Research

Close up of a split immature cotton boll

Sep 25, 2023

Could Biostimulants Save Doomed Cotton Seedlings?

Lori Unruh-Snyder discovered that cotton seed damage locations and patterns can accurately predict seedling performance. Now, they are testing ways growers could overcome these deficits.

USDA-ARS breaks ground on the new Plant Improvement Facility at NC State's Lake Wheeler Road Field Laboratory.

Sep 13, 2023

USDA-ARS Breaks Ground on New Plant Improvement Facility on NC State University Campus

USDA-ARS breaks ground on a state-of-the-art plant improvement facility housing 30-40 experts from ARS and NC State who will conduct research on maize, soybean, wheat, cotton and peanuts.

Aug 4, 2023

Field to Fabric: The Journey of Fiber Hemp from Tobacco to Textiles

David Suchoff is leading a five-year grant to study how fiber hemp can act as an alternative to tobacco while taking advantage of North Carolina’s robust textile industry.

Aerial view of a NC coastal farm impacted by saltwater intrusion

May 8, 2023

Climate Change Brings the Tide to Farmers’ Doorsteps

Climate change is causing sea level rise and increased flooding, threatening North Carolina’s most fertile agricultural land with saltwater intrusion. NC State researchers are testing soils and developing field kits to help farmers quickly adapt to changing conditions.

Graduate student Matthew Starr walks in a cotton field

May 1, 2023

Agriculture’s Promised Land?

As major companies pledge support for regenerative agriculture, researchers and growers question what role it can play in North Carolina agriculture’s future.

SunShow variety plots from the SunGrains breeding collective

Mar 6, 2023

SunGrains Collective Sets The Model For Collaborative Plant Breeding

Small grains breeder Paul Murphy is a founding member of a multi-university breeding program that has become the model for larger producing regions and even other crops.

NC State soil scientist Matt Ricker leans on a soil auger at the Maya El-Peru Waka city site.

Feb 15, 2023

Early Water Engineers: Soils Reveal Maya Expertise in Water Management

Soil scientist Matt Ricker spent 96 days in the jungle with meager hand tools to bring back data that refine existing knowledge of early Maya water management at the El-Peru Waka site.

Nov 7, 2022

Breeding Peanut 3.0

Building on years of NC State research, peanut breeder Jeff Dunne is using wild species genetics to breed disease-resistant varieties in a crop with an inherent fault.

NC State and partners at Sola St. Augustine release

Aug 15, 2022

NC State University Releases Sola™, the Newest St. Augustinegrass

NC State’s Turfgrass Breeding and Genetics program released Sola™, a new cultivar with improved characteristics, at the annual Lake Wheeler Turfgrass Field Day.

Jul 25, 2022

When Crops Eat First: Enhanced Efficiency Fertilizers for Improved Nitrogen Management

NC State researchers investigate if enhanced efficiency fertilizers (EEFs) could benefit both farm profitability and the environment.