College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Online
June 14, 2021
Top Stories
Using Data Analytics to Understand Environmental Interactions for Crops
A new study led by Jianming Yu, agronomy, Pioneer Distinguished Chair in Maize Breeding, uses advanced data analytics to better understand how the environment interacts with genomics in corn, wheat and oats. The results were published recently in the peer-reviewed academic journal Molecular Plant.
Teaching and Students
Graduate Program in Seed Technology and Business Accepting Applications
Applications are being accepted through June 30 for the Graduate Program in Seed Technology and Business. The program offers an online, interdisciplinary master of science degree with seed science and technology instruction and courses in business management. Graduate certificates and on-campus short courses are also available.
Extension and Outreach
New Iowa Soil Evaluation and Judging Guides Available
ISU Extension and Outreach has updated its Soil Judging in Iowa handbook and the Iowa Soil Judging Scorecard. Both publications are used by youth soil judging teams, which compete in soil judging contests throughout the state. They were produced in cooperation with USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service and FFA.
Survey Looks at Iowans’ Lake-based Recreation
Results from a 2019 survey about Iowans’ lake-based recreation will be shared during the Iowa Learning Farms webinar at noon on Wednesday, June 16. Wendong Zhang, economics, will explain how the collected information is used to understand Iowans’ attitudes toward water quality and their willingness to pay for water quality improvements.
Fillius Joins Extension’s Horticulture Team
Dan Fillius joined ISU Extension and Outreach as a commercial vegetable and specialty crop specialist on June 7. He will work with members of the horticulture team to develop new educational and hands-on programs through field days, workshops, short courses and in-person grower visits.
Around the College
Kelley Receives Plant BLOOME Grant
Dior Kelley, genetics, development and cell biology, has received a Plant BLOOME grant from the American Society of Plant Biologists to expand and strengthen plant biology outreach activities on campus. The team will provide hands-on plant biology laboratory experiences at Iowa State for underserved pre-college students in partnership with the Science Bound program during the 2021-2022 academic calendar.
Calendar
June 16: Conversations about Carbon
Jill Euken, Euken Farms, Inc. and a board member of Southwest Iowa Renewable Energy, will present “A Farmer and Ethanol Producer’s Perspective on Carbon Sequestration” at the Conversations about Carbon series on Wednesday, June 16, at noon. The series is hosted by the ISU Bioeconomy Institute in association with CALS.
June 17: Iowa Learning Farms Field Day
Iowa Learning Farms and partners will host a virtual field day on Thursday, June 17, at 1 p.m. Matt Helmers, Iowa Nutrient Research Center, and Chris Hay, Iowa Soybean Association, will review lessons learned from one of the first bioreactor installations in Iowa.
Communications Kiosk
Awhile vs. A While
The one-word version is adverbial (let’s stop here awhile). The two-word version is a noun phrase that follows the preposition for or in (she worked for a while before beginning graduate studies). (The Chicago Manual of Style, 16th edition, pg. 268)
Infograzing
Salmon Released into San Francisco Bay in Bid to Save Species
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has launched an operation that includes 700,000 juvenile salmon being sucked up by a tube and put into one of seven tankers. The fish are hitching a ride, traveling more than 100 miles to the Pacific. In all, more than 17 million salmon will be released into the San Francisco Bay. “Nothing about this is natural, but it’s their best chance for survival,” said CBS News’ correspondent Jonathan Vigliotti in a June 9 report.
Marginalia
Do you have any sheep? Check the Barn!
The American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture has released a card game named “Check the Barn.” The Go Fish style card game is designed for kids 4+ to help them learn animals and crops found on the farm.
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Online
Julie Stewart, Editor
jstewart@iastate.edu, (515) 294-5616
https://www.cals.iastate.edu/news/agonline
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Online, the newsletter for faculty and staff in Iowa State University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, is published by email every Monday. The deadline for submitting content is 12 p.m. on Thursday.