Plant Science and Technology
Aug. 26, 2025
Erik Amézquita
I am an Assistant Professor for Data Science at the Division of Plant Science & Technology with an adjunct appointment in Math. I am mainly interested in understanding and modeling plant morphology using topological data analysis (TDA). I am also interested in morphometrics, developmental plant biology, basic image processing, directional statistics, and data science for social justice. I go by he/él pronouns. I got my Ph.D. from the Department of Computational Mathematics, Science and Engineering (CMSE) at Michigan State University. I worked under the guidance of Dan Chitwood and Liz Munch. Before that, I got my math degree from the Universidad…
Aug. 20, 2025
Poplar tree discovery could help shape the future of energy and biomaterials
A new study, led by researchers at Mizzou, has uncovered how poplar trees can naturally adjust a key part of their wood chemistry based on changes in their environment. This discovery could help create better biofuels and other sustainable products.
Aug. 14, 2025
Q&A with Summer Welcome leader Dylan Hoyt
Dylan Hoyt, a sophomore from Martinsburg, Missouri, majoring in plant sciences, served as a Summer Welcome Leader.
Aug. 12, 2025
Biochar improves soil health for cotton production, study confirms
A team of researchers led by the University of Missouri is giving new purpose to an established material — biochar, a charcoal-like substance made from leftover plant waste — and showing how it can address challenges facing today’s cotton growers.
Aug. 12, 2025
Drones can more efficiently measure the health of corn plants, study finds
Researchers at the University of Missouri have found a mix of drones and AI can help farmers measure the health of their corn more efficiently.
Aug. 11, 2025
Message from Heike Bücking
Dear Alumni and Friends, Welcome to the Fall semester. I am delighted to share with you some of the remarkable achievements in 2024 from the Division of Plant Science and Technology (DPST). Our faculty and staff continue to provide learning and leadership opportunities for our students in classrooms, research laboratories, field, and international settings. Our mission is to keep students on track towards graduation, and to provide them with high quality education and the foundation for life-long career success. Recent investments into a new teaching space enabled us to equip a new digital teaching lab with computers and software packages…
July 30, 2025
Researchers identify key survival strategy for soybeans during heat and drought
María Ángeles Peláez-Vico, Ron Mittler and Ranjita Sinha It’s a hot, dry summer afternoon, and the skies offer no relief for a field of soybeans. But within those green leaves, these plants are quietly fighting back. Researchers at the University of Missouri recently discovered that soybeans have a natural defense strategy — called differential transpiration — that helps protect the plant’s reproductive tissues (flowers and seed pods) during extreme weather conditions. Think of it as nature’s version of targeted air conditioning. Ron Mittler “Soybeans keep their stomata — tiny pores used for plant breathing and cooling by evaporation — open…
July 24, 2025
Mizzou Student Chapter of the American Institute of Floral Designers Win Awards at AIFD National Symposium
The MU Student American Institute of Floral Designers (SAIFD) Chapter placed 2nd in the nation in the student competition during the American Institute of Floral Designers National Symposium in Palm Springs, July 12-15.
July 23, 2025
2025 C-DRIG recipients announced
The College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources Office of Research offers the CAFNR Dissertation Research Improvement Grants (C-DRIG) of up to $2,000 to support or partially support dissertation research projects proposed by doctoral students in the College. Eligible students will have completed their coursework and have advanced to candidacy or will advance to candidacy within six months of the C-DRIG awards. Proposals are evaluated by the CAFNR Research Council, an advisory body that advises CAFNR Office of Research and is made up of representatives from each Division in the College. This year, six awardees were granted $2,000 each. The…
July 14, 2025
Back to the Farm – Q&A with Drake and Kaylee Minear
Drake Minear (B.S. Agricultural Systems Management '18) and his wife Kaylee (Michael) Minear (B.S. Elementary Education '18) graduated from Mizzou and returned to the farm.