Seminar Archives

Important and emerging disease concerns of corn

TAMRA JACKSON-ZIEMS – Associate Professor, Extension Plant Pathologist, Plant Pathology, University of Nebraska–Lincoln

Jackson-Ziems is responsible for statewide extension programming and research on established and emerging diseases of corn and sorghum. She is interested in applied research leading to improved disease diagnostics and management strategies to minimize loss of yield and quality. Her talk will focus on corn diseases in Nebraska which is the third largest corn-producing state in the USA.

January 22, 2016

Unmanned aerial systems (drones) in agriculture

DON ADAMS – Professor, District Director,Animal Science Department, West Central Research and Extension Center, University of Nebraska–Lincoln

This mini-symposium featured four talks from UNL faculty and two talks from external speakers from the UAS industry. The talks covered a wide range of material from technical aspects of UAS usage to data analysis and applications in agriculture. The symposium ended with a brief panel discussion.

Drones are quickly becoming more and more commonplace as individuals and businesses find new ways to use them. Significantly cheaper than the traditional manned airplane or helicopter approaches to obtaining aerial imagery and sensor data, increased drone use is transforming the work of those involved in the agriculture industry.

University of Nebraska-Lincoln faculty and drone industry experts will discuss the use of unmanned aerial systems from the technical aspects of operation and data collection and analysis, to application in agriculture and legal use.

January 29, 2016

Bringing aerial robots closer to crops: Sensing, sampling, and safety

CARRICK DETWEILER – Assistant Professor, Computer Science and Engineering, University of Nebraska–Lincoln

How do I legally use my unmanned aerial systems

WILLIAM KREUSER – Assistant Professor, Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska–Lincoln

Getting the most from unmanned aerial systems

NATHAN STEIN – Ag Solutions, SenseFly

Unmanned aerial systems to evaluate the timing of winter dormancy in Buffalograss

KEENAN AMUNDSEN – Assistant Professor, Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska–Lincoln

Sensor-based nitrogen management: The role of unmanned aerial systems

RICHARD FERGUSON – Professor, Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska–Lincoln

Building big data solutions for drones in agriculture

JEREMY BAYNES – Geospatial Scientist, PrecisionHawk

Cover crops and soil ecosystem services

HUMBERTO BLANCO – Associate Professor, Soil Management and Applied Soil Physics, Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska–Lincoln

This presentation will discuss how cover crops impact soil physical quality, soil organic C storage, and other soil ecosystem services under different scenarios of management. It will also highlight ongoing cover crop experiments established to answer some of the unresolved questions through interdisciplinary efforts.

February 5, 2016

Video not available for this seminar.

Internationalizing the land-grant mission—opportunities and challenges

JOSH DAVIS – IANR Assistant Vice Chancellor for Global Engagement, University of Nebraska–Lincoln

Davis will discuss trends in the globalization of higher education, describe specific IANR initiatives already underway, and highlight tools and opportunities for those interested to become more involved.

February 12, 2016

Unmanned aerial systems (UAS) in agriculture: State of the art

IGNACIO CIAMPITTI – Assistant Professor, Crop Production & Cropping Systems Specialist, Department of Agronomy, Kansas State University

Global food security must address the dual challenges of closing yield gaps while improving environmental sustainability. The use of new technologies, such as uses of unmanned aerial systems (UAS), can play a critical role in addressing challenges. Kansas State University research on the diverse uses of UAS for agricultural applications will be discussed.

February 5, 2016

Social media: A revolution in modern agricultural communication

JOSH DAVIS – IANR Assistant Vice Chancellor for Global Engagement, University of Nebraska–Lincoln

Ciampitti will talk about the use of social media by Department of Agronomy and Cropping Systems group at K-State University to provide unbiased and science-based Ag information. The information shared via social media quickly reaches the target audience, providing timely educational and outreach contents. The most successful examples have been infographics, timely pictures of production issues, presentations and papers uploaded, and information on the use of new technologies.

February 19, 2016

Buffalograss—native with unique challenges

KEENAN AMUNDSEN – Assistant Professor, Turfgrass Genetics, Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska–Lincoln

Buffalograss, like many specialty crops, has limited publicly available genomic data, complicating genetic-based breeding strategies. Amundsen will discuss how modern RNA sequencing applications are advancing buffalograss cultivar development. He will also dispel myths of buffalograss management and discuss advancements in the understanding of seed and winter dormancy mechanisms.

Febuary 26, 2016

Corn residue grazing and baling effects on soil physical properties

TIM SHAVER – Associate Professor, Agronomy and Nutrient Management Specialist, Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, West Central Research and Extension Center, University of Nebraska–Lincoln

Corn residue grazing and baling can provide a valuable and cost effective means of feeding cattle and is a common practice Nebraska. However, there are concerns about the effects of residue removal on corn yields and soil physical properties. The results of a long term study concerning this issue will be presented.

March 4, 2016

Leveraging the power of farmer data to empower agricultural research

PATRICIO GRASSINI – Assistant Professor, Water for Food Institute Fellow, Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska–Lincoln

Increased regulatory pressures on the environmental influence of agriculture and requirements for farm reporting on factors affecting environmental impact will likely increase. Grassini will show how on-farm data provide an unprecedented opportunity to benchmark the impact of management practices on yield and efficiencies of water and fertilizer applications and to orient high-cost, multi-year, multi-site field studies.

Febuary 26, 2016

Video not available for this seminar.

Nebraska On-Farm Research Network: Using data to drive decisions

LAURA THOMPSON – Assistant Extension Educator, Southeast Research and Extension Center, University of Nebraska

Nebraska Extension has been working with farmers to conduct on-farm research for over 26 years. Farmers participating in the on-farm research network take an active role in the research, addressing questions that impact productivity, profitability, and long-term sustainability. Thompson will discuss the recent growth of this program, tools the network has developed, results from 2015 research studies, and future directions for the network.

March 18, 2016

Ecosystem services and environmental consequences of lawns and turfgrass management

DOUGLAS SOLDAT – Associate Professor and Extension Specialist, Department of Soil Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Turfgrass is the predominant ground cover in urban land uses, covering approximately one-third of developed land in the US. Therefore it is important to understand the environmental consequences and the urban ecosystem services provided. This seminar will summarize the state of the science of turfgrass in the urban environment with respect to ecosystem services, soil quality and management and socioeconomic concerns of turfgrass management.

April 1, 2016

Video not available for this seminar.

Freezing damage requires membrane remodeling and photosynthesis requires thylakoid dynamics

REBECCA ROSTON – Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry, University of Nebraska–Lincoln

Out-of-season cold snaps are increasing with changes in weather patterns, and resultant crop and landscape damage can have large economic impacts. Roston will review mechanisms to withstand cold and freezing in plants and recent data on a critical post-translational signals, which control membrane responses to freezing. She will also discuss the relevance of thylakoidal membrane dynamics to efficient plant growth and development.

April 8, 2016

Online education isn’t taxing—We’re here to help

LEAH SANDALL – Assistant Professor of Practice, Distance Education Coordinator, Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska–Lincoln

Sandall will provide an overview of the current activities in the online education program in Agronomy and Hort and ways to participate in developing online learning materials. She will share examples of collaborations between research, teaching and extension faculty to create online learning opportunities for students.

Febuary 26, 2016

Improving soybean yield under drought

GEORGE GRAEF – Professor, Soybean Breeding and Genetics, Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska–Lincoln

In Nebraska, water is the main limiting factor in soybean yield. Soybean yield response to water is linear, and soybean genotypes differ in their water use efficiency as measured by yield per unit water applied. I will discuss options to improve soybean yield response to water and implications for both irrigated and rainfed production systems.

April 29, 2016

Domestic rubber production – Stretching over the value chain

KATRINA CORNISH, Ph.D. FNAI, FAAS – Endowed Chair and Ohio Research Scholar, Bioemergent Materials, Department of Horticulture and Crop Science, Department of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, The Ohio State University

Natural rubber is a strategic raw material essential to the manufacture of 50,000 different rubber and latex products. Until recently, natural rubber has been produced solely from a genetically narrow, single species, the rubber tree, grown in tropical regions. Developed countries import all the natural rubber they require—approximately 1.2 megatons a year by the United States. Dr. Cornish’s disruptive technologies encompass the value chain that underlies sustainable and resilient domestic production of alternate natural rubber, from crop domestication through agronomy and processing, to product manufacturing and validation. Highlights of these developments will be discussed in the context of high-value market opportunities and 100 percent crop consumption.

June 15, 2016

Integrating Precision Agriculture with Cover Crop and Rotational Management in Southern Brazil

TELMO AMADO, Ph.D. Soil Science – Professor at the Federal University of Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

This seminar will focus on precision agriculture adoption in South Brazil, the general view of Brazilian agriculture and use of cover crops in low yield zones as a biological tool to restore soil productivity.

August 5, 2016

September 16, 2016

Extension Master Gardener Program—a hidden gem

TERRI JAMES
Assistant Extension Educator, Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska–Lincoln

The Extension Master Gardener program began in 1973 at Washington State University. Today every state in the United States has a version of that first Master Gardner program. Currently over 100,000 certified Master Gardeners aid in providing unbiased science-based horticulture information to local communities. This presentation will discuss how the Nebraska Extension Master Gardener program is working in Nebraska and how it could be incorporated into your program.
September 2016

Synteny as a marker for function across the grasses

JAMES SCHNABLE
Assistant Professor, Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska–Lincoln

September 2016

Evolution of the corn seed industry

TOM HOEGEMEYER
Professor of Practice, UNL Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska–Lincoln

Dr. Hoegemeyer will discuss the history, major milestones in the development of maize hybrids, and the corn seed industry including scientific discoveries, development of theory and practice, mechanization, computerization and improvements to seed and agronomic technology.
September 2016

Advances in field scale soil water monitoring using cosmic-ray neutron probes

TRENTON FRANZ
Assistant Professor of Hydrogeophysics, School of Natural Resources, Robert B. Daugherty Water for Food Institute Fellow

Dr. Franz will present an overview of the new proximal sensing method for measuring soil water and the representativity of point sensors to larger areas.
September 23, 2016

Phenotyping and remote sensing—what are the chances?

ARTHUR ZYGIELBAUM
Research Associate Professor, Center for Advanced Land Management Information Technologies, School of Natural Resources University of Nebraska–Lincoln

Remote sensing has been used for decades to estimate vegetation biophysical parameters. While techniques relating spectral reflectance to pigment content are well understood, reliable estimation of osmoregulated compounds has yet to be realized. This talk is an overview of reflected spectrum remote sensing.
September 30, 2016

Coolbeans—the musings of a soybean agronomist

SHAWN CONLEY
Professor of Agronomy and State Soybean and Small Grains Specialist, University of Wisconsin–Madison

Academia often too quickly dismiss research ideas as "too applied," "already been done" or "too simple" to be relevant to our discipline. In his seminar, Shawn Conley will address these misconceptions through real world examples from his research program and how those "simple" experiments tend to provide the greatest impact to both his research and extension program.
October 7, 2016

Seed industry globalization, consolidation and ownership changes—what are the implications?

JOE KEASCHALL
Plant Breeding Professor of Practice, Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska–Lincoln

Keaschall will summarize some of the completed and proposed changes in large multinational seed company ownership. What are some of the potential impacts on research investment, crop improvement and competition for the leadership position?
September 30, 2016
Video not available for this seminar.

Teaching and research in SCIL 101: Science and Decision-making for a Complex World

JENNY DAUER
Assistant Professor, School of Natural Resources, University of Nebraska–Lincoln

Dauer will describe the curriculum of SCIL 101 targeted toward developing students’ science literacy skills. She will also describe results from on-going science literacy research in the course.
October 21, 2016

Integrating web media for impactful extension and research

BILL KREUSER
Assistant Professor, Extension Turfgrass Specialist, Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska–Lincoln

Web-based media such as websites, blogs, webinars, videos and social media can be used to disseminate research, broaden the reach of extension programs, and connect with diverse groups of people. This seminar will discuss ways to integrate various web-based content, track activity, and assess impact with surveys, polls and web tools.
October 28, 2016

Alternative crops for semi-arid High Plains of western Nebraska

DIPAK SANTRA
Associate Professor, Alternative Crops Breeding Specialist, Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, Panhandle Research and Extension Center, University of Nebraska–Lincoln

The rainfed crop production system in western Nebraska is dominated by the traditional wheat-fallow crop rotation. Replacing fallow in traditional crop rotations is imperative for sustainability. Proso millet is the best alternative crop and field pea is the emerging new alternative crop. This presentation will cover current progress of proso millet breeding and genomics, development grain legume crops field pea and fenugreek, and oil seed crops like winter canola.
November 4, 2016

Overview of the UNL Dry Bean Breeding Program

CARLOS URREA
Associate Professor, Panhandle Research and Extension Center, Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska–Lincoln

Nebraska is one of the top dry bean producing states in the United States, ranking first in great northern, second in light red kidney and third in pinto bean production in 2016. Global engagement of the UNL dry bean breeding activities will be discussed including research, extension and educational components.
November 11, 2016

Integrating biological control into crop pest management—a little help from beneficial fungi, nematodes, and ladybeetles

JULIE PETERSON
Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist, Department of Entomology, West Central Research and Extension Center, University of Nebraska–Lincoln

We face significant challenges from insect pests that have evolved resistance to chemical and genetic management tactics. With ever fewer tools for pest management alternative strategies, such as biological control, are needed. Research that takes advantage of the natural ecological interactions between important Nebraska corn pests (western bean cutworm, western corn rootworm and their predators), parasitoids and diseases will be discussed in the context of IPM.
November 18, 2016
Video not available for this seminar.

Geospatial technologies for the management of water, food production and energy

CHRISTOPHER NEALE
Director of Research, Water for Food Global Institute, and Professor, Biological Systems Engineering, University of Nebraska–Lincoln

Geospatial technologies such as remote sensing, GIS, GPS and digital spatial databases are becoming mainstream and being used operationally for precision agricultural practices. Remote sensing of crop evapotranspiration (ET) has matured over the last 15 years with multiple models and approaches and can now be used for real time irrigation water management. This presentation will discuss ongoing research on the use of these technologies for biomass and yield estimation, seasonal crop water use and water productivity estimates at different scales for different crops and locations.
December 2, 2016

Developing the next generation of Rwandan agricultural leaders

TIFFANY HENG-MOSS
Associate Dean, College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, University of Nebraska–Lincoln

Heng-Moss will discuss a new CASNR academic program initiative that will contribute to the transformation of the Rwandan agricultural industry, accelerate agricultural production through sustainable resource and environmental management, and position Rwanda to emerge as a model for African agricultural development.
December 5, 2016

FATIMA: A European Project on Precision Agriculture with Emphasis on Variable Rate Nitrogen Fertilization

STAMATIS STAMATIADIS, PH.D.
Soil Ecology and Bitechnology Lab Director, Goulandris Natural History Museum, Greece, Adjunct Professor, Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska–Lincoln

Stamatis was born and attended high school in Athens, Greece. He received his B.Sc. degree in 1980 in biology from the University of London, his M.S. in 1983 and Ph.D. in 1986 in soil biology & ecology from the department of Environmental Science and Forestry, SUNY, Syracuse, New York. Upon graduation, he held a postdoc appointment as a research associate in Soil Microbiology with John Doran, Ph.D., (by cooperative agreement between the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and USDAAgricultural Research Service). From 1989–1992 he taught terrestrial ecology and soil microbiology at the University of the Aegean, Greece, while at the same time he established the Soil Ecology and Biotechnology Laboratory at the Goulandris Natural History Museum, Athens, Greece. His early laboratory research concerned mass protein production from earthworms and microalgae. In the 1990s he collaborated with ARS-Lincoln and UC-Santa Cruz for development of soil quality indicators. Since 2000, he works in association with James Schepers, Ph.D., of ARS-Lincoln, on ground-sensor remote sensing technologies and variable-rate nitrogen application systems. Latest accomplishments are the direct funding of two European Union projects on precision nitrogen and water management—HydroSense and FATIMA—while maintaining an adjunct professor status at Nebraska.
December 9, 2016

High throughput plant phenotyping in greenhouse and field—translational pipelines from gene discovery to crop improvement

YUFENG GE
Assistant Professor, Biological Systems Engineering, University of Nebraska–Lincoln

This seminar will give an overview of a number of high throughput plant phenotyping projects at UNL. Yufeng Ge will highlight some key findings and lessons from these projects, and share perspectives on the bright future of plant phenotyping research.