortiz is researching the impact of weather and climate on agriculture, particularly grain crops like wheat and soybeans.
No off-season for variety trial researchers
Alabama Cooperative Extension System As farmers were planning this year’s crop, Alabama Cooperative Extension professionals and Auburn University College of Agriculture faculty were working ahead to determine the best varieties for farmers across the state....
Working across state lines to increase fruit tree production
Auburn University’s College of Agriculture is working across state lines with other land-grant institutions to help increase fruit tree production in the U.S.Nearly 30 land-grant institutions, representative of the Western, North-Central, Southern and Northeastern...
$2.5 million named gift to honor poultry industry pioneer
AUBURN, Ala.—A new, state-of-the-art poultry science research and education complex to be constructed on the north campus of Auburn University over the next two years will be named in honor of a forward-thinking poultry industry pioneer, thanks to an Atlanta, Georgia,...
Auburn scientists: Widespread outbreak of Zika virus not likely in United States
by MAGGIE LAWRENCE AUBURN, Ala.—Public health officials are working to contain an outbreak of Zika virus across Central and South America. But scientists at Auburn University do not believe that the United States will face the disease in the numbers appearing in...
Precision ag workshop set Jan. 28 in Auburn
AUBURN, Ala. —Auburn University College of Agriculture and Alabama Extension professionals will host a precision agriculture workshop in Auburn Thursday, Jan. 28, at the Auburn University Hotel and Dixon Conference Center. Cutting-edge precision agriculture...
Fisheries Ph.D. student wins People's Choice in 3MT contest
Hisham Abdelrahman, a Ph.D. candidate under the direction of veteran School of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences professor Claude Boyd, was the runner-up and also won the coveted People’s Choice Award during Auburn University’s Three-Minute Thesis, or 3MT,...
Process for approving genetically engineered animals flawed, says AU professor
Federal regulators have approved a fast-growing transgenic salmon as the first genetically engineered animal available for human consumption. And while some are hailing it as a historic breakthrough, others are questioning whether the current approval process for the technology is stringent enough to prevent risks to the environment. One of those doing the questioning is Auburn University’s Conner Bailey.
Corn and Wheat Short Course to be held in Auburn
AUBURN, Ala.—The 2015 Alabama Corn and Wheat Short Course will be held at the Auburn University Hotel and Dixon Conference Center Dec. 14-15.Presenters from the Auburn University College of Agriculture, the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, other land grant...
Protecting our water supply
Helping farmers get “more crop per drop” is the overarching goal of an AAES study.
Protecting water quality
Protecting and maintaining our current water supply is a priority of scientists with the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station, who were addressing the issue through research aimed at overall environmental quality and sustainability. David Blersch, an ecological...
Long-term field experiments offer new breakthroughs
Researchers from the College of Agriculture are using the oldest continuous cotton experiment in the world to find answers to some of the most vexing problems of modern-day agriculture. The “Old Rotation,” established in 1896, is the third oldest field crop experiment...
Looking for ways to perfect the peanut
Genetically improved peanut varieties promise more drought tolerance for farmers and improved food safety for consumers.
Auburn scientists developing food pathogen detection system
A simple, economical tool that could be used to detect and identify harmful bacteria on food products in minutes instead of days and could significantly reduce the incidence of foodborne illnesses in the U.S. and beyond is in the works in biochemist Jacek Wower’s...
Auburn study zeroes in on salmonella in ground poultry
Auburn University graduate student Elle Chadwick, under the direction of Ken Macklin, is studying antibiotic-resistant salmonella serotypes that are known to cause foodborne infections in humans. If the two-year salmonella study launched by Auburn University poultry...
Auburn scientists find tar balls are better left alone
The April 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and the waves of tar balls deposited on the beaches shortly thereafter prompted the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to produce a tar ball fact sheet. Among the factoids was one stating...
Auburn scientists explore how bird flu virus enters poultry farms
Auburn University researchers are helping poultry producers combat a massive and costly outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza. Auburn University poultry scientists Joe Giambrone and Ken Macklin are using funding from the U.S. egg industry to investigate how...
Auburn scientists use laying hens to study fibroid tumors
An estimated 70 percent of women in the U.S. develop fibroid tumors in the uterus by age 50, and while the noncancerous tumors cause no symptoms for the majority of those women, they make life miserable for tens of thousands of others. Within his own family, Wallace...
Ensuring the safety of locally produced foods
Animal sciences assistant professor Christy Bratcher and a multidisciplinary team of scientists from Auburn and Tuskegee universities are working on a multi-year, $4.8 million grant from USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture to help ensure the safety of...
Specialty crops to boost rural economies
Developing new specialty crops like grapes is one way of growing and revitalizing rural areas of Alabama. Elina Coneva, an associate professor in Auburn University’s Department of Horticulture, dreams of making the grape a profitable specialty crop for Alabama...
Southeast Climate Extension project recognized for helping farmers
The Southeast Climate Extension project, a large-scale partnership of six universities across the Southeast, was recently awarded the National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s Partnership Award for Multistate Efforts. Brenda Ortiz, an associate professor in Auburn...
Climate impacts measured in production agriculture
Brenda Ortiz is researching the impact of weather and climate on agriculture, particularly grain crops like wheat and soybeans.