{"id":194159,"date":"2021-10-26T09:32:28","date_gmt":"2021-10-26T13:32:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/?p=194159"},"modified":"2022-02-10T13:25:06","modified_gmt":"2022-02-10T18:25:06","slug":"ron-and-ryan-heiniger-carve-unique-paths-in-crop-sciences-at-nc-state","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/news\/ron-and-ryan-heiniger-carve-unique-paths-in-crop-sciences-at-nc-state\/","title":{"rendered":"Ron and Ryan Heiniger Carve Unique Paths in Crop Sciences at NC State"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Ron and Ryan Heiniger, father and son, have a lot in common beyond their names: they share a passion for uncovering the science behind agriculture, a commitment to bringing research-based findings to growers and a propensity to talk about work at the dinner table. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe come to Thanksgiving and the conversation with one another revolves around, \u2018What was the best hybrid this year? Why was it better?\u2019\u201d said Ron Heiniger with a laugh. \u201cAnd my wife is saying, \u2018Could you guys stop talking about farming? We need to have some family time.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While this father-and-son team\u2019s common interests may contribute to easy dinner conversation, it\u2019s their differences that help them collaborate effectively and excel in their unique roles within the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences<\/a>.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ryan Heiniger, the Official Variety Testing (OVT) Program Director<\/a>, uses his background in microbiology and industry experience to determine which crop hybrids, from soybean to sorghum, grow best in which conditions across North Carolina. In contrast, his father, Ron Heiniger, a professor of corn production and management<\/a>, uses his Ph.D. in crop ecology and simulation modeling to improve understanding of the science behind growing corn, including the influence of canopy temperature and seeding rates on corn yield. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite their different research agendas, they embrace opportunities to collaborate with one another to advance applied research efforts and communicate with growers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Day in the Life of this Father-Son Duo<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

On a clear fall day in the Blue Ridge Mountain Valley of Mount Airy, North Carolina, the Heinigers\u2019 commitment to applied research and collaboration with one another is on display as they harvest corn. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
Ron and Ryan Heiniger show corn from the Mount Airy, North Carolina plot.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Both researchers have traveled from across the state to reach this location; Ryan is based about two hours away in Raleigh, while Ron is approximately four hours away in Plymouth, North Carolina.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their collaboration on this six-acre corn plot in the Piedmont region began in January 2021, when the Heinigers contacted Tim Hambrick<\/a>, an agriculture extension agent for Forsyth, Stokes, Surry and Yadkin Counties. This team aimed to uncover new insights about corn yield, from row spacing recommendations to suitable hybrids, and then share this information with growers in the Piedmont region. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hambrick said he was motivated to work with the Heinigers, because their work has practical benefits to people in his community. He also said that this collaboration has moved quickly, allowing growers from the region to see the results in real time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTheir work offers my growers a chance to improve production, which in turn increases the quality of their own lives, and most assuredly the quality of their local communities,\u201d Hambrick said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A key step to providing growers with these helpful findings is to complete the corn harvest and collect valuable data. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The front half of the corn plot houses Ron\u2019s experiments where he is examining the impact of row spacing and canopy temperature on corn yield. His findings suggest that narrow corn rows have lower canopy temperatures, which can contribute to higher corn yield. He is investigating how fungi that live in the soil may help corn roots take in water, which can also lead to greater corn yield. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Aerial
An aerial view of the Heinigers’ experimental plots in Mount Airy, North Carolina. Photo taken by Tim Hambrick<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The back half of the plot is where Ryan, as part of the OVT Program, is testing different hybrids of corn to determine which yields most effectively under varying conditions across the state. In the Mount Airy plot alone, he is testing 90 different hybrids. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re trying to see what hybrids will work best for growers,\u201d Ryan said, \u201cSo it\u2019s really just \u2018plant it, manage it like a grower would, and find out what kinds of yield are we getting?\u2019 How do these hybrids respond to different soil types? By climate? And then report that back to growers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n