From its roots in China to commercial fame in New Zealand, kiwifruit...
Sign up for free below to receive College of Agriculture news and the latest issues of The Season Magazine.
Latest
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...
BATM major combines agriculture, technology to create workforce of future
By Amy Weaver Auburn University often adds academic programs in response to workforce demand and societal needs. One of the latest additions is a major in biological and agricultural technology management. With the acronym BATM, it is colloquially called the “Batman”...
Flourishing forages: Alabama cattlemen’s secret weapon to diversified production
From the Coastal Plain to the Black Belt, Alabama cattle producers are utilizing forage systems to their advantage to meet the challenges of modern agriculture. Alabama...
Boardwine receives student employee of the year award
Recent graduate Ali Boardwine received a particularly special accolade before graduating on May 11 with a Bachelor of Science in bioprocess engineering and minors in...
Planting shifts into high gear at Alabama agricultural research units
As spring planting shifts into high gear in farmers’ fields throughout the Southeast, few agricultural operations come close to matching the diversity of crops and...
Study explores plant-based meat alternatives buying habits
A recent study led by Auburn University agricultural economists suggests that plant-based meat alternatives (PBMA) might be seen by consumers as a niche product rather than as an actual substitute for meat. “We realized there is very little information about how...
Colleges of Agriculture, Engineering launch 150th anniversary celebration
In 1872, Auburn got a new name. And a new purpose. The world hasn’t been the same since. This year marks the 150th anniversary of Auburn’s reorganization under the Morrill Act from East Alabama Male College into the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Alabama,...
College of Agriculture hosts 43rd annual Ag Roundup
The 43rd annual Ag Roundup, hosted by the Auburn Agricultural Alumni Club and the College of Agriculture at Auburn University, will return to campus on Saturday, Sept. 24, offering a special opportunity for agriculture alumni and friends to gather for a day of...
Photo exhibit, annual luncheon to share history of women in agriculture
An annual event celebrating women in agriculture will include a special traveling photo exhibit this year to celebrate the College of Agriculture at Auburn University’s 150th anniversary. The 2022 Women in Agriculture Luncheon will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on...
Buchanan to give special lecture on agricultural research
A seasoned agriculturalist who spent 21 years with the College of Agriculture at Auburn University will give a special lecture on agricultural research at 4 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 22. Gale Buchanan will give a lecture titled “Agricultural Research: What has it done for...
Koebernick named to USDA Plant Variety Protection Board
Jenny Koebernick, associate professor in the Department of Crop, Soil & Environmental Sciences in the Auburn University College of Agriculture, has been appointed to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Plant Variety Protection Board. The Plant Variety Protection...
Faculty honored with endowed professorships
One College of Agriculture faculty member was recently reappointed an eminent scholar and two others received endowed professorships. Rex Dunham, alumni professor in the School of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences, was reappointed the Butler-Cunningham...
Overcoming barriers to aquaponics in food deserts
It looks like a natural fit: a sustainable system that produces fresh vegetables and fish located in food deserts with marginalized populations. And, while there has been an explosion in the interest surrounding such an arrangement, there are significant technological...
Wenying Li presented prestigious article award
Wenying Li, an assistant professor in the Auburn University College of Agriculture’s Department of Agricultural Economics & Rural Sociology, has received the 2021 American Journal of Agricultural Economics (AJAE) Outstanding Article Award for his work,...
Bowen named interim head of Crop, Soil and Environmental Science Department
Kira Bowen has been tapped to serve as interim head of Auburn University’s Department of Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences, effective August 1. “I look forward to working with Dr. Bowen in this new role,” said Paul Patterson, dean of Auburn’s College of...
Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station announces new structure
The Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station (AAES) at Auburn University has announced a new regional structure of its outlying units and operations. “The new regional organization structure is intended to focus more station-based personnel on research operations,”...
Make it to the market June 30
Market at Ag Heritage Park underway, to feature special guest Thursday, June 30 A very special Auburn Tiger will visit the Market at Ag Heritage Park on Thursday, June 30. Aubie the Tiger will be stopping by to mingle with shoppers at the market hosted by the College...
Congratulations to the Auburn College of Agriculture 2022 Summer Graduates!
COA Summer 2022 Bachelor of Science Graduates AGRICULTURAL BUSINESS & ECONOMICS Degree Jorge David Zelaya Rivera AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE Degree Lauren A Lasater Kati E Kent Kaitlyn Williams ANIMAL SCIENCES – ALLIED INDUSTRIES Degree Rebecca L Boyer Nicholas Alexander...
Barlow named associate dean for extension
Auburn University College of Agriculture and Alabama Extension select interim associate dean and assistant director for role Becky Barlow was recently named associate dean for extension in the Auburn University College of Agriculture and assistant director for...
Faculty member receives NSF CAREER award to study flash drought
Di Tian, an assistant professor in the Auburn University College of Agriculture’s Department of Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences, has been named a recipient of the National Science Foundation’s Faculty Early Career Development, or CAREER, Award. The CAREER...
Auburn College of Agriculture, Central Alabama Community College sign partnership agreement
Leaders from the Auburn University College of Agriculture and Central Alabama Community College signed an agreement Wednesday, May 4, to provide a streamlined pathway into the College of Agriculture for CACC student meeting certain criteria. “Students from Central...
Market at Ag Heritage Park resumes May 5 on Auburn campus
Each summer, the freshest local produce and farm-made products can be found for sale every Thursday afternoon on Auburn University’s campus. The Market at Ag Heritage Park begins for the 2022 season on Thursday, May 5, and runs from 3-6 p.m. every Thursday through...
E.T. York Lecturer Series brings Microsoft exec
Data-driven agriculture could help feed growing population Land area is not increasing, soils are not getting any richer, and water levels are going down. So how do we reach the goal of increasing good food production to feed the planet? One approach is through...
Nanomaterials could make pesticide use more efficient and sustainable
While nearly 4 million tons of conventional pesticides are used annually, only a small amount — 1% to 25% — reach the target organisms, leaving a large proportion released into the environment as a potential hazard. This is due to many factors such as spray drift,...
Research looks at nutrient loss in soybeans
By Jacqueline Kochak Stroll through the humid main corridor at Auburn University’s Plant Science Research Center and you’ll notice potted trees bearing clusters of green bananas and small shrubs with pineapples nestled in the center. Those are for the school children...
Fisheries professors honored at international meeting
Two faculty members in the Auburn University School of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences were recently recognized at the World Aquaculture Society conference in San Diego. Professor Terry Hanson, a 35-year veteran of aquaculture economics research and...
AU trustees OK Miller Center’s final phases; processing plant first up
Auburn University’s Board of Trustees has cleared the way for completion of the multi-unit Charles C. Miller Jr. Poultry Research and Education Center on the north Auburn campus, beginning with construction of an 18,800-square-foot poultry processing plant on the 30-acre site.
Economics of GMOs focus of Oct. 22 E.T. York Lecture
A University of California, Berkeley, economist will discuss the risks versus the benefits of genetically modifying foods and crops when he presents the Fall 2018 E.T. York Distinguished Lecture Monday, Oct. 22, at 4 p.m. on the Auburn University campus.
Auburn fisheries to host aquaponics workshop Oct. 23-25
Auburn University’s School of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences and Fisheries Business Institute will host a commercial aquaponics workshop
Duke named ag economics and rural sociology department chair, professor
Joshua Duke, currently professor of applied economics and statistics at the University of Delaware, will join the Auburn University College of Agriculture on March 1, 2019, as the Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology chair and professor.
College of Agriculture, alumni to host 39th Ag Roundup Sept. 29
Auburn University’s College of Agriculture and Agricultural Alumni Association will co-host the 39th annual Ag Roundup Saturday, Sept. 29, at Ag Heritage Park.
Two in horticulture merit national awards
Mahnaz Kargar, a Department of Horticulture doctoral candidate working under the direction of professor Floyd Woods, won a second-place U.P. Hedrick Award during competition held as part of the American Pomological Society’s 2018 annual meeting in Washington, D.C.
Rural sociology grad students win honors for M.S. theses
Auburn rural sociology graduate students Lindy Olive and James Patterson III claimed two of the three master’s thesis awards the Rural Sociological Society presented during its recent annual meeting in Portland, Oregon. As winners, the two received $2,000 cash awards.
Alabama Oyster Social raises $45,000 for oyster farming research, training
A 32-foot raw bar boasting 5,000 premium farm-raised oysters drew hundreds of oyster lovers to Ag Heritage Park earlier this year for the 2018 Alabama Oyster Social. In addition to emptying all 5,000 half shells, attendees also raised $45,000 to support Auburn University’s Shellfish Lab at Dauphin Island and, in turn, Alabama oyster farmers.
Auburn helping farmers prep for new safety regulations, inspections
With the ever-growing concern over food safety among consumers of fresh fruits and vegetables, producers soon will have to adjust to stricter regulations and regular inspections on their farms.
Horticulture’s Layne named fellow of professional society
Desmond Layne, Auburn University Department of Horticulture professor and head, has been selected as a 2018 fellow by the American Society for Horticultural Science.
Doctorate in food science a long time coming for ‘supermom’
Gerri Santos-Norris isn’t going to sugarcoat anything. She isn’t about to tell you that going back to school after an almost 20-year hiatus is a piece of cake.
Auburn farmed-oyster study aims for safety on the half shell
Auburn University marine scientist Bill Walton, one of the driving forces behind the Gulf Coast’s up-and-coming off-bottom oyster-farming industry, has landed a $456,646 federal grant to help ensure that farmed oysters bound for the premium half-shell market are as safe as possible for human consumption.
APT series on Auburn agriculture to continue Aug. 27
The third installment of Alabama Public Television’s documentary series on Auburn agriculture will air Aug. 27 at 9 p.m. CDT. The episode will highlight Auburn’s research and extension efforts in plant-based food production.
Auburn Agriculture, Extension name Phillips associate dean, assistant director
J. Mike Phillips, head of the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences at Mississippi State University, will join Auburn University Aug. 15 as associate dean for Extension in the College of Agriculture and assistant director for agriculture, forestry and natural resource Extension programs.
2018 beef cattle conference set Aug. 18 in Auburn
Cow-calf producers across the state will gain valuable insight on how to overcome challenges in the cattle business during the Auburn University Department of Animal Sciences’ 2018 Beef Cattle Conference Saturday, Aug. 18, 8 a.m.-3 p.m., at the Ham Wilson Livestock Arena at 650 S. Donahue Drive in Auburn.
Study shows undergrad research experiences benefit students and society
College students who participate in hands-on, faculty-mentored research en route to their bachelor’s degrees cite multiple personal and professional benefits the experience delivers, from strengthening their time-management, critical-thinking and communication skills to developing one-on-one connections with distinguished faculty.
Dalton Richardson
Dalton Richardson received an MS in Rural Sociology at Auburn University before joining the Sociology PhD program at the University of Oregon, where he is currently a Graduate Teaching Fellow. His research interests include rural life in the United States,...
Auburn’s Deutsch celebrates state’s rivers in forthcoming book
Bill Deutsch, a retired Auburn University aquatic ecologist who has spent almost three decades exploring, restoring and championing Alabama’s 132,000 miles of rivers and streams, will unveil his debut book, Alabama Rivers, A Celebration and Challenge, later this month in Auburn.
Bee Auburn activities to celebrate Pollinator Week
The Auburn University College of Agriculture and the City of Auburn are teaming up to host Bee Auburn 2018 June 18 – 22. The week, which coincides with National Pollinator Week 2018, celebrates pollinators and their impact on our culture, health, history, society and economy.
Auburn survey shows U.S. beekeepers lose four of every 10 managed colonies in 2017-18
The nation’s beekeepers lost 40 percent of their managed honey bee colonies between April 1, 2017, and March 31, 2018, an increase of almost 7 percentage points from the previous year’s total loss rate, results of an annual nationwide survey show.
Auburn animal sciences alum dedicated to feeding the flock
Sometimes when you think you’ve got life all mapped out, providence sends you in a different direction. Grady Smith, senior pastor of Gateway Baptist Church in Montgomery, knows all about that kind of journey.