Plant Science and Technology

Joe Butler secured a job with Gardener's Path, a website dedicated to helping others with gardening advice, planting pointers and in-depth reviews of products, before graduation. While having a job did relieve him of some stress, Butler’s final day as a student did come with some pressure. He was one of two graduates who spoke during the ceremony, the first time that CAFNR has had students speak.

Oct. 22, 2022

Growing His Writing Portfolio

Joe Butler's job with Gardener's Path allows him to combine his two passions – plants and writing.
Rob Myers and Kelly Wilson are presented an award for the Center for Regenerative Agriculture by the Missouri Department of Conservation. Myers holds a framed photo of a grazing cow with an award plaque attached to the frame with Wilson and two MDC representatives flanking him.

Oct. 18, 2022

Center for Regenerative Agriculture Recognized by Missouri Department of Conservation

The CAFNR Center for Regenerative Agriculture (CRA) was recognized with the 2022 External Partner Award by the Missouri Department of Conservation Community and Private Lands Division.

Oct. 18, 2022

CAFNR Research Symposium Poster Winners Announced

More than 90 posters were showcased at the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources' first in-person Research Symposium.
Tian Peng posing.

Oct. 13, 2022

Peng Tian

Tian has an extension appointment in plant disease diagnosis. His responsibilities include management of Plant Diagnostic Clinic at University of Missouri and participation in Missouri Integrated Pest Management program and National Plant Diagnostic Network. His extension program provides identification services of plant disease, weed and insect as well as disease management recommendations to growers, agricultural professionals, agribusinesses, and the various commodity groups in the state. His research program focuses on identification of new plant diseases and development of innovative assays to characterize and differentiate viral and fungal pathogens in specialty crops to address current plant health problems and ensure the…
green cover crops in a field

Sep. 15, 2022

$25 Million MU Grant to Help Farmers Adopt Climate-Smart Practices

USDA award is the largest federal research, education and extension grant ever awarded to an MU faculty member.
Ron Mittler poses in the Life Sciences Building on the Mizzou campus.

Sep. 15, 2022

Ron Mittler Named Curators’ Distinguished Professor

A Curators' Distinguished Professorship is the highest and most prestigious academic rank awarded by the Board of Curators.
The Missouri Agricultural Experiment Station (MOAES) Research, Extension and Education Centers (REECs) have played and continue to play an important role in helping each of CAFNR's Programs of Distinction on its drive to distinction.

Sep. 15, 2022

CAFNR/MOAES Research Magazine: Making a Major Impact

This story appears in our MU CAFNR/Agricultural Experiment Station Research Magazine. When CAFNR unveiled its strategic plan, Drive to Distinction, in 2019, it established criteria for Programs of Distinction, a select collection of programs that exemplify CAFNR’s drive to distinction. Those programs, together with CAFNR’s academic programs, define CAFNR’s impact on Missouri’s agriculture and natural resource economies, providing understanding for how CAFNR is addressing challenges facing Missouri agriculture, food and natural resources. There are seven programs that have earned Program of Distinction status (as of 2022): Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute (FAPRI) Interdisciplinary Plant Group (IPG) Interdisciplinary Reproduction…
Among its many strengths, the Missouri Agricultural Experiment Station (MOAES) provides research faculty with a wide variety of real-world conditions to test and develop strategies for agricultural production, based on the geographical and climatic differences in Missouri. These CAFNR laboratories also provide graduate students with ample opportunities to lead their own projects, while still providing the same important research findings for farmers and producers across the state. For example, Haylee Schreier, a senior research associate who defended her thesis and earned her graduate degree in May 2022, has used electricity to rid fields of weeds. Photo courtesy of Haylee Schreier.

Sep. 15, 2022

CAFNR/MOAES Research Magazine: ‘A Major Part of the Research Engine’

Graduate students play a vital role in the research enterprise at the MOAES REECs.
The Fisher Delta REEC was established in 1959 in Portageville, Mo., and was created to provide research and educational programs unique to the Missouri Bootheel region. In addition to a number of new hires to lead the research programs at the REEC, Fisher Delta has also invested in new infrastructure in an effort to continue its research excellence. A newly renovated soybean breeding laboratory and an updated greenhouse facility are the two biggest improvements. Photo courtesy of Aaron Brandt.

Sep. 15, 2022

CAFNR/MOAES Research Magazine: A Community Asset

Infrastructure improvements, new faculty allow Fisher Delta REEC to build on its strong community relationships.
White man with glasses with dark hair and beard, wearing a light button up shirt, standing in front of a wall of green plants

Sep. 8, 2022

Small RNA Have Big Implications for Crop Growth

Learn more about Blake Meyers, the 12th MU faculty member to be elected to prestigious National Academy of Sciences.