Mollie Rappe
Faculty Focus: Nelson to Help USDA Guide Agricultural Innovation
Natalie Nelson, an assistant professor in the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering was selected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to serve as one of the 11 subject matter experts for the USDA’s Agriculture Innovation Agenda.
Big Data for Better Sweetpotatoes
An interdisciplinary team led by Cranos Williams is setting out on a three-year project to use artificial intelligence to make sweetpotatoes even more profitable. The team will image hundreds of thousands of sweetpotatoes to increase the percentage of sweetpotatoes grown that are USDA grade 1.
Fertilizer of the Future
An interdisciplinary team led by Katharina Stapelmann is setting out on an ambitious three-year project to completely rethink how nitrogen-based fertilizers are produced and used. From on-farm fertilizer production to on-demand, precision irrigation, their project aims to cut energy use, protect the water supply and increase yields.