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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). Guertal is one of 502 scientists, engineers and innovators…
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Temple Grandin visits the Auburn College of Agriculture
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Liu listed in top 2% of world’s entomologists
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Patterson honored with SAEA Lifetime Achievement Award
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Kannan named head of Auburn poultry science department
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Wells named Botts Endowed Professor
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Alabama Water Resources Research Institute invites research proposals for grants program
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French brings reimagined faculty position to life
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Penick serves as scientific advisor for episode of Planet Earth III
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Taylor Edwards selected winter 2023 grad marshal for Auburn College of Agriculture
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International interns study novel growth systems at Auburn
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The Season News & Research
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.
“I aim to pioneer the development and exploration of novel insecticide modes of action utilizing plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) as an innovative and environmentally benign alternative to conventional synthetic chemical insecticides,” said John Beckmann, assistant professor in the Department of Entomology & Plant Pathology and recipient of an AAES $50,000 grant.
Beckmann’s work builds on groundbreaking research by Joseph Kloepper, College of Agriculture professor emeritus, whose work focused on using PGPR for crop seed treatments.
This initial project evolved into a technology that has become a standard input in crop production and has spawned numerous research projects across several disciplines. PGPR seed treatments are being used for all traditional row crops, including corn, soybeans and others
“Leveraging Dr. Kloepper’s extensive PGPR strain library, our investigation will identify, evolve and apply PGPR-derived biological insecticides in a bid to find sustainable and effective alternatives to chemical insecticides,” Beckmann said.
The proposed methodology, he said, involves a multi-stage process starting with screening over 6,800 strains of PGPR against fruit fly eggs and larvae, to identify strains with potential insecticidal properties.
Beckmann and his team have already screened more than 500 strains and have found very significant insecticidal properties among a few isolates. The screening step is followed by a confirmation step, repeating the initial screening on a larger scale to validate the results.
Subsequently, the identified strains will undergo a process of directed evolution to enhance their insecticidal properties, explained Beckmann. This involves individual colony screening processes to potentially improve and amplify the insecticidal effect.
The evolved strains will then be sequenced as a first step to identify variations of genes responsible for the insecticidal activity. Finally, the project tests strains’ toxicity against a wider range of insect pests, assessing their applicability to broader pest management.
Beckmann’s grant is one of 22 competitive grants awarded across three principal AAES programs: AgR-SEED, Production Agricultural Research (PAR) and equipment grants for fiscal year 2024.
PAR projects typically address a specific problem and/or challenge being experienced currently by Alabama agricultural producers. The acronym AgR-SEED stands for Agricultural Research Enhancement, Exploration and Development.
The funding addresses some of the most immediate and long-term needs of agriculture at both the state and national levels. They are administered through the AAES with USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture Hatch funding and matching state appropriations. Many of the two-year, $50,000 grants support combined research and extension projects to address current farming problems in a timely manner through applied research.
The following projects were funded for the current cycle. The name and College of Agriculture department or other college of the principal investigator is followed by the name of the proposal and the grant amount.
AgR-SEED Grants
John Beckmann, Department of Entomology & Plant Pathology, Pioneering PGPR-Based Bio-Insecticides for Sustainable Agriculture: $50,000.
Ariel Belk, Department of Animal Sciences, The influence of pathogen presence on the meat spoilage microbiome and quality deterioration: $49,836.
Ian A.E. Butts, School of Fisheries, Aquaculture & Aquatic Sciences, Advancing reproductive health and hatchery technology to improve catfish production: $49,999.
Hao Chen, College of Forestry, Wildlife & Environment, Transcriptional regulation of stem cell self-renewal and differentiation for wood formation: $49,600.
Chen Ding, College of Forestry, Wildlife & Environment, Accelerating genomic selection on stress and pathogenic tolerance of commercial trees based on physiological responses for resilient forest landscapes: $50,000.
Wellison Diniz, Department of Animal Sciences, Effects of maternal nutrition and one-carbon metabolite supplementation in fetal muscle programming: $50,000.
Brendan Higgins, Department of Biosystems Engineering, Upcycling of nutrients from poultry slaughterhouse solid wastes into value-added products using black soldier fly larvae cultivation: $49,944.
Ben Hinnant, College of Human Sciences, Good nights’ sleep intervention: Pilot of a randomized clinical trial to improve child and family sleep: $50,000.
Ramesh Jegnathan, College of Human Sciences, nerve growth factor on muscle atrophy associated with obesity and Type 2 diabetes: $50,000.
Sung-Hwan Kang, Department of Entomology & Plant Pathology, Investigating cotton-infecting Poleroviral proteins P3 and P3-5 interactions with plant proteome: $50,000.
Jasmeet Lamba, Department of Biosystems Engineering, Quantification of phosphorus losses in runoff under climate change: $50,000.
Mark Liles, Department of Biological Sciences, Development of a symbiotic seed treatment to improve peanut drought tolerance and reduce aflatoxin contamination: $50,000.
John Linhoss, Department of Biosystems Engineering, Sophisticated chickens: Using artificial intelligence techniques to locate Alabama broiler and broiler-breeder farms and evaluate rainfall capture potential: $50,000.
Mallory Lucier-Greer, College of Human Sciences, Understanding and addressing food insecurity in the military: A translational science approach: $49,826.
Aniruddha Maity, Department of Crop, Soil & Environmental Science, Understanding the influences of biotic and abiotic factors in herbicide resistance development in Italian ryegrass: $50,000.
Neha Potnis, Department of Entomology & Plant Pathology, Evaluation of cues driving natural competence and transformation in plant pathogenic bacteria belonging to the genus Xanthomonas: $50,000.
Tanzeel Rehman, Department of Biosystems Engineering, Developing precision weed management approaches to support sustainable organic vegetable production in Southeastern U.S.: $50,000.
Di Tian, Department of Crops, Soil & Environmental Science, Estimation of evapotranspiration based on multi-source data fusion and deep learning: $50,000.
PAR Grants
Zhaofei Fan, College of Forestry, Wildlife & Environment, Developing a whole-stand growth and yield model for planted longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) stands in the east Gulf Coastal Region: $49,873.
James Spiers, Department of Horticulture, Expediting blueberry production in central Alabama: $50,000.
Equipment Grants
Ian A.E. Butts, School of Fisheries, Aquaculture & Aquatic Sciences, Eppendorf Ultra Temperature Upright Freezer for aquatic biological samples: $7,594
Yucheng Peng, College of Forestry, Wildlife & Environment, Micrometitics TriStar II Plus Automatic Physisorption analyzer to support research.
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...
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,...
Auburn scientist spearheads leading research to help hops grow in Alabama
By Rachel Damiani Assistant Professor Andre da Silva is conducting cutting-edge research on ways to grow hops in Alabama within Auburn University’s Department of Horticulture in collaboration with faculty, industry leaders and students. As an Alabama Extension...
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...
Hatchery scientists take on project to help U.S. largemouth bass producers
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Everything Auburn Podcast: Everything Poultry Science with Amit Morey
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Auburn researchers to share in $22 million USDA-NIFA investment
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) has announced an investment of nearly $22 million in agricultural economics research that includes agricultural markets, international trade, farm labor, consumer behavior and...
Potential seen for drone-spraying in agricultural fields
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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...
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...
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
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Auburn agriculture researchers receive USDA-NIFA AFRI grants
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Two Auburn agricultural economists recognized for published works
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Auburn project part of $16.2 million innovative plant breeding effort
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Research examines effects of food proximity on waste
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Microbiome exploration represents a new frontier of research
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