Nali Sanchez Carmona petting a sleepy cat at the Agios Neofytos CatPark in Cyprus.
Nali Sanchez Carmona, a sophomore in agronomy, spent the spring semester in Greece through CALS study abroad program at the American Farm School in Thessaloniki.
During her time there, she was able to visit six different countries. “One of my favorite experiences was hiking Mount Olympus, just around two hours away from the American Farm School and attending the tulip festival in Amsterdam,” said Sanchez Carmona.
One of her favorite classes was Viticulture. “In this class, we learned the anatomy of the vine, the different types of grapes in other regions, and the seasonal processes of pruning and harvesting. The best part was learning hands-on in the vineyard grown and produced by the school, as
well as attending commercial vineyards and wine
tastings,” said Sanchez Carmona.
Mount OlympusTulip Festival in Amsterdam.Vineyard at the American Farm School in Thessaloniki, Greece.
Mbacke was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, then moved with her family to Senegal, where she lived most of her childhood. She returned to the U.S. in her mid-teens and lived in New York. With the decision to attend college on the horizon, Mbacke worked hard to make that a reality.
She enrolled at Iowa State University as an agronomy student during the spring 2020 semester and soon realized she needed to find a way to finance her education. She enlisted in the National Guard, taking advantage of the GI Bill to pay for her college degree.
After completing basic training, Mbacke was deployed overseas in December 2020, returning to the U.S. and Iowa State in time for the fall 2021 semester. She said her time in the National Guard has taught her resilience.
“I had to work hard to excel in the Army, just as I have had to do in my classes,” Mbacke said.
With an interest in research, Mbacke began working in associate professor of agronomy Marshall McDaniel’s lab, where she was paired with an older student who introduced her to horticulture. Mbacke was so inspired by the work that she declared horticulture her second major.
“I’ve gained a lot of experience working in the lab and appreciate the graduate students who have guided me,” Mbacke said.
“The McNair program has really helped set me apart from other graduate school candidates by helping me write my CV and statement of purpose,” Mbacke said. “It’s a really supportive organization.”
Ashley Garrin, director of the McNair Program, said Mbacke has sought to find ways to bring what she’s learning and researching back to Senegal to improve their farming operations.
“Khadija is a strong scholar who will do great things,” Garrin said. “I am continually amazed by her thoughtfulness, maturity and sureness of her academic and career path.”
The combination of her McNair program involvement and research background gave Mbacke the experience needed to be accepted into Purdue’s graduate program. There, she’ll study controlled environment horticulture.
Reflecting on her Iowa State adventure, Mbacke said she has enjoyed the campus environment. Her journey to earning her bachelor’s degrees has not always been easy, but she is grateful to everyone at Iowa State who has supported her.
“A lot of barriers and challenges came up, but I always tried to do my best, and I was willing to put in the work,” Mbacke said.
In photo at top: Sokhna “Khadija” Mbacke is dedicated not only to doing well as a student, but to serving the United States through her involvement in the National Guard.
Iowa State University, Region V, hosted the National Soil Judging Competition April 21-26 at the Horticulture Research Station north of Ames. About 260 students and coaches made up 25 teams that participated from a variety of universities across the country, including from California Texas, Alabama and Delaware. The top overall placings were: 1) Virginia Tech, 2) University of Nebraska-Lincoln and 3) University of Wisconsin-Platteville.
Many thanks to everyone who helped make the event a success:
Lee Burras, Elizabeth Severson (undergrad), Adam Subora (graduate), ISU soil judging team and Soil & Water conservation club (with adviser Bradley Miller) hosted a meal.
The ISU Soil Judging Team were pit monitors for the event and helped with other activities.
Jon Sandor (retired agronomy faculty), Rich Pope, Mike Konen, and Michael Thompson checked soil pit descriptions.
Angie Rieck-Hinz (extension agronomist) assisted with contest logistics.
Heidi Ackerman and Stephanie Zumbach served as pit monitors and contest day help.
Agronomy Interim-Chair Mary Wiedenhoeft gave the opening address
Alum Erik Christian, Becca Clay helped pit monitor
Glenn Wiedenhoeft took photos of the contest.
Agronomy alum Wade Dooley hosted the group judging contest location, Jeff & Shelley Taylor (CALS Global Programs) and Ron Huhn (ISU alum) hosted individual contest sites.
Practice site locations, so students could see variety of soils in the area, were hosted by Agronomy/Ag Engineering Farm, Horticulture Research Station, FEEL Farm, Draintech and the Rhodes Farm.
Information provided by Amber Anderson Photos by Glenn Wiedenhoeft
The Crops Team spent last week in Twin Falls, Idaho for the NACTA Judging Conference. We all learned a lot more about potatoes and sugar beets, enjoyed the beautiful scenery of southern Idaho and of course challenged ourselves through competition. The Crops Team placed 2nd overall in the Crops Contest with Courtney Harle placing 2nd as an individual. The official Crops Team included Aidan Bobholz, Emma Davidson, Courtney Harle and Elizabeth Tranel and Ephraim Van Zante was an alternate. All of our participants were in the top half of four-year students.
The team earned 1st place in the Precision Ag contest with Alex Coughlin placing 2nd as an individual. The official team for the Precision Ag contests included Aidan Bobholz, Alex Coughlin, Courtney Harle, and Ephraim Van Zante. A special thank you to Assistant Coaches Megan Blauwet, Alex Coughlin (for crops) and Lauren Schwarck and thank you to ICIA for providing sponsorship to travel to these contests and to the Agronomy Department for providing these opportunities for our students!
The Crops Team learning to cross sugar beets at KWS.
By Mindy DeVries
Photo at top, the Crops Team at the awards ceremony.
Gabriel Ponce, a junior in agronomy, spent his spring break in Chile with the Natural Resources and Ecology Management Department (NREM) learning many aspects related to ecology and the environment.
He was interested in visiting Chile due to the hiking aspect. “I have always wanted to go to South America. I plan to visit every continent at least once in my life. I knew little about Chile in terms of ecology and landscape, but doing research about the country made me appreciate Chile even more. I knew it would be a great opportunity to experience the biodiversity and picturesque views Chile had to offer,” said Ponce.
His favorite experience on the trip was visiting Conguillío National Park (Parque Nacional Conguillío) and seeing the famous Araucaria Trees, also referred to as Monkey Puzzle Trees. “We were there for two days and the best part was hiking the Sierra Nevada Trail,” said Ponce.
He learned much about the ecological formation and history of Chile. “Some aspects of Agronomy were learned in terms of soil profiles, what aspects of Chile’s soil landscape make it so diverse and abundant in biodiversity,” said Ponce. He said he even helped educate others on the trip about Chile’s agricultural sector and how they have a similar soil profile to Iowa in their prairies due to the many glaciers from the mountains.
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.
