Fall 2019 Seminars
Seminars begin at 3:30 pm in 150 Keim Hall, East Campus, with refreshments served at 3 pm. Join us in person or online at https://go.unl.edu/agrohortseminar.Past Seminar Archives.
September 6, 2019
Faculty Fellow, Daugherty Water for Food Institute, Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska—Lincoln
Higher global temperatures during cropping seasons are resulting in yield losses. Part of these losses are resulting due to higher night time temperatures during grain development. We will present our work aimed at elucidating the physiological and molecular basis of these yield losses in two major cereals, wheat and rice. High temperature resilience of these two crops, which collectively provide more then 50% of the human caloric needs is essential for sustaining future food production.
Improving Heat Resilience in Cereals
HARKAMAL WALIAFaculty Fellow, Daugherty Water for Food Institute, Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska—Lincoln
Higher global temperatures during cropping seasons are resulting in yield losses. Part of these losses are resulting due to higher night time temperatures during grain development. We will present our work aimed at elucidating the physiological and molecular basis of these yield losses in two major cereals, wheat and rice. High temperature resilience of these two crops, which collectively provide more then 50% of the human caloric needs is essential for sustaining future food production.
September 13, 2019
Professor and Pioneer Distinguished Chair in Maize Breeding, Department of Agronomy, Iowa State University
Novel strategies and effective tools are essential for sustainable food production. One challenge is how to rethink and redesign discovery pipelines to achieve higher resource use efficiency. In this seminar, I will highlight three research areas where integrated designs can be used to mine the diversity in genes and environments.
Integrating Design, Analytics, and Genomics in Crop Improvement
JIANMING YUProfessor and Pioneer Distinguished Chair in Maize Breeding, Department of Agronomy, Iowa State University
Novel strategies and effective tools are essential for sustainable food production. One challenge is how to rethink and redesign discovery pipelines to achieve higher resource use efficiency. In this seminar, I will highlight three research areas where integrated designs can be used to mine the diversity in genes and environments.
September 20, 2019
Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist, Department of Entomology, UNL Bee Lab, University of Nebraska—Lincoln
Pollinator health and conservation efforts in Nebraska
JUDY WU-SMARTAssistant Professor and Extension Specialist, Department of Entomology, UNL Bee Lab, University of Nebraska—Lincoln
September 27, 2019
Katie Kreuser & Ben McShane-Jewell, Moderators
Three University of Nebraska–Lincoln Agronomy and Horticulture Alumni share how they are changing the agricultural landscape in Nebraska from their crop selection and growing practices, to the product marketing and diverse customer base. Panelists will discuss the importance of their practices and how farmers can apply them to ensure future success.
Regenerative Agriculture – from the Soil to the Table
Joseph and Matthew Brugger, Upstream Farms, and Steve Tucker, AgriForce SeedKatie Kreuser & Ben McShane-Jewell, Moderators
Three University of Nebraska–Lincoln Agronomy and Horticulture Alumni share how they are changing the agricultural landscape in Nebraska from their crop selection and growing practices, to the product marketing and diverse customer base. Panelists will discuss the importance of their practices and how farmers can apply them to ensure future success.
October 4, 2019
Postdoctoral Research Associate, Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska—Lincoln
The Río de la Plata grasslands is one of the largest continuous grassland ecosystems in the Americas. These subtropical and temperate grasslands share many floristic and functional similarities with temperate grasslands of North America. Andrade will discuss how these characteristics lead to similar ecological processes and their implications to grazing management.
Río de la Plata grasslands - a South American tallgrass prairie? Floristic and ecological similarities and management implications
BIANCE OTT ANDRADEPostdoctoral Research Associate, Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska—Lincoln
The Río de la Plata grasslands is one of the largest continuous grassland ecosystems in the Americas. These subtropical and temperate grasslands share many floristic and functional similarities with temperate grasslands of North America. Andrade will discuss how these characteristics lead to similar ecological processes and their implications to grazing management.
October 11, 2019
Associate Professor and Quantitative Ecologist, Department of Plant Pathology, University of Nebraska—Lincoln
Disease management and government regulations are based on knowledge of the biology and ecology of plant pathogens. Molecular techniques allow accurate identification of causal agents, but have also revealed that some agents constitute several morphologically indistinguishable organisms. This talk will highlight economically relevant examples of cryptic species and why diversity matters, including recent research in Nebraska. Building on the idea that diversity matters, this talk will also highlight research on how a diverse workforce is a powerful asset towards the next big scientific breakthrough and current outreach at UNL cultivating career opportunities for underrepresented students in the agSTEM fields.
Why Diversity Matters: From disease management to the next big scientific breakthrough
SYDNEY EVERHARTAssociate Professor and Quantitative Ecologist, Department of Plant Pathology, University of Nebraska—Lincoln
Disease management and government regulations are based on knowledge of the biology and ecology of plant pathogens. Molecular techniques allow accurate identification of causal agents, but have also revealed that some agents constitute several morphologically indistinguishable organisms. This talk will highlight economically relevant examples of cryptic species and why diversity matters, including recent research in Nebraska. Building on the idea that diversity matters, this talk will also highlight research on how a diverse workforce is a powerful asset towards the next big scientific breakthrough and current outreach at UNL cultivating career opportunities for underrepresented students in the agSTEM fields.
October 25, 2019
Associate Professor, Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska—Lincoln
How the plant genome is regulated, organized, and expressed to produce different cell types is arguably one of the grand challenges in biology. Using state-of-the-art single-cell methodologies, the Libault lab is interested in characterizing cell-type-specific transcriptomic programs, their level of conservation between plant species, their dynamic regulation in response to environmental stresses, and the impact of chromatin accessibility in regulating these programs.
A Multiomic Approach at the Single Cell Level to Better Understand the Transcriptional Regulation of Plant Genes
MARC LIBAULTAssociate Professor, Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska—Lincoln
How the plant genome is regulated, organized, and expressed to produce different cell types is arguably one of the grand challenges in biology. Using state-of-the-art single-cell methodologies, the Libault lab is interested in characterizing cell-type-specific transcriptomic programs, their level of conservation between plant species, their dynamic regulation in response to environmental stresses, and the impact of chromatin accessibility in regulating these programs.
November 1, 2019
Assistant Professor, School of Natural Resources, University of Nebraska—Lincoln
In Nebraska, as in other regions with intensively managed agriculture, many streams are enriched with nutrients. Yet, these streams also have the capacity to process nutrients, slowing or completely removing them from the water. This talk will consider the biogeochemical potential of streams in Nebraska to mitigate nutrient enrichment.
The biogeochemistry of a fertilized landscape: Are Nebraska rivers and streams pipes or processes of nutrients?
JESSICA CORMANAssistant Professor, School of Natural Resources, University of Nebraska—Lincoln
In Nebraska, as in other regions with intensively managed agriculture, many streams are enriched with nutrients. Yet, these streams also have the capacity to process nutrients, slowing or completely removing them from the water. This talk will consider the biogeochemical potential of streams in Nebraska to mitigate nutrient enrichment.
November 8, 2019
Assistant Professor, Irrigation Management Specialist, Biological Systems Engineering, West Central Research and Extension Center, University of Nebraska–Lincoln
The needs of growers continue to change overtime due to the level of education; awareness of the physical environment; sophistication of equipment and farming systems, technology, and their associated services; heightened pressure from end-users; and/or accessibility to information; among others. Consequently, the platform or space in which we engage growers around efficient and profitable crop production must adapt. This seminar will provide an overview of an interactive and engaging program titled “Testing Ag Performance Solutions (TAPS)” as well as current research efforts in west central Nebraska.
Connecting with growers through a peer-to-peer, experiential program titled TAPS
DARAN RUDNICKAssistant Professor, Irrigation Management Specialist, Biological Systems Engineering, West Central Research and Extension Center, University of Nebraska–Lincoln
The needs of growers continue to change overtime due to the level of education; awareness of the physical environment; sophistication of equipment and farming systems, technology, and their associated services; heightened pressure from end-users; and/or accessibility to information; among others. Consequently, the platform or space in which we engage growers around efficient and profitable crop production must adapt. This seminar will provide an overview of an interactive and engaging program titled “Testing Ag Performance Solutions (TAPS)” as well as current research efforts in west central Nebraska.
November 15, 2019
Assistant Professor, Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska—Lincoln
The Jinliang Yang group uses maize as its studying system to address the overarching question: “what makes plants more productive?” Towards this end, they are focusing on bridging the genotype-phenotype divide using quantitative genetics/genomics approaches. Here, Jinliang will talk about their recent progress on epigenetic modeling and high-throughput phenotyping.
Understand maize productivity and adaptation via Omics data modeling
JINLIANG YANGAssistant Professor, Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska—Lincoln
The Jinliang Yang group uses maize as its studying system to address the overarching question: “what makes plants more productive?” Towards this end, they are focusing on bridging the genotype-phenotype divide using quantitative genetics/genomics approaches. Here, Jinliang will talk about their recent progress on epigenetic modeling and high-throughput phenotyping.
November 22, 2019
Assistant Professor, Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Plant Systems Biology is relatively a new concept in which a systems level approach is needed in order to get a wholesome view of plant biology. This talk will highlight how metabolic modeling and ‘omics’ data integration can attempt to explore some of the important questions in plant biology ranging from stress response and role of specific group of metabolites in pathogenic response.
Metabolic Modeling and ‘Omics’ Data Integration in the Context of Plant Systems Biology
RAJIB SAHAAssistant Professor, Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Plant Systems Biology is relatively a new concept in which a systems level approach is needed in order to get a wholesome view of plant biology. This talk will highlight how metabolic modeling and ‘omics’ data integration can attempt to explore some of the important questions in plant biology ranging from stress response and role of specific group of metabolites in pathogenic response.
December 6, 2019
Assistant Professor and Range Management Specialist, Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska—Lincoln
Rangeland production and species composition vary both spatially and temporally in western Nebraska. This variability can influence how cattle graze within pastures and, as a result, grazing pressure on specific areas or specific species depending on grazing management. This presentation will focus research seeking better understanding of spatial and temporal variability on rangelands and how understanding cattle grazing behavior can help livestock producers strategically manage cattle for defined vegetation objectives.
Rangeland Research in Western Nebraska
MITCH STEPHENSONAssistant Professor and Range Management Specialist, Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska—Lincoln
Rangeland production and species composition vary both spatially and temporally in western Nebraska. This variability can influence how cattle graze within pastures and, as a result, grazing pressure on specific areas or specific species depending on grazing management. This presentation will focus research seeking better understanding of spatial and temporal variability on rangelands and how understanding cattle grazing behavior can help livestock producers strategically manage cattle for defined vegetation objectives.