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
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.
$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.
Research teams receive $1.1 million to study microbiomes in agriculture
Two Penn State-led research teams have received funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture for projects investigating the ways microbiomes — the microorganisms in a particular environment, such as in soil or a living organism — can affect disease dynamics in agriculture.
News
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.
$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.
Research teams receive $1.1 million to study microbiomes in agriculture
Two Penn State-led research teams have received funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture for projects investigating the ways microbiomes — the microorganisms in a particular environment, such as in soil or a living organism — can affect disease dynamics in agriculture.
College of Ag Sciences recognizes faculty, staff for research achievements
Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences lauded outstanding accomplishments in research during the 2023 Research Awards Ceremony, held Nov. 1 at the Hintz Family Alumni Center on the University Park campus.