Faculty Archives - Page 5 of 6 - Department of Soil and Crop Sciences

Xue honored with AgriLife Research Faculty Fellow award

24Jan

Writer: Kay Ledbetter, 806-677-5608, skledbetter@ag.tamu.edu
Contact: Dr. Qingwu Xue, 806-354-5803, QXue@ag.tamu.edu

Dr. Qingwu Xue, Texas A&M AgriLife Research crop stress physiologist in Amarillo, was honored with the agency’s Faculty Fellow award Jan. 9 in College Station.

AgriLife Research established the Faculty Fellow program in 1998 to acknowledge and reward exceptional research faculty within the agency. The Faculty Fellow title becomes a permanent part of the individual’s title.

Dr. Qingwu Xue, Texas A&M AgriLife Research crop stress physiologist in Amarillo, was honored with the agency’s Faculty Fellow . (Texas A&M AgriLife photo by Kay Ledbetter)

“Dr. Xue’s peers respect him as a capable scientist, a valuable team player and a ‘people person,’” said Dr. Brent Auvermann, Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center director in Amarillo in his nomination.

Xue’s research focus has been on crop physiology, abiotic stress, drought tolerance and water management strategies for major crops in the Texas High Plains – corn, wheat, sorghum, cotton, potato – and more recently vegetables.

“His research has had a significant impact on crop management, identifying the structural reasons some plant varieties can withstand heat or disease stress so much better than other varieties,” Auvermann said. “Some plants have brilliant defense mechanisms, and Dr. Xue’s research helps us know how they defend themselves and what we need to look for in our breeding programs.”

Scientifically, his research can help breeders, geneticists, agronomists and irrigation engineers develop better varieties and management strategies to increase crop yield and water-use efficiency, his nomination stated. Practically, his research directly relates to producers’ bottom line, the rural economy, natural resources use efficiency and environmental health.

For example, Xue’s research showed new drought-tolerant corn hybrids can achieve high yield under reduced irrigation conditions. Field studies indicate it is possible to maintain 200 bushels per acre of yield at an irrigation level of 75 percent evapotranspiration requirement with some new hybrids. This level can allow irrigation water savings of over 20 percent, or 5 inches.

A reduction of irrigation just 1 inch/acre/year in North Texas High Plains corn acreage would result in a total water savings of nearly 13 billion gallons, according to the nomination.

Developing drought-tolerant wheat cultivars is a critical strategy for wheat management under water-limited conditions, the nomination stated. Xue’s studies indicate selecting cultivars with higher biomass and greater early vigor may be beneficial to wheat management in the area.

His team found cultivars such as TAM 111 and TAM 112 can use soil water more efficiently, which is important for producers to better manage wheat under dryland and limited-irrigation conditions. With multiyear field studies, Xue identified plant traits related to drought tolerance, which can be used by breeders to develop drought-tolerant wheat cultivars and geneticists to screen molecular markers and speed the breeding process.

Xue has also studied wheat streak mosaic virus infestation, WSMV, and determined the disease can reduce biomass and yield as late as the boot stage. WSMV reduces root growth, thus limiting the plant’s ability to extract soil water and potentially decreasing water-use efficiency.

Xue’s recent research on high-throughput field phenotyping has been significant for researchers and producers, the nomination stated. His program evaluated remote sensing tools at both ground and aerial levels to characterize wheat and corn genotypes for drought tolerance. These tools can be used to provide management information for producers within a short period of time, potentially increasing field management efficiency and reducing production costs.

Xue also worked with sorghum, conducting multiyear field studies and evaluating the feasibility of high biomass sorghum hybrids under different soil water regimes, according to the nomination. He determined limited irrigation may be more attractive for sustaining higher biomass yield and supplies given the large variation of seasonal rainfall in the Texas High Plains.

He is a nationally and internationally recognized scientist with significant invited presentations, the nomination stated. In the past five years, he has made 28 invited presentations of which eight were international. In particular, he joined a Texas A&M team and traveled to Tunisia for a U.S.-Tunisia linkage program workshop supported by the U.S. State Department.

Xue has a career total of 78 refereed journal articles and six book chapters. In the last five years, he has written or assisted in the development of proposals and contracts garnering $9.56 million, of which $1.32 million went to his research programs from a variety of sources.

Xue recently completed the AgriLife Advanced Leadership Program Cohort IV. He has received the Texas A&M department of soil and crop sciences Research Faculty Award; and served on teams receiving the Dean’s Outstanding Achievement Award – Interdisciplinary Research Team from the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and The Blue Legacy Award in Agriculture from the Texas Water Conservation Advisory Council.

Internationally known soil specialist retires

24Jan

Writer: Kay Ledbetter, 806-677-5608, skledbetter@ag.tamu.edu
Contact: Dr. Sam Feagley, 979-845-1460, s-feagley@tamu.edu

Students, soil fertility and nutrient management in Texas and beyond have been major parts of Dr. Sam Feagley’s life for many years, and all are areas where he hopes he has “made a difference.”

Dr. Sam Feagley, the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service state soil environmental specialist in College Station, retired Dec. 31. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo)

Feagley, the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service state soil environmental specialist in College Station, will walk away from his soil-testing equipment and his professor’s place at the front of the class when he retires Dec. 31 after more than 22 years at Texas A&M University.

He is known nationally and internationally for his research in nutrient management from organic and inorganic nutrient applications, land reclamation of surface-mined lands, saline/sodic soil remediation and revision of the Texas Phosphorus Index.

Feagley said his career has been a dream come true.

“Dr. Murray Milford taught basic soil science at Texas A&M and was the best professor I ever had,” he said. “I thought once during class, I want to be a teacher some day and if I can be almost as good as him, I’d be a success. And if I could come back to A&M, what a dream come true. I did finally make it back to the basic soil science classroom 32 years later.”

He joined the Texas A&M soil and crop sciences department in 1995. With nine soil scientists retiring from 1999 to 2011, Feagley eventually moved from 100 percent AgriLife Extension to 75 percent teaching and 25 percent AgriLife Extension, taking on teaching responsibilities for Soil Science, Reclamation of Drastically Altered Lands, and a study abroad class to Brazil, Brazilian Agriculture and Food Production Systems.

“Dr. Feagley has carried on a long tradition of excellence in our introductory soil science class,” said Dr. David Baltensperger, head of the Texas A&M department of soil and crop sciences in College Station.

Dr. Larry Redmon, soil and crop sciences associate department head and AgriLife Extension program leader in College Station, added, “Dr. Feagley is one of the most respected instructors in the department of soil and crop sciences.”

Feagley has taught more than 3,000 students over the years, and his connection with many continued after graduation. He was known for helping former students obtain a job with an environmental firm and/or helping them when working with state and federal guidelines, rules and regulations.

Dr. Feagley’s study abroad class, Brazilian Agriculture and Food Production Systems class, gave students a first hand look at agriculture in Brazil.

But the department leaders say it is Feagley’s contributions beyond the classroom that have earned him wide acclaim.

“Sam has provided exceptional leadership in facilitating science-based environmental regulations,” Baltensperger said. “His leadership in mine reclamation programs has been of tremendous value to the industry.”

And he has been the AgriLife Extension go-to resource regarding the environmental management of soils, Redmon said.

“I guess in working with environmental soil remediation over the years, the greatest satisfaction came when we were able to show regulators we were not recommending things that were biased, and they were accepting of our advice,” Feagley said. “We’ve been able to get some regulations changed. Those are where you look back and say ‘We made a difference.’”

Examples he gave from Louisiana included working with the rice industry to show many of their management practices were actually improving the water quality in the drainage water-receiving bayous, which helped ease some regulations being imposed on growers. Most producers accepted and implemented changes that improved the water quality.

He also worked with the lignite mining industry in Louisiana on their reclamation process using topsoil substitutes that actually improved productivity of the land better than native soils. This was shown by other researchers in Texas as well.

Dr. Sam Feagley speaking at the Surface Mine Reclamation workshop.

Dr. Sam Feagley coordinated a workshop focused on surface mine reclamation which is held annually in College Station. (photo by Beth Ann Luedeker)

“It’s changed the regulations and allowed the mining companies a little more flexibility as to how they reconstructed their topsoil,” Feagley said.

Also in Louisiana, he said they demonstrated that a declining swamp could be used for the tertiary treatment of municipal effluent and actually increase the productivity of the swamp and renew it at the same time as the remediation of nutrients from the effluent.

When he moved to Texas and began working with the lignite mining industry here, Feagley said they created a workshop to train science teachers about the chemistry of the soils, the overburden and how the environment is put back together after a tremendous disturbance.

“It’s very difficult to tell what has been mined and what hasn’t been mined, and seeing that light bulb go off when the teachers are viewing the land is always rewarding,” he said.

But Feagley said he probably spent the most time looking at phosphorus in applied manures from the animal feeding industry and revising the Texas Phosphorus Index for adding nutrients to the soil.

“Through that research, both the U.S. Department of Agriculture/Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality have accepted our methods of analysis and recommendations for phosphorus,” he said.

“Before our research, there were three different methods of extraction and two methods of analysis for phosphorus. We were able to change that to one extraction and method of analysis, taking a lot of the variability out of the analysis TCEQ was seeing on the permitted fields.”

Feagley said he also worked with NRCS to develop a course to certify Texas nutrient management specialists. The Environmental Protection Agency and USDA in 1999 required each state to develop certification for specialists for animal feeding operations.

“We in the Texas A&M soil and crop sciences department got together with NRCS personnel and worked on soil fertility, testing, and rules and regulations,” he said. “We developed a 20-hour course, which is still being taught. Texas was the first state to implement the course and several others patterned their state programs after ours.”

Feagley authored over 50 peer-reviewed publications and has taught almost 15,000 people over the years through his AgriLife Extension county, Master Gardener and Master Naturalist programming.

Dr. Feagley visits with participants at the 2016 Soil Survey and Land Resources Workshop. (Photo by Beth Ann Luedeker)

He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Texas A&M and his doctorate from the University of Missouri. From there he went to Louisiana State University where he had a teaching and research position for 16 years.

While there, he was instrumental in the request for and development of the college level curricula, Environmental Management Systems or EMS, and became the adviser for these students. EMS was designed to focus students on soil, water or air environmental areas. The soil and water areas had more science and lab hours than the basic science degrees at LSU. When he left LSU, he was advising over 200 students in EMS.

Feagley has been awarded numerous teaching awards from LSU and Texas A&M. At LSU he received the Outstanding Professor in Agronomy, Agriculture Students Association Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching in the College of Agriculture, Joe E. Sedberry Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award in the College of Agriculture, and Student Government Outstanding Teacher in the College of Agriculture.

At Texas A&M, he received the Texas A&M AgriLife Vice Chancellor’s Award of Excellence-Teaching, the Special Achievement Award for Teaching in Soil and Crop Sciences, Outstanding Teacher in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Gamma Sigma Delta and Honor Professor Award in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

He is involved in several national societies, and has received the Soil Science Society of America Council of Soil Science Examiners Outstanding Service Award and Irrometer Professional Certification Service Award. Through the American Society of Agronomy, he received the Fellow Award and Agronomy Resident Teaching Award.

Feagley said he looks forward to spending more time with his family, doing some consulting and finally tackling his wife’s “honey-do” list.

Cotton technology education effort earns AgriLife Extension Superior Service award

23Jan

Writer: Kay Ledbetter, 806-677-5608, skledbetter@ag.tamu.edu
Contact: Dr. Gaylon Morgan, 979-845-2425, gdmorgan@tamu.edu

COLLEGE STATION – The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service has recognized a cotton and weed team with a Superior Service Team Award for their efforts on educating producers on auxin-tolerant cotton weed control systems.

The annual Superior Service awards, presented Jan. 9 in Bryan, recognize AgriLife Extension personnel who provide outstanding performance in education or other service to the organization and Texans.

The AgriLife Extension team members recognized were Dr. Seth Byrd, cotton specialist, Lubbock; Dr. Josh McGinty, agronomist, Corpus Christi; Dr. Gaylon Morgan, state cotton specialist, College Station; Dr. Peter Dotray, weed scientist, Lubbock; and Dr. Mark Matocha, environmental safety specialist, College Station.

In response to the expected release of new cotton herbicide technologies, AgriLife Extension cotton and weed science personnel worked with state and federal agencies to encourage a balanced approach based on scientific data for the introduction of the new formulations and associated application restrictions, according to the nomination.

Cotton team members receiving plaque from AgriLife director.

Members of the cotton and weed team received their Superior Service Awards from Dr. Doug Steele (left) at the recent awards ceremony. Team members from left to right are Soil and Crop Sciences professors Dr. Seth Byrd, Dr. Gaylon Morgan, and Dr. Josh McGinty and Dr. Mark Matocha of Ag and Environmental Safety.

The team worked with the local and state commodity organizations, allied industry professionals, Texas Department of Agriculture, Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Texas Plant Protection Association to develop, implement and promote good stewardship of these new herbicides, including the Flag-the-Technology approach to decrease the potential for misapplications of herbicides to susceptible crops.

“The potential damage to neighboring crops could have been in the millions of dollars and resulted in many other legal ramifications, as noted in other states,” the nomination stated. “However, to date, the benefits of the cotton producers having a tool for managing problematic weeds far outweigh any detrimental impacts from these technologies, and have increased economic returns to growers in 2017, and into the near future.”

“As a cotton producer organization serving 41 counties where growers usually produce about two-thirds of the state’s cotton crop, we appreciate this team for directly meeting the needs of our growers,” said Steve Verett, Cotton Inc. executive vice president in Lubbock, in a letter of support.

“They have done a magnificent job helping our growers, consultants and other industry leaders navigate through the challenges and opportunities created by the adoption of these new technologies.”

In recognizing this team’s actions, the nomination stated that as of mid-August, 1,439 official dicamba-related injury complaints had been received by various state departments of agriculture across 10 Cotton Belt states. However, only 10 complaints related to either 2,4-D or dicamba were filed in Texas, home to over 55 percent of the U.S. cotton acreage in 2017.

“While this is undoubtedly a reflection of Texas producers stewarding these new herbicide technologies and making good decisions, it is also a reflection of the tireless educational outreach efforts put forth by this team,” the nomination stated. “Their efforts ensured producers and allied industry representatives in the state received up-to-date information and training on restrictions and regulations associated with the technologies.”

Team members worked closely with allied industry, grower organizations and the Texas Department of Agriculture to conduct and demonstrate the pros and cons of the new technologies, fill data gaps for Texas through small plot research trials and to ensure growers were receiving a unified message on the do’s and don’ts when applying the new formulations, according to the nomination.

In order to broaden the educational base of unbiased information, this team conducted seven internal trainings for AgriLife Extension county agents, integrated pest management agents and other specialists.

As a result, more than 100 AgriLife Extension personnel received instruction in label requirements and application guidelines, herbicide traits and the specifics of off-target movement and conditions that influence drift and volatility. This information was then dispersed to growers through the county agents.

Ibrahim honored as AgriLife Research Faculty Fellow

23Jan

Writer: Kay Ledbetter, 806-677-5608, skledbetter@ag.tamu.edu
Contacts: Dr. Amir Ibrahim, 979-845-8274, aibrahim@tamu.edu

COLLEGE STATION – Dr. Amir Ibrahim, Texas A&M AgriLife Research wheat breeder in the Texas A&M University department of soil and crop sciences in College Station, was honored with the agency’s Faculty Fellow award Jan. 9 in College Station.

Dr. Amir Ibrahim, Faculty Fellow and professor in the department of soil and crop sciences at Texas A&M University in College Station. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo)

“Amir is recognized for his leadership in wheat research programs both here in the U.S. and worldwide,” said Dr. David Baltensperger, head of the Texas A&M soil and crop sciences department in College Station. “In addition to his international research, his graduate research program is producing the wheat breeders for the next generation.”

Ibrahim leads the Texas A&M small grains breeding program, managing wheat cultivar development for the agency’s South, Central and Northeast regions of the state, Baltensperger said.

He has released or co‐released 18 wheat and three oat cultivars with high yield potential, excellent quality and tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses, according to his nomination. Eleven of his 21 releases and co‐releases had viable seed production in 2016, covering over 1 million acres in five states.

Ibrahim is known for his applied research on genetic control of end-use quality and biotic and abiotic stress tolerance in wheat, as well as his continuing research of hybrid wheat, Baltensperger said. His most recent release, TAM 305 hard red winter wheat, was highlighted in Crop Science Association News for its superior resistance to disease.

“This cultivar is in demand by wheat breeders throughout the world to use in their breeding programs,” Baltensperger said.

Another significant impact is his management and leadership of the Uniform Disease Nursery at Castroville, the nomination stated. The nursery serves the wheat breeding community, both public and private, in ensuring wheat cultivars available to U.S. producers are resistant to the latest biotypes of wheat leaf, stripe and stem rusts as well as oat crown and stem rusts.

Thirty‐three hard red winter and hard white wheat released cultivars from 11 programs in the U.S. went through testing at the nursery during the past five years.

Amir Ibrahim receives faculty fellow plaque from Dr. Nessler.

Dr. Amir Ibrahim, right, receives the Texas A&M AgriLife Research Faculty Fellow award from Dr. Craig Nessler, AgriLife Research Director.

Ibrahim has obtained almost $3 million to fund his research program during the past five years, according to the nomination. He has been active in presenting his research findings, publishing 90 refereed journal articles, 36 Extension papers, 11 technical reports, two book chapters, and 98 abstracts and proceedings.

“The effectiveness and quality of Dr. Ibrahim’s scholarly activities are seen in his growing influence in the international arena that includes collaborative efforts with the Texas A&M Borlaug Institute as well as within his research expertise in wheat breeding and genetics,” Baltensperger said.

According to the nomination, Ibrahim is in demand as an international expert in areas such as Mexico, northern Africa, Western Asia, Central Asia and Eastern Europe. He continues to be committed to dissemination of knowledge and the relief of poverty and hunger through improved agriculture via his formal and informal educational efforts.

Ibrahim’s latest project in the Republic of Georgia increased grain yield of wheat to 4.5 tons per hectare from the country’s average of 1.5 ton per hectare by addressing soil issues and using improved agronomic practices and germplasm.

Ibrahim’s teaching includes classroom teaching, graduate student advising and communication of research information. During the past five years, Ibrahim graduated 11 doctoral and nine master’s students, most of whom hold key positions in other universities, the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service and private sector.

His commitment to education is demonstrated by his giving of his time to individually assist numerous students with the statistical analyses and experimental designs of their graduate research problems, Ibrahim’s nomination states. And, he has become the “go to” professor in his department regarding experimental designs since he teaches a course in this subject area.

Ibrahim was recognized recently as the title of Fellow by the Crop Sciences Society of America. He has received the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Dean’s Award for the Best International Impact and Dean’s Award for the Best Multidisciplinary Team, the Texas A&M Technology Commercialization Team Innovation Award, Texas A&M Vice Chancellor’s team award, and the Texas A&M soil and crop sciences department Individual Achievement Research Award.

Ibrahim currently serves as a member of Texas A&M Plant Release Committee, Texas Small Grains Advisory Committee and chair of the AgriGenomics Laboratory Advisory Committee. He also has served as associate editor of the Journal of Plant Registrations and Journal of Crop Improvement; and is director of the Multi‐state Wheat and Oat Rust Evaluation Nursery.

Ibrahim is a member of the Crop Science Society of America, American Society of Agronomy and Sigma Xi Honor Society.

Ibrahim, Smith named Fellows by Crop Sciences Society of America

30Oct

Writer: Kay Ledbetter, 806-677-5608, skledbetter@ag.tamu.edu
Contact: Dr. Amir Ibrahim, 979-845-8274, aibrahim@tamu.edu
Dr. Gerald Smith, 903-834-6191, gerald.smith@ag.tamu.edu

TAMPA, Florida – Two Texas A&M AgriLife Research professors were honored for their professional achievements with the title of Fellow by the Crop Sciences Society of America Oct. 23 in Tampa, Florida.

The two honored were Dr. Amir Ibrahim, wheat breeder in the Texas A&M University department of soil and crop sciences in College Station, and Dr. Gerald Smith, Regents Fellow at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Overton.

The designation of Fellow is awarded by the Crop Sciences Society based on professional achievements and meritorious service. Ibrahim and Smith were among 10 named for 2017.

Dr. Amir Ibrahim, Texas A&M AgriLife Research wheat breeder in the Texas A&M University department of soil and crop sciences in College Station. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo)

“Amir was recognized for his leadership in wheat research programs both here in the U.S. and worldwide,” said Dr. David Baltensperger, head of the Texas A&M soil and crop sciences department in College Station. “In addition to his international research, his graduate research program is producing the wheat breeders for the next generation.”

Ibrahim leads the small–grains breeding program at Texas A&M, managing wheat cultivar development for the South, Central and Northeast regions of the state, Baltensperger said. He also noted Ibrahim has been recognized for southern-adapted oat varieties and other small-grain research. Ibrahim has released and/or co-released 18 winter wheat and three oat cultivars.

His award recognition also cited his applied research on genetic control of end-use quality and biotic and abiotic stress tolerance in wheat, as well as his continuing research of hybrid wheat.

In addition to his teaching duties, Ibrahim has served as the adviser or co-adviser of 17 doctorate and 15 master’s students, most of whom hold research and leadership positions in the public and private sectors. He has published 90 refereed journal articles, 36 Extension papers, 11 technical reports, two book chapters and 87 abstracts and proceedings.

Ibrahim earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Gezira in Sudan, his master’s degree from the American University of Beirut in Lebanon and his doctorate from Colorado State University.

Dr. Gerald Smith, Regents Fellow at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Overton and forage legume breeder in the department of soil and crop sciences. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo)

“Also an international leader, Dr. Smith is highly recognized in the area of legume breeding for forages, having released new cultivars adapted to the southern states,” Baltensperger said. “He is known for leading the way with forage genetics.”

Smith’s primary research emphasis is to improve forage legumes and grasses through genetics and plant breeding with a focus on new scientific discoveries, genetics of disease resistance and cultivar development, his award recognition stated.

He is working to improve forage-livestock pasture systems with a focus on cultivar development, nutrient cycling and genetics of disease resistance.

Smith’s cooperative breeding programs have led to the release of new cultivars of arrowleaf, white and crimson clover, annual sweet clover and lablab bean.

He has dedicated his research program to serve the agricultural community by delivering improved forage cultivars and advanced technologies to Texas and U.S. farmers, ranchers and consumers, the nomination stated.

Smith earned his bachelor and master’s degrees from Auburn University and a doctorate from Mississippi State University. He is active in the Crop Science Society of America and has served as chairman for the North American Trifolium Conference.

Dr. Travis Miller retires after 38 years with AgriLife Extension

20Sep

Written by: Kay Ledbetter

Dr. Travis Miller

With crops in the ground 365 days a year in more than 150 counties in Texas, Dr. Travis Miller has worn through a lot of shoe leather during his 38 years with the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. Now he’s giving those shoes a break.

Miller may have carried the title of interim associate director for state operations with the AgriLife Extension most recently, but he is much better known for the 20-plus years spent as the state small grains and oilseeds specialist for the agency.

Miller joined AgriLife Extension in 1979 as an area agronomist based in Weslaco. His responsibilities included field trials and educational programming, primarily in cotton, corn, sorghum and soybeans.

“The Rio Grande Valley was a really great place to learn,” he said. “There are crops in the ground all year long. It’s like being in a candy store if you are an agronomist; you pick up on a lot of issues in multiple crops.”

But not all crops.

In 1982, when Miller moved to College Station to take the position as AgriLife Extension state specialist for small grains and oilseeds, he had never been in a wheat field.

Raised in the Corpus Christi area, he earned a bachelor’s degree in agricultural mechanization from Texas A&M University-Kingsville, and master’s and doctoral degrees in soil science from Texas Tech University in Lubbock.

“But I had the basic fundamentals of agronomy, and we had some good folks around to learn from,” Miller said. “There’s nothing like shoe leather too, getting out there and being amongst it.”

And that’s what he did, attending as many as 20 field days and another 30-40 producer meetings across the state every year.

Dr. Travis Miller addresses a field day early in his career. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo)

“When I took over the job, my predecessor had largely worked in rice, and I saw there was a huge void in wheat and other winter cereals,” he said. “We had a lot of researchers and faculty working in small grains, but a much lesser AgriLife Extension effort, so I decided I needed to do something about that.”

Previously soybeans just hadn’t worked, but “we figured out how to use the early maturing, early planted soybeans effectively. And while it is still not like Iowa, people know how to grow soybeans and do it well now.”

As for wheat, one of the biggest successes was getting uniform variety trials put out at various locations across the state, Miller said. Before his organized effort, the trials were limited to county agents getting bags of seed and planting them.

“We worked on getting data we could use to help producers make decisions based on these uniform trials,” he said.

Another crisis faced during the late 1990s and early 2000s was a lot of drought. Serving with the Texas Drought Preparedness Council, Miller said he spent a lot of time trying to inform people, particularly the public – the farmers already knew it was dry, what the issues were related to drought and the water supply and how it affected them.

Miller said his goal all those years was to get out among producers to know what was important to them and to create programs that made a difference to them – anything from variety trials to fungicide and weed control to soil fertility.

Miller said recruiting and hiring some very bright, capable young scientists was a significant achievement during his time as an associate head, which he left in June 2014 to serve in his current position the last three years.

Looking forward, he said no doubt these scientists and others will have to deal with the greatest issue in agriculture – water.

“You can’t help but believe we are going to see a transition toward dryland and much more efficient cropping systems that use less water and are more tolerant to stress,” he said. “I can’t think of any more critical issue than our water supply and the careful stewardship of the supply we do have.”

Miller won’t get completely away from helping address those challenges. He said with he and his wife in reasonably good health, they are ready to do some traveling and spend some time with grandkids. But he will hold an emeritus title and still have an office on campus in the soil and crop sciences department, so he will stay connected.

Cotton, Corn and Soil discussed at 54th Annual Stiles Farm Field Day

14Jul

More than 100 producers from the Blackland region of Texas gathered at the Stiles Farm in Thrall, Texas, in mid-June for the 54th annual field day. Each year the field day highlights research being done at Stiles Farm as well as innovations in crop and livestock management.
Dr. Gaylon Morgan, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension State Cotton Specialist, discussed cotton production and new technologies for weed and nutrient management in cotton.

Dr. Gaylon Morgan presents at the Stiles Farm Field Day.

Dr. Gaylon Morgan discusses new cotton technologies at the 2017 Stiles Farm Field day.

“New herbicide technologies are not a silver bullet for weed control,” Morgan stated. “In order to get good control, producers must treat the weeds when they are four to six inches tall or smaller. Application time is critically important.”
Morgan also reminded producers to be vigilant in their application of herbicides to avoid drift to unintended areas. He stressed that Dicamba-based products have two year registration terms – after which time the products will be evaluated by the EPA and can possibly be removed from the market if too many problems have been reported.

“Keeping technologies on target will help keep those tools available to you,” Morgan said. “It also makes for better relationships with your neighbors!”

Morgan reported that, at the time of this field day, about 85% of the cotton production statewide was in fairly good condition. Dry land cotton in the high plains has taken a hit from the weather and is struggling from drught and hail events.

Dr. Jake Mowrer, AgriLife Extension Specialist in soil nutrient and water resource management, discussed fertilization rates and nitrogen stabilizer management.

“For best results with your fertilizer you want to be driving out of the field as the rains starts,” Mowrer stated, recognizing that more often than not the weather fails to cooperate.

Dr. Mowere explains importance of soil nutrient management.

Dr. Jake Mowrer explains the importance of soil nutrient management to producers at the Stiles Farm Field Day.

Mowrer told producers that Urea, a common form of nitrogen, becomes ammonium when it comes in contact with water in the soil, then undergoes another change to become nitrate. Too much water will negatively affect how much of that nitrate becomes available to the plant. Excessive rain will wash the nitrates away, or cause them to pass through the soil too quickly to be available for the plants. Ponded (standing) water prevents necessary oxygen from penetrating the soil where it will be accessible to the plants’ roots.

“If you want to manage your soil nutrients, you must first measure what is present,” Mowrer stated. “It is very important that you get a soil test.”
Dr. Ronnie Schnell, AgriLife Extension Specialist for cropping systems, explained a corn performance test he is

Dr. Ronnie Schnell explains a corn performance test he is conducting at the Stiles Farm.

conducting in which fixed ear and flex ear corn is planted at different seeding rates. Fixed ear corn varieties produce a consistent ear size regardless of plant numbers. With a flex variety, the ears will vary in size based on plant populations.
In his trial, Schnell noted that at seeding rates of 32,000 seeds per acre there was a fourteen percent drop in the number of kernels per ear in the flex varieties and a 6% drop in the fixed hybrid corn. However, there will be a balance between ear size and number of ears per acre that results in better yields.
“Try different planting rates,” Schnell suggested, “and use the planting rate which gives you the best yield for the cost of seed put into the field.”
In the sorghum trials, Schnell told producers that good yields have been realized in fields using more intensive management.
“We are only looking at a difference of $30 per acre between the high- and low-input trials,” Schnell explained. “We will see what yield differences are at harvest.”
Stiles Farm Foundation is a 2,800 acre operation in Thrall, Texas which was given to Texas A&M in memory of James E. Stiles. The farm includes 1,800 acres of crop land and a full scale commercial cattle operation.

Texas A&M AgriLife partners with Tunisia to improve soil management

28Jun

By: Kay Ledbetter

U.S. Department of State project designed to improve economic viability, security

Writer: Kay Ledbetter, 806-677-5608, skledbetter@ag.tamu.edu
Contacts: Dr. Amir Ibrahim, 979-845-8274, aibrahim@tamu.edu
Dr. Jake Mowrer, jake.mowrer@tamu.edu
Dr. Qingwu Xue, 806-354-5803, qxue@ag.tamu.edu
Dr. Anil Somenahally, 903-834-6191, Anil.Somenahally@ag.tamu.edu

Improving the livelihood of small-acreage landholders is the goal of recent trips to Tunisia by Texas A&M AgriLife faculty members focusing on soil management and sustainability in cereal crops to improve the country’s overall economics.

AgriLife researchers examine a wheat field in Tunisia

Texas A&M AgriLife and Tunisian researchers look at wheat in a field near Bizerte, Tunisia. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo)

Fostered by the U.S. Embassy in Tunis and the U.S. Department of State, a pilot partnership was established between Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and l’Institution de la Recherche et de l’Enseignement Supèrieur Agricoles, or IRESA, in Tunisia.

Faculty members from Texas A&M University soil and crop sciences department are Dr. Amir Ibrahim, AgriLife Research wheat breeder, College Station; Dr. Jake Mowrer, AgriLife Extension state soil fertility specialist, College Station; Dr. Qingwu Xue, AgriLife Research crop physiologist, Amarillo; and Dr. Anil Somenahally, AgriLife Research soil scientist, Overton. They are joined by six researchers from IRESA.

The team traveled to Tunisia on a pilot partnership established to “create a more secure, democratic and prosperous world for the benefit of the American people and the international community,” said Dr. David Baltensperger, head of the Texas A&M University department of soil and crop science in College Station.

“By helping the country become more efficient in its agricultural abilities, our scientists learn about opportunities for Texas producers also,” Baltensperger said.

Dr. Amir Ibrahim is leading the partnership between Texas A&M and Tunisia

Dr. Amir Ibrahim, AgriLife Research wheat breeder, College Station, stands in a durum wheat field not far from the Mediterranean Sea. Ibrahim is leading a partnership between Texas A&M and Tunisian researchers. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo)

The purpose of the partnership was to initiate and facilitate the exchange of research, teaching and extensionresources in the area of sustainable soil management, Ibrahim said.

Tunisian scientists have indicated a need for the development of a significant research program to reduce soil degradation and improve soil health and the soil’s ability to support vital ecosystem activities and how best to manage soils to tackle the challenge of climate change.

At their initial visit, the Texas A&M faculty helped conduct four workshops to: enhance knowledge of each institution’s capacity and resources; build strong cooperation for innovation; enhance technology and knowledge transfer between institutions; and design collaborative funded research for development projects.

“The first time we went, we were there to conduct the actual workshops,” Xue said. “These workshops were attended by Tunisian scientists, students and agricultural administrators. During these workshops we spent much time presenting and exchanging ideas on sustainable soil management and key areas where we should focus.”

Tunisia has a typical Mediterranean climate, with wet and cool winters and hot and dry summers. Their primary crops grown are cereal grains and olives.

“Currently their agricultural practices are facing challenges due to soil health degradation, aridity, water and soil salinity, and climate change,” Somenahally said. “Therefore, improving and conserving soil quality is a key mission for their farmers for sustainable production.”

That’s where the AgriLife team began working, offering information on key research priorities including soil management optimization, practices leading to soil organic matter improvement, soil biodiversity and functions related to land management practices, nutrient fluxes and integrated plant and soil system approaches, new sensor technology, and improved and adapted crops.

Some of the crops they focused on were durum and bread wheat varieties resilient to climate change, forage sorghum hybrids adapted to acidic and other marginal soils, and other cereal and legume forages, Ibrahim said.

Development of early maturing and high-yielding wheat varieties with adequate post-flowering drought and heat tolerance to the different adaptation zones of Tunisia is of paramount importance, he said.

Following the AgriLife team visit, the core Tunisian team of scientists and administrators came to Texas in June 2016 and toured College Station and the surrounding research centers. They also met with university faculty and the Texas A&M’s Center for Teaching Excellence to review and help develop curriculum in soil sciences for the Tunisian universities and institutions.

The AgriLife team made a second trip to Tunisia in April to attend an international conference and develop more specific research and extension plans. During the April trip, the team had an opportunity to tour a working farm near the Mediterranean Sea that had implemented soil conservation tillage practices.

“We learned about their cereal cropping and rotation systems under the Mediterranean climate, which is similar to the Texas High Plains environment,” Xue said. “There are many things we can share with them from what we have learned here in Texas.

“For instance, conservation tillage has been practiced for decades in the Texas Panhandle. We are pleased this technology can be used in another part of the world. The majority of their land is farmed dryland and we know conservation tillage helps preserve moisture, prevent wind erosion and promote soil health and organic carbon.”

Members of the AgriLife team are Dr. Anil Somenahally, Dr. Ibrahim, Dr. Jake Mowrer, and Dr. Qingwu Xue

Texas A&M AgriLife team members Dr. Anil Somenahally, soil scientist, Overton; Dr. Amir Ibrahim, wheat breeder, College Station; Dr. Jake Mowrer, state soil fertility specialist, College Station; and Dr. Qingwu Xue, crop physiologist, Amarillo, stand in front of the National Institute of Agronomy in Tunisia. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo)

The first phase of the project ends in 2017, but the AgriLife team is making plans for future work.

“Our long-term goal is to improve the small-acreage landholder livelihood in cereal-production areas in Tunisia by optimizing the use of resources through appropriate soil management that will enhance soil quality and water productivity and ensure soil sustainability,” Mowrer said.

“This could be achieved by creating a Center of Excellence that will support the development and the implementation of technologies and capacity building to improve soil quality management, sustainable agriculture and climate change in the Middle East and North Africa region.”

As a result of this project, Mowrer was invited to join the roster of Fulbright specialists and to conduct a workshop on soil nutrient management and soil testing. Over the course of one week, he assessed the capacity for a Tunisian national soil testing program, met with leaders of stakeholder organizations, visited laboratories and field research facilities, and presented a vision of what such a program might look like in the very near future.

“The outcome was much more positive than I could have expected going in,” Mowrer said, “with 100 percent commitment to an initial pilot program involving six major national organizations aligned with higher education, research, policy-making and extension activities.”

Opportunities for effective knowledge exchange and dialogue at many different levels, coupled with AgriLife Extension through demonstration activities with farmers’ participation in farmer-managed trials, will continue in the future, Somenahally said.

Texas A&M’s Stelly recognized as ICAC Cotton Researcher of the Year

1May

Writer: Kay Ledbetter, 806-677-5608, skledbetter@ag.tamu.edu
Contacts: Dr. David Baltensperger, 979-845-3041, dbaltensperger@tamu.edu
Dr. David Stelly, 979-845-2745, stelly@tamu.edu

COLLEGE STATION – Dr. David Stelly has been named the Cotton Researcher of the Year by the International Cotton Advisory Committee, known as ICAC.

Dr. David Stelly has been named the ICAC Cotton Researcher of the Year for 2017. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo)

Since being formed in 1938, ICAC’s global role has been to raise awareness of emerging issues, provide information relevant to the solving of problems and to foster cooperation in the achievement of common objectives.

Stelly’s research is leading to advances in multiple scientific and applied disciplines of cotton, the ICAC stated.

Stelly, a professor of cytogenetics, genetics, genomics and plant breeding in the soil and crop sciences department, holds a joint appointment with Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Texas A&M University in College Station.

“Dr. Stelly has made great strides in the world of cotton over the years and we are proud to have him on our faculty and research team,” said Dr. David Baltensperger, head of Texas A&M’s soil and crop sciences department.

Stelly has more than 40 years of diverse breeding experiences with diploid and polyploid crops, including researching germplasm introgression, reproductive biology and cytology, cytogenetics, genetics and genomics.

For over 30 years with Texas A&M, he has led a multi-faceted research program that collectively focuses on increasing the ability to use wild genetic resources for genetic improvement of cotton.

“Dr. Stelly’s research goal has been to enhance cotton’s productivity, quality and sustainability through genetic diversification, including the development of collaborations, germplasm, scientific knowledge, methods and resources to facilitate use of the newly introduced germplasm,” Dr. Sukumar Saha, 2011 recipient of the award and a U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service geneticist at Mississippi State University, said in his nomination.

“Dr. Stelly is known internationally for his research efforts that integrate the fields of plant breeding, diploid and polyploid cotton cytogenetics, genetics, mapping, diversity analysis, evolution, wide-cross germplasm introgression, reproductive biology, cytology, cytogenomics and bioinformatics,”

Stelly earned his bachelor’s degree in genetics from the University of Wisconsin, his master’s degree in plant breeding and cytogenetics from Iowa State University and his doctorate in plant breeding and plant genetics at University of Wisconsin.

He joined Texas A&M in 1983 and many of his accomplishments in research, teaching and service have brought and are still bringing benefits to global cotton improvement efforts, especially as related to genetic diversification, manipulation and improvement, Saha said in the nomination.

ICAC, in recognizing Stelly, said, “Dr. Stelly has revolutionized global cotton research capabilities by enabling global use of single nucleotide polymorphisms for large-scale and targeted small-scale applications. He spearheaded formation of the international Cotton SNP Chip Consortium and development of the CottonSNP63K Array, which enables high quality, high-density SNP genotyping of Upland cottons.

Stelly’s genetic work has featured extensive efforts to create and analyze chromosome substitution lines. By replacing entire chromosomes of cotton with genes from a related species, he established means to more effectively harness the non-cultivated species germplasm resources for genetic analysis and the breeding of improved upland cotton.

He is chair of the International Cotton Genome Initiative, past president of the National Association of Plant Breeders, external reviewer of the USDA’s Plant Genetic Resources, Genomics and Genetic Improvement program, member of the International Organizing Committee for WCRC-6, and the National Academy of Sciences GE Crops Committee.

He has twice received the Cotton Genetic Research Award. Recently, he became a Fellow of the Crop Science Society of America., and received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the National Conference on Genetics and Cytogenetics at the University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad, India.

B.B. Singh honored by the American Association for Advancement of Science (AAAS)

23Feb

Dr. Bir Bahadur Singh (BB) was elected as a Fellow of the American Association for Advancement of Science (AAAS) and presented with a Certifcate and a Rossette Pin during its Annual Meeting at Boston MA on Feb.18, 2016. This Award was in recognition of his research work on breeding short duration varieties of pigeon pea, soybean and cowpea which fit as niche crops in the cereal-based cropping systems and enhance the system’s sustainability, ensure efficient use of farmers’ land, water and labor resources and contribute to balanced food nutrition.

Dr. B.B. Singh obtained his B.Sc. (Hon) Ag.&A.H. degree in 1963 from G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, the first agricultural university established in India on the Land Grant Pattern of the US Universities through assistance of the USAID and the University of Illinois in 1960. Being one of the top students in the graduating class of 1963, he was offered a special scholarship to pursue his graduate studies at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign where he worked on soybean breeding and completed his M.S. degree in 1965 and Ph.D. degree in 1967. After one year of Post Doctoral research at Cornell University, he returned back to G.B. Pant University in 1968 as grain legume and soybean breeder. He developed the first short duration pigeon pea variety (UPAS-120) that matured in 120 days compared to 180 to 250 days of the existing varieties. This variety was released in several states in India and has been used in breeding programs world over. He also established the first soybean breeding program in India and developed several improved soybean varieties with good adaptation to tropical conditions. He also played a catalytic and successful role in persuading the existing vegetable oil and food industries to process soybean to expand soybean cultivation in India. The pigeon pea production in India has increased from 1.7 million tons in 1968 to 3.3 million tons in 2014 and the soybean production has increased from a mere 12,000 tons in 1968 to about 11 million tons in 2014 making India the 5^th largest soybean producing country in the world.

In view of his achievements in India, Dr. Singh was invited by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) to join as a Grain legume Breeder in 1979 where he primarily worked on cowpea breeding – a crop of major importance in Africa. However, the traditional varieties had spreading growth habit with long maturity period and susceptible to many pests with low yield potential. Working with a team of scientists from 1979 until his retirement in 2006, Dr. Singh developed over 40 semi-erect and erect type cowpea high yielding varieties with 60-70 day maturity combined with resistance to major diseases, parasitic weeds and insect pests that have been released in over 45 countries and contributed to the global increase in cowpea production from about 1 million tons in 1980 to over 7 million tons in 2014.

After his retirement from IITA, Dr. Singh has been working as a Visiting Professor at G.B. Pant University as well as at Texas A&M University and continuing his work on cowpea improvement for drought, heat and low-P tolerance and for ‘wheat-cowpea-rice’ and ‘rice-cowpea-rice’ intensive cropping systems in India and ‘wheat-cowpea’ double cropping in Texas.

Dr. Singh is a member of many professional societies and he has been earlier honored with many awards including Fellow of the Indian Society of Genetics and Plant Breeding, American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, Outstanding Senior Scientist Award by the CGIAR and the Silicon Valley Tech Museum award.