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.
Sign up for free below to receive College of Agriculture news and the latest issues of The Season Magazine.
Latest
Animal Sciences partners with global leader in animal health intelligence
Partnership with CERES TAG to enhance data collection The Department of Animal Sciences in the Auburn University College of Agriculture recently announced a partnership with CERES TAG, a leading global animal health intelligence platform to improve livestock...
Veterinarian-turned poultry researcher improving animal health in supply chain
By Machaira Christopher When Dr. Rana Waqar Tabish came to Auburn to begin working toward his PhD, he already had one doctorate under his belt. After treating poultry for diseases as a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) back home in Pakistan, Tabish decided to pursue...
Auburn University researchers target horn flies in fight for cattle health
The common parasitic horn fly (Haemotabia irritans) can drain up to a pint of cow blood every week, and they are fast becoming resistant to insecticide. Researchers at...
Animal Sciences partners with global leader in animal health intelligence
Partnership with CERES TAG to enhance data collection The Department of Animal Sciences in the Auburn University College of Agriculture recently announced a partnership...
Veterinarian-turned poultry researcher improving animal health in supply chain
When Dr. Rana Waqar Tabish came to Auburn to begin working toward his PhD, he already had one doctorate under his belt….
Applied biotechnology student receives prestigious internship
Auburn University College of Agriculture student Leah Johnson received a highly competitive collegiate internship with HudsonAlpha, a premier institute for biotechnology. She is the second student from the applied biotechnology major in the Department of Entomology...
Three students receive 2025 Comer Awards
Hosted by the College of Sciences and Mathematics, in collaboration with the College of Agriculture, this year’s Comer Awards were presented to three graduating Auburn University students….
Researchers’ report informs governor’s strategic plan
Alabama’s $123 billion agriculture industry has identified land loss, profitability and transportation infrastructure among its most pressing challenges in a recent report. The findings of the report will inform Gov. Kay Ivey’s strategic economic growth plan,...
Geoff Williams named director of new Bee Center
Geoff Williams, associate professor, graduate program officer and longtime director of the AU-Bees Lab, is director of the new Auburn University Bee Center, effective Tuesday, April 1. In February, the Board of Trustees approved the establishment of the Auburn...
Innovating solutions to agricultural challenges
A team of both doctoral and undergraduate biosystems engineering students is tackling the age-old problem of precise fertilizer application with cutting-edge drone technology. According to NASA, they’re tackling it well.
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...
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”...
Agricultural grants address problems on Alabama farms
Is growing a cover crop on Alabama farms a solution or a problem for growers in the state who are trying to prevent soil and water erosion losses? A grant funded through the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station research program for the current fiscal year will...
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...
The Comer 150 Campaign: Rebuilding a legacy for tomorrow
As the College of Agriculture at Auburn University celebrated 150 years in 2022, it also announced plans to renovate its administrative building, Comer Hall. Last November, the Board of Trustees approved a comprehensive renovation of the building, including project...
Fueling a winner
The Southeastern Conference (SEC), on Feb. 24, named Sushil Adhikari as Auburn’s honoree for the SEC Faculty Achievement Award.
Auburn hosts forum on data science and AI in production agriculture and natural resources
Forum to be held 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday, April 21 Auburn University faculty researchers from the Colleges of Agriculture, Sciences and Mathematics, and Engineering seek to advance innovations in agriculture and natural resources. Together, they are hosting a...
Adhikari to serve as interim associate dean, associate director
Sushil Adhikari will serve as the Auburn University College of Agriculture’s interim associate dean for research and interim associate director of the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station, effective Feb. 16. He replaces Arthur Appel, who stepped into the role of...
Board of Trustees approves two agriculture projects at February meeting
Children’s garden, new Auburn University Bee Center approved Two transformational projects for the Auburn University College of Agriculture were approved by the Board of Trustees at its meeting on Friday, Feb. 7. First, the board approved phase one of a new children’s...
Experiment Station researchers leading nutrient management study with $1.3 million grant
Each year, the Alabama poultry industry produces two fully loaded Nimitz-class aircraft carriers’ worth of poultry litter, or about 3.6 billion pounds. Poultry litter is rich in nitrogen and phosphorus, and much of the waste product is applied to farmland as a...
Beck earns two awards for academic advising excellence
Mallory Beck, academic advisor for the Auburn University College of Agriculture’s Department of Animal Sciences, recently received two awards recognizing her excellence in her profession. Beck received the Outstanding New Advisor Award from the Provost’s Office’s 2025...
$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...
Better than he found it: Patterson steps down as agriculture dean, experiment station director
As 2024 draws to a close, Paul Patterson is stepping away from his roles as dean of the College of Agriculture and director of the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station, effective Jan. 1. He led both to record numbers in the areas of teaching, research and outreach since he assume the positions in March 2016…
National survey indicates highest bee colony losses in 14 years
The annual U.S. Beekeeping Survey, designed and administered by Auburn University and Apiary Inspectors of America, indicates the highest colony losses since the 2010-11 beekeeping season, when colony loss rates were first determined. U.S. beekeepers lost an estimated...
Three Auburn ag researchers to present at January regional farming conference
Auburn University’s Kip Balkcom, Eddie McGriff and Simerjeet Virk will be among the researchers presenting at the National Conservation Systems Cotton and Rice, Southern Soybean and Corn, Delta States Irrigation and Southern Precision Ag conferences being held Jan. 27...
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.
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.”
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…
Endowed Professor Nannan Liu demonstrates excellence in research
A seasoned researcher and administrator in the Auburn University College of Agriculture and one of the top 2% of entomologists in the world got her start in the field because of the kindness of a neighbor.
The Market at Ag Heritage Park to return to campus May 23
Auburn University’s only farmers’ market returns to campus on Thursday, May 23…
$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.
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...
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...