By Amy Weaver Contrary to what the name might suggest, the work...
Departments Articles
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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...
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 technologies to be competitive with foreign imports. Recently, Auburn scientists have made advances in...
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...
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 —...
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...
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...
Ru part of national team to receive $5.2 million for specialty crop breeding research
Blueberry breeding and research at Auburn University received new support in the form of a $5.2 million award from the USDA Specialty Crops Research Initiative Program. Sushan Ru, an assistant professor and blueberry breeder in the Department of Horticulture, was part...
Grad student to represent Auburn at Women in Agribusiness Summit
With an impressive resume in agricultural business and economics, Omolola Bankole, graduate student in the Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology Department, was chosen to attend the 12th annual Women in Agribusiness Summit as a student scholar sponsored by John...
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...
Graduate student focuses on important Listeria prevention
International student Sierra finds passion for food science By Rachel Damiani Katherine Sierra, an Auburn University master’s student in food science, has won multiple awards that hinge on her public speaking ability, including a third-place award for her poster...
Andre da Silva named national winner of Professional Early Career Award
Andre da Silva, assistant professor and extension vegetable specialist in the Auburn University Department of Horticulture, was recently named the national winner of the 2023 Professional Early Career Award from the American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS) at...
AAES research working to minimize nematode losses in Alabama crops
Farmers have a hard enough time battling the pests they can see. The ones they can’t see — like plant parasitic nematodes — present another challenge altogether. These worm-like, sometimes microscopic animals are major agricultural pathogens that attack Alabama crop...
Auburn part of NSF’s $56 million investment in climate change research
The Auburn University College of Agriculture and the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station were awarded approximately $6 million from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) for a four-year project entitled “Developing effective adaptation strategies to enhance...
Auburn agriculture researchers receive USDA-NIFA AFRI grants
Two researchers in the Auburn University College of Agriculture and the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station are recipients of separate grants from the USDA-NIFA Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI), the nation’s leading competitive grant program for...
Mariannah Harding earns master’s in horticulture at 18
As 18-year-old Mariannah Harding straightened her master’s regalia on Samford Lawn, she reflected on the days she worked in Auburn University’s most iconic building. “I watered the plants in Samford Hall,” she said. “I remember looking outside, watching students take...
Two Auburn agricultural economists recognized for published works
Two faculty members from the College of Agriculture’s Department of Agricultural Economics & Rural Sociology are being honored nationally for their published works. Assistant Professor Wenying Li has received the 2022 Best Economics Paper in Food Safety and...
Agriculture degrees set graduates apart from the pack
By Mike Jernigan Why major in agriculture today? There are many reasons, and some of them have a certain degree of urgency. Food insecurity is one of the greatest problems facing our planet. Solving the problems of producing more food in an increasingly hungry world...
Rooftop garden provides unparalleled learning environment
You’ve heard of farm-to-fork restaurants. At Auburn, we offer rooftop to fork, and it’s only an elevator ride away. Atop the Tony and Libba Rane Culinary Science Center, adjacent to Ag Hill on the Auburn campus, lies an entirely edible rooftop garden operated by...
Research examines effects of food proximity on waste
There’s lot of waste in this land of plenty, with an estimated 30% of the edible food produced annually in the U.S. being wasted. This amounts to more than 133 billion pounds and $160 billion worth of food, with a significant portion wasted at the consumer level. This...
Microbiome exploration represents a new frontier of research
With scientific research and discovery occurring at a dizzying rate, it’s difficult to imagine there are frontiers yet to be fully explored, but the microbiome is one. While microbiomes have always existed, little is known about their function in plants and animals....
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...
USDA appoints Bourassa to food safety advisory committee
An Auburn University associate professor and Extension specialist has been appointed to the USDA National Advisory Committee on Meat and Poultry Inspection (NACMPI). “I am honored to accept this appointment to the USDA National Advisory Committee on Meat and Poultry...
Researcher seeks to understand how cover cropping prevents weather-related planting loss
The agriculture industry in the United States is one of the most vulnerable to climate change because of its reliance on favorable weather. Because of this, an Auburn University researcher is seeking to fill a need for rigorous, quantitative evidence of how cover...
Native Habitat cofounder visiting April 13
The College of Agriculture will host well-known forester Kyle Lybarger at the invitation of Assistant Professor Ryan Thomson. Lybarger is scheduled to speak April 13 at 11 a.m. in Comer Hall room 207. With 410.7k followers on TikTok and 198k followers on Instagram,...
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...
Ru part of national team to receive $5.2 million for specialty crop breeding research
Blueberry breeding and research at Auburn University received new support in the form of a $5.2 million award from the USDA Specialty Crops Research Initiative Program. Sushan Ru, an assistant professor and blueberry breeder in the Department of Horticulture, was part...
Grad student to represent Auburn at Women in Agribusiness Summit
With an impressive resume in agricultural business and economics, Omolola Bankole, graduate student in the Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology Department, was chosen to attend the 12th annual Women in Agribusiness Summit as a student scholar sponsored by John...
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...
Graduate student focuses on important Listeria prevention
International student Sierra finds passion for food science By Rachel Damiani Katherine Sierra, an Auburn University master’s student in food science, has won multiple awards that hinge on her public speaking ability, including a third-place award for her poster...
Andre da Silva named national winner of Professional Early Career Award
Andre da Silva, assistant professor and extension vegetable specialist in the Auburn University Department of Horticulture, was recently named the national winner of the 2023 Professional Early Career Award from the American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS) at...
AAES research working to minimize nematode losses in Alabama crops
Farmers have a hard enough time battling the pests they can see. The ones they can’t see — like plant parasitic nematodes — present another challenge altogether. These worm-like, sometimes microscopic animals are major agricultural pathogens that attack Alabama crop...
Auburn part of NSF’s $56 million investment in climate change research
The Auburn University College of Agriculture and the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station were awarded approximately $6 million from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) for a four-year project entitled “Developing effective adaptation strategies to enhance...
Auburn agriculture researchers receive USDA-NIFA AFRI grants
Two researchers in the Auburn University College of Agriculture and the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station are recipients of separate grants from the USDA-NIFA Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI), the nation’s leading competitive grant program for...
Mariannah Harding earns master’s in horticulture at 18
As 18-year-old Mariannah Harding straightened her master’s regalia on Samford Lawn, she reflected on the days she worked in Auburn University’s most iconic building. “I watered the plants in Samford Hall,” she said. “I remember looking outside, watching students take...
Two Auburn agricultural economists recognized for published works
Two faculty members from the College of Agriculture’s Department of Agricultural Economics & Rural Sociology are being honored nationally for their published works. Assistant Professor Wenying Li has received the 2022 Best Economics Paper in Food Safety and...
Agriculture degrees set graduates apart from the pack
By Mike Jernigan Why major in agriculture today? There are many reasons, and some of them have a certain degree of urgency. Food insecurity is one of the greatest problems facing our planet. Solving the problems of producing more food in an increasingly hungry world...
Rooftop garden provides unparalleled learning environment
You’ve heard of farm-to-fork restaurants. At Auburn, we offer rooftop to fork, and it’s only an elevator ride away. Atop the Tony and Libba Rane Culinary Science Center, adjacent to Ag Hill on the Auburn campus, lies an entirely edible rooftop garden operated by...
Research examines effects of food proximity on waste
There’s lot of waste in this land of plenty, with an estimated 30% of the edible food produced annually in the U.S. being wasted. This amounts to more than 133 billion pounds and $160 billion worth of food, with a significant portion wasted at the consumer level. This...
Microbiome exploration represents a new frontier of research
With scientific research and discovery occurring at a dizzying rate, it’s difficult to imagine there are frontiers yet to be fully explored, but the microbiome is one. While microbiomes have always existed, little is known about their function in plants and animals....
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...
USDA appoints Bourassa to food safety advisory committee
An Auburn University associate professor and Extension specialist has been appointed to the USDA National Advisory Committee on Meat and Poultry Inspection (NACMPI). “I am honored to accept this appointment to the USDA National Advisory Committee on Meat and Poultry...
Researcher seeks to understand how cover cropping prevents weather-related planting loss
The agriculture industry in the United States is one of the most vulnerable to climate change because of its reliance on favorable weather. Because of this, an Auburn University researcher is seeking to fill a need for rigorous, quantitative evidence of how cover...
Native Habitat cofounder visiting April 13
The College of Agriculture will host well-known forester Kyle Lybarger at the invitation of Assistant Professor Ryan Thomson. Lybarger is scheduled to speak April 13 at 11 a.m. in Comer Hall room 207. With 410.7k followers on TikTok and 198k followers on Instagram,...