Agronomy and Horticulture Seminar Series

From Molecules to Fields: Proteomics and Metabolomics at the Frontiers of Agricultural Innovation

Sophie Alvarez

Director of Proteomics and Metabolomics Facility, Nebraska Center for Biotechnology, Research Professor, Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska–Lincoln

Mass spectrometry-based proteomics and metabolomics are powerful tools for understanding the complex molecular network that regulate crop metabolism and soil microbiome function. Alvarez will present how these technologies can identify biomarkers linked to desirable agronomic traits, reveal how crops and soil microbiomes respond to environmental stress and inform systems-level breeding strategies. This will help translate fundamental molecular research into practical approaches for developing climate-adapted crops.

Note: This video presentation will not be posted on the website. 

Are Chemistry, Application Technology, and Traits Staying Ahead of Palmer Amaranth?

Jason Norsworthy

Distinguished Professor, Elms Farming Chair of Weed Science, University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture

Palmer amaranth with resistance to multiple herbicide sites of action is becoming increasingly common across U.S. cropping systems, often outpacing the commercialization of new and effective chemical options. This presentation will examine strategies for managing Palmer amaranth, along with potential future traits that could address this ongoing challenge.

Grain Infrastructure: Participatory Modeling and the Human Dimension of Future Cropscapes

Kanchi Desai

Doctoral Student, School of Sustainability, Arizona State University

Agricultural production systems will undergo a myriad of significant changes in the coming decades. Projecting how crop geographies will respond to a rapidly warming climate is relatively straightforward, but understanding how these shifts interact with the human dimensions of agriculture to shape future cropscapes is famously difficult. Desai will present early results from a participatory modeling project that integrates insights from storage and processing operators with model predictions of how cropscapes may change in the future.
 

Advancing Sustainable Postharvest Processing of Floral Hemp Through Solar Drying Technologies and Extension Methods

Catelyn Bridges

Assistant Professor, Department of Biological Systems Engineering, Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Nebraska–Lincoln

Bridges’ presentation focuses on both the quantitative and qualitative aspects of understanding postharvest processes and challenges within the hemp industry. 

Soil Bacterial Community Interactions With Roots and Abiotic Stress

Daniel P. Schachtman

Professor Emeritus, Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Soybean Breeding for Nebraska and Beyond

George Graef

Professor, Nebraska Soybean Producers Presidential Chair of Soybean Breeding, Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska–Lincoln
 

Weed Management Research and Extension in Key California Specialty Crops

Brad Hanson

Professor, Cooperative Extension Specialist, Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis 

Brad Hanson is a statewide research and extension weed science specialist who focuses on weed and herbicide issues in a broad range of California specialty crops including tree nuts, tree fruits, grapevines, and processing tomato. Hanson’s active areas of research include herbicide performance, herbicide resistant weeds, and in recent years has focused on applied solutions to parasitic weeds in the $1 billion processing tomato industry. This presentation will provide an overview of his research and extension program and discuss current chemical and non-chemical approaches to managing the quarantine pests — branched and Egyptian broomrape — in field-grown tomatoes.