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N.C. PSI News

Kellie Burris in the Phytotron, inoculating a plant.

Apr 10, 2020

Securely Studying Salmonella to Advance Produce Safety

NC State’s Phytotron has a specialized greenhouse for studying pathogens. Kellie Burris is using it to study how fresh fruits and vegetables — including cucumbers and cantaloupe — can become contaminated with Salmonella before harvesting. 

Two scientists in greenhouse pollinating blueberry plants

Apr 9, 2020

Cross Pollination

Two blueberry researchers cross continents to forge a partnership aimed at improving what’s already considered a superfood. 

Boxes of gloves, safety goggles and masks in a lab.

Apr 8, 2020

CALS Donates Protective Equipment, Supplies to Area Hospitals

CALS researchers donated truckloads of personal protective equipment including disposable gloves and N95 masks to area medical systems. Learn why two of them decided to give. 

Strawberries in cartons

Apr 6, 2020

Strawberry Season Arrives Early and in Abundance

With strawberry season set to peak at about the same time as COVID-19, North Carolina producers are taking steps to ensure that consumers have safe access to one of the state’s most popular crops. 

A young boy in a garden planting greens

Apr 1, 2020

Quick and Tasty Edibles for Spring

Now is the perfect time to start a small garden at home. Liz Driscoll, an NC State Extension 4-H specialist, reviews a number of vegetables that families can grow within two months. 

Aerial of tractor spraying fields at the Lake Wheeler Road Field Laboratory

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. 

Sweetpotatoes

Feb 17, 2020

GRIP4PSI Seed Grant Winners Announced

Four NC State research teams have been selected as recipients of the next phase of the Game-Changing Research Incentive Program (GRIP), focused on integrated research and outreach addressing global challenges tackled by the N.C. Plant Science Initiative. 

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. 

Group of people at a table with sticky notes

Feb 14, 2020

Partner Profile: NC Tobacco Trust Fund Commission

For nearly 20 years, the NC Tobacco Trust Fund Commission has been a staple in advancing agriculture in North Carolina—and an important partner of NC State University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. 

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.