Herbicide-resistant weeds are a multimillion-dollar problem for...
Crop, Soil & Environmental Sciences Articles
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Auburn research focuses on more uniform, high-quality cotton fibers
A fierce battle is being waged between cotton and polyester, with polyester edging ahead as the most widely used fiber in the world, for now. In fact, synthetic materials account for more than half of today’s overall market share. If cotton wants to remain viable in...
Understudied cotton is the focus of Auburn University research on seedling diseases
Cotton is undoubtedly one of the most recognizable plants in the world, with its heart-shaped leaves and branches that explode into powder-white fruit. But it’s also one of the more understudied field crops. “Previously, it was unclear where and which specific...
The buck stops here: Auburn University finding solutions to deer damage in crops
From seed selection to pesticide application, farmers work diligently to manage every factor that influences yield—but wildlife damage in row crops remains one of the...
Cotton jassid confirmed in Alabama
In an already stressful and trying growing season, researchers at Auburn University and Alabama Cooperative Extension professionals have confirmed an invasive insect,...
Chen named APRES Fellow, recognized for peanut breeding research
Auburn University Professor Charles Chen was recently recognized for outstanding contributions to his field of peanut breeding and genetics. At the 57th annual meeting...
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 Presidential Graduate Opportunity Fellowship, a highly competitive opportunity awarded to only a few incoming...
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 nationwide, specifically herbicide use for soybean and cotton producers. For 2025, dicamba herbicide...
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...
$4 million grant takes efficient crop management practices to the farm
Auburn University researchers and Alabama Extension specialists are taking their expertise from labs and small experimental plots to Alabama farmers’ fields with a $4 million grant from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). The grant aims to increase...
Using thermal imaging to measure peanut physiological characteristics
Auburn-developed method could advance efforts to breed a drought-tolerant peanut Auburn University researchers have devised a new means of measuring the physiological characteristics of peanut plants that should prove to be instrumental in speeding the breeding...
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...
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 Presidential Graduate Opportunity Fellowship, a highly competitive opportunity awarded to only a few incoming...
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 nationwide, specifically herbicide use for soybean and cotton producers. For 2025, dicamba herbicide...
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...
$4 million grant takes efficient crop management practices to the farm
Auburn University researchers and Alabama Extension specialists are taking their expertise from labs and small experimental plots to Alabama farmers’ fields with a $4 million grant from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). The grant aims to increase...
Using thermal imaging to measure peanut physiological characteristics
Auburn-developed method could advance efforts to breed a drought-tolerant peanut Auburn University researchers have devised a new means of measuring the physiological characteristics of peanut plants that should prove to be instrumental in speeding the breeding...
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...