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.
Departments Articles
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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, the two-spot cotton leafhopper, in cotton fields in Alabama. The insect is also commonly known as the...
Greene named distinguished professional animal scientist
Auburn University Professor of Animal Sciences Wayne Greene was recognized by a national organization for significant contributions to animal sciences through teaching, research, service or industry. The Distinguished Professional Animal Scientist Award is presented...
Warren receives top national award for parasitology research
Postdoc recognized by the American Society of Parasitologists A postdoctoral fellow in the School of Fisheries, Aquaculture & Aquatic Sciences recently received the...
Your Pond, Your Bug, Your Vaccine
AU researchers work toward getting orally-delivered vaccines to catfish farmers
Alumni connect during military deployment addressing New World Screwworm fly
It was in Honduras, at the Soto Cano Air Base, where Capt. Tolulope Morawo and Lt. Col. Steven “Mark” Pelham met an enemy they had never encountered before. Morawo, an...
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,...
Researcher part of worldwide effort to combat tree disease
De La Fuente first Auburn researcher to receive EU-funded award An Auburn University researcher and professor is part of an international team of scientists who are playing a pivotal role in combating a disease that is threatening major tree crops around the world....
Research shows effects of stricter work requirements for SNAP
As Congress begins debating a new Farm Bill — including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) — an Auburn University research project reveals one of the effects of stricter work requirements for participating in SNAP. SNAP provides nutrition benefits to...
Auburn shares in nearly $2.8 million agricultural production systems grant
Auburn University is one of four U.S. universities to share in a nearly $2.8 million grant from the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). The award is part of the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative-Foundational Knowledge of Agricultural...
Researchers reimagine controlled environment agriculture
While controlled environment agriculture or CEA has the potential to improve access to local, nutritious fruits and vegetables on a year-round basis, the greenhouse gas emissions associated with greenhouse production is five times higher than field-grown produce. For...
Phosphorus shortage could affect worldwide crop yields
While phosphorus is an essential element for plant metabolism and growth, its future supply under elevated levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide is uncertain. A shortage of this important nutrient could lead to lower crop yields, especially in poorer countries. “Our...
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...
Researchers lead $2 million research project to produce hydrogen
Auburn University researchers are leading a $2 million Department of Energy grant that aims to produce hydrogen from blended feedstock such as legacy waste coal, forest residues and municipal solid waste. “The benefits of converting waste coal, biomass and food waste...
Educational opportunities abound on rooftop garden
By Amy Weaver The garden on the rooftop of the Tony and Libba Rane Culinary Science Center does more than provide food and adornments for guests of its signature restaurant, 1856 – Culinary Residence, The Laurel Hotel & Spa and Ariccia Cucina Italiana. In fact,...
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,...
Researcher part of worldwide effort to combat tree disease
De La Fuente first Auburn researcher to receive EU-funded award An Auburn University researcher and professor is part of an international team of scientists who are playing a pivotal role in combating a disease that is threatening major tree crops around the world....
Research shows effects of stricter work requirements for SNAP
As Congress begins debating a new Farm Bill — including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) — an Auburn University research project reveals one of the effects of stricter work requirements for participating in SNAP. SNAP provides nutrition benefits to...
Auburn shares in nearly $2.8 million agricultural production systems grant
Auburn University is one of four U.S. universities to share in a nearly $2.8 million grant from the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). The award is part of the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative-Foundational Knowledge of Agricultural...
Researchers reimagine controlled environment agriculture
While controlled environment agriculture or CEA has the potential to improve access to local, nutritious fruits and vegetables on a year-round basis, the greenhouse gas emissions associated with greenhouse production is five times higher than field-grown produce. For...
Phosphorus shortage could affect worldwide crop yields
While phosphorus is an essential element for plant metabolism and growth, its future supply under elevated levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide is uncertain. A shortage of this important nutrient could lead to lower crop yields, especially in poorer countries. “Our...
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...
Researchers lead $2 million research project to produce hydrogen
Auburn University researchers are leading a $2 million Department of Energy grant that aims to produce hydrogen from blended feedstock such as legacy waste coal, forest residues and municipal solid waste. “The benefits of converting waste coal, biomass and food waste...
Educational opportunities abound on rooftop garden
By Amy Weaver The garden on the rooftop of the Tony and Libba Rane Culinary Science Center does more than provide food and adornments for guests of its signature restaurant, 1856 – Culinary Residence, The Laurel Hotel & Spa and Ariccia Cucina Italiana. In fact,...