Research Updates

Wheat variety trial field day
Figure 1. Producers examine wheat variety trials during a field day earlier this year.

Research Suggests Changes in Two Wheat Practices Could Lead to Increased Yield

August 3, 2017
Fine-tuning wheat production practices such as seeding rate and N application timing and selecting a mix of varieties for a location could significantly improve yield and end-use quality of winter wheat in Nebraska. This article highlights findings from two published articles on results from University of Nebraska wheat research in eastern and western Nebraska.

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Harkamal Walia discusses an experimental plan for the grant at the High Throughput Phenotyping facility
Figure 1. Harkamal Walia (second from left) discusses an experimental plan for the grant at the High Throughput Phenotyping facility at the Greenhouse Innovation Center on Nebraska Innovation Campus. From left is Toshihiro Obata, Hongfeng Yu and Qi Zhang. Not pictured are researchers Chi Zhang and Gota Morota. (Photo by Craig Chandler, University Communication)

University Leads Research into Heat-Tolerant Crops

August 2, 2017
An agronomy professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln has been awarded a $5.78 million National Science Foundation grant to explore the effects of high nighttime temperatures on wheat and rice. The stress of high nighttime temperatures can lead to severe losses in crop yield and quality. Researchers from Arkansas State University and Kansas State University will be collaborating on the project.

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Cover crops
Figure 1. A new two-year study led by researchers from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln will focus on the benefits of cover crops. (Photo by Chris Proctor)

Nebraska Research to Examine Benefits of Cover Crop

July 27, 2017
A new, multi-state, two-year study led by researchers at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln will focus on the benefits of cover crops in soybean cropping systems, including finding the balance between lower soybean yields from shorter-season varieties and increased cover crop biomass after early soybean harvest.

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Sorghum
Nebraska is partnering with the University of Illinois in the $104-million Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation. Biochemistry professor Edgar Cahoon and agronomy and horticulture professor Tom Clemente will lead Nebraska’s part of the project; their goal is to genetically enhance certain sorghum species so that the stems and leaves contain more oil and less starch. (Photo by Craig Chandler)

Plant Scientists Aim to Turn Sorghum into Jet Fuel

July 19, 2017

As members of a new federally funded bioenergy research center, two Nebraska plant scientists plan to spend the next five years working to expand the oil-producing capability of sorghum, a drought-tolerant crop that can be grown on more marginal lands than other farm crops.

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How Fast Do Corn Roots Grow? ISU is Taking a Look

June 22, 2017

Have you ever wondered how fast corn roots grow? Colleagues at Iowa State University have a number: more than 2 ¾ inches per leaf stage. That's about one inch per day!  Soil cores were taken in the row and in the center between two rows. They used the cores to identify the presence of roots (depth and lateral growth).

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Bernd Friebe, KSU Wheat Genetics Researcher

Kansas State University Researchers Identify New Gene to Resist Wheat Streak Mosaic Virus

June 9, 2017
The new gene, the third known to provide resistance, is the first that can do so at outdoor temperatures of 75° Fahrenheit and higher.

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Amit Jhala (left) and Debalin Sarangi
Amit Jhala (left) and Debalin Sarangi (right) along with other scientists detected pollen-mediated gene flow from glyphosate-resistant common waterhemp in Nebraska.

New Research Quantifies the Dispersal of Glyphosate Resistance Trait Through Pollen-Mediated Gene Flow

May 18, 2017
The pollen-mediated gene flow was detected 38% to 54% at 0.1 meter distance and 5% to 9% at 50 meters, the highest distance tested in this study.

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Center pivot irrigation

Nebraska Researchers on Multi-State Team to Study Psychology of Water Use

May 17, 2017
Six University of Nebraska researchers will join colleagues at Penn State University, Arizona State University and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service (USDA/ARS) to develop a model for engaging communities and stakeholders around issues of sustainable water use. The project will help us better understand how farmers and other water users get information and make decisions about water usage in agriculture.

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