The grand challenge of the 21st century is to sustain 10 billion people in a degraded global environment. A central element of that effort will be the development of climate-resilient agroecosystems that can provide food, fiber, and fuel at a reduced environmental cost. Water limitation is the single greatest limit to plant growth and this will worsen in the future because of global climate change. Low soil fertility is a primary barrier to food security in developing nations and in rich nations intensive fertilization is a primary cause of environmental pollution. A better understanding of root function and root health, including root associations with symbionts, will open avenues to create new resilient crops and agroecosystems, and improved management of natural ecosystems, that are urgently needed.
Center for Root and Rhizosphere Biology
Supporting research and training on plant roots and their associated rhizospheres
News
New computer vision system can guide specialty crops monitoring
The technology applies an internet of things and artificial intelligence to enhance controlled environment agriculture in advanced greenhouse scenario.
College of Ag Sciences graduate students receive research grant awards
Thirteen graduate students in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences received research grants recently awarded by the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program, organized by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Pollinators most vulnerable to rising global temperatures are flies, study shows
New research led by Penn State scientists suggests flies are increasingly at risk due to rising global temperatures.
News
New computer vision system can guide specialty crops monitoring
The technology applies an internet of things and artificial intelligence to enhance controlled environment agriculture in advanced greenhouse scenario.
College of Ag Sciences graduate students receive research grant awards
Thirteen graduate students in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences received research grants recently awarded by the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program, organized by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Pollinators most vulnerable to rising global temperatures are flies, study shows
New research led by Penn State scientists suggests flies are increasingly at risk due to rising global temperatures.
Plant scientist named Huck Early Career Chair in Microbial Community Ecology
Francisco Dini-Andreote, assistant professor of plant science in the College of Agricultural Sciences at Penn State, has been awarded the Dorothy Foehr Huck and J. Lloyd Huck Early Career Chair in Microbial Community Ecology.