Plant Institute

Plant Institute

Promoting interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation in all aspects of plant-based scientific investigation

Growing Scientific Excellence for a Better World

The Penn State Plant Institute cultivates a vibrant ecosystem of plant-focused innovation, collaboration, and impact. Our research, education, and outreach mission spans diverse disciplines, uniting students, staff, postdocs, and faculty across the entire Penn State system. We seek to cultivate:

  • Transdisciplinary Excellence: We foster interdisciplinary research by developing cutting-edge facilities, equipping researchers, and facilitating collaborative activities. Our goal is to bridge disciplines, engage stakeholders, and amplify the global beneficial impacts of plant science at Penn State
  • Engagement and Visibility: The Institute showcases the achievements of its members. We engage with the general public, Penn State administration, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the United States government, global stakeholders, and corporate partners. We promote the critical role of plant science in addressing societal challenges
  • Inspiring the Next Generation: We are passionate about attracting and supporting the next generation of plant scientists. By promoting the excitement and relevance of our field, we encourage students to explore plant science as a rewarding career path
  • Strategic Synergy: We strategically leverage existing programs that align with our goals. This collaborative approach ensures efficiency and maximizes our collective impact

News

Simple vineyard growing practice impacts soil microbiome deep below surface

In an effort to produce more and better grapes at a lower cost and with less environmental impact, vineyard growers have increasingly planted grass between rows of vines. These "groundcovers" root shallowly, but can benefit vineyard soils and reduce the need for herbicide applications. Now, a team of plant scientists in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences has found that implementing this practice impacts far more than previously thought. It not only alters the biology and ecology at the surface, where the grasses are planted, but also alters the system far below the surface, the researchers reported in a new study published in Phytobiomes Journal.

Low-cost sensor system could warn farmers of salt stress in plants

Soil salinity is a critical concern in agriculture when excessive soluble salts restrict a plant’s water uptake, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, hindering crop growth and reducing yields on roughly 30% of U.S. irrigated land. Caused by irrigation, poor drainage or saltwater intrusion, soil salinity impacts soil structure, reduces fertility and causes economic losses. To help growers identify and mitigate salt stress, in a proof-of-concept study, a team led by Penn State researchers built a low-cost sensor system that detects signals released by plants in trouble.

The 'Spirit of Chocolate' celebrates chocolate as both science and story

On Valentine’s Day, the Palmer Museum of Art became a tasting room and a classroom all at once. “The Art of Chocolate: A Guided Tasting Experience,” presented by the Arboretum at Penn State, invited guests to explore chocolate as both science and story, pairing research with sensory discovery and chocolate with cheese. The event was a collaboration among arboretum staff and College of Agricultural Sciences professors Siela Maximova and Mark Guiltinan, co‑leaders of Penn State’s Cacao and Chocolate Research Network.

News

Simple vineyard growing practice impacts soil microbiome deep below surface

In an effort to produce more and better grapes at a lower cost and with less environmental impact, vineyard growers have increasingly planted grass between rows of vines. These "groundcovers" root shallowly, but can benefit vineyard soils and reduce the need for herbicide applications. Now, a team of plant scientists in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences has found that implementing this practice impacts far more than previously thought. It not only alters the biology and ecology at the surface, where the grasses are planted, but also alters the system far below the surface, the researchers reported in a new study published in Phytobiomes Journal.

Low-cost sensor system could warn farmers of salt stress in plants

Soil salinity is a critical concern in agriculture when excessive soluble salts restrict a plant’s water uptake, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, hindering crop growth and reducing yields on roughly 30% of U.S. irrigated land. Caused by irrigation, poor drainage or saltwater intrusion, soil salinity impacts soil structure, reduces fertility and causes economic losses. To help growers identify and mitigate salt stress, in a proof-of-concept study, a team led by Penn State researchers built a low-cost sensor system that detects signals released by plants in trouble.

The 'Spirit of Chocolate' celebrates chocolate as both science and story

On Valentine’s Day, the Palmer Museum of Art became a tasting room and a classroom all at once. “The Art of Chocolate: A Guided Tasting Experience,” presented by the Arboretum at Penn State, invited guests to explore chocolate as both science and story, pairing research with sensory discovery and chocolate with cheese. The event was a collaboration among arboretum staff and College of Agricultural Sciences professors Siela Maximova and Mark Guiltinan, co‑leaders of Penn State’s Cacao and Chocolate Research Network.

Q&A: How can microbiome science solve problems in agriculture?

Decades of research has shown promise for using microbiome science to solve several problems facing agriculture, but these findings have not yet been translated to practical recommendations for growers, according to a team of scientists in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences.

Events

Monday Apr

13

Elucidating Context-Specific Receptor Kinase Signaling
Plant Biology Seminar Series

Thursday Apr

16

CRRB Monthly Networking Meeting

Monday Apr

20

Chemobiology, a tool box for studying plant cell wall pectic polysaccharides
Plant Biology Seminar Series

Events

Monday Apr

13


Elucidating Context-Specific Receptor Kinase Signaling
Plant Biology Seminar Series

Thursday Apr

16


CRRB Monthly Networking Meeting

Monday Apr

20


Chemobiology, a tool box for studying plant cell wall pectic polysaccharides
Plant Biology Seminar Series

Friday Apr

24


AI for Nature: From Science to Action
Huck Distinguished Lecture Series