Plant Institute News | Plant Institute | The Huck Institutes (en-US)

The findings are a step in identifying beneficial microorganisms that potentially could be used to improve mushroom harvests and prevent disease, the researchers said. Credit: Harshal S. Hirve/Unsplash. All Rights Reserved.

Jan 27, 2025

Harnessing mushroom microbiomes for better crop development

Microorganisms collected from the material in which button mushrooms are grown may benefit the development of future fungi crops, according to a study led by researchers in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences and published in the journal Fungal Biology.

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Farmers confer amidst their corn crop, garden and fish ponds. Typically, smallholder fish farms are family-run operations that raise tilapia in small areas of land along with a few crops and some livestock. Credit: Jacob Johnson. All Rights Reserved.

Jan 28, 2025

Researchers explore strategies to aid smallholder fish farmers in Zambia

Fish farming is key to food security in Africa; study shows that optimized agricultural resource management helps fish farmers in Zambia

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Samples for the study were collected by researchers from Penn State, the Forest Service and other partners around the Oregon ash range, extending from California, Oregon and Washington into British Columbia. Credit: Penn State. Creative Commons

Jan 09, 2025

Ash tree variability may offer restoration path post-beetle decimation

Researchers found that genetic diversity is key to breeding ash trees resistant to emerald ash borers and rising temperatures.

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Flies play a crucial role as pollinators, second only to bees in terms of the volume of crops and habitat they pollinate. Pictured here is a blue fly pollinating common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca). Credit: Martha B. Moss/Penn State Extension Master Gardener / Penn State. Creative Commons

Jan 02, 2025

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.

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Dec 17, 2024

Penn State Herbarium adds historic perspective to modern research

Boasting a collection of an estimated 35,000 plant specimens form around the world, the Penn State Herbarium is the third largest herbarium in Pennsylvania. Among its holdings are 3,000 plant specimens from the personal collection of Even Pugh, the first president of Penn State.

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Fossil evidence is reshaping the understanding of modern forest management practices used in Australian rainforests, according to researchers

Dec 04, 2024

Q&A: What fossils reveal about ancient Australian forests and fire

Fossil evidence is reshaping the understanding of modern forest management practices used in Australian rainforests, according to researchers.

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The agroforestry practice of forest farming may be a solution to conservation challenges surrounding the wild exploitation of ramps, often called wild leeks, but it requires proper site selection to be successful. Credit: Penn State. Creative Commons

Nov 27, 2024

Better habitats for forest farming wild leeks could help future foraging demands

An interdisciplinary Penn State research team characterized ramp habitat for the first time in Pennsylvania, offering guidance for the agroforestry practice known as forest farming.

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A research plot after dairy manure slurry was injected into a growing cover crop in early spring when temperatures were cooler, A new study demonstrated that the practice achieved multiple conservation goals while maintaining corn yield. Credit: Sailesh Sigdel/Penn State. All Rights Reserved.

Sep 26, 2024

Injecting manure into growing cover crops can cut pollution, support corn crops

A team of Penn State agricultural scientists conducted a new study on dairy manure management strategies for ecosystem services in no-till crop systems.

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In anaerobic soil disinfestation, after organic amendments are mixed in, the soil is irrigated to saturation and covered with impermeable plastic, as shown here, creating no-oxygen conditions that suppress weeds.

Sep 25, 2024

$1M USDA grant to perfect weed killing method in organic crop production

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has awarded a four-year, $1 million grant to a team led by plant scientists and an economist from Penn State to investigate anaerobic soil disinfestation to support transitioning from conventional to organic production systems.

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Nine faculty members were named the 2024 IEE Fellows. In the front row, from left, are Heather Preisendanz, Nilanjan Ray Chaudhuri, Li Li and Miriam Freedman. In the back row, from left, are Adri van Duin, Charles Anderson, Armen Kemanian, Siela Maximova, Enrique Gomez (Not pictured: Karen Fisher-Vanden) Credit: Kevin Sliman. All Rights Reserved.

Sep 13, 2024

Nine researchers named Institute of Energy and the Environment Fellows

Nine Penn State researchers have been named fellows of the Institute of Energy and the Environment (IEE) for 2024. The program recognizes and assists the exceptional achievements and unparalleled research impacts of highly successful researchers in the areas of energy and the environment. Nominees for the fellowship were submitted by the University community.

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