Dr. Marshall McDaniel, agronomy, accompanied a group of 17 CALS students on a spring break travel course to Spain, which included agronomy students Allison Smith, Tiaira Cordero Lopez and Karl Graulich. The group visited many farms including olive, dairy, vineyard, rabbit, snail, almond, peach, a yogurt facility, fruit processing and cultural visits too. McDaniel said it was a “fantastic, edifying trip.”
Agronomy senior Allison Smith said she chose to visit Spain to see how another country practices agriculture. “Spain seemed to be a great choice since they have similar industries to the U.S., but a lot of different ones as well so I was able to compare and contrast but also learn about an industry that is completely new to me” said Smith. Her favorite part of the trip was learning about the Spanish culture and the different agriculture sectors that aren’t as popular in the U.S., such as a snail farm and an olive oil production facility. “I learned so many new things on this trip. One thing that stands out is that their olive/olive oil and wine industries are huge and have a lot of cultural significance,” said Smith.
Agronomy sophomore Tiaira Cordero Lopez liked how “Spain is a culturally rich country that embraces tradition and flair.” Her favorite part of the trip was seeing all the different management systems that Spain has in their farms and production facilities.
The CALS group touring a snail farm.La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona.Raimat Winery.Sunset on a beach in Spain.
Agronomy senior, Rachael Voss, is enjoying her spring semester studying in Marburg, Germany at Philipps-Universität Marburg. She chose the study abroad experience because her second major is German and she has known since high school that she wanted to study abroad in Germany. “Marburg was the best choice for me because it offered an opportunity to hone in on my German for a semester while still having the program semester dates align with the U.S. semester,” said Voss.
Some of the sights she has taken in so far in Marburg include Landgrafenschloss Castle, built in the 11th century, and a famous tower called the Hexenturm, where prisoners were kept after trial and prior to their sentences being carried out. Since Marburg is relatively near German wine country, Voss said she will be taking a trip to Rüdesheim sometime in April. “I’ve truly enjoyed exploring Marburg and its surroundings. It’s a very hilly city, so it has great opportunities for hiking, especially on the way up to historical sites. I am looking forward to our class trip to Dresden. There’s so much history there, and it will be a great opportunity to experience part of Saxony,” said Voss.
She said the food in Germany is a bit different from Iowa, but with similar ingredients. “Lots of potatoes, cheeses, and sausages are used. The region of Hessen has a dish called auflauf, a baked dish made with pasta, rice, or potatoes, cheese, vegetables and/or meat with a cream sauce, which reminds me of a Midwestern casserole,” said Voss. She also noted that the people are more reserved and straightforward than in the Midwest, but kind and friendly once you get to know them.
Top photo: Rachel Voss, center, with fellow students overlooking Marburg, Germany.
The Agronomy Year-End Celebration was held April 2nd to celebrate our outstanding undergraduate students, clubs and teams. The Soils Judging Team, Crops Team, Soil & Water Conservation Club and Agronomy Club presented summaries of their year in addition to highlights from the Learning Community, Study/Travel Abroad trips and Undergraduate Student Researchers. All graduating seniors were recognized, and Courtney Harle received the Senior Excellence in Agronomy Award from the department. Ephraim Van Zante received the Agronomy Club Outstanding Underclassman Award and Tom Thompson received the Agronomy Club Outstanding Senior Member Award. Thanks to the planning committee Allison Smith, Katelyn Kucera, Henry Larson, Heidi Ackerman, Kevin Desjean, Stephanie Zumbach, Marshall McDaniel and Mindy DeVries.
In photo: Agronomy Interim Chair Mary Wiedenhoeft, Agronomy Senior Courtney Harle, Assistant Teaching Professor Mindy DeVries and Associate Teaching Professor Amber Anderson
The ISU Crops Team recently traveled to the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture in Curtis, Nebraska for their second crop judging competition of the semester. The team placed 2nd overall. Courtney Harle placed 1st overall as an individual with top place scores in Agronomic Math and Plant and Seed Identification. Aidan Bobholz placed 4th overall as an individual. While traveling, the group also took the opportunity to tour the Class of America and their combine assembly plant.
Later in April, the Crops Team will travel to Twin Falls, Idaho for the NACTA Judging Conference.
Photo at top: Participants on the trip included (L to R): Zach Utley, Ephraim Van Zante, Aidan Bobholz, Paige Kastner, Elizabeth Tranel, Courtney Harle, Emma Davidson, Coach Mindy DeVries and Assistant Coach Lauren Schwark.
Congratulations to the agronomy faculty and staff who received awards during the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Spring Awards Program March 27. Rick Cruse was honored with the Dean Lee R. Kolmer Award for Excellence in Applied Research and Marshall McDaniel was recognized as the 2023 Raymond and Mary Baker Agronomic Excellence Award recipient.
The following agronomy faculty and staff were also recognized for their outstanding achievements: Heidi Ackerman– Early Achievement in Advising Award Brian Hornbuckle– Outstanding Achievement in Teaching Award Maria Salas-Fernandez – Inclusive Excellence Award Andy VanLoocke – Mid-Career Achievement in Research Award Jianming Yu – Outstanding Achievement in Research Award
CALS Dean Dan Robison presents Dr. Rick Cruse, with the Dean Lee R. Kolmer Award for Excellence in Applied Research.
A group of 18 CALS students spent their spring break learning about different approaches to agriculture and immersing themselves in another culture, including its people, natural environment and languages. They did that through extended visits to farms and producers of pineapple, highland fruit, coffee, sugar cane, bamboo, cacao, spices, rice, mango and a tour of a national irrigation system. This travel course has been running for more than 25 years.
“Being able to see the beautiful volcanoes, waterfalls, plants, animals, culture and soils of Costa Rica with other Iowa State students allowed me to make many awesome new friends and connections and rewarded me with a new perspective and experience,” said Sage Coffman, a senior in agronomy and environmental science.
“For a lot of us, doing agriculture totally organically was thought of as only possible in a perfect world, so it was epic to realize, wow, here’s the best bread I have ever tasted, and it’s grown from naturally and sustainably grown wheat,” said Marialuna Schreiner Cintrón, a freshman in agronomy.
Coffman echoed that sentiment saying, “My favorite part of the trip was being immersed in a different culture and communicating with farmers and agricultural workers from a different background. My favorite visit was to an organic vegetable farm managed by Juan Jose. Señor Jose was very passionate, showing us his operation and being engaged in our many questions.” Coffman had even worked on writing out questions in Spanish.
Students also spent a day visiting a volcano to hike and to bathe in mud baths, thermal pools and beneath a waterfall. Another day was spent at the beach, where a few students awakened early to explore tide pools as the sun rose and the entire group gathered again in the evening to watch the sun set over the Pacific Ocean.
Many of the students made a connection with Gaby Ureña, who has long accompanied ISU trips as an in-country guide and whose extended family in Santa Maria de Dota made the group feel at home, offering a tortilla workshop, a garden tour, a home-cooked meal, and even a competitive game of soccer.
Agronomy students on the trip included Sage Coffman, Sean Fitzpatrick, Marialuna Schreiner Cintron, Elizabeth Severson, Allison Sloan, Zachary Utley, and Kayla White. Agronomy professor Amber Anderson and Greenlee School of Journalism Teaching Professor Brenda Witherspoon accompanied the group.
The group visiting a pineapple farm.The group visiting a pineapple processing facility.
In photo at top: The CALS group at Volcano National Park.
By Brenda Witherspoon, Teaching Professor, Greenlee School of Journalism
Andrew Hokanson, senior in agronomy, taking notes in at a field experiment in Laguna Seca, Honduras.
Andrew Hokanson, a senior in agronomy, recently returned from a research trip to Honduras. He received project funding through the CALS Office for Academic Innovation and the Office for Research and Discovery via the Innovation in Agriculture Young Scholar Award on the theme of feeding the growing global population without expanding the area of cultivated land.
“My ‘innovative solution’ to address this grand challenge was to enhance the diversity of tropical maize germplasm in the U.S. National Plant Germplasm System. The hope is that after characterizing the germplasm collected during my trip to Honduras these materials may be incorporated into existing maize breeding programs around the world,” said Hokanson. The collection protocol was developed to satisfy the requirements established by the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. The USDA North Central Regional Plant Introduction Station also provided in-kind support.
Hokanson’s idea came from his experience working at the North Central Regional Plant Introduction Station on the Germplasm Enhancement of Maize Project during the 2022-2023 school year. “Although I was handling germplasm collected across Latin America, I never encountered materials from Honduras. After further research, I discovered that maize germplasm from Honduras was underrepresented in the NPGS,” said Hokanson.
He worked with his research advisor, Dr. Maria Salas-Fernandez and NCRPIS Maize Curator, Dr. Vivian Bernau, who established connections with scientists in Honduras at Zamorano Pan-American Agricultural School and two local agricultural research organizations, ASOCIALAYO (Association of Local Agricultural Research Committees – Lago de Yojoa Region) and FIPAH (Foundation for Participatory Research with Honduran Farmers). Hokanson’s collection trip, which took place February 18-25, 2024, was to the region of Lago de Yojoa in the west-central part of the country.
During the collection process, Hokanson was accompanied by ASOCIALAYO Program Director Mainor Pavon and a DICTA representative (Honduras’s Directorate of Agricultural Science and Technology) German Arriaga. In total, 50 germplasm samples were collected, representing 21 uniquely named maize landraces.
“There is a lively culture of participatory agricultural research in Honduras. Some of the farmers I met with had as many as four different experiments in their fields in addition to their own production. These farmers are members of Local Agricultural Research Committees (CIALes), which are community organizations that engage farmers in participatory research, disseminate new technologies, and connect farmers with microcredit opportunities. The CIALes are intentional about including women and children in their membership,” said Hokanson.
Porfirio Mejia shares the landraces he cultivates in Buena Vista.
Hokanson explained that farms in this region are much smaller than those in Iowa (many under five acres). Due to the mountainous terrain, field slopes are extreme, making mechanization of agriculture in the region extremely limited. Every part of the farming process is done by hand. However, the Honduran farmers have created diverse agroecosystems. Many follow a corn-bean rotation with fruit trees scattered throughout their fields. Other crops Hokanson encountered on the trip include coffee, banana, plantain, citruses, sugarcane, avocado and mango. To combat erosion of the steep fields, some farmers have planted gandul (Pigeon pea, Cajanus cajan), which are edible and marketable.
Since most maize in Honduras is grown for human consumption, Hokanson said acceptance of GM technologies is limited to producers in less mountainous areas with larger farms. “The farmers I spoke with expressed a strong desire to continue producing the landraces that have been cultivated in their communities for generations,” said Hokanson.
Hokanson’s favorite part about visiting Honduras was learning more about the country where his mother was born and raised. “I visited once before when I was very young. After this trip, I feel more strongly connected with my Honduran ancestry. I have seen and experienced what life is like there for myself. I am thankful that this experience provided me with personal fulfillment in addition to intellectual fulfillment,” he said.
Findings from Hokanson’s trip will be presented at the R. F. Baker Plant Breeding Symposium and other conferences and research meetings. He also plans to submit abstracts to present his research at the annual meetings of the National Association of Plant Breeders and European Association for Research on Plant Breeding.
In top photo: Andrew Hokanson (third from right, back row) with a group of farmers in Honduras.
Abe Dieleman, a sophomore in agronomy, is spending the spring semester studying at Perrotis College, part of the American Farm School, in Thessaloniki, Greece. Dieleman is part of a group of 12 students participating in the ISU CALS Study Abroad program, which also includes fellow agronomy student Nali Sanchez Carmona.
The CALS study abroad cohort at the Parthenon in Athens: agronomy students Nali Sanchez Carmona (second from left in front row) and Dieleman (fourth from left in second row).
Thessaloniki, the second largest city in Greece, has a population of about 1 million and is located in northern Greece on the Thessaloniki Gulf, connected to the Aegean Sea. Dieleman’s courses include olive production systems, viticulture, air, water and wastewater treatment, Greek culture experience, and Greek language. Dieleman says, “On campus, there are several olive groves and a vineyard, so I’ve had hands-on experience. We have pruned olive trees and grape vines, planted olive trees, and fermented wine. It has been an eye-opening experience to see how agriculture works here and I have noticed many differences from how we farm in Iowa.”
Dieleman says, “The Greek food, weather, and culture are great! I experienced some culture shock when I first arrived as the Greeks embrace halara, which means take it easy. Schedules are not as punctual and people are laid back. It took me a couple of weeks to adjust, but I now enjoy halara instead of worrying about what’s next on my schedule.”
He says Thessaloniki is known for its food and he has not been disappointed. “The Mediterranean diet is incredible and I have tried many delicious dishes. Every meal features a surplus of extra virgin olive oil and feta cheese. The food is fresh and I still have many new dishes to try.”
The spring study abroad cohort during campus orientation at Perrotis College, part of the American Farm School, in Thessaloniki, Greece
In photo at top: From left are CALS students Brennan Welch, Abe Dieleman and Jake Burress holding an ISU flag in front of the Nile River in Cairo.
Megan Katzung, a senior in agronomy, is participating in the National Student Exchange Program to Hawaii this spring semester. She is studying at the University of Hawaii at Manoa on O’ahu. She chose the university at Manoa because it is one of the biggest schools in Hawaii and offers agriculture-related courses. ”I decided to do an exchange to Hawaii mainly because of the warm weather and outdoor activities that I can do here during the spring such as snorkeling, surfing, swimming, and hiking,” said Katzung.
Katzung says she’s learned a lot from the experience. “I am in a Hawaiian Studies class and I have been amazed to see the connection that Hawaiian culture and religion have to food production. Though it is nothing compared to Iowa crop production, Hawaiians do produce a large quantity of their other food crops here on the islands. I have also been exposed to staple crops such as taro or kalo that I had never even heard of before I got to the islands.”
One of her favorite things to do while in O’ahu has been snorkeling. “I have been able to see so many fish, turtles, urchins and sharks. I am looking forward to seeing manta rays soon and I am planning to sky dive before I leave,” said Katzung.
Photos clockwise from left: Kuliouou Ridge near Honolulu, Megan Katzung enjoying the botanical gardens in Kailua, a small-scale vegetable production field in Waimanalo from a class field trip, Koko Head Crater and Galapagos sharks on the North Shore during a snorkeling excursion.
The Crops Team traveled to Hutchinson, Kansas over the weekend for their first contest of the spring semester. Eight students participated. The team placed 2nd overall and included Aidan Bobholz, Emma Davidson, Courtney Harle and Paige Kastner. Courtney Harle placed 1st overall as an individual with top placing in the Agronomic Exam and Laboratory Practical and second place in the Math Practical. Ephraim Van Zante placed 2nd in the Laboratory Practical. Their next contest is in March in Curtis, Nebraska. Travel is sponsored by the Iowa Crop Improvement Association.
Photo at top: Front row from left: Paige Kastner, Emma Davidson, Elizabeth Tranel, Courtney Harle. Back row from left: Zach Utley, Nolan Grove, Aidan Bobholz, Ephraim Van Zante. Not pictured: Assistant Coaches Megan Blauwet, Alex Coughlin, and Lauren Schwarck.
“Everything starts with an idea,” according to Sotirios Archontoulis, professor of agronomy at Iowa State University, who will co-lead a five-year, $16 million project to explore some big, interconnected questions impacting agriculture in the Corn Belt and Great Plains.
The project will seek to understand how combinations of crops (corn, soybean, wheat and rye), agronomic management (tillage and fertilizer), diverse soils and water (rainfed, irrigated and subsurface drainage) affect productivity and environmental performance of cropping systems. The expansive study will collect new data from experimental field sites in seven states (Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska and Ohio) and use simulation modeling to expand the knowledge gained across time and space.
Archontoulis’ partners include Dorivar Ruiz Diaz, professor of soil fertility and nutrient management at Kansas State University, the project lead. Others involved are The Ohio State University, Mississippi State University, The University of Kansas, Landscan: Information Infrastructure for Agriculture and LiCOR Environmental.
“Research on the effects of crop production management factors on soil, environmental sustainability and yield has been largely fragmented, focusing only on a few selected factors and specific locations,” Ruiz Diaz said. “This complex project, through a unique public-private collaboration, aims to bring these factors together to accomplish a number of related goals.”
Those goals include:
Understanding the long-term impacts of combinations of cover crops, nitrogen, crop rotation intensity and tillage on crop productivity and environmental sustainability across climatic regions.
Characterizing how soil microbial diversity and activity are affected by crop management, soil moisture regime and soil residue cover and how these factors influence soil carbon storage and greenhouse gas emissions.
Using cropping systems modeling to predict and explain productivity and soil carbon contributions to assess scenarios for the long-term profitability for different cropping systems in the U.S. Corn Belt and Great Plains.
Archontoulis, head of the Integrated Cropping Systems Lab at Iowa State, will manage one of the experimental locations and will conduct modeling for all locations using the Agricultural Production Systems sIMulator (APSIM), an international computer model he runs for Iowa State, the hub of the APSIM platform in the United States. Archontoulis has updated APSIM’s hydrologic component to account for shallow water table fluctuations, an important research focus of this new project.
“Our proposed systems modeling can estimate the changes to soil carbon stocks over long time periods – greater than 30 years – that result from different management combinations across environments,” Archontoulis said. “The knowledge we gain can provide farmers and other decision-makers with research-based evidence and actionable data to better assess the relative risks and benefits of mitigating climate change and inform tailored responses and farm-level programs that can deliver more sustainability and profitability.”
The project’s primary funder is the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research. Additional financial support comes from Bayer Crop Science, one of the parties engaged in the “What if we could learn this!” conversations that originally inspired the project’s big ideas.
“After recruiting a set of strategic partners and a lot of planning, our team is excited to forge ahead to strengthen our understanding of agricultural management, plant genetics and environmental interactions across space, time and changing climate conditions,” Ruiz Diaz said. “If we are successful, this research and its applications will benefit producers with billions of dollars in increased crop productivity and benefit everyone through increased sustainability for the years ahead.”
CONTACTS Sotirios Archontoulis, Department of Agronomy, Iowa State University Dorivar Ruiz Diaz, Department of Agronomy, Kansas State University Ann Robinson, Agriculture and Life Sciences Communications
Pictured above: Map showing seven states in Corn Belt and Great Plains region where field research sites for the project will be located. Photo courtesy of Sotirios Archontoulis, Iowa State University.
Emily Kihlstrom, a junior in agronomy, took part in a CALS travel course to India from December 29 to January 15. Participants were able to learn first-hand about India’s different crops (vegetables, coconut, banana, tea, coffee, rice, rubber, cashew, spices, pineapple, etc.) and production techniques. Students had the opportunity to visit regional vegetable, spice, and flower markets and interact with students at the Kerala Agricultural University.
Kihlstrom said she has always loved traveling and exploring new places. When she looked into study abroad courses, she knew India would be a one-of-a-kind trip and it was on her bucket list to visit.
One interesting thing Kihlstrom learned on the trip was that India’s major agricultural pests include wild boars and peacocks. “The tricky part of managing these animals is that farmers can’t easily kill them, since peacocks are the national bird of India and the boars are protected under India’s government. Some farmers can kill boars if they obtain a license to do so, but they can’t sell or eat the meat that comes from it,” said Kihlstrom.
Her favorite part of the experience was being immersed in a completely different culture. “From food to traditional dances, Kerala, India was a beautiful place to visit,” said Kihlstrom.
In photos above, clockwise from top left: Women sorting tea leaves by quality after harvest, in Munnar, Kerala, India. A performer for Kathakali, the traditional dance of Kerala at Kerala Kalamandalam, a school for traditional arts. Emily Kihlstrom with her Travel Class trying different varieties of bananas at the Banana Research Station, Kerala Agricultural University. A flower market in Tamil Nadu, India. Emily Kihlstrom in front of a tea plantation in Munnar, Kerala, India. Photos provided by Emily Kihlstrom.
