News

Aug 02, 2021

Researchers identify a gene that regulates the angle of root growth in corn

The discovery of a gene that regulates the angle of root growth in corn is a new tool to enable the breeding of deeper-rooting crops with enhanced ability to take up nitrogen, according to an international team of researchers, led by Penn State.

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Feb 02, 2021

Newly discovered trait helps plants grow deeper roots in dry, compacted soils

A previously unknown root trait allows some cereal plants to grow deeper roots capable of punching through dry, hard, compacted soils, according to Penn State researchers, who suggest that harnessing the inherited characteristic could lead to crops better able to deal with a changing climate.

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Sep 16, 2020

Liana Burghardt awarded Tansley Medal for excellence in plant science

Assistant Professor of Plant Science recognized for outstanding research contributions early in her career.

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Aug 21, 2020

Cover crop roots are key to understanding ecosystem services

To judge the overall effectiveness of cover crops and choose those offering the most ecosystem services, agricultural scientists must consider the plants’ roots as well as above-ground biomass, according to Penn State researchers who tested the characteristics of cover crop roots in three monocultures and one mixture.

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Jun 09, 2020

Research team to study food resilience in the face of catastrophic global events

An interdisciplinary team of Penn State professors has received $3 million from Open Philanthropy to study food resilience in the face of potentially catastrophic global events.

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Nov 27, 2019

Fourteen Penn State faculty recognized with lifetime honor

Fourteen Penn State faculty members in areas ranging from physics and engineering to entomology and plant science have been named fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the world’s largest general scientific society. A lifetime honor bestowed upon members by their peers, a total of 443 individuals are being recognized for their extraordinary achievements in advancing science.

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Sep 17, 2019

Novel use of laser technology reveals interactions between roots, soil organisms

A novel use of a custom laser system — developed in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences eight years ago — allows researchers to see how soil organisms affect plant roots.

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