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College of Agriculture and Life Sciences 
Department of Crop and Soil Sciences

News Archive

Feb 5, 2025

Debjani Sihi Joins NC State to Advance Agriculture with AI and Big Data

Meet Debjani Sihi, CALS' first interdisciplinary AI cluster hire, who’s using AI and big data to make farming smarter and more sustainable. 
A group of people stand outdoors with a building in the background

Jan 15, 2025

Soil Specialist Enthusiastic for International Partnerships

CALS soil specialist Luke Gatiboni values his recent international work in Malawi, with the goal of transferring agricultural technologies to improve soil health and agricultural production. 

Jan 8, 2025

A Century of and for Growth

This year marked the centennial celebration of our department—a century of excellence in teaching, research, and extension that continues to translate into new frontiers of agricultural and environmental innovation. Join us for a look back at 2024 through our Year in Review. 
Crop and Soil Sciences 100th anniversary celebration attendees at the N.C. Plant Sciences Building.

Dec 13, 2024

Crop and Soil Sciences Celebrates a Century of Innovation 

Our department capped off a season of celebrations for our 100 year anniversary. Which event did you join? 
NC State Extension agents learn about precision planters at a tech training event at Quality Equipment

Dec 11, 2024

Infusing Farm Technology into Extension’s Knowledge Base

To keep pace with the rapid pace of tech change, NC State Extension partnered with Quality Equipment and Farm Credit to host an agricultural technology training event for agents. 
NC State graduate student Balihar Kaur evaluates zoysiagrass varieties in a greenhouse.

Dec 6, 2024

Student Spotlight Interview: Balihar Kaur

Meet Balihar Kaur, a crop science PhD student advancing zoysiagrass breeding to improve seed yield and sustainability. Recently, she showcased her skills by winning the beginner track at the 2024 N.C. Plant Sciences Initiative Hackathon, where she applied AI to solve real-world agricultural challenges. 
A bronze wolf statue sits atop a rock

Dec 5, 2024

9 CALS Faculty Named 2024-25 Goodnight Early Career Innovators

Joe Gage named an NC State 2024-25 Goodnight Early Career Innovator for his work in crop genomics. 
NC State small grains breeder Nonoy Bandillo examines a wheat plant in a greenhouse.

Dec 2, 2024

Plant Breeder Sees New Rolls for Wheat

Nonoy Bandillo joined NC State University in 2024 as our new small grains breeder. He’s bringing a new energy and lab full of technology to bear on a host of possibilities for wheat and other small grains -- from animal fodder to auto fenders. 
irrigation equipment on a trailer

Nov 21, 2024

Industry Partnership Aims to Tackle Hog Farm Wastewater

CALS researchers have partnered with an international irrigation company to help develop a more environmentally friendly solution for managing wastewater from hog farms. 
Chancellor Randy Woodson poses with a student on NC State's campus during move-in activities

Nov 20, 2024

Embracing the Land-grant Mission

Chancellor Randy Woodson and his wife, Susan, were sitting in Lynah Rink at a Cornell vs. Harvard hockey game in the late 1970s when he started hearing the typical jeers from visiting Crimson fans, denigrating his new school’s history as New York’s “Cow College.” Over the next four years, the season-ticket-holder Woodsons, having just graduated…