Education

B.S., Agronomy, Colorado State University, 1965

M.S., Agronomy, Colorado State University, 1967

PhD., Agronomy/Plant Breeding and Genetics, University of Nebraska, 1974
 

Research Interests

Breeding, genetics, and management of perennial grasses for use in pastures, rangelands, conservation plantings, or biomass energy production systems and their sustainability.

Major Project Activities

• Conduct critical summaries and reviews of long-term perennial grass breeding, genetics, and management research.
• Conduct critical summaries and reviews on the development and use of perennial grasses and crop residues for biomass bioenergy.
• Review research proposals for U.S. and international research funding agencies.

Professional Memberships

• American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
• American Society of Agronomy (ASA)
• Crop Science Society of America (CSSA)
• Society for Range Management (SRM)

Major Honors and Awards

• USDA Secretary’s Honor Award for Exceptional Service. 2013.
• Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Science Hall of Fame. Elected member 2012.
• Northern Plains Area Scientist of the Year, USDA-ARS, 1997
• Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science, 1995.
• Fellow, Crop Science Society of America, 1991.
• Fellow, America Society of Agronomy, 1990.

Publications

•  Mitchell, R.B., Redfearn, D.D., Vogel, K.P., Klopfenstein, T. J., Baenziger, P.S.,  Anderson, B.E., Drewnoski, M.E., Parson, Jay, Schmer, R.R., and Jin, V.L.  2024. Adding value to crop production systems by integrating forage cover crop grazing. American J. of Plant Sciences 15: 180-192. DOI: 10.4236/ajps.2024.153013
• Mitchell, Robert B., Kenneth P. Vogel, Susan J. Tunnell, James L. Stubbendieck. 2023.  Does selection for seedling tiller number in perennial biomass feedstocks translate to yield and quality improvements in mature swards?  American J. Plant Sciences. 14:1223-1234. DOI.org/10.4236/ajps.2023.141108.
• Ramirez II, Salvador,  Marty R. Schmer, Virginia L. Jin, Robert B. Mitchell, Catherine E. Stewart, Jay Parsons, Daren D. Redfearn, John Quinn, Gary E.Varvel, Kenneth P. Vogel, Ronald F. Follett. 2023. Perennializing marginal croplands: going back to the future to mitigate climate change with resilient biobased feedstocks. Frontiers Energy Res.  11:1272877.  DOI: 10.3389/fenrg.2023.1272877. 
• Vogel, Kenneth P. and Rob Mitchell. 2021. Adaptation and forage productivity of cool-season grasses in the central USA. Agrosystems, Geosciences & Environment 2021:4e20172. DOI:10.1002/agg2.20172. 1-14.
• Casler, M.D., and K.P. Vogel. 2020. Forage Breeding. P. 553-565. In: K.J. Moore, M. Collins, C.J. Nelson, and D.D. Redfearn. (Eds.) Forages: The Science of Grassland Agriculture II, 7thed. John Wiley & Sons Ltd. doi.org/10.1002/9781119436669.ch30.
• Jin, V.A., M.R. Schmer, C.E. Stewart, R.B. Mitchell, C.O. Williams, B.J. Wienhold, G.E. Varvel, R.B. Follett, J. Kimble, K.P. Vogel. 2019. Management controls the net greenhouse gas outcomes of growing bioenergy feedstocks on marginally productive croplands. Sci. Adv. 5, eaav9318. Doi:10.1126/sciadv.aav9318.
• Vogel, Kenneth P. and John Hendrickson. 2019. History of Grass breeding for grazing lands in the Northern Plains of the USA and Canada. Rangelands 41:1-16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rala.2018.11.006.
• Vogel, K.P., K.D. Johnson, I.T. Carlson, and Marty R. Schmer. 2018. Big bluestem and indiangrass from remnant prairies: plant biomass and adaptation. Crop Sci. 58:728–738 8. doi: 10.2135/cropsci2017.09.0572.
• Casler, M.D., K.P. Vogel, D.K. Lee, R.B. Mitchell, P.R. Adler, R.M. Sulc, K.D. Johnson,  R.L. Kallenbach, A.R. Boe,  R.D. Mathison, K.A. Cassinda, D.H. Min, J. Crawford, and K.J. Moore. 2018. 30 Years of progress toward increased biomass yield of switchgrass and big bluestem. Crop Sci. 58:1242-1254.  doi: 10.2135/cropsci2017.12.0729
• Vogel, K.P., M.D. Casler,  B.S. Dien. 2017. Switchgrass biomass composition traits and their effects on its digestion by ruminants and bioconversion to ethanol. Crop Sci. 57:275-281; doi: 10.2135/cropsci2016.070625.
• Vogel, Kenneth P., Rose Medill, Steven D. Masterson, Robert B. Mitchell, Gautam Sarath. 2017. Mineral analyses of switchgrass biomass: Comparison of the accuracy and precision of laboratories. Agronomy J. 109:735-738. doi:10.2134/agronj2016.08.0475.
• Vogel, K.P., R.B. Mitchell, and G. Sarath. 2016. Registration of  ‘NE Trailblazer C-1’, ‘NE Trailblazer C0’, ‘NE Trailblazer C2’, ‘NE Trailblazer C3’, ‘NE Trailblazer C4’, and ‘NE Trailblazer C5’ Switchgrass Germplasms. J. Plant Registrations 10:159-165. doi:10.3198/jpr2015.110070crg.
• Ramstein, Guillaume P, Joseph Evans, Shawn M. Kaeppler^,, Robert B. Mitchell, Kenneth P. Vogel, C. Robin Buell , Michael D. Casler. 2016. Accuracy of genomic prediction in switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) improved by accounting for linkage disequilibrium. G3: Genes, Genomes, Genetics. 6: 1049-1062. doi:10.1534/g3.115.024950/-/DC1.
• Chen, Shiyu, Shawn M. Kaeppler, Kenneth P. Vogel, and Michael D. Casler, 2016. Selection Signatures in Four Lignin Genes from Switchgrass Populations Divergently Selected for In Vitro Dry Matter Digestibility. PLoS ONE 11(11): e0167005. doi:10.1371/journal. pone.0167005.
• Stewart, Catherine E., Ronald F. Follett, Elizabeth G. Pruessner, Gary E. Varvel, Kenneth P. Vogel, and Robert B. Mitchell. 2016. N fertilizer and harvest impacts on bioenergy crop contributions to SOC. 2016.   Global Change Bioenergy 8;1201-1211, doi:10.1111/gcbb.12326.
• Stewart, C.E., Follett, R.F., Pruessner, E.G., Varvel, G.E., Vogel, K.P., Mitchell, R.B. 2015. Nitrogen and harvest treatment effects on soil properties under rain-fed switchgrass and corn over 9 years: implications for soil quality. Global Change Biology: Bioenergy 7:288-301 . doi:10.1111/gcbb.12142.
• Vogel, K.P., R.B. Mitchell, B.L. Waldron, M.R. Haferkamp, J.D. Berdahl, D.D. Baltensperger, Galen Erickson, and T. Klopfenstein. 2015. Registration of ‘Newell’ smooth bromegrass. J. Plant Registrations 9:35-40. doi:10.3198/jpr2014.08.0055crc.
• Stewart, Catherine L., Jesse D. Pyle, Kenneth P. Vogel, Gary Y. Yuen, and Karen-Beth G. Scholthof. 2015. Multi-year pathogen survey of biofuel switchgrass breeding plots reveal high prevalence of infections by Panicum mosaic virus and its satellite virus. Photopathology: 105;1146-1154. doi.org/10.1094/phyto-03-14-0062-R. (ARIS 313150).
• Jin, Virginia, Marty R. Schmer, Brian J. Wienhold, Catherine E. Stewart, Gary E. Varvel, Aaron J. Sindelar, Ronald F. Follett, Robert B. Mitchel3, and Kenneth P. Vogel. 2015. Twelve years of stover removal increases soil erosion potential without impacting yield. Soil Science Society of America Journal. 79:1169-1178. doi:10.2136/sssaj2015.02.0053.
• Casler, Michael D, Kenneth P. Vogel, and Melanie Harrison. 2015. Switchgrass germplasm resources. Crop Science In Press, doi:10.2135/cropsci2015.02.0076.
• Mitchell, R.B. and K.P. Vogel. 2015. Grass invasion into switchgrass managed for biomass energy. Bioenergy Research. In Press, doi 10.1007/s12155-015-9656-4.
• Moore, K.J., S. Birrell, R.C. Brown, M.D. Casler, J.E. Euken, H.M. Hanna, D.J. Hayers, J.D. Hill, K.L. Jacobs, C.L. Kling, D. Laird, R. B. Mitchell, P.T. Murphy, D.R. Raman, C.V. Schwab, K.J. Shinners, K.P. Vogel, and J.J. Volenec. 2014. Midwest vision for sustainable fuel production. Biofuels 5:6 687-702. doi: 10.1080/17597269.2015.1015312.
• Schemer, M.R., K.P. Vogel, G.E. Varvel, R. Follett, R.B. Mitchell, V. Jin. 2014. Energy potential and greenhouse gas emissions from bioenergy cropping systems on marginally productive cropland. PloS ONE (9/3): e89501. doi 101371/journal/pone.0089501.
• Casler MD, K.P. Vogel. 2014. Selection for biomass yield in upland, lowland, and hybrid switchgrass. Crop Science. 54:1-11. doi:10.2135/cropsci2013.04.
• Sebolai, Boingotlo, K.P.Vogel. 2014. Evaluation of three cycles of selection for seedling weight in switchgrass, big bluestem, and indiangrass. Crop Sci. Crop Sci. 54:1-7. doi: 10.2135/cropsci2013.09.0643.
• Vogel, K.P., G. Sarath, R.B. Mitchell. 2014. Improved pollination bags for switchgrass. Crop Sci. 54:1621-1623. doi: 10.2135/cropsci2013.09.0647.
• Vogel, K.P., Mitchell, R.B., Sarath, G., Casler, M.D. 2014. Registration of ‘Liberty’ switchgrass. Journal of Plant Registrations 8:242–247. doi: 10.3198/jpr2013.12.0076crc.
• Palmer, N.A., .A.J. Saathoff, C.M. Tobias, P.Twigg, Y. Xia., K.P. Vogel, S. Madhavan, S.E.Sattler, and Gautam Sarath. 2014. Contrasting metabolism in perenniating structures of upland and lowland switchgrass plants late in the growing season. PLoS ONE 9(8): e105138.
• Saathoff, A.J., M. Soundararajan, K.P. Vogel, C.M. Tobias, P. Twigg, and G. Sarath. 2014. A new simple method for labeling field crops with stable isotype tracers. Australian J. of Crop Science 8(12):1625-1631.
• Dowd, Patrick, Gautam Sarath, Robert B. Mitchell, Aaron Saathoff, K.P. Vogel. 2013. Insect Resistance of a Full Sib Family of Tetraploid Switchgrass with Varying Lignin Levels. Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution. 60:975-984. DOI: 10.1007/s10722-012-9893-8.
• Robins, J.G., K.B. Jensen, T.A. Jones, B.L. Waldron, M. Peel, C.W. Rigby, K.P. Vogel, R.B. Mitchell, A.J. Palazzo, T.J. Cary. 2013. Establishment and persistence of perennial cool-season grasses in the Intermountaion west and the Central and Northern Great Plains. Rangeland Ecology and Management 66:181-190. doi/pdf/10.2111/REM-D-11-00022.1.
• Vogel, K.P., R.M. Mitchell, G. Sarath, H.G. Jung, B.S. Dien, B.S., and M.D. Casler. 2013. Switchgrass biomass composition altered by six generations of divergent breeding for digestibility. Crop Science 53:853-862. (doi: 10.2135/cropsci2012.09.0542).
• Vogel, K.P. 2013. Comparison of two perennial grass breeding methods with switchgrass. Crop Science 53:863-870. (doi: 10.2135/cropsci2012.09.0559).
• Dien, B.S., P.J O’Byran, R. Hector, L.B. Item, R.B. Mitchell, G. Sarath, K.P. Vogel, M.A. Cotta,. 2013. Conversion of switchgrass to ethanol using dilute ammonium hydroxice pretreatment. Environmental Technology 34:1837-1848.
• Vogel, Kenneth P. 2013. U.S. Plant Variety Protection Certificate No. 200600048. Bluestem, Big, ‘Goldmine’. Plant Variety Protection Office, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C.
• Vogel, Kenneth P. 2013. U.S. Plant Variety Protection Certificate No. 200600049. Bluestem, Big, ‘Bonanza’. Plant Variety Protection Office, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. Mitchell, R.B. and K.P. Vogel. 2012. Germination and emergence tests for predicting switchgrass field establishment. Agronomy J. 104: 458-465.
• Palmer, Nathan A., Aaron J. Saathoff, Jaehyoung Kim, Andrew Benson, Christian M. Tobias, Paul Twig, Kenneth P. Vogel, Soudnararajan Madhavan, and Gautam Sarath. 2012. Next-Generation sequencing of crown and rhizome transcriptome from and upland, tetrapoloid switchgrass. Bioenergy Research.5:649-661. DOI 10.1007/s12155-011-9171-1.
• Mitchell, Rob, Kenneth P. Vogel, Daniel R. Uden. 2012. The feasibility of switchgrass for biofuel production. Biofuels 3(1): 47-59.
• Follett, Ronald F., Kenneth P. Vogel, Gary E. Varvel, Robert B. Mitchell, John Kimble. 2012. Soil carbon sequestration by switchgrass and maize grown for bioenergy. Bioenergy Research 5 :866-875. (DOI) 10.1007/s12155-012-9198-y.
• Vogel, K.P., B.S. Dien, H.J. Jung, M.D. Casler, S. Masterson, R.B. Mitchell. 2011. Quantifying actual and theoretical biomass ethanol yields for switchgrass strains using NIRS analyses. Bioenergy Research. 4:96-110.
• Kiniry, J.R.; M.V. Johnson, R. Mitchell, K.P. Vogel, J. Kaiser, S.B. Bruckerhoff, R.L. Cordsiemon. 2011. Switchgrass leaf area index and light extinction coeffecients. Agronomy Journal 103:119-122.
• Schmer, M.R, M.A. Liebig, K.P. Vogel, R. Mitchell. 2011. Field-scale soil property changes under switchgrass managed for bioenergy. Global Change Biology Bioenergy 3:439-448. DOI:10.1111/j.1757-1707.2011.01099.x
• Sarath, Gautam, Bruce Dien, Aaron Saathoff, Vogel, K.P.; Mitchell, R.B.; Chen, Han. 2011. Ethanol yields and cell wall properties in divergently bred switchgrass genoytpes. Bioresource Technology 102:9579-9585.
• Schmer, M.R., K.P. Vogel, R.B. Mitchell, B.S. Dien, H.J. Jung, M.D. Casler. 2011. Temporal and spatial variation in switchgrass biomass composition and theoretical ethanol yield. Agron. J. 104:54-64.
• Schmer, M.R., R. Mitchell, K.P. Vogel, W.R. Schacht, D.A. Marx. 2010. Spatial and temporal effects on switchgrass stands and yields in the Great Plains. Bioenergy Research. 3:159:171.
• Anderson, W.F., B.S. Dien, H.J.G. Jung, K.P. Vogel, P.J. Weimer. 2010. Effects of forage quality and cell wall constituents of bermudagrass on biochemical conversion to ethanol. BioEnergy Research 3:225-237.
• Schmer, M.R., R.B. Mitchell, K.P. Vogel, W.H. Schacht, and D.B. Marx. 2010. Efficient methods of estimating switchgrass biomass supplies. BioEnergy Research 3:243-250.
• Li, C., Knierim, B., Manisseri, C., Arora, R., Scheller, H., Auer, M., Vogel, K., Simmons B., Singh, S. 2010. Comparison of dilute acid and ionic liquid pretreatment of switchgrass: biomass recalcitrance, delignification and enzymatic saccharification. Bioresource Technology 101:4900-4906.
• Vogel, K.P., R.B. Mitchell, H.J. Gorz, F.A. Haskins, and L.C. Newell. 2010. Registration of Warrior, Scout, and Chief Indiangrass. J. Crop Registrations 4:115-122.
• Vogel, K.P., R.B. Mitchell, D.D. Baltensperger, K.D. Johnson, and I.T. Carlson. 2010. Registration of Homestead Canada Wildrye. J. Crop Registrations. 4:123-126.
• Mitchell, R.B., K.P. Vogel, J. Berdahl, and R.A. Masters. 2010. Herbicides for establishing switchgrass in the Central and Northern Great Plains. BioEnergy Research 3:321-327.
• Arora, Rohit, Manisseri, Chithra, Li, Chenlin, Ong, Marcus, Scheller, Henrik Vibe, Vogel, Kenneth, Simmons, B.A., and Singh, Seema. 2010. Monitoring and analyzing process streams towards understanding ionic liquid pretreatment of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.). BioEnergy Research 3: 134-145.
• Hossien, El Nashaar,  G.M. Banowetz, S.M. Griffith, M.D. Casler, K.P. Vogel. 2009. Genotypic variability in mineral composition of switchgrass. Bioresource Technology. 100:1809-1814.
• Follett, Ronald F., Gary E. Varvel, John Kimble, and Kenneth P. Vogel. 2009. No-till corn after bromegrass: Effect on soil C and soil aggregates. Agron. J. 191-261-268.
• Vogel, K.P. and C.H. Behling Miranda. 2009. Improving grassland profitability in the Mid-continental USA by breeding for improved forage digestibility: lessons learned and applications to South American grasslands. Revista Brazileira de Zootechnia (Bras. Zootech). 38:160-169 (supl. especial).
• Singh, Seema; Simmons, B.A.; Vogel, K.P. 2009.  Visualization of biomass solubilization and cellulose regeneration during ionic liquid pretreatment of switchgrass. Biotechnology and Bioengineering. 104:68-75
• Adler, P.R., M.A. Sanderson, P.J. Weimer, K.P.Vogel. 2009. Plant species composition and biofuels yields of conservation grasslands. Ecological Applications 19:2202-2209. 
• Schmer, M.R., R. Mitchell, K.P. Vogel, W.R. Schacht, D.A. Marx. 2009.  Spatial and temporal effects on switchgrass stands and yields in the Great Plains. Bioenergy Research. (Published online 08/20/09).
• Varvel, G.E., K.P. Vogel, R.B. Mitchell, R.F. Follett, and J.M. Kimble. 2008. Comparison of Corn and Switchgrass on Marginal Soils for Bioenergy. Biomass and Bioenergy. Vol.32: 18:21.
• Schmer, M.R., K.P. Vogel, R.B. Mitchell, R.K. Perrin. 2008. Net Energy of Cellulosic Ethanol from Switchgrass.  Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. 105: 464-469.
• Sarath, G., R.B. Mitchell, S.E. Sattler, D. Funnell, J.F. Pedersen, R.A. Graybosch, and K.P. Vogel.  2008. Opportunities and roadblocks in utilizing forages and small grains for liquid fuels. Journal of Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology. 35:343-354.
• Perrin, R.K., K.P. Vogel, M.R. Schmer, R.B. Mitchell. 2008.   Farm-scale production cost of switchgrass for biomass.  Bioenergy Research 1:91-97.
• Martinez-Reyna, Juan M. and K.P. Vogel. 2008. Heterosis in Switchgrass: Spaced Plants. Crop Sci. 48:1312-1320.
• Sarath G, D. Akin D, R.B. Mitchell, K.P. Vogel. 2008. Cell wall composition and accessibility to enzymes is differentially altered in divergently bred switchgrass (Panicum virgatum. L.) genotypes. Appl Biochem Biotechnol. 150:1-14
• Liebig, M.A., M.R. Schmer, K.P. Vogel, and R.B. Mitchell. 2008. Soil carbon storage by sitchgrass grown for bioenergy.  Bioenergy Research.1:215-222.
• Lekari, L.A., S.A. Baenziger, D.D. Baltensperger, K.P. Vogel. 2008. Identifying  winter forage triticale (X Triticosecale Wittmack) strains for the Central Great Plains. Crop Sci. 48: 2040-2048.
• Vogel, K.P., R.B. Mitchell. 2008. Heterosis in switchgrass: biomass yield in swards. Crop Sci. 48: 2159-2164.
• Weichenthal,B.A., D.D. Baltensperger, K.P. Vogel, S.D. Masterson, and J.M. Krall.  2008. Feed values for annual forages in the Central Great Plains. The Professional Animal Scientist 24: 668-674.
• Mitchell, R., K.P. Vogel, Gautam Sarath. 2008. Managing and enhancing switchgrass as a bioenergy feedstock. Biofpr. 2: 530-539.
• Kiniry, J.R., M.R. Schmer, K.P. Vogel, and R.B. Mitchell. 2008. Switchgrass simulation at diverse sites in the northern Great Plains of the U.S.  Bioenergy Research 1:259-264.
• Sarath, Gautam, L.M. Baird, K.P. Vogel, and R.B. Mitchell. 2007. Internode structure and cell wall composition in maturing tillers of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum).  Bioresource Technology 98: 2985-2992.
• Robins, J.G., B.L. Waldron, K.P. Vogel, J.D. Berdahl. M.R. Haferkamp, K.B. Jensen,T.A. Jones, R.B. Mitchell, B.K. Kindiger.  2007. Characterization of testing locations for developing cool-season grass species. Crop Sci. 47:1004-1012.
• Casler, M.D., C.A. Stendal, L. Kapich, and K.P. Vogel. 2007. Genetic diversity, plant adaptation regions, and restoration gene pools for switchgrass. Crop Sci. 47: 2261-2273.
• Casler, M.D., K.P. Vogel, C.M. Taliaferro, N.J. Ehlke,  J.D. Berdahl, E.C. Brummer,  R.I. Kallenbach, C.P. West, R.B. Mitchell. 2007. Latitudinal and longitudinal adaptation of switchgrass populations. Crop Sci. 47:2249-2260.