{"id":7768,"date":"2019-09-06T06:25:13","date_gmt":"2019-09-06T10:25:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/crop-and-soil-sciences-new\/news\/gaining-ground\/"},"modified":"2023-03-03T08:42:16","modified_gmt":"2023-03-03T13:42:16","slug":"gaining-ground","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/crop-and-soil-sciences\/news\/gaining-ground\/","title":{"rendered":"Gaining Ground"},"content":{"rendered":"

Farmers talked. NC State University leaders listened. And a revolution in how NC State approaches plant sciences has begun. The university ceremonially breaks ground today on a major new Centennial Campus building aimed at speeding agricultural progress.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>The NC State University Plant Sciences Building will be headquarters for the North Carolina Plant Sciences Initiative<\/a> (N.C. PSI), an effort to make the state into the world\u2019s leading hub for plant science innovation.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

The building, said NC State Chancellor Randy Woodson, “is an extraordinary step in our interdisciplinary approach of bringing together North Carolina\u2019s agriculture community with the great agtech industry across the state.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

So, too, is the initiative. \u201cThe N.C. PSI is a large program to reformulate everything we do in the university that touches plants,\u201d explained Steve Lommel, the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences\u2019 associate dean and director for the North Carolina Agricultural Research Service. \u201cIt\u2019s food, it\u2019s animal food, it\u2019s agriculture \u2013 both conventional agriculture and organic agriculture. It\u2019s very broad, but we are being very intentional in trying to create a framework to do science differently than we have in the past,\u201d he added.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>\u201cThe idea here is to create different combinations of scientists than would tend to naturally occur to really change agriculture and food in a big, systemic way.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Hands<\/h3>\n

The Project\u2019s Roots<\/b><\/h3>\n

A new CALS dean, Richard Linton, took to the road in 2013 to learn the challenges and opportunities that farmers and other college stakeholders were facing — and what they expected in the future.<\/span><\/p>\n

North Carolina farmers were clear in their message: They were struggling. To remain in business, they needed lasting agricultural solutions \u2013 more resilient crops and better ways to manage those crops from pre-planting through to the marketing.<\/span><\/p>\n

Meanwhile, experts around the world sounded the alarm that farmers would have to double food production by 2050 to feed a growing global population — and they would likely have to do that with less land and less water, during a time when climate and weather conditions were changing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It was time, they said, for a new agricultural revolution — one that would not only help feed the world but also ensure agricultural sustainability.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"CALS<\/p>\n

Taking on the Challenge<\/b><\/h3>\n

CALS faculty members seized that challenge. They had the advantage of a strong reputation in plant sciences and in turning new knowledge into solutions that farmers could put to work.<\/span><\/p>\n

The university encourages a cross-college, interdisciplinary approach to innovation. Through NC State\u2019s Faculty Excellence Program, Woodson pushed for teams to get out of their disciplinary silos to take on big problems.<\/span><\/p>\n

There was, though, a significant hurdle: Place matters, and faculty members were working mainly in buildings more than half a century old \u2013 buildings with lots of walls, halls and closed spaces that tended to support a siloed approach to research, teaching and extension.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A Place Like No Other<\/b><\/h3>\n

The state-of-the-art facility researchers need to realize the initiative\u2019s goals would require a significant investment. NC State, along with the state\u2019s Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, turned to the state legislature. Lawmakers responded by funding an economic feasibility study.<\/span><\/p>\n

The study found that the plant sciences initiative would yield a significant return. In fact, the study said, it could create an opportunity for North Carolina \u201cto be the global hub for advanced plant sciences research and for the application of that research to expanding agricultural productivity.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

As Linton noted, \u201cThere is no other state, region or country that will have what we have right here in North Carolina and at NC State. We have extreme diversity <\/span>in climates and soils, which allows us to grow more than 90 different crops and plant varieties.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe can do all sorts of research here that can mimic locations in the United States and around the world,\u201d he added. \u201cWe have something very special here in North Carolina, and the NC State University Plant Sciences Building and the N.C. PSI will help us take advantage of all the assets.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Four
Commodity group officials and other agricultural leaders planted stakes in 2017 as the college celebrated their contributions to the North Carolina Plant Sciences Initiative.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Forging Support<\/b><\/h3>\n

Linton reached out North Carolina\u2019s agricultural industry with that message, and the response was overwhelming. Forty-five agricultural organizations not only endorsed the initiative, they also donated $9 million.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In 2015, state lawmakers earmarked $85 million for the initiative in a statewide bond referendum. The next year, North Carolina voters approved the Connect NC Bonds.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Golden LEAF Foundation put in $45 million (in addition to an earlier gift of $3 million), bringing total support to $144.2 million of $160.2 million needed to design and construct the building.CALS fundraisers are working to secure the additional funds not just for the building but for the overall initiative.<\/span><\/p>\n

Investing in the building is investing in North Carolina\u2019s future, said Golden LEAF Board Chairman <\/span>Randy Isenhower.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cS<\/span>upporting agriculture through innovation and research ultimately helps to grow rural communities,\u201d he said. \u201cThis state-of-the-art facility and initiative are the tools North Carolina\u2019s farmers need to boost that growth. Most importantly, it will give our farmers and rural communities the edge in an increasingly competitive global market.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"In
Extension agent Jarette Hurry (right) in a Bertie County soybean field with a farmer.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Different by Design<\/b><\/h3>\n

Flad Architects completed design of the five-story 185,000-square-foot building late last year. The building will allow for what the architects called \u201ccreative collisions\u201d — ones that would spark problem-solving.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Unlike many buildings on NC State\u2019s campus, the Plant Sciences Building will not house a specific discipline or department. Instead, it\u2019s being built with the flexibility to allow teams of scientists working on specific projects to move in and out of the building.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s all about flexibility, being open, visible, with access to daylight and science in sight,\u201d architect Chuck Mummert said. These \u201care key themes that will be part of the building.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The building will also feature rooftop greenhouses, shared equipment and laboratory spaces as well as meeting areas, seminar rooms and board rooms. In April 2019, DPR Construction broke ground, with plans to complete the building by late 2021.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Moving Ahead<\/b><\/h3>\n

Faculty members from CALS and other colleges aren\u2019t waiting for the building to be opened. They are already forging new partnerships, generating proposals for ambitious research, academic and outreach projects, winning grants and making research progress.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

N.C. PSI Launch Director Stephen Briggs said that in the two years he\u2019s been in his position, \u201ctremendous momentum has been growing from faculty and staff to get involved with interdisciplinary research.”\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He points to a new university program known as GRIP4PSI — Game-Changing Research Incentive Program for the Plant Sciences Initiative — as an example. Eight NC State teams are polishing full proposals for GRIP4PSI funding. Winning teams will receive $650,000 in funding over three years, and they\u2019ll secure a chance to carry out their projects in the PSB.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI have seen unbelievable synergy among faculty members from different colleges working on plant-related research projects that will truly change the landscape for our farm communities not only locally but around the world,\u201d Briggs added. \u201cGreat research producing great things for the farm all while training, mentoring and educating the agricultural leaders for tomorrow — what a great opportunity afforded all of us here in North Carolina.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Excitement among stakeholders is also building. As longtime NC agriculture leader Peter Daniel, of N.C. Farm Bureau, said, \u201cI have seen very few instances where the whole community of agricultural organizations and the farmers they represent come together behind (an) initiative like this.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt was just incredible to watch,\u201d he said. \u201cWe’re excited that we’re going to be making investments that we’re going to be harvesting \u2026 benefits from for the next 50 to 75 years.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Men
Through the GRIP4PSI project, researchers from different colleges at NC State are developing proposals to solve grand challenges in agriculture.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Help accelerate plant science discovery and applied solutions.<\/h3>\n

<\/span><\/h3>\n

This post was originally published<\/a> in College of Agriculture and Life Sciences News.<\/em><\/p>","protected":false,"raw":"Farmers talked. NC State University leaders listened. And a revolution in how NC State approaches plant sciences has begun. The university ceremonially breaks ground today on a major new Centennial Campus building aimed at speeding agricultural progress.<\/span>\r\n\r\n\u00a0<\/span>The NC State University Plant Sciences Building will be headquarters for the North Carolina Plant Sciences Initiative<\/a> (N.C. PSI), an effort to make the state into the world\u2019s leading hub for plant science innovation.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<\/span>\r\n\r\nThe building, said NC State Chancellor Randy Woodson, \"is an extraordinary step in our interdisciplinary approach of bringing together North Carolina\u2019s agriculture community with the great agtech industry across the state.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nSo, too, is the initiative. \u201cThe N.C. PSI is a large program to reformulate everything we do in the university that touches plants,\u201d explained Steve Lommel, the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences\u2019 associate dean and director for the North Carolina Agricultural Research Service. \u201cIt\u2019s food, it\u2019s animal food, it\u2019s agriculture \u2013 both conventional agriculture and organic agriculture. It\u2019s very broad, but we are being very intentional in trying to create a framework to do science differently than we have in the past,\u201d he added.<\/span>\r\n\r\n\u00a0<\/span>\u201cThe idea here is to create different combinations of scientists than would tend to naturally occur to really change agriculture and food in a big, systemic way.\u201d<\/span>\r\n

\"Hands<\/h3>\r\n

The Project\u2019s Roots<\/b><\/h3>\r\nA new CALS dean, Richard Linton, took to the road in 2013 to learn the challenges and opportunities that farmers and other college stakeholders were facing -- and what they expected in the future.<\/span>\r\n\r\nNorth Carolina farmers were clear in their message: They were struggling. To remain in business, they needed lasting agricultural solutions \u2013 more resilient crops and better ways to manage those crops from pre-planting through to the marketing.<\/span>\r\n\r\nMeanwhile, experts around the world sounded the alarm that farmers would have to double food production by 2050 to feed a growing global population -- and they would likely have to do that with less land and less water, during a time when climate and weather conditions were changing.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nIt was time, they said, for a new agricultural revolution -- one that would not only help feed the world but also ensure agricultural sustainability.<\/span>\r\n\r\n\"CALS\r\n

Taking on the Challenge<\/b><\/h3>\r\nCALS faculty members seized that challenge. They had the advantage of a strong reputation in plant sciences and in turning new knowledge into solutions that farmers could put to work.<\/span>\r\n\r\nThe university encourages a cross-college, interdisciplinary approach to innovation. Through NC State\u2019s Faculty Excellence Program, Woodson pushed for teams to get out of their disciplinary silos to take on big problems.<\/span>\r\n\r\nThere was, though, a significant hurdle: Place matters, and faculty members were working mainly in buildings more than half a century old \u2013 buildings with lots of walls, halls and closed spaces that tended to support a siloed approach to research, teaching and extension.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n

A Place Like No Other<\/b><\/h3>\r\nThe state-of-the-art facility researchers need to realize the initiative\u2019s goals would require a significant investment. NC State, along with the state\u2019s Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, turned to the state legislature. Lawmakers responded by funding an economic feasibility study.<\/span>\r\n\r\nThe study found that the plant sciences initiative would yield a significant return. In fact, the study said, it could create an opportunity for North Carolina \u201cto be the global hub for advanced plant sciences research and for the application of that research to expanding agricultural productivity.\u201d<\/span>\r\n\r\nAs Linton noted, \u201cThere is no other state, region or country that will have what we have right here in North Carolina and at NC State. We have extreme diversity <\/span>in climates and soils, which allows us to grow more than 90 different crops and plant varieties.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n\u201cWe can do all sorts of research here that can mimic locations in the United States and around the world,\u201d he added. \u201cWe have something very special here in North Carolina, and the NC State University Plant Sciences Building and the N.C. PSI will help us take advantage of all the assets.\u201d<\/span>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_160493\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"1024\"]\"Four Commodity group officials and other agricultural leaders planted stakes in 2017 as the college celebrated their contributions to the North Carolina Plant Sciences Initiative.[\/caption]\r\n

Forging Support<\/b><\/h3>\r\nLinton reached out North Carolina\u2019s agricultural industry with that message, and the response was overwhelming. Forty-five agricultural organizations not only endorsed the initiative, they also donated $9 million.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nIn 2015, state lawmakers earmarked $85 million for the initiative in a statewide bond referendum. The next year, North Carolina voters approved the Connect NC Bonds.<\/span>\r\n\r\nThe Golden LEAF Foundation put in $45 million (in addition to an earlier gift of $3 million), bringing total support to $144.2 million of $160.2 million needed to design and construct the building.CALS fundraisers are working to secure the additional funds not just for the building but for the overall initiative.<\/span>\r\n\r\nInvesting in the building is investing in North Carolina\u2019s future, said Golden LEAF Board Chairman <\/span>Randy Isenhower.<\/span>\r\n\r\n\u201cS<\/span>upporting agriculture through innovation and research ultimately helps to grow rural communities,\u201d he said. \u201cThis state-of-the-art facility and initiative are the tools North Carolina\u2019s farmers need to boost that growth. Most importantly, it will give our farmers and rural communities the edge in an increasingly competitive global market.\u201d<\/span>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_172444\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"1024\"]\"In Extension agent Jarette Hurry (right) in a Bertie County soybean field with a farmer.[\/caption]\r\n

Different by Design<\/b><\/h3>\r\nFlad Architects completed design of the five-story 185,000-square-foot building late last year. The building will allow for what the architects called \u201ccreative collisions\u201d -- ones that would spark problem-solving.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n<\/span>\r\n\r\nUnlike many buildings on NC State\u2019s campus, the Plant Sciences Building will not house a specific discipline or department. Instead, it\u2019s being built with the flexibility to allow teams of scientists working on specific projects to move in and out of the building.<\/span>\r\n\r\n\u201cIt\u2019s all about flexibility, being open, visible, with access to daylight and science in sight,\u201d architect Chuck Mummert said. These \u201care key themes that will be part of the building.\u201d<\/span>\r\n\r\nThe building will also feature rooftop greenhouses, shared equipment and laboratory spaces as well as meeting areas, seminar rooms and board rooms. In April 2019, DPR Construction broke ground, with plans to complete the building by late 2021.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n

Moving Ahead<\/b><\/h3>\r\nFaculty members from CALS and other colleges aren\u2019t waiting for the building to be opened. They are already forging new partnerships, generating proposals for ambitious research, academic and outreach projects, winning grants and making research progress.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nN.C. PSI Launch Director Stephen Briggs said that in the two years he\u2019s been in his position, \u201ctremendous momentum has been growing from faculty and staff to get involved with interdisciplinary research.\"\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nHe points to a new university program known as GRIP4PSI -- Game-Changing Research Incentive Program for the Plant Sciences Initiative -- as an example. Eight NC State teams are polishing full proposals for GRIP4PSI funding. Winning teams will receive $650,000 in funding over three years, and they\u2019ll secure a chance to carry out their projects in the PSB.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n<\/span>\r\n\r\n\u201cI have seen unbelievable synergy among faculty members from different colleges working on plant-related research projects that will truly change the landscape for our farm communities not only locally but around the world,\u201d Briggs added. \u201cGreat research producing great things for the farm all while training, mentoring and educating the agricultural leaders for tomorrow -- what a great opportunity afforded all of us here in North Carolina.\u201d<\/span>\r\n\r\nExcitement among stakeholders is also building. As longtime NC agriculture leader Peter Daniel, of N.C. Farm Bureau, said, \u201cI have seen very few instances where the whole community of agricultural organizations and the farmers they represent come together behind (an) initiative like this.<\/span>\r\n\r\n\u201cIt was just incredible to watch,\u201d he said. \u201cWe're excited that we're going to be making investments that we're going to be harvesting \u2026 benefits from for the next 50 to 75 years.\u201d<\/span>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_169687\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"950\"]\"Men Through the GRIP4PSI project, researchers from different colleges at NC State are developing proposals to solve grand challenges in agriculture.[\/caption]\r\n

Help accelerate plant science discovery and applied solutions.<\/h3>\r\n

<\/span><\/h3>"},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A ceremonial groundbreaking at NC State marks a new chapter in the university\u2019s efforts to accelerate plant-related research, train the next generation of plant scientists and help farmers put problem-solving discoveries to work. \u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":7769,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"source":"ncstate_wire","ncst_custom_author":"","ncst_show_custom_author":false,"ncst_dynamicHeaderBlockName":"","ncst_dynamicHeaderData":"","ncst_content_audit_freq":"","ncst_content_audit_date":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[377],"class_list":["post-7768","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-_from-newswire-collection-19"],"displayCategory":null,"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/crop-and-soil-sciences\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7768","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/crop-and-soil-sciences\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/crop-and-soil-sciences\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/crop-and-soil-sciences\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/22"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/crop-and-soil-sciences\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7768"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/crop-and-soil-sciences\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7768\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7770,"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/crop-and-soil-sciences\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7768\/revisions\/7770"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/crop-and-soil-sciences\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7769"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/crop-and-soil-sciences\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7768"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/crop-and-soil-sciences\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7768"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/crop-and-soil-sciences\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7768"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}