Research
April 30, 2024
Mittler named AAAS Fellow for recognition of contributions to field of plant stress
The Curators’ Distinguished Professor in the Division of Plant Science and Technology was one of five Fellows from Mizzou this spring
April 30, 2024
A bountiful harvest: Agrivoltaics blends solar energy with agriculture in innovative research project at University of Missouri
As solar-generated electricity is increasing, some landowners are pondering converting land used to produce food to land used to produce energy, but what if they could do both? What if they didn’t have to choose? Agrivoltaics is a new concept that blends solar energy production with agricultural uses like row crops or pastureland, and researchers at the University of Missouri’s Central Missouri Research, Extension and Education Center (CM-REEC) are looking to answer many questions about the new practice with its new demonstration site. A herd of sheep grazes among solar panels at a farm practicing agrivoltaics. “As a research institution,…
April 19, 2024
Felix Fritschi elected President-Elect of Crop Science Society of America
Felix Fritschi elected President-Elect of Crop Science Society of America
April 17, 2024
Jay Thelen honored with 2024 Distinguished Research Award
Jay Thelen, professor, Biochemistry, has received the 2024 Distinguished Research Award. Thelen’s career highlights include establishing a successful research program focusing on understanding the regulation of de novo fatty acid biosynthesis in plants and algae. His research program excels in grantsmanship, scholarly activity and entrepreneurship, with notable achievements including over $18 million in extramural grants, 150 research publications and four licensed patents. Jay Thelen Thelen’s pioneering work in phosphoproteomics, particularly the development of the Kinase Client assay, has garnered international attention and significantly advanced understanding of plant signal transduction. Additionally, his research on fatty acid biosynthesis has practical implications for…
April 17, 2024
Harpreet Kaur recieves Distinguished Dissertation Award at Celebration of Excellence
Harpreet Kaur has received the William R. Lamberson Distinguished Dissertation award. She completed her Ph.D. in Plant, Insect and Microbial Sciences in 2023. Harpreet Kaur Portions of Kaur’s dissertation, “Drainage Water Management Practices Affect Water Quality, Soil Properties, and Crop Production,” have been submitted to 11 journal publications, and five of those have been published in reputable journals. Additionally, Kaur has presented her research to national and international groups. In addition to her Ph.D., Kaur completed an M.S. in statistics simultaneously, giving her a deeper understanding of statistical analysis of her findings. “I have been impressed by her academic achievements…
April 12, 2024
New building at Mizzou’s Horticulture and Agroforestry Research Farm to support research, teaching and extension efforts in mid-Missouri
A new building at the University of Missouri’s Horticulture and Agroforestry Research Farm (HARF) in New Franklin will upgrade the ability of the farm to host educational and outreach events, and support the local community, including producers and landowners.
April 12, 2024
Soyon Park receives Early Investigator Research Award from College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources
Soyon Park, assistant professor of plant science and technology, has received the Early Investigator Research Award. Trained in plant molecular biology, Park’s expertise lies in chlorophyll degradation, plant-agrobacteria interactions, and host-parasitic plant interactions. Her research, published in prestigious journals like Plant Cell and Molecular Cell, focuses on understanding host and parasitic plant interactions, particularly with parasitic plants like Cuscuta and Phelipanche, aiming to devise effective control strategies to enhance crop yield. Notably, her lab developed a groundbreaking Cuscuta transformation method, bypassing the time-consuming tissue culture process. This achievement led to a $2 million NSF proposal with Park as the principal…
April 11, 2024
Groundbreaking for new building named for former Sen. Roy Blunt held at Fisher Delta Research, Extension and Education Center
Robert Cook, Don Rone, Paul T. Combs, David Haggard, Patrick McHaney, Aaron Brandt, Gary Wheeler, Chris Chinn, Jason Bean, Roy Blunt, Keith Holloway, Shelly Fisher, Trent Haggard, Charlie Kruse, Dave Blakemore, Mun Choi, Justin Rone, Rob Kallenbach, Chad Higgins, Shibu Jose and Chris Daubert. A groundbreaking was held Friday, April 5, for the Roy Blunt Soil Testing and Research Laboratory at the University of Missouri’s Fisher Delta Research, Extension and Education Center (FD-REEC) in Portageville, Mo. “As a longtime Delta Day attendee and Delta Center advocate, I’m pleased to have been part of spearheading a new facility that will support…
April 2, 2024
Plant Science and Technology professor named to Soil Health Institute board of directors
Rob Myers, extension professor in the Division of Plant Science and Technology, was announced as a new member of the Soil Health Institute board of directors. Rob Myers The Soil Health Institute is a global non-profit with a mission of safeguarding and enhancing the vitality and productivity of soils through scientific research and advancement. The Institute brings together leaders in science and industry to conduct research and empower farmers and landowners to adopt soil health systems that contribute economic and environmental benefits to agriculture and society. Myers appointment was effective April 1.
March 30, 2024
School of Natural Resources researcher works to develop guidelines for industrial hemp producers in Missouri
In the early 20th century, Missouri was a leader in hemp production, ranking second in the nation. Still, after more than a century of the crop being categorized as a controlled substance, the rich knowledge Missouri farmers had of the crop was lost. Researchers at the University of Missouri are now working to learn how to recapture the value that growing industrial hemp could provide for the state’s farmers. “We are looking at this like a new crop, and, like any new crop, there are ups and downs,” said Gurpreet Kaur, assistant research professor at MU’s School of Natural Resources.