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A Love for Agriculture and Science

Department of Horticultural Science

Julieta Sherk on one of her plant identification walks.

Jul 15, 2020

Horticulture’s Sherk Shows Resilience, Adaptability

Julieta Sherk, a professor in the Department of Horticultural Science, has found being adaptable and innovative is key to evolving as an educator. 
Three different varieties of sweetpotatoes with different skin colors.

Jul 10, 2020

‘Map’ of Sweetpotato Genome to Improve Breeding Efforts

NC State scientists recently published a scientific paper that mapped the genetic locations of economically important traits in sweetpotatoes such as higher yield and disease resistance. Their genetic map may lead to breeding better sweetpotatoes. 
Poison ivy growing up a brick wall

Jul 6, 2020

Leaves of Three, Let It Be: How to Identify Poison Ivy

Poison ivy, oak and sumac are itchy summer staples in North Carolina. Matt Jones, horticulture expert with N.C. Cooperative Extension helps us identify poisonous plants. 
Desk with laptop and strawberry measuring equipment

Jun 30, 2020

Berrying On

This year's berry crops yielded lessons in adaptability for Extension experts. They weighed strawberries in the garage, delivered masks to farms, connected via technology and never stopped listening. 
A group of students in a corn field as the sun sets. (From Summer 2019)

Jun 22, 2020

CALS Researchers Return to the Bench and Field

As NC State ramps up the Research Restart process, here’s how three researchers from across the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences are returning to the lab bench and test field after time away due to COVID-19. 
seedlings

May 28, 2020

No Seeds, No Problem: Growing Vegetables From Scraps

Tips for starting a garden using the vegetables you bought for dinner. 
The new greenhouse at Mountain Horticultural Crops Research and Extension Center in western North Carolina.

May 26, 2020

Topping-off for Tomato Breeding

NC State’s tomato breeding efforts, led by Dilip Panthee, just got a boost in the form of a new 1440-square-foot greenhouse at the Mountain Horticultural Crops Research and Extension Center. 
An older couple posing together for a photograph

May 20, 2020

Delighting Plant Lovers With Unique Blooms

Tony Avent is passionate about conserving plants. He also enjoys sharing his unique blooms with others through his business, Plant Delights. 
Soybean plants in a laboratory with colorful tubes in the background.

May 11, 2020

CRISPR Plants: New Non-GMO Method to Edit Plants

Wusheng Liu has developed a new way to get CRISPR/Cas9 into plant cells without inserting foreign DNA. This will allow for precise genetic deletions or replacements for specialty crops, without GMO regulatory hurdles. 

May 8, 2020

A Love for Agriculture and Science

As one NC State chapter ends, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences graduate Felicia Shepard is excited to start her next — earning her Ph.D in genetics.