Spring 2021 Seminars
Spring seminars will be presented via Zoom beginning at 3:30 p.m. CST/CDT.
Join at: https://go.unl.edu/agrohortseminar
Research @ Scale: Developing Crop Science Products through Innovative Science & Modern Data Architecture
RUTH WAGNER
Head of Data Science & Analytics at Bayer Crop Science, St. Louis, Missouri
Bayer is a life science company and a global leader in health care and nutrition whose products support efforts to overcome the major challenges presented by a growing and aging global population. As the industry leader, Bayer Crop Science has a role in helping the world meet the growing challenges and demand for agricultural. In this talk, Drs. Ruth Wagner, Linda Rymarquis and Ian Davis will share how scientific innovations like gene editing and data infrastructure are shaping our Plant Biotechnology R&D pipeline.
Management of Herbicide-Resistant Weeds: Challenges and Opportunities
RODRIGO WERLE
Assistant Professor and Extension Cropping Systems Weed Scientist, Department of Agronomy, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Herbicide-resistant weeds represent a major threat to sustainability and profitability of row crop production systems in the U.S. Midwest and beyond. Werle will discuss ongoing research efforts in Wisconsin to provide growers and decision influencers with research-based information to be more effective and sustainable integrated weed management systems.
From Plant Proteins and Metabolites to Protein Networks and Metabolic Pathways
SOPHIE ALVAREZ
Research Associate Professor, Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, Director of the Proteomics and Metabolomics Facility, Nebraska Center for Biotechnology, University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Proteomics and metabolomics are two of the “omics” technologies that are still underrepresented in plant biology despite their well-recognized value to crop science. With the help of examples, this talk will show how using these approaches contribute to advancing our understanding of plant coping strategies and defense mechanisms when they are under stress.
Expanding the Breeding Toolbox to Develop Soybean Cultivars
ASHEESH SINGH
Professor, Agronomy, Bayer Chair in Soybean Breeding, Associate Chair for Discovery and Engagement, Director of Graduate Education (Plant Breeding), R.F. Baker Center for Plant Breeding, Plant Sciences Institute, Iowa State University, Ames
The soybean breeding program at Iowa State University, through an interdisciplinary effort, is developing strategies and building tools to improve the breeding pipeline. This presentation will explore few emerging technologies and data analytics developed or utilized in our program to study plant traits, and describe their application in phenotyping and cultivar development.
Increasing Pasture Productivity and Quality to Support Grazing Livestock
JOHN A. GURETZKY
Associate Professor and Grassland Systems Ecologist, Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska–Lincoln
This seminar will describe the structure and function of cool-season grass pastures in the Midwest including those dominated by perennials and seeded with annuals. Strategies and knowledge gaps to enhancing pasture productivity and quality through cultivar introductions, interseeding, and planting of simple to complex mixtures will be emphasized.
PAST SEMINARS
Management of Herbicide-resistant Palmer Amaranth in Minor and Specialty Crops Within the High Plains
NEVIN LAWRENCE
Assistant Professor and Weed Management Specialist, Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Herbicide-resistant Palmer amaranth is a recent arrival to the Panhandle of Nebraska and surrounding regions, and many of the crops grown within the region have limited herbicide options. Lawrence will review the previous five years of research and extension efforts he has undertaken to better understand Palmer amaranth, and to provide stakeholders with options to manage a difficult but increasingly common weed species.
Oil Palm Production and Conservation of Natural Resources: Can We Get It All?
PATRICIO GRASSINI
Associate Professor and Cropping Systems Specialist, Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska–Lincoln
While the environmental impact associated with oil palm expansion in Indonesia has received lot of attention, there is little dialogue on a solution agenda that could help the country to reconcile economic and environmental goals. This seminar presents results from a UNL project that aims to find that balance via intensification, that is, by increasing productivity on existing cropland.
Soil Health — How Management is Affecting the Pulse of Soil
ALAN FRANZLUEBBERS
USDA-ARS, Raleigh, North Carolina
Soil is alive, and how we manage it reveals to us our ecological influence. We can be dominating or nurturing and soil will let us know what it can tolerate from us. This presentation will focus on soil ecology and management issues relevant for achieving more sustainable agricultural systems.
Coexisting with Fire in Rangelands
VICTORIA M. DONOVAN
Postdoctoral Research Associate, Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Large wildfires have surged in recent years in the Great Plains. While fire is a fundamental rangeland ecosystem process, it can also pose a risk to human life and infrastructure. How can we coexist with fire? Donovan will present recent research on changing wildfire patterns and suggest directions for future management.
People, Fire and Global Biome Divergence in the 21st Century
RHEINHARDT SCHOLTZ
Affiliate, Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska–Lincoln
In the 21st century, we find ourselves faced with uncertainty in managing our terrestrial ecosystems. In fact, our planet faces major anthropogenic threats to the functioning of many ecosystems. This talk covers how society and the age of information can better conserve our landscapes.
Aerial Application in the United States: Best Practices and Future Directions
BRADLEY FRITZ
Agricultural Engineer and Research Leader, Aerial Application Technology Research Unit, USDA-ARS, College Station, Texas
Aerial application accounts for a significant portion of all the crop protection and production products applied in the United States. Reaching nearly all commercial crops and the majority of forestry acres, the continued improvement and use of technologies and management practices are critical to ongoing industry sustainability, crop yield and environment protection. Fritz will discuss some of the key issues, management practices, decision support technologies and directions for future growth for aerial application in the United States.
Note: This presentation video will not be posted to the website.
Teaching Landscape Systems
DAN UDEN
Assistant Professor, School of Natural Resources, Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, Center for Resilience in Agricultural Working Landscapes, University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Landscape systems surround us, are tightly linked to human wellbeing, and are under increasing pressure, which makes understanding their abilities to function in the face of stressors and change essential. This seminar will overview continuing efforts to develop coursework for landscape system assessment across UNL departments.
The Summing Up: One Person’s Life with Small Grains
P. STEPHEN BAENZIGER
Professor, Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, and Nebraska Wheat Growers Presidential Chair
After receiving his Ph.D. in 1975, P. Stephen Baenziger worked all of his career as a small grain breeder (wheat and barley and later adding triticale). Baenziger will offer his reflections on working at the USDA-ARS, Monsanto, and for the last 34 years at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and what it means to be a plant breeder.
How Can Transferable Biology and Breeding Contribute to Improving Food Systems and Climate Change?
EDWARD BUCKLER
Professor, USDA-ARS at Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
The demands of food production, fuels, nutrition, and climate change are going to require that thousands of species undergo genomic selection over the next two decades. Buckler uses machine learning and statistical models of chromatin structure, regulatory grammar, cis-expression, protein stability, and deleterious mutations to improve transferable genome wide predictions.