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Crop, Soil & Environmental Sciences Articles
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Weed Bionomics Lab leads fight against No. 1 crop pest
Imagine a weed that can produce 600,000 seeds per plant and grow as much as 2.5 inches per day. Such a weed exists, and it’s not being grown somewhere in a secure lab — it’s widespread in the fields of Alabama farmers and throughout the United States. This “super”...
New Alabama Extension specialist for cotton to start in July
Effective July 1, 2025, Josh Lee will join Auburn University and the Alabama Cooperative Extension System as an extension specialist for cotton. His responsibilities will include in-service training for extension agents, conveying information about new developments...
Kumar awarded LEAP Summer Momentum Fellowship
Sudhanshu Kumar, a Ph.D. student in the Hydroclimate Research Group within the Department of Crop, Soil & Environmental Sciences, has been selected for the 2025...
Three students receive presidential awards
Three students in the College of Agriculture recently received distinguished honors from the Auburn University President’s Office. Savannah Busby received the...
Decoding Dicamba
Auburn researchers help farmers adapt to EPA changes This year, major regulatory changes enacted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will affect farmers...
Auburn research looks to control deer feeding on row crops
When can there be too many deer even for a hunting enthusiast? When that same enthusiast is a row-crop farmer, and the deer are using their fields as an all-you-can-eat buffet. While deer grazing on crops has been a consistent problem for decades, it has escalated in...
Bullard, Brantley named Alumni Professors
Two College of Agriculture faculty members were announced among Auburn University’s five 2024 Alumni Professors Sept. 20. Eve Brantley, a professor and associate director of the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, is a renowned expert in water quality and...
New short corn not ‘as high as an elephant’s eye’
The line from the classic musical “Oklahoma” that refers to corn being “as high as an elephant’s eye” would not apply to some of the new hybrids becoming available to producers. Reduced-stature corn, also referred to as “short” corn, is a concept that has gained...
Peanut breeding making strides
The Auburn University peanut breeding program has made significant strides in a surprisingly short amount of time, with one of its varietal releases now commanding 40-50% of the peanut acreage in Alabama.
Lawson part of team shaping Alabama’s State Wildlife Action Plan
Auburn University’s Kelly Homan and Katelyn Lawson have joined forces to assist the state of Alabama in the creation of its 2025 State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP) revision.
Understanding the role of the soil microbiome in plant health
Soil scientist Audrey Gamble is working to improve sustainability of cotton production by improving soil microbial structure and function.
Maity awarded $300,000 in support of plant research and agricultural production systems
The USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) recently awarded Aniruddha Maity a $300,000 grant to….
Auburn research looks to boost average peanut yields
U.S. peanut producers have seen peaks and valleys in their yields over the years, prompting researchers at Auburn University to…
Longtime professor becomes American Association for the Advancement of Science fellow
Longtime Auburn University Professor Beth Guertal has joined the ranks of Thomas Edison, W.E.B. Dubois and Margaret Mead with her election as a fellow to the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
Auburn research makes Alabama-grown beer possible
Research shows Alabama barley good for beer, rotational crop The first beer ever brewed from Alabama-grown barley made its debut this past fall, and Auburn University researchers are looking at even more possibilities for a crop that’s not so common to farmers in the...
Tian awarded NOAA grant for improving U.S. precipitation observations using AI
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration awarded Auburn University’s Di Tian a two-year, $313,420 grant to develop improved long-term, high-resolution precipitation data over the United States. Tian is an associate professor in Auburn’s Department of Crop,...
Professor Profile: Leanne Dillard
The Road Back: Leanne Dillard shares her agriculture story By Justin Miller A desire to work in agriculture is something that many people have from an early age. But the story of Leanne Dillard is quite different. Early in her life, she wanted nothing to do with...
Potential seen for drone-spraying in agricultural fields
While drones were initially used in agriculture primarily for collecting crop and field-condition data, Auburn University researcher Steve Li is leading an effort to explore how the small, remotely piloted aircraft can be used to apply pesticides and other farm...
Auburn professors, farmers shaping the future of farming in Alabama
How challenging is it to farm sustainably? The answer is complex. While technological and scientific advancements have improved the resiliency of modern farms, there are challenges that today’s farmers face in adopting conservation practices. Enter the Alabama...
Building a better peanut plant
Auburn researchers look for drought tolerance The old adage of not being able to control the weather might be true, but Auburn researchers are looking for ways to at least mitigate the effects of drought on peanut production. The American Peanut Council has identified...
Hague named new head of Crop, Soil & Environmental Sciences Department
An internationally recognized cotton breeder has been selected as the next head of the Department of Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences in the Auburn University College of Agriculture. Steven Hague, most recently a professor in the Department of Soil and Crop...
Student-led study automates redox tracking with rhizosphere camera
What happens in a wetland? It’s a simple question with a not-so-simple answer that Auburn University graduate student Olivia LeFevre started studying as an undergraduate under the direction of Associate Professor Thorsten Knappenberger. “I came to Dr. Knappenberger...
Alabama Extension to host regional precision agriculture workshops
By Katie Nichols As farmers prepare for the upcoming growing seasons, the dawning of a new year is a reminder of the new things to come. The Alabama Cooperative Extension System is planning two precision agriculture workshops in February. These workshops are designed...
Walley elected vice president of national student organization
While in Baltimore attending the annual meeting of Students of Agronomy, Soils and Environmental Science (SASES), Jack Walley, a junior in environmental science at Auburn University, was elected to serve as the vice president of SASES for the 2023 year. SASES is a...
Proposal among 2023 JGI Community Science Program awardees
A proposal from Auburn University is one of 19 selected for the 2023 Community Science Program call of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Joint Genome Institute (JGI), a DOE Office of Science User Facility located at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley...
Soil Judging Team wins Southeastern Region Contest
The Auburn University Soil Judging Team recently took home a big win. Oct.17-20, the team traveled to Clemson, South Carolina, to compete in the annual Southeastern Region Collegiate Soil Judging Contest, hosted by Clemson University. Joey Shaw, former professor in...
Auburn research looks to control deer feeding on row crops
When can there be too many deer even for a hunting enthusiast? When that same enthusiast is a row-crop farmer, and the deer are using their fields as an all-you-can-eat buffet. While deer grazing on crops has been a consistent problem for decades, it has escalated in...
Bullard, Brantley named Alumni Professors
Two College of Agriculture faculty members were announced among Auburn University’s five 2024 Alumni Professors Sept. 20. Eve Brantley, a professor and associate director of the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, is a renowned expert in water quality and...
New short corn not ‘as high as an elephant’s eye’
The line from the classic musical “Oklahoma” that refers to corn being “as high as an elephant’s eye” would not apply to some of the new hybrids becoming available to producers. Reduced-stature corn, also referred to as “short” corn, is a concept that has gained...
Peanut breeding making strides
The Auburn University peanut breeding program has made significant strides in a surprisingly short amount of time, with one of its varietal releases now commanding 40-50% of the peanut acreage in Alabama.
Lawson part of team shaping Alabama’s State Wildlife Action Plan
Auburn University’s Kelly Homan and Katelyn Lawson have joined forces to assist the state of Alabama in the creation of its 2025 State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP) revision.
Understanding the role of the soil microbiome in plant health
Soil scientist Audrey Gamble is working to improve sustainability of cotton production by improving soil microbial structure and function.
Maity awarded $300,000 in support of plant research and agricultural production systems
The USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) recently awarded Aniruddha Maity a $300,000 grant to….
Auburn research looks to boost average peanut yields
U.S. peanut producers have seen peaks and valleys in their yields over the years, prompting researchers at Auburn University to…
Longtime professor becomes American Association for the Advancement of Science fellow
Longtime Auburn University Professor Beth Guertal has joined the ranks of Thomas Edison, W.E.B. Dubois and Margaret Mead with her election as a fellow to the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
Auburn research makes Alabama-grown beer possible
Research shows Alabama barley good for beer, rotational crop The first beer ever brewed from Alabama-grown barley made its debut this past fall, and Auburn University researchers are looking at even more possibilities for a crop that’s not so common to farmers in the...
Tian awarded NOAA grant for improving U.S. precipitation observations using AI
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration awarded Auburn University’s Di Tian a two-year, $313,420 grant to develop improved long-term, high-resolution precipitation data over the United States. Tian is an associate professor in Auburn’s Department of Crop,...
Professor Profile: Leanne Dillard
The Road Back: Leanne Dillard shares her agriculture story By Justin Miller A desire to work in agriculture is something that many people have from an early age. But the story of Leanne Dillard is quite different. Early in her life, she wanted nothing to do with...
Potential seen for drone-spraying in agricultural fields
While drones were initially used in agriculture primarily for collecting crop and field-condition data, Auburn University researcher Steve Li is leading an effort to explore how the small, remotely piloted aircraft can be used to apply pesticides and other farm...
Auburn professors, farmers shaping the future of farming in Alabama
How challenging is it to farm sustainably? The answer is complex. While technological and scientific advancements have improved the resiliency of modern farms, there are challenges that today’s farmers face in adopting conservation practices. Enter the Alabama...
Building a better peanut plant
Auburn researchers look for drought tolerance The old adage of not being able to control the weather might be true, but Auburn researchers are looking for ways to at least mitigate the effects of drought on peanut production. The American Peanut Council has identified...
Hague named new head of Crop, Soil & Environmental Sciences Department
An internationally recognized cotton breeder has been selected as the next head of the Department of Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences in the Auburn University College of Agriculture. Steven Hague, most recently a professor in the Department of Soil and Crop...
Student-led study automates redox tracking with rhizosphere camera
What happens in a wetland? It’s a simple question with a not-so-simple answer that Auburn University graduate student Olivia LeFevre started studying as an undergraduate under the direction of Associate Professor Thorsten Knappenberger. “I came to Dr. Knappenberger...
Alabama Extension to host regional precision agriculture workshops
By Katie Nichols As farmers prepare for the upcoming growing seasons, the dawning of a new year is a reminder of the new things to come. The Alabama Cooperative Extension System is planning two precision agriculture workshops in February. These workshops are designed...
Walley elected vice president of national student organization
While in Baltimore attending the annual meeting of Students of Agronomy, Soils and Environmental Science (SASES), Jack Walley, a junior in environmental science at Auburn University, was elected to serve as the vice president of SASES for the 2023 year. SASES is a...
Proposal among 2023 JGI Community Science Program awardees
A proposal from Auburn University is one of 19 selected for the 2023 Community Science Program call of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Joint Genome Institute (JGI), a DOE Office of Science User Facility located at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley...
Soil Judging Team wins Southeastern Region Contest
The Auburn University Soil Judging Team recently took home a big win. Oct.17-20, the team traveled to Clemson, South Carolina, to compete in the annual Southeastern Region Collegiate Soil Judging Contest, hosted by Clemson University. Joey Shaw, former professor in...