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$10M Grant to NC State, USDA-ARS to Advance Cover Crops, Transform Agriculture

Author: Mollie Rappe

Aerial of tractor spraying fields at Lake Wheeler farms.

Mar 30, 2020

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. 
and DSM Nutritional Products'Eduardo Alberto and NC State’s Mladen Vouk sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU).

Mar 19, 2020

Partner Profile: DSM Strengthens Research Partnership with NC State

NC State and DSM Nutritional Products signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to enhance their research partnership studying animal gut health and nutrition, on Feb. 19. 
Hannah Levenson, a graduate student, in a field of sunflowers, while conducting a survey of native bees throughout North Carolina.

Feb 25, 2020

The Buzz About Native Bees

Hannah Levenson, a graduate student in the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, is using North Carolina’s research stations to survey native bees and study how wildflowers support native bee populations. 
Carlos Iglesias with a wolf sculpture

Feb 17, 2020

Carlos Iglesias: New Director of the Plant Breeding Consortium

In January the Plant Breeding Consortium welcomed Carlos Iglesias as its new director. He comes with decades of experience leading plant breeding programs in the public and private sectors and has worked with many different crops. 
Dilip Panthee (center), researcher at Mountain Horticultural Research and Extension Center, looks over tomatoes in the farm's greenhouse as students tend to the plants.

Jan 29, 2020

Greenhouse Vegetable Growers Support N.C. Plant Sciences Initiative

In honor of NC State’s past support and continued partnership, the North Carolina Greenhouse Vegetable Growers’ Association has donated $7,000 to the N.C. Plant Sciences Initiative. 
Dunaliella saltwater algae

Dec 16, 2019

Salty Algae Leads to Sweet Success

NC State University professor Heike Sederoff started studying saltwater algae more than a decade ago as part of a project to use algae to make biofuel. This research led to a recent paper in the journal Nature and a biofuels patent application. 
An open field being watered

Dec 3, 2019

N.C. PSI, SAS to Harness the Power of Data

SAS will build off of its longstanding partnership with NC State and embed full-time data scientists within the N.C. Plant Sciences Initiative to collaborate on various research efforts ensure a safe and sustainable food supply. 
Headshot of Fred Gould with trees in the background

Dec 2, 2019

Fred Gould: My Journey to Interdisciplinary Research

Fred Gould shares his journey from graduate school to interdisciplinary research on genetically modified pests and beyond, as well as the challenges he overcame along the way. 
Ross Sozzani talks with Jessica Gluck during the Nov. 13 ideation session

Nov 18, 2019

Lightning Round: Knitting Networks and Seeding Solutions

The North Carolina Plant Sciences Initiative organized a lightning session on Wednesday, Nov. 13 designed to spark research collaborations to tackle grand challenges, whether they ended up being focused on plant sciences or not. 
Chris Reberg-Horton and Steven Mirsky, co-leaders of a $10M sustainability grant examine an autonomous ag data collection robot.

Nov 12, 2019

$10M Grant to NC State, USDA-ARS to Advance Cover Crops, Transform Agriculture

Chris Reberg-Horton, a professor in Crop and Soil Science, will co-lead a five-year, $10 million grant to improve the sustainability and profitability of agriculture by advancing the study and use of cover crops such as rye, clover and radishes.