Designing for Community
Briezy Kroeger, a senior plant and landscape systems major, presents her team’s final project to their client, the Lower Platte North Natural Resources District, and peers in PLAS 467 Planting Design. The team includes PLAS landscape design and management majors Kroeger, Emma Kuss and Cole Vredeveld. Their project, titled “Painters on the Prairie,” is a landscape design plan for a building under construction near Lake Wanahoo and it highlights inspiration from fine artists for the plant color scheme, using native plants and creating beautiful and interactive spaces for all ages.
This course teaches students practical landscape architecture, plant selection and site design. Under Agronomy and Horticulture Professor Kim Todd's guidance, students gain hands-on experience by creating concept renderings for local organizations.
Lana Koepke Johnson | Agronomy and Horticulture
December 12, 2024
Plating E. Coli Cells
Lauren Gabriel, a senior plant biology and microbiology student, plates competent Escherichia coli cells with the objective of preparing stocks of additional competent cells for future experiments. The process involves handling and spreading cells on agar plates for growth and subsequent use.
Gabriel has been working in Saet-Byul Kim’s lab in the plant pathology department since September, focusing on how maize plants defend against common rust, one of the most harmful fungal pathogens. As a first step, she is learning basic molecular skills in the lab.
Fran tenBensel Benne | Agronomy and Horticulture
November 21, 2024
Root Washing and Scanning Facility
Julio Masnello, visiting scholar from the University of São Paulo, Brazil, washes corn roots at the new Root Washing and Scanning Facility located in an East Campus greenhouse. Analyzing these roots will contribute to a better understanding of root biomass and nutrient dynamics in corn-soybean rotations and help calibrate crop models. The facility and study is led by agronomy and horticulture research assistant professor Guillermo Balboa.
Lana Koepke Johnson | Department of Agronomy and Horticulture
November 5, 2024
More Peas, if you Please
Christian Stephenson, assistant professor of practice in agronomy and horticulture (left), and Ella Jorgensen, a senior plant and landscape systems major, take measurements of stomatal conductance and chlorophyll florescence on a pea plant using a LiCor Li-600 porometer/fluorometer during PLAS 135 Plant Science Experiments. The measurements tell how the plant is exchanging gases with the environment and how it is collecting light for photosynthesis.
The pea plant is part of the experiments being conducted in this new laboratory led by David Holding, professor of agronomy and horticulture (background, right.) The new course exposes students in the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture to conducting science with plants.
Lana Koepke Johnson | Department of Agronomy and Horticulture
October 4, 2024
Exploring Cover Crops Across Ag Production Systems
Lovely Zamord, a graduate student in Agronomy 825 Cover Crops in Agrosystems, works on a lab activity to measure germination and ground cover of 12 different cover crop species planted at different depths. Students learn that planting depth with different species is an important consideration for successful establishment of cover crop mixtures and for all species with different planting methods.
The course is taught by Andrea Basche and Sam Wortman, both associate professors in the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture.
Lana Koepke Johnson | Department of Agronomy and Horticulture
September 11, 2024
Introducing Agronomic Plant Science
PLAS 132 Agronomic Plant Science Lab students locate the growing point on canola plants in the East Campus Teaching Garden. The students observed that the winter canola has not yet begun stem elongation, unlike the spring canola, which has already started this phase.
The lab is taught by Meghan Sindelar, associate professor of practice in agronomy and horticulture.
Fran tenBensel Benne | Department of Agronomy and Horticulture
August 28, 2024
Last Discovery Day of Summer
Stacy Adams, a professor of practice (right), pours water into a terrarium for a visitor at the Agronomy and Horticulture booth on August 10 during the East Campus Discovery Days and Farmers Market.
Both kids and adults learned about ecosystems by creating terrariums to take home. They also discovered the benefits of biochar for urban farming and gardening by mixing garden soil with biochar and some flower and veggie seeds and watching a column experiment from Assistant Professor Michael Kaiser showing how a sand-biochar mixture retains water better than pure sand.
Lana Koepke Johnson | Department of Agronomy and Horticulture
August 10, 2024
Nebraska Turfgrass Field Day
Amanda Folck, Department of Agronomy and Horticulture Assistant Extension Educator, presents on bermudagrass management in Nebraska at the Turfgrass Field Day held at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s East Campus Turfgrass Research Center July 19.
Lana Koepke Johnson | Department of Agronomy and Horticulture
July 19, 2024
Discovery Days
Bellodgia Roberson with her dog Charlie (left) and Bridget McKinley, both agronomy graduate students, help visitors explore various types of cover crops at the Agronomy and Horticulture booth during the East Campus Discovery Days and Farmers Market June 8. Participants could observe the seeds of each cover crop and touch and measure both the roots and shoots of these plants.
Lana Koepke Johnson | Department of Agronomy and Horticulture
June 8, 2024
Wheat Variety Tour
Expectant mother Katherine Frels answers questions about wheat variety selection and production at the Stumpf Farm in Perkins County, Nebraska, on June 12. Frels is a University of Nebraska-Lincoln small grains breeder in the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture. The Stumpf Farm was one of eight field sites among this year’s wheat variety tour held across the state. Tours were led by Cody Creech and Amanda Easterly of the UNL Crop Performance Testing Program in conjunction with farmer-cooperators and UNL Farm Managers.
Lana Koepke Johnson | Department of Agronomy and Horticulture
June 12, 2024
Dahlias
Elaina Madison, a University of Nebraska–Lincoln senior majoring in plant and landscape systems, inspects the Horticulture Club’s bedding plants in the Teaching Greenhouse West ahead of the customers’ arrival. The club hosted its annual sale on May 2 and 3 on East Campus.
Fran tenBensel Benne | Department of Agronomy and Horticulture
May 2, 2024
Cover Crop Variety Research
On a field adjacent to the Lincoln Airport, University of Nebraska–Lincoln students from the Plant and Landscape Systems 204 Resource Efficient Crop Management class visit and collect data on plant heights and ground cover at a cover crop variety experiment. Andrea Basche, associate professor of agronomy and horticulture, and her team oversee the research through The Cover Crop Initiative funded by the USDA-NRCS. Community Crops, a program of Family Service Lincoln, manages the site and was interested in partnering with Basche in order to demonstrate sustainable agriculture for the farmers in their program. Through this trial, they hope to compare species and variety performance of several winter cover crops, including cereal rye, winter wheat, triticale and hairy vetch.
Andrea Basche | Department of Agronomy and Horticulture
April 15, 2024
Ecological Landscape Design Class
Matt McMaster (front row, from left), Emilie Steinhuer and Sage Eckard from Ryan Lawn Omaha visited PLAS 469 Ecological Landscape Design class to share current projects and work experiences and to promote their internships and employment opportunities. Steinhuer and Eckard are Department of Agronomy and Horticulture alumnae. The course is taught by Kim Todd, professor, extension horticulture specialist and licensed landscape architect in the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture.
Lana Koepke Johnson | Department of Agronomy and Horticulture
February 23, 2024
Evaluating Soil Cores
Sage Veomett, (left), Haley Klement, Abbie Cox and Gabrielle Clifton evaluate soil cores in Agronomy/Horticulture/Soil 153 Soil Resources class. Course is taught by Becky Young, assistant professor of practice in the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture.
Lana Koepke Johnson | Department of Agronomy and Horticulture
January 31, 2024
Poinsettia Sale
Plant and Landscape Systems majors Claire Kiolbasa (left) and Emma Kuss prepare for the Horticulture Club’s Poinsettia Sale in the Nebraska East Union.
Lana Koepke Johnson | Department of Agronomy and Horticulture
November 30, 2023
Up for Review
Macey Wooldrik, a plant and landscape systems major, posts her landscape designs for an enclosed courtyard at Lincoln’s Roper Elementary School on the classroom board for review. PLAS 467 Planting Design is taught by Kim Todd, professor of agronomy and horticulture, and teaches students about processes, principles, and elements using plant materials as a key component of landscapes designed for human intent.
Fran tenBensel Benne | Department of Agronomy and Horticulture
November 9, 2023
Microbial Decomposition of Cotton Briefs
Andrea Basche, agronomy and horticulture associate professor, is pictured with students in PLAS 425 AGRO 825 Cover Crops in Agroecosystems after they excavated the underwear from beneath the cover crop plots on East Campus. This fun activity showed the effects of microbial decomposition. Students also collected data to explore how their cover crop mixtures influenced weeds, insects, earthworms and soil nutrient cycling.
Lana Koepke Johnson | Department of Agronomy and Horticulture
October 19, 2023
East Campus Soil Pit
Agronomy and Horticulture department head Martha Mamo (left) and Becky Young, Agronomy and Horticulture assistant professor of practice and soil judging coach, pose in the East Campus soil pit during PLAS/SOIL 279 Soil Evaluation class.
Lana Koepke Johnson | Department of Agronomy and Horticulture
Sept. 26, 2023
Turfgrass Morphology
Chris Love (from left), Jordan Kracl and Sam Norrenberns, students in Plant and Landscape Systems 227 Introduction to Turfgrass Management, examine the grass outside Plant Sciences Hall and are asked to describe it. After a lecture on turfgrass morphology, they must go back and use the new terms they learned to identify and describe their assigned turfgrass.
Fran tenBensel Benne | Department of Agronomy and Horticulture
Aug. 29, 2023
Wheat Harvest
Agronomy and Horticulture Assistant Professor Katherine Frels’ wheat harvest crew works at Havelock Farm snapping wheat heads from selected F3 populations which will be planted into head rows next planting season.
Sheryl Sierra | Department of Agronomy and Horticulture
July 27, 2023
Soil Health Research
Collin Eaton, left, research technician, and Chris Chen, agronomy and horticulture postdoctoral research associate, take a break from doing weed control in associate professor Sam Wortman's zucchini research garden. This research is a part of the Nebraska Urban Soil Health Initiative, a citizen science research project to help gardeners in Nebraska learn different practices to improve their garden's soil health.
Lana Koepke Johnson | Department of Agronomy and Horticulture
July 5, 2023
Strawberry Harvest
Mia Luong, agronomy and horticulture doctoral student, picks strawberries in research fields on East Campus as part of associate professor Sam Wortman's studies focused on the development of bio-based mulch fabrics.
Lana Koepke Johnson | Department of Agronomy and Horticulture
June 5, 2023
Planting Seeds for the Future
Briezy Kroeger, left, senior Plant and Landscape Systems major, and Andrea Maldonado, sophomore Graphic Design major, model the University of Nebraska–Lincoln Horticulture Club's t-shirts at their Spring Plant Sale.
Lana Koepke Johnson | Department of Agronomy and Horticulture
May 23, 2023
Improving Wheat Quality
Sheryl Sierra, an agronomy doctoral student, is working to better understand the key genes related to quality traits in our wheat germplasm and figure out how we can improve combinations of these genes to develop high-quality wheat cultivars for producers in Nebraska. Sierra is advised by Katherine Frels, Department of Agronomy and Horticulture assistant professor.
Lana Koepke Johnson | Department of Agronomy and Horticulture
May 1, 2023
Spring Blooms
Senior plant and landscape systems majors Briezy Kroeger (left) and Elaina Madison tend to plants in an East Campus greenhouse in preparation for the spring bedding plant sale May 4–6.
Lana Koepke Johnson | Department of Agronomy and Horticulture
April 17, 2023
Science Slam
Ryleigh Grove, a plant biology major, presents “Navigating the Waves of Change in Scientific Discovery” at the 2023 Student Research Days Slam at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Wick Alumni Center on March 31.
The Slam is a campus-wide contest in which graduate and undergraduate students from all disciplines are challenged to communicate their work in short, dynamic, engaging presentations, with a winner to be decided by the audience. The Office of Research and Economic Development, Office of Graduate Studies, and Undergraduate Education and Student Success sponsored the event.
Fran tenBensel Benne | Department of Agronomy and Horticulture
March 31, 2023
Spring Break
The University of Nebraska–Lincoln Horticulture Club takes a lunch break at Liliʻuokalani Botanical Garden, an urban garden focused on native Hawaiian plants in Honolulu. Portions of this garden were once the property and favorite picnic grounds of Queen Liliʻuokalani, the last reigning monarch of Hawaii. She later donated her land to the City and County of Honolulu to be used for the public's enjoyment.
The club and advisers, Terri James and Mark Canney of the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, traveled to O‘ahu over Spring Break to explore horticulture industries, unique landscape systems and local culture. The club visited nurseries, botanical gardens, a local coffee roaster business, the University of Hawaii research stations and the Polynesian Cultural Center. They did take some free time to check out the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial, several beaches, great local restaurants and a Husker beach volleyball match.
Terri James | Department of Agronomy and Horticulture
March 14, 2023
Grass Identification
Abigail Ridder, a senior majoring in plant biology and environmental studies (center), examines a species of grass from the East Campus prairie as part of PLAS 442 / AGRO 842 Wildland Plants course. Students learn to identify more than 200 species of plants from the Great Plains and the tall grass prairie in this course. Cheryl Dunn, Department of Agronomy and Horticulture research manager and herbarium curator, is the instructor.
Lana Koepke Johnson | Department of Agronomy and Horticulture
February 9, 2023
Kernza® Research
Assistant professor Andrea Basche's team poses in an experiment field at ENREC while harvesting the first year of Kernza®, a perennial grain crop in July 2022. This experiment is part of the Kernza CAP led by the University of Minnesota.
Roberta Rebesquini | Department of Agronomy and Horticulture
January 24, 2023
Soybean Research
Juliane Luz, research technician, is at work in professor George Graef's lab with soybean breeding and genetics.
Lana Koepke Johnson | Department of Agronomy and Horticulture
January 5, 2023
Salute to Graduates
We honor our graduate and undergraduate students earning degrees in December, including Balpreet Kaur Dhatt (from left), Juan David Jimenez Pardo, Maria Carolina Melo Sciencia, Xinzheng “Chris” Chen, Elizabeth Knutson, Rituraj Khound and Jaspinder Singh.
Fran tenBensel Benne | Department of Agronomy and Horticulture
December 16, 2022
Hydroponic Tomatoes
Grace Ruff, a senior plant and landscape systems major in horticulture, inspects the hydroponic tomato plants grown in PLAS 307 Hydroponics for Growing Populations in the Plant Science Teaching Greenhouse on East Campus.
Lana Koepke Johnson | Department of Agronomy and Horticulture
December 7, 2022
Agronomy Club
Adam Whitacre, junior agribusiness major, represented the Agronomy Club at the East Campus IANR Tailgate.
Lana Koepke Johnson | Department of Agronomy and Horticulture
November 28, 2022
Fall Floral Bouquets
Sophia Merritt, left, and Macey Wooldrik, junior Plant and Landscape Systems majors, show off their design creations in the Fall 2022 PLAS 261 Floral Design class. Stacy Adams, agronomy and horticulture associate professor of practice, teaches the course.
Lana Koepke Johnson | Department of Agronomy and Horticulture
November 7, 2022
Must Have a Passion
Xavier Fiala, a freshman Plant and Landscape Systems major, shares what he learned from an interview with an alumnus working in a position he would like to pursue someday. This was the final course assignment in PLAS 95 Plant and Landscape Systems Seminar class. The course is taught by Anne Streich, professor of practice and lead instructor, and Martha Mamo, department head.
Lana Koepke Johnson | Department of Agronomy and Horticulture
October 25, 2022
Frels Sharing Opportunities for New Students
Katherine Frels, Department of Agronomy and Horticulture assistant professor, talks with students in PLAS 95 Plant and Landscape Systems Seminar class about opportunities with the small grains breeding and genetics research group. Students spent the class visiting with faculty and staff representing PLAS emphases and other departmental minors to learn about what courses could be selected as part of their PLAS major. Course is taught by Anne Streich, professor of practice and lead instructor, and Martha Mamo, department head.
Lana Koepke Johnson | Department of Agronomy and Horticulture
October 17, 2022
Toothbrush Grass
Cheryl Dunn, Department of Agronomy and Horticulture research manager, herbarium curator and instructor for PLAS 442 / AGRO 842 Wildland Plants, shows her class how prairie cordgrass, Spartina pectinata, is in the "toothbrush" tribe. This grass has all the spikelets – the typical arrangement of the flowers of grasses – on one side of the rachis – stem of the plant bearing the flower stalks. Students learn to identify more than 200 species of plants from the Great Plains and the tall grass prairie in this course.
Lana Koepke Johnson | Department of Agronomy and Horticulture
September 30, 2022
Influence of Cover Crops
Students in PLAS 425/AGRO 825 Cover Crops in Agroecosystems course planted cover crop mixtures and buried cotton briefs on an East Campus research field. Late October, they will collect data to explore how their cover crop mixtures influenced weeds, insects, earthworms and soil nutrient cycling and will see the extent of decay on the cotton briefs to determine soil health. Course is taught by Andrea Basche and Sam Wortman.
Lana Koepke Johnson | Department of Agronomy and Horticulture
September 13, 2022