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.
Agronomy senior Courtney Harle said her travel study course to Panama “Tropical Agricultural Production International Business, and Trade in Panama” was a great way to finish up her second degree in international agriculture. The trip took place Dec. 29 through Jan. 10. “I chose to travel to Panama because I love crop production, and I wanted to be able to compare Iowa’s corn and soybeans to tropical agriculture like pineapple, cacao, coffee, bananas, and sugarcane,” said Harle.
First photo at left, Harle checks out weeds and plant life. Second photo, Harle at a banana plantation.
She said a great stop on the trip was to La Granjerita (The Little Farmer), a woman-owned farm that grows a diverse selection of fruits and vegetables. “I learned that she uses basil to prep her greenhouses because it acts as a natural repellent for red spider mites to protect later high value crops. There is a huge push for organic production across Panama, so it was fascinating to see how different farmers were approaching their pest management strategies,” said Harle.
Her favorite part of the experience was engaging with the rich Panamanian culture. “We actually had the opportunity to “trade” cultural dances. They taught us the Tamborito, which is the national dance of the country, and we taught them the Copperhead Road line dance, said Harle.
In photo at top: From left, Raven Kinnetz, Courtney Harle and Dr. Ebby Luvaga, economics, learn about pineapple production in Panama. Photos provided by Courtney Harle.
Meyer Bohn and Bradley Miller released the LE-DSM for north central Iowa. This map is the next generation of digital soil maps designed to meet the needs of the digital agriculture revolution. The LE-DSM spatial database provides 10-m resolution predictions of soil organic matter, particle size fractions (clay, silt, sand %), and texture class at standard depth intervals 0-5, 5-15, 15-30, 30-60, 60-100, and 100-200 cm. The LE-DSM is more accurate than the Soil Survey Geographic (SSURGO) map (Bohn and Miller, 2024). This is an excellent resource for many soil data end users. For agroecosystem modelers, this means more accurate simulations and predictions. In addition, tech-savvy farmers can access this fine resolution data to optimize their land management practices, ultimately improving crop yield and sustainability. This new data is available at https://doi.org/10.25380/iastate.24871656.
From left, David Kwaw-Mensah, Walter Suza and Boris Alladassi in front of a painting featuring Carver.
George Washington Carver Endowed Chair Walter Suza was honored with the GW Carver medallion during a celebration on January 31, which officially recognized him as the newest holder of the position. The celebration coincided with the recognition of GW Carver Day at Iowa State, which took place Feb. 1. Dr. Suza acknowledged his predecessor, Andrew Manu, calling him a “trailblazer” and by citing one of his favorite quotes from Carver, “How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and strong. Because someday in your life you will have been all of these.”
Suza spoke about his challenging childhood in Tanzania…walking at night to fetch water, walking two miles to attend school, hearing his mother talk about crops being decimated by insects and praying for rain. He would carry these experiences into adulthood and would be impacted further by the birth of his own children (not wanting them to face what he had faced) and during his work with UNICEF. He spoke of an experience while working as a food security specialist for UNICEF in which there was a severe drought in southern Zimbabwe. Tens of thousands of children under the age of five were in need of supplemental feeding and it was his job to determine which children would receive food supplementation.
Ultimately, this would lead to his goal of wanting to end world food insecurity, which took him into a career in plant breeding and in supporting the training of future plant breeders in Africa. His efforts, along with fellow peers involved in the PBA Program, would lead to training in more than 170 countries. “The need for agricultural development is about integrated interventions that are the heart of developing the next generation of leaders to make life better for their people,” said Suza. He went on to explain that food insecurity is not just a problem abroad, but also here in Iowa. According to Feeding America, “69,000 children in Iowa face hunger.”
Suza ended by saying, “I’m proud and honored to carry the George Washington Carver Chair name.” An article about his thoughts on the receiving the honor and in “Listening to George Washington Carver” can be found here.
Article by Kara Berg, Agronomy. Photos by Whitney Baxter, CALS
In top photo: Interim Agronomy Department Chair Mary Wiedenhoeft and CALS Dean Dan Robison, present Dr. Walter Suza (center) with the George Washington Carver medallion. Photos by Whitney Baxter
Efforts to breed more adaptable crops benefit from testing locations with wide ranges of weather, according to a research team led by an Iowa State University professor.
The recent study published in the Journal of Experimental Botany is the latest work by agronomy professor Jianming Yu exploring phenotypic plasticity, the disparate ways plants respond in different environments. Better understanding the genetic and environmental underpinnings of plasticity can help scientists and breeders create hybrids tailored for their location and able to adapt to challenging conditions.
“Our research really has broad implications for climate change, sustainability and precision agriculture,” said Yu, the Pioneer Distinguished Chair in Maize Breeding and director of the Raymond F. Baker Center for Plant Breeding.
To a certain degree, the study confirmed the Midwest is an ideal region for experimenting on new cultivars, thanks in part to its erratic weather, Yu said.
Jianming Yu
“Seed companies have breeding locations across the Corn Belt, and historically, we know some testing sites seem to be more successful and did not end up on the chopping block as companies have merged. There hasn’t been much actual research into that. It’s just been the assumption,” he said. “But if you want the most variability you can get, that’s a good place to be pulling data. Location matters.”
The study examined data from 174 rice plants grown in nine different combinations of sites and growing seasons across Asia from 2007 to 2009 and 237 sorghum plants in nine different site-and-season environments in Iowa, Kansas and Puerto Rico from 2011 to 2016. In prior analysis of the same data, including studies in 2018, 2020 and 2022, Yu and his colleagues looked for the environmental signals connected to plant traits. For example, the researchers established for both crops an environmental index that predicts flowering time, an analysis the new paper builds upon.
“This time we changed the focus to whether what you observe could depend on the specific examples you encounter in terms of environment,” Yu said.
By comparing small subsets of data to the overall sample, an analysis that incorporated many simulations, researchers found they could accurately extrapolate with four or more environments. But the environmental mean range, a gauge of the variability of the conditions, served as an even better indicator.
“While both factors are critical, our results indicated that considerations leading to an increase of environmental mean range should be given priority in study design,” said Tingting Guo, professor at Huazhong Agricultural University, a co-lead of the study.
Even two testing sites could offer accurate predictions, if their environmental conditions are diverse and extreme, the researchers found. Additional simulations based on historical weather records and varying planting dates were used to show the distributions of potential environmental variability for each site.
“This offers breeders some practical guidance for resource allocation and testing site optimization,” Yu said.
Yu said his research group will continue to study phenotypic plasticity, mostly by further scrutinizing existing field test results. He sees harnessing plasticity as essential to making agriculture more resilient in the face of climate change.
“We’re analyzing data in different ways and from different perspectives to generate knowledge that applies to real-world decision-making,” he said.
In top photo: Sorghum plants growing in August 2020 in a field at the Agricultural Engineering and Agronomy Research Farms between Boone and Ames. Photo by Jianming Yu
Agronomy seniors Sage Coffman and Gavin Anderson took a study course to Antarctica from January 2-January 16, which was led by Dr. Stephen Dinsmore and Dr. Julie Blanchong, Natural Resource Ecology and Management. The course titled “Natural History of Antarctica,” took students to Antarctica through Ushuaia, Tierra Del Fuego, Argentina. They spent 12 days on a ship exploring the Weddell Sea, Antarctic Peninsula and the South Shetland Islands. Expedition leaders and lecture staff guided students in viewing wildlife, which included whales, a variety of seabirds, penguins, and seals. Students explored the icebergs, mountains and waterways of Antarctica’s geography.
Coffman says he enjoys study abroad classes because they are interactive and feedback is immediate. “I learned a lot more than I would have expected from the birds and mammals in Antarctica. Antarctica is more diverse in life than I previously expected, with many different species of penguins, seals, and whales, plus plants and other birds. My favorite part of the trip was getting to climb a mountain in the snow on the continent of Antarctica with my fellow classmates to see and learn about some chinstrap penguins that live on a rocky mountain ridge. Learning in person and learning about the history, cultures, and languages is awesome, and making new friends is always a great experience,” said Coffman.
Scenery and wildlife from Antarctica. Photos by Sage Coffman
In photos at top: Sage Coffman with an iceberg in the background. Group from left: ISU CALS students Cameron McNally (Environmental Science), Gavin Anderson and Sage Coffman (agronomy). Photos provided by Sage Coffman.
A group of Iowa State University students recently returned from the “Tropical Agriculture and Culture in Ghana” study course to Ghana, Africa, which took place from December 30-January 15. Instructors Dr. David Kwaw-Mensah, agronomy, Dr. Theressa Cooper, agricultural education and studies and assistant dean for diversity for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and CALS Global Programs Agricultural Education and Studies Director, Jodi Cornell accompanied the group. The students visited three ecological areas of Ghana including the dry coastal savannah, the semi deciduous rainforest, and the high-rain evergreen forest, where students learned about tropical agriculture, agroforestry, animal production, animal ecology, and aspects of Ghanaian culture in foods, art, and music. Students had the opportunity to interact with local farmers for community service.
Agronomy students Kylie McGlade, Chris Meyer and Emma Caspers went with the group. “We truly did it all, visiting local farms, research stations, cultural landmarks, and being immersed into local communities!” said McGlade, a senior in agronomy. “As an Agronomy major also studying genetics, it was extremely interesting to learn about breeding projects in different crops especially rice. Traveling and speaking to farmers and researchers in other countries is so eye opening as a way to learn from each other and further agronomic knowledge.”
One of the most exciting things Caspers learned about during the trip was the cultivation of Rubber Trees. “It fascinated me to discover that harvesting the sap from these trees requires years of experience, with precision being crucial in scraping the bark. A single mistake in the cut could negatively impact the tree’s ability to produce rubber sap,” said Caspers. The highlight of her study abroad experience came during her interaction with professors, farmers, and children. “Seeing the positive impact our presence had on their lives, despite the challenging weather conditions, was truly heartwarming. They warmly welcomed us and made sure we had the best possible experience during our time there. Everyone we met truly gave us the ‘Ghanian Kindness’ that my professor Dr. Kwaw-Mensah always spoke so highly of upfront,” said Caspers.
In photos at top, from left, agronomy senior Kylie McGlade takes a selfie with members of the Ghana study course group making their way by boat to the Village on Water (Nzulezo). Center, the group visits a demonstration rice plot at the Crops Research Institute, Kumasi. At right, (from left) Lydia Johnson, Dr. Theressa Cooper, and Kylie McGlade wear leaf hats while visiting Nzulezo. Villagers had given them the hats to cool down, but they are usually worn as umbrellas. Photos provided by Kylie McGlade.
The newly elected 2024 Undergraduate Agronomy Club officers are:
President: Jordan Lawless
Vice President: Tyler Atkinson
Recording Secretary: Emma Davidson
Treasurer: Ethan Reed
Historian: Rachel Silhanek
Corresponding Secretary: Aidan Bobholz
Program Coordinator: Jackson Mullenhoff
Sr. CALS Representative: Dale Lyons
Jr. CALS Representative: Ephraim Van Zante
Thank you to the retiring officers who graduated in the fall or will be graduating this spring: Wyatt Bailey, Josh Baudler, Cole Buckley, Alex Coughlin, Mattie Howell, Tom Thompson, and Elizabeth Tranel.
In photo: 2024 Undergraduate Agronomy Club officers front row from left: Rachel Silhanek, Emma, Davidson, Dale Lyons, and Tyler Atkinson. Back row from left: Jackson Mullenhoff, Jordan Lawless, Ethan Reed, Ephraim Van Zante and Aidan Bobholz.
