Heike Bücking, professor and head of the Biology and Microbiology Department at South Dakota State University (SDSU) College of Natural Sciences, has been named professor and director of the Division of Plant Sciences at the University of Missouri College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR). Bücking’s appointment is effective April 1, 2021.

It’s been more than 30 years since soil cores have been studied at Sanborn Field. Tim Reinbott, director of Sanborn Field, worked throughout 2020 to secure funding and was able to put together a team of partners who removed the cores in November 2020.

“Long-term research of this nature is really important, as it gives us some really good insights into soil changes over an extended period of time,” said Reinbott. “Sanborn Field is so historic, and I’m happy to be able to continue this research.”

The annual Agroforestry Symposium returns in 2021 with a focus on community health and resilient food systems. The symposium, led by the University of Missouri College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR) Center for Agroforestry, will be completely virtual this year – and free of charge.

This is the 12th year of the event and registration is currently open. The symposium began today and will run through Saturday, Jan. 30. It will be held from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. each of the next two days.

CAFNR Research Council Webinar Series, Feb. 18, 2021

The CAFNR Office of Research is pleased to announce the CAFNR Research Council Webinar Series, which will feature speakers covering a timely topic.

The “Funding Opportunities for CAFNR Faculty in International Research and Scholarship,” series will be on Thursday, Feb. 18, 3:30 p.m. It will be led by Kerry Clark, Director, CAFNR International.

To access the webinar, use the following Zoom link: umsystem.zoom.us/j/91758246857

Roberts, Spencer Named Society for the Study of Reproduction Distinguished Fellows

Two University of Missouri faculty were among 15 individuals recently named Society for the Study of Reproduction (SSR) Distinguished Fellows. R. Michael Roberts, Chancellor’s Professor with appointments in animal sciences and biochemistry, and Thomas Spencer, Curators’ Distinguished Professor of Animal Sciences, were both honored. This is the inaugural year of the program. Learn more about the fellowship.

CAFNR faculty members have received the following recent grants (listed by Principal Investigator):

Thomas Bonnot, Development of a quantitative management framework to assess Missouri’s mourning dove population and guide decisions about harvest management and monitoring, 7/1/2020-6/30/2021,$90,750, Missouri Department of Conservation.

Felix Fritschi, Seed composition estimation from in-season standing crop and terminal seed yield using non-invasive imaging, 10/1/2020-12/31/2021, $121,606, St. Louis University.

William McKelvey Jr, Kansas Food Bank Service Area Hunger Study, 1/1/2021-3/31/2022, $89,428, Kansas Health Foundation.

Randall Prather, National Swine Resource and Research Center 18, 8/1/2020-7/31/2021, $84,665, NIH Office of the Director.

David Trinklein, High Tunnel Production of Physalis to Expand Missouri’s Vegetable Market, 1/1/2021-3/31/2023, $22,173.

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