The USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) recently awarded Aniruddha Maity a $300,000 grant to….
Latest
Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station purchases property in Autaugaville
The Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station closed on a new 904-acre property in Autaugaville May 16. The $5.15 million purchase was approved by the Auburn University Board of Trustees at its April 12 meeting. The Experiment Station also will sell two properties that...
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 analyze these inconsistencies and search for ways to boost and maintain profitable crops. An analysis of yields since 1970 made by a College...
Brewer awarded $434,000 to study using existing water infrastructure for limiting invasive carp
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in consultation with the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks, has awarded Dr. Shannon Brewer a $433, 867 grant to….
Auburn faculty redefining possibilities for use of biochar products in farming
For researchers studying environmentally friendly farming practices, biochar is a game-changer.
Biochar, a charcoal-like substance created by heating plant waste, is a groundbreaking innovation in the field of sustainable farming. It is beneficial for improving soil quality, recycling organic plant material and capturing greenhouse gas emissions from the agricultural industry.
Auburn University’s Center for Bioenergy and Bioproducts (CBB) is on the cutting edge of rapidly advancing research surrounding biochar and its uses. Sushil Adhikari, the center’s director, is excited about the direction of biochar research at Auburn.
“We are exploring the possibilities of biochar that can be produced from locally available biomass,” Adhikari said. “We are looking at the potential for capturing nutrients and reusing them, reducing greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture practices to make farming more sustainable, capturing carbon dioxide and sequestering in the form of stable carbon and potentially generating revenue for farmers to store carbon for large carbon dioxide emitters.”
At the CBB, faculty members from several disciplines, including those in the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering and Auburn’s College of Agriculture, are conducting research surrounding the production and use of biochar. They are currently working on several different projects that explore how this naturally derived substance can make farming more sustainable.
Title: “Developing effective adaptation strategies to enhance the resilience of farmers under changing climate”
Principal investigator: Jasmeet Lamba of Biosystems Engineering
Also involved: Adhikari, William Batchelor and Hossein Jahromi of Biosystems Engineering; Charles Chen of Crop, Soil & Environmental Sciences; Neha Potnis of Entomology and Plant Pathology; and Wendiam Sawadgo from the Department of Agricultural Economics & Rural Sociology. The CBB helped to assemble the team and contribute technical information to the research.
These researchers received a $6 million grant from the National Science Foundation to study how farmers can use biochar to minimize the effects of drought while at the same time reducing agricultural greenhouse gas emissions. They are also studying which plant genes are associated with a higher crop yield when treated with biochar and assessing farmers’ attitudes toward using this new product.
Title: “Tripartite: Dual-Function Engineered Biochar for Excess Soil Phosphorus Sorption with Subsequent Slow Release for Cost-Effective and Sustainable Crop Production”
Principal Investigator: Adhikari
Also involved: Sawadgo, Jahromi, colleagues in Ireland and Northern Ireland and faculty from the University of Delaware and New Mexico State University.
Adhikari and his colleagues are part of a $1 million grant from the United States Department of Agriculture to study how to capture excess phosphorus in the soil and slowly release it to benefit plant growth. In areas near chicken farms, including those in Alabama, there are often large buildups of phosphorus from synthetic fertilizers. When phosphorus runoff enters streams and creeks, it can deplete the oxygen supply, creating “dead zones” that harm marine and plant life and disrupt the aquatic ecosystem. The team’s goals are to learn how to keep those carbon emissions out of waterways and to divert that carbon to plants at a rate that will help them grow.
Horticulture’s Kaylen Anderson wins Employee of the Year
“It’s a dream to work for Auburn. I love Auburn,” Anderson said. “I’m forever grateful for the experience, the amazing people I’ve met and the friendships I’ve made.”
$750K grant allows faculty to help rural Alabamians
Farmers often lament the land lost to suburban sprawl, but across the South, a land mass roughly the size of New Jersey is stuck in a legal limbo known as heirs’ property.
Corley Williams selected spring 2024 College of Agriculture student marshal
The spring 2024 graduation marshal for the Auburn University College of Agriculture is a Blountsville, Alabama, native with farm management plans on the horizon.
Agricultural grants boost research funding, equipment purchases
One of several grants offered through the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station (AAES) research program for the current fiscal year will allow for the continuation of groundbreaking research originally established at Auburn University that focuses on using beneficial bacteria for promoting plant growth, plant health, nutrient uptake and insect pest prevention.
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).
Three ag faculty members complete national LEAD21 program
Three faculty members from the Auburn University College of Agriculture were among 88 nationally to complete the 2023-24 LEAD21 leadership-development program. They were Jeremiah Davis, professor and director of the National Poultry Technology Center; Kim Mullenix,...
Chera Howard places second in Tiger Cage Pitch Competition
College of Agriculture student Chera Howard placed second in a competition that started with 21 student-led business startups competing for $80,000 in seed funding. The 2024 Tiger Cage Business Pitch Competition concluded on March 29 when the six teams who advanced to...
Variety testing program’s stakeholders to benefit from new collaboration
By Henry Jordan Thanks to a grant from the National Peanut Board, a new multistate collaboration will allow the Auburn University Official Variety Testing (OVT) program to provide its stakeholders access to new data. The OVT first contracted with Medius Ag, a...
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...
Auburn researchers study experiences of women in farming
Research made possible by $650,000 USDA-NIFA grant The number of farms in the U.S. operated by women has grown 27% in recent years. Yet, despite their growing number and influence, little is known about the needs of women in farming, the challenges they face and their...
$3.9 million grant to fund research for enhanced honey bee health
The USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture recently awarded a $3.9 million, five-year grant to a team of researchers to enhance honey bee health for pollination of specialty crops. Auburn University associate professors Geoff Williams, from the Department of...
Research examines feasibility of hydroponic strawberry production
Fresh Alabama strawberries in November, December, January and February? It’s not as far-fetched as it may sound. In fact, research taking place at the Auburn University Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station (AAES) is showing great promise in growing strawberries in...
Rodrigues wins early career award for young professionals
An Auburn University assistant professor and Alabama Extension specialist earned an early career award for her research and extension work to address the needs of the local and regional fresh produce industry. Camila Rodrigues — a researcher for the Alabama...
Entomologists find evidence of current mating behavior in extinct termites
Mizumoto recreates fossilization process to test tandem run hypothesis An assistant professor in the Auburn University Department of Entomology & Plant Pathology recently found evidence that termites living millions of years ago mated the same way termites do...
Biosystems engineering alumna highlighted in PepsiCo STEM campaign
By Jeremy Henderson jdh0123@auburn.edu, 3343190721 When it came to selecting a success story celebrating the growing role of women in their company's leadership — and in STEM fields in general — Frito-Lay chose wisely. The snack giant recently highlighted 2013...
Temple Grandin visits the Auburn College of Agriculture
Grandin brought message of inclusion to Women in Agriculture program The Auburn University College of Agriculture hosted Temple Grandin, world-renowned academic, animal behaviorist and autism advocate, on Monday, Feb. 26, as part of the college’s Women in Agriculture...
Liu listed in top 2% of world’s entomologists
An endowed professor in the Auburn University College of Agriculture is listed as among the world’s top 2% of entomologists in a database announced recently by Stanford University. “This recognition is a testimony to the impact our research has had on the broader...
Dennis Brothers honored with SAEA Outstanding Extension Project Award
Dennis Brothers received the Southern Agricultural Economics Association’s Outstanding Extension Project Award at its annual meeting in early February. Brothers is an associate extension professor in the university’s Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural...
Patterson honored with SAEA Lifetime Achievement Award
Paul Patterson received the Southern Agricultural Economics Association Lifetime Achievement Award at its annual meeting in early February. Patterson is dean of the Auburn University College of Agriculture and director of the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station....
Kannan named head of Auburn poultry science department
Auburn University has named Govind Kannan as its head for the Department of Poultry Science and director of the Charles C. Miller Poultry Research and Education Center, effective June 1. Kannan currently serves as Fort Valley State University’s vice president for...
Celebrating Black History Month: Auburn Alumni Who Are Making Strides in Ag
starting as an Assistant Professor of Entomology this Fall at Ohio State University.In coordination with Auburn University’s Office of Inclusion and Diversity (OID), Auburn Agriculture is taking the month of February to recognize the past, present and future...
Wells named Botts Endowed Professor
Auburn University has awarded Daniel Wells, associate professor of horticulture, with its Elbert A. and Barbara L. Botts Endowed Professorship, effective this month. The appointment is for 33 months, January 2024-September 2026. Wells has served at Auburn since 2014,...
Chera Howard places second in Tiger Cage Pitch Competition
College of Agriculture student Chera Howard placed second in a competition that started with 21 student-led business startups competing for $80,000 in seed funding. The 2024 Tiger Cage Business Pitch Competition concluded on March 29 when the six teams who advanced to...
Variety testing program’s stakeholders to benefit from new collaboration
By Henry Jordan Thanks to a grant from the National Peanut Board, a new multistate collaboration will allow the Auburn University Official Variety Testing (OVT) program to provide its stakeholders access to new data. The OVT first contracted with Medius Ag, a...
Rodrigues wins early career award for young professionals
An Auburn University assistant professor and Alabama Extension specialist earned an early career award for her research and extension work to address the needs of the local and regional fresh produce industry. Camila Rodrigues — a researcher for the Alabama...
Dennis Brothers honored with SAEA Outstanding Extension Project Award
Dennis Brothers received the Southern Agricultural Economics Association’s Outstanding Extension Project Award at its annual meeting in early February. Brothers is an associate extension professor in the university’s Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural...
Celebrating Black History Month: Auburn Alumni Who Are Making Strides in Ag
starting as an Assistant Professor of Entomology this Fall at Ohio State University.In coordination with Auburn University’s Office of Inclusion and Diversity (OID), Auburn Agriculture is taking the month of February to recognize the past, present and future...
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,...
Handbook Edited by Auburn Faculty Shows Why Microfinance Matters
"The Handbook of Microfinance, Financial Inclusion and Development," edited by Valentina M. Hartarska, Alumni Professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics & Rural Sociology, details the conceptual frameworks for financial inclusion, the importance of how...
College of Agriculture students collect fall 2023 awards
Students in the Auburn University College of Agriculture excelled in statewide, regional and national competitions this fall. Below is a sampling of the prestigious awards garnered by deserving students in our college. Students place in national agronomy competition...
Everything Auburn Podcast: Everything Poultry Science with Amit Morey
This week’s segment of the Everything Auburn podcast delves into the research of one of Auburn's rockstar professor experts, Amit Morey, and his work in improving the quality and safety of poultry products. Morey is an associate professor of poultry science in...
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...
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...
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...
Advice to new students from senior Morgan Adams
Adams shares her uncommon tips for how to succeed at Auburn Okay, listen up. When it comes to college, everyone has advice and something to say. But I’m here to tell you what they don’t always get to and to set a couple things straight. So, if you’re new to Auburn, or...
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...
Auburn ag merch available for shipping
You asked, we answered. Shipping is now available for the Auburn Agriculture Merch Store, and orders will start to roll out beginning early next week. While the store launched in January for in-store pickups, we didn’t forget about all those comments and questions...
Meet 7 outstanding members of the class of 2023
Auburn University will confer degrees upon hundreds of new alumni the weekend of May 6, and the College of Agriculture is proud of its exceptional members of the 2023 graduating class. Read below about seven who excelled during their time here and are headed on to...
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...
Spring 2023 Graduates to be recognized by Auburn College of Agriculture
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR 2023 Spring GRADUATES! The College of Agriculture announces its spring 2023 graduates. The commencement ceremony for the College of Agriculture will be held on Saturday, May 6, at 6 p.m. We would like to recognize the dedication and perseverance...
Precision planter training offered by Vantage South March 3
Vantage South will offer precision planter training March 3 from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the E.V. Smith Research Center in Shorter. Lunch and drinks will be provided by Vantage South. Advance registration is required using the event’s online registration form. The day...
2022 Agriculture Employee Award Winners
Auburn University’s College of Agriculture honors these outstanding faculty and staff for their excellence. A ceremony celebrating the winners was held on February 16, 2023, at the Auburn University Hotel and Conference Center. The final selection was made by the COA...
Former Dean Richard Guthrie passes away
Richard Guthrie, former dean of the Auburn University College of Agriculture and director of the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station, passed away Jan. 23. “Dr. Guthrie was a dear friend and mentor to many of us and was a highly respected leader for our college,...