College of Agriculture & Natural Resources Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences

News

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  Michigan State Wheat Breeding and Genetics published 2023 Wheat Variety Performance Trials

  Published on August 4, 2023
  MSU's Wheat Breeding and Genetics worked with 7 cooperators in 7 Michigan counties to test the performance of 102 wheat varieties from 11 different organizations.

• Africa Engagement Workshops continue far-reaching impact

  Published on August 3, 2023
  Workshop participant and Lansing School District High school student is selected as a delegate to the Global Youth Institute.

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  MSU soil scientist recognized for outstanding environmental quality research

  Published on August 3, 2023
  Professor Hui Li will be honored Oct. 30 at the American Society of Agronomy's annual meeting.

• Highlights from Turfgrass Field Day 2023

  Published on July 28, 2023
  MSU Turf spreads the word about developing better grass for big events – and more

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  Plant Genomics @ MSU REU Research Symposium

  Published on July 24, 2023
  Summer REU students talk about their research and their experiences this Friday!

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  Three MSU projects receive seed funding for sustainable agriculture collaborations

  Published on July 20, 2023
  Grants seek to lay foundation for continued research for advancing food system health

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  Weeds Have a Field Day

  Published on July 18, 2023
  PSM Scientists and Students engage with attendees on all things weeds

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  Center for PFAS Research positions MSU scientists as leaders in field

  Published on July 12, 2023
  Michigan State University researchers are partnering with colleagues across the state, country and worldwide to address PFAS contamination.

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  MSU researchers receive $750K grant to study soil health amid changing rainfall patterns

  Published on July 11, 2023
  The funding comes from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

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  MSU Wheat Field Day 2023

  Published on June 27, 2023
  Dennis Pennington, Eric Olsen, Cristy Sprague, Manni Singh and Marty Chilvers presented their research to a diverse group of industry members at the 11th Annual MSU Wheat Field Day.

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  PSM Researchers take part in Dairy Day

  Published on June 23, 2023
  More than 30 Michigan non-agricultural science teachers and dairy association representatives were in attendance to learn about soil health, planting technologies, forage production and weed control.

• Black truffles grown in eastern U.S. may be less valuable lookalike species

  Published on June 21, 2023
  Researchers at Michigan State University and the University of Florida, have discovered that truffle producers in the eastern U.S. may be inadvertently cultivating a less flavorful species of truffle.

• MSU formalizes International Associated Laboratory partnership with INRAE

  Published on June 19, 2023
  The Intl. Associated Laboratory agreement will facilitate the sharing of human resources and materials to implement a jointly defined research program investigating molecular mechanisms involved in plant mineral nutrient adaptation to climate change.

• Tiedje Recieves Lifetime Achievement Award

  Published on June 19, 2023
  James P. Tiedje, University Distinguished Professor and Director of the Center for Microbial Ecology received the 2023 Award for Lifetime Achievement from the American Society for Microbiology.

• New $1.95M USDA grant to support training of diverse agriculture professionals in soil organic carbon assessment

  Published on June 1, 2023
  The grant is funded through USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service.

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  CANR provides rankings on department, unit initiatives around DEI

  Published on May 3, 2023
  The College of Agriculture and Natural Resources and Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion will honor the 2023 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Badge Awards recipients at the CANR Faculty and Staff Reception on May 11.

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  PSM May News

  Published on May 1, 2023
  PSM Department news for the Month of May 2023

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  MSU researchers awarded $750K grant to develop sustainable management for potato early die complex

  Published on May 1, 2023
  The grant is provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture

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  MSU researchers at forefront of efforts to halt spread of oak wilt

  Published on April 17, 2023
  Lab provides novel methods to protect trees against infection of deadly tree disease

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  Multi-institutional team of weed scientists helping build genomic resources for agriculture industry, scientific community

  Published on April 10, 2023
  The International Weed Genomics Consortium is geared toward assembling genomes to combat weed issues in plant agriculture and develop a greater understanding of plant functions.

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  PSM Celebrates student and faculty achievement

  Published on April 4, 2023
  PSM students recently brought home awards for poster and oral presentations. Faculty Updates on Krista Isaacs and Lisa Tiemann. Learn more about the department members' accomplishments.

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  MSU research examining ways to control destructive hop diseases

  Published on April 3, 2023
  Overcoming issues in a rapidly emerging Michigan industry

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  Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center receives funding renewal

  Published on March 23, 2023
  The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, another five years of funding to develop sustainable alternatives to gasoline, diesel and other hydrocarbon fuels as well as products currently made from petroleum.

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  Michigan State University a ‘pioneer’ in plant pest and disease response

  Published on March 21, 2023
  MSU Plant & Pest Diagnostics supports plant agriculture in Michigan and the Great Lakes States through comprehensive diagnostic network

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  MSU researchers identifying corn tar spot management strategies

  Published on March 13, 2023
  A team of MSU scientists is working with regional and national partners to mitigate damage from corn tar spot, a disease that can drastically reduce yields.

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  Natali Gonzalez shares the best part of CSUS is finding a supportive community

  Published on March 5, 2023
  Natali Gonzalez, Environmental Studies and Sustainability (ESS) major in CSUS, shares why she chose ESS- exploring the interconnectedness of the environment and society.

• New MSU research helps better quantify soil carbon stock changes

  Published on February 27, 2023
  In a new paper published in Scientific Reports, MSU professor Bruno Basso shows how scientists must use a correction calculation to accurately quantify changes in soil carbon stocks over time.

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  PSM’s Lisa Tiemann will return to Kenya with her Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award

  Published on February 13, 2023
  PSM’s Lisa Tiemann will return to Kenya with her Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award

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  Krista Isaacs awarded $250K grant from North Central SARE

  Published on February 2, 2023
  PSM researcher's project was one of 17 selected for funding for the 2022 Research and Education competitive grant program.

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  January News Summary

  Published on January 31, 2023
  New PSM People - January 2023

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  Khanh Nguyen retiring

  Published on January 24, 2023
  He retires this week with over 26 years working to keep research equipment humming along in the Plant and Soil Sciences Building

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  Interdisciplinary team investigates the impact of fungus on the microbiome in human-impacted soils.

  Published on December 13, 2022
  PSM’s Dr Gregory Bonito, Dr Adam Brown, professor in MSU’s College of Art, Art History and Design, and their colleagues have teamed up to investigate how fungi and bacteria work together to pull metals from soils

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  PSM Milestones

  Published on December 1, 2022
  Five Faculty retiring from PSM this year. We wish them all well in their retirements. Read more about their time and experiences at MSU.

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  December News Summary

  Published on December 1, 2022
  New disease publication; Student gives first presentation at national meeting; Bean and beet diagnostic day a big success; students and faculty outreach

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  Sowing Seeds of diversity

  Published on December 1, 2022
  Ecotek students come to PSM to learn about life in the lab

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  Passion for strawberries sparks grad student’s education and career goals

  Published on November 28, 2022
  Plant, Breeding, Genetics and Biotechnology Ph.D. student Ashley Wright has a research focus on strawberries and a teaching focus on improving scientific literacy in non-STEM majors.

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  PSM welcomes James O’Sullivan: post-doc researcher in Dr Alexandra Kravchenco’s lab.

  Published on November 15, 2022
  Dr. O' Sullivan joins us directly from his PhD program at La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia.

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  The 2022 Michigan Dry Bean Performance Trials report is now available

  Published on November 3, 2022
  The 2022 dry bean performance trials report is available for download.

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  MSU-led team studying expansion of controlled environment culinary herb production across US

  Published on October 18, 2022
  A new $3.4M USDA grant is supporting research and outreach.

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  Sustainability Made simple

  Published on October 5, 2022
  PSM researchers shine a light on soil carbon in MSU Museum exhibit: 1.5 Degrees Celsius

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  CANR undergrad experience helps student find passion in agriculture and food, outreach education

  Published on September 12, 2022
  Crop and Soil Sciences senior Rachel Drobnak plans to pursue career path in MSU Extension after learning importance of agriculture to food systems.

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  Dr. Leonardo Volpato Receives NAPB Early Career Award

  Published on August 18, 2022
  The National Association of Plant Breeders has awarded Dr. Leonardo Volpato the Early Career Award.

• Dr Kurt Thelen named American Society of Agronomy Fellow

  Published on August 18, 2022
  Dr Kurt Thelen has been Awarded the Highest ASA Recognition

• Bringing the Beal Seed Experiment into the modern era

  Published on August 18, 2022
  Dr, Margaret Fleming conducts research to answer questions about the longevity of 140-year-old seeds from the Beal Seed Experiment.

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  FAA grant supports MSU researchers studying PFAS remediation at Grand Rapids airport

  Published on August 18, 2022
  Five MSU researchers are part of the team that received a $1.2M grant from the Federal Aviation Administration and the Gerald R. Ford International Airport.

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  Dr. Kyungmin "Alyssa” Kim (Kravchenko, Dec 2021) won the Truog Dissertation award.

  Published on July 18, 2022
  “Change of Soil Micro-Environments During Plant Decomposition and its Effect on Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics” awarded Soil Science Society of America's highest grad student honor.

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  Creating sustainable crops in a changing climate

  Published on July 15, 2022
  How does elevated CO2 affect a plant’s ability to take up nutrients? And Why does the nutritional content affect a plant’s ability to thrive and fight disease?

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  MSU College of Agriculture and Natural Resources receives state funding for updated dairy, greenhouse facilities

  Published on July 8, 2022
  The university will receive $53 million in state funding to update the dairy and greenhouse facilities.

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  MSU receives $590K USDA grant for corn tar spot resistance research

  Published on July 7, 2022
  Addie Thompson, an assistant professor of maize genetics and genomics, leads the project.

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  PSM Welcomes New Faculty Member Barret Wessel

  Published on July 6, 2022
  Meet Dr. Barret Wessel, Ph.D., a new faculty member who recently joined PSM as an assistant professor.

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  MSU AgBioResearch, Extension to host in-person 2022 field days

  Published on May 27, 2022
  From June to September, MSU AgBioResearch and MSU Extension researchers and outreach specialists will be presenting at field days across the state, covering topics from hops and wheat to dairy and regenerative agriculture.

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  PSM scholarship awards announced for 2022-23 academic year

  Published on May 19, 2022
  PSM scholarship awards announced for 2022-23 academic year

• Welcome Margaret Fleming

  Published on May 19, 2022
  Margaret Fleming joins PSM as an Assistant Professor.

• Eric Olson awarded $100K matching funds for purchase of equipment

  Published on April 27, 2022
  Summary

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  CANR provides rankings on department, unit initiatives around DEI

  Published on April 26, 2022
  The College of Agriculture and Natural Resources and Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion announced the 2022 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Badge Awards recipients at the CANR Faculty and Staff Reception on Apr. 21.

• PSM undergraduate students win first place for MSU UURAF presentation

  Published on April 11, 2022
  2022 MSU UURAF PSM Undergraduates take first place prizes for their presentations Several PSM students present research projects

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  CANR honors 2022 cohort of Global Scholars in Education

  Published on April 6, 2022
  CANR announces a new cohort of seven new global scholars representing education.

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  CANR honors 2022 cohort of Global Scholars in Research

  Published on April 6, 2022
  CANR announces a new cohort of five new global scholars representing research.

• New MSU research shows how biofuel crops can help mitigate climate change when grown on land of otherwise little agricultural value

  Published on March 21, 2022
  Newly published research from MSU Foundation Professor Bruno Basso shows how some Midwest farmers can see economic and environmental benefits of growing switchgrass, a biofuel crop, on traditionally less-productive land.

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  New MSU research showcases innovative method to develop more accurate corn yield predictions

  Published on March 14, 2022
  Published in the prestigious journal Remote Sensing of Environment, new MSU research details how more accurate yield information can equip farmers with the knowledge to improve profitability.

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  PSM researchers work with Michigan agriculture

  Published on February 26, 2022
  Researchers with the Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences (PSM) work directly with stakeholders to increase productivity and sustainability for Michigan’s diverse agriculture industries.

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  MSU supports Biden’s Build Back Better campaign, one grain at a time

  Published on February 17, 2022
  New video highlights the Rosen Rye project -- MSU’s Wheat program effort to revive historic grain varieties for special interests.

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  MSU’s Turfgrass Club goes big at GCSAA Conference

  Published on February 14, 2022
  Members of MSU’s Turfgrass Club traveled to San Diego Feb 2-4 to participate in the 2022 Turf Bowl Competition at the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) conference, where they placed 6th in a field of 44 teams.

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  MSU researcher receives $750K grant to examine effects of wildfire burn severity on soil health

  Published on February 14, 2022
  Project is funded by USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture

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  MSU AgBioResearch announces two new leaders to assist with oversight of research portfolio

  Published on February 9, 2022
  Dana M. Infante and James J. Kells have been appointed to new leadership roles in MSU AgBioResearch.

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  MSU researchers part of team investigating winter stresses of turfgrass in northern climates

  Published on January 24, 2022
  Led by the University of Minnesota, the group received an $8M USDA Specialty Crop Research Initiative grant

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  Weed Genomes Cropping up at PSM

  Published on January 17, 2022
  PSM's Dr. Eric Patterson along with colleagues at MSU, Colorado State University, and industry partners have launched the International Weed Genomics Consortium, a program to sequence, annotate and publish genomes for up to 30 common weed species.

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  Michigan Turfgrass Foundation makes $1 million lead gift to Michigan State University to endow a chair in Turfgrass Pathology

  Published on January 5, 2022
  A $1 million gift from the Michigan Turfgrass Foundation to the Michigan State University (MSU) College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR) launches a $5 million campaign to endow the Joe Vargas Chair in Turfgrass Pathology.

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  Center for PFAS Research Faculty Spotlight: Hui Li

  Published on January 5, 2022
  Dr. Li contributes to research on PFAS fate and mitigation in soil-water-plant systems. His research focuses on PFAS sorption by soil, plant uptake, bioavailability in the environmental media, and remediation.

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  Tiedje elected Foreign Member of Chinese Academy of Sciences

  Published on December 22, 2021
  James Tiedje, a University Distinguished Professor Emeritus at MSU, has been elected a Foreign Member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

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  New faculty Dr. Hatem Rouached approaches crop science with a global perspective

  Published on December 17, 2021
  Please meet Dr. Hatem Rouached, Ph.D., a new faculty member who joined PSM as assistant professor in 2020, in the midst of the pandemic.

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  Long-Term Agroecosystem Research Program (LTAR) Breaks Ground

  Published on December 15, 2021
  PSM Researchers Help Remodel Agriculture for a Sustainable Future

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  New MSU research shows photosynthesis controlled by nutrient signaling in plants

  Published on December 13, 2021
  The findings can help in the development of more resilient plants that are able to withstand nutrient-poor conditions, thus improving global food production.

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  MSU research team receives $750K USDA grant to explore ways to mitigate crop uptake of PFAS

  Published on December 13, 2021
  Project GREEEN seed funding leveraged for new three-year study

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  MSU student explores opportunities in science and the arts

  Published on December 7, 2021
  Rachel Drobnak combines her interests by studying crop and soil sciences and playing the carillon in Beaumont Tower.

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  New Faculty Returns to MSU

  Published on December 1, 2021
  How did Sarah Lebeis, who was inspired by human genetics and evolution, which led her to a PhD in immunology from a medical school, find her way back to MSU?

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  Center for PFAS Research Faculty Spotlight: Pouyan Nejadhashemi

  Published on December 1, 2021
  Dr. Nejadhashemi leads an interdisciplinary research team focused on addressing water resource problems including water quantity and quality.

• MSU researcher part of new $10M project to study, support diverse perennial forage systems across the US

  Published on November 15, 2021
  MSU to receive $900K and lead efforts with farms to evaluate benefits and risks.

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  MSU-led team receives nearly $2 million EPA grant to explore biosolid treatments, effects of chemical pollutants such as PFAS

  Published on September 14, 2021
  The group will investigate the impact of current biosolid treatment methods used by wastewater treatment facilities on a variety of pollutants in soil, water and plants.

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  Potato field day to be held Aug. 5 at Montcalm Research Center

  Published on July 6, 2021
  Michigan State University and the Michigan Potato Industry Commission are hosting a potato field day at the Montcalm Research Center in Lakeview, Michigan, on Thursday, Aug. 5 from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

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  U.S. Representative Elissa Slotkin tours MSU plant science research facilities

  Published on May 21, 2021
  Elissa Slotkin, who serves Michigan’s 8th district in the U.S. House of Representatives, visited the Michigan State University campus May 21 to tour plant science research facilities and the MSU Music Building.

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  CANR provides rankings on department, unit initiatives around DEI

  Published on May 11, 2021
  The College of Agriculture and Natural Resources recognizes diversity, equity and inclusion efforts by departments and units during the 2019-2020 academic year through a new badge ranking.

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  MSU greenhouses: Infrastructure that leads to innovation

  Published on April 29, 2021
  Greenhouses are an invaluable resource for faculty and students, but to maintain MSU’s leadership in plant science, upgrades are critical.

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  MSU turf students expand skills through spring internships

  Published on April 20, 2021
  Despite COVID-19 constraints, students receive in-person experience during the spring 2021 semester at golf courses around the country while taking online classes.

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  Crop and soil sciences prepares next generation of agriculture professionals

  Published on April 16, 2021
  Recent grad reflects on how his time at MSU and various experiences prepared him for a future supporting land stewardship and crop profitability on his family’s farm.

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  Recent MSU crop and soil sciences grad pursues her Ph.D. at MSU

  Published on March 31, 2021
  Student and alum Samantha Thompson researches pathogen resistance in fruit crops as a way to make a difference in the food we eat.

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  MSU named Top 10 agriculture and forestry college in new report

  Published on March 23, 2021
  Michigan State University is among the top-rated agriculture and forestry colleges worldwide, according to the Quacquarelli Symonds World University Ranking by Subject report released in March 2021.

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  MSU recognized as global leader in environmental antimicrobial resistance research

  Published on March 17, 2021
  University ranks in top 10 worldwide in amount of research published on topics related to environmental antimicrobial resistance

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  MSU agribusiness management student secures job before graduation

  Published on March 16, 2021
  Senior Aaron Fahrner accepts employment offer based on internship experiences, interdisciplinary studies at MSU and his background in agriculture.

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  Entomology and PSM professor receives 2021 CANR Distinguished Faculty Award

  Published on March 11, 2021
  Karimbhai Maredia, Ph.D., will receive the 2021 CANR Distinguished Faculty Award during ANR Month.

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  Paul Ojo Awarded C.S. Mott Predoctoral Fellowship in Sustainable Agriculture.

  Published on March 10, 2021
  Paul Ojo was selected to receive a C.S. Mott Predoctoral Fellowship in Sustainable Agriculture. This is a three-year award beginning in January 2021

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  Weedscience Graduate Students Win Awards

  Published on February 26, 2021
  PSM Graduate Students from the Weed Science Program Win Awards.

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  CANR announces 2021 Cohort of Global Scholars

  Published on February 18, 2021
  Theme for this year is “Innovations in Agricultural Higher Education in a Global Context”

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  Lab focuses on addressing emerging forest diseases

  Published on February 18, 2021
  Work includes addressing oak wilt in Michigan

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  MSU researcher awarded grant to develop low-cost sensor monitoring system for Great Lakes farmers

  Published on February 17, 2021
  Younsuk Dong, specialist in the MSU Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, is leading a project to make sensors more accessible for farmers in Michigan and Indiana.

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  By design: Partnering to develop Midwest farming systems of the future

  Published on December 3, 2020
  The W.K. Kellogg Biological Station has been designated a funded member of the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service Long-Term Agroecosystem Research Network, a partnership of 18 premier long-term research sites across the United States.

• Weekly Beet - October 2, 2020

  Published on October 2, 2020
  Weekly Beet - October 2, 2020

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  Jackie Guevara - 2021 James and Harriet Beard Outstanding Turfgrass Graduate Student

  Published on September 30, 2020
  PSM graduate student Jackie Guevara was selected for the 2021 James and Harriet Beard Outstanding Turfgrass Graduate Student Award.

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  Mary Hausbeck: An advocate for students

  Published on September 25, 2020
  Mary Hausbeck, University Distinguished Professor in the Michigan State University Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences, draws on her early experience as a graduate student at MSU to support current students.

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  Empowering minorities through academic and career advancement

  Published on September 25, 2020
  Michigan State University is home to the founding chapter of MANRRS, an organization dedicated to increasing the minority representation in agriculture, natural resources and related sciences.

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