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Iowa State Leaders Champion Women’s Leadership in Ag and AI Technologies

Arti Singh, associate professor, agronomy (far left), speaking to students at Fellows Elementary School in Ames, with representatives of the new Iowa State University group, Women in Agriculture and Artificial Intelligence (WIAA). Image below: Iowa State graduate student Ashlyn Rairdin (center) with other members of WIAA demonstrating a drone to an elementary school group. Pictures by Venkata Naresh Boddepalli.

Artificial intelligence is the focus of many conversations as society tries to understand its uses and implications. Arti Singh is internationally recognized for her work exploring AI’s potential for agriculture, and she is encouraging other women to take leadership in AI technologies for the future.

Two years ago, Singh, a plant breeder and associate professor in Iowa State University’s Department of Agronomy, started to organize a new group of students as Women in Agriculture and Artificial Intelligence (WIAA) to encourage women to get more involved in AI and recognize its potential to solve diverse ag-related problems.

“Our goal is to inspire women in STEM disciplines who can lead, influence and create a better future for agriculture using AI tools,” Singh said.

Her growing cadre of AI enthusiasts, primarily led by graduate students, are off to an active start. They have conducted outreach events to agronomy classes at Iowa State, the Women in Ag club, and to 4-H youth leaders and members. They led a rover-building workshop at the Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE) Go Further Conference last spring.

At a STEM festival they organized for fourth- and fifth graders at Fellows Elementary School in Ames, they demonstrated several AI applications, such as how drones can be paired with AI for more accurate crop scouting to identify pests and diseases. They also showed students how computers can be trained to identify insects – the basis of a new bug identification tool Singh is developing with Mechanical Engineering Professor Baskar Ganapathysubramanian and others at Iowa State. Their AI-powered insect ID can quickly identify more than 2,500 insects. Soon to be released for public use, it aims to improve farmers’ ability to make effective pest management decisions.

Singh’s efforts to advance AI extend far beyond Iowa. Recently, during a trip to Germany to build international collaborations for AI applications in agriculture, she met women working in AI at PhenoRob, where she discussed ways to start a new international chapter of Women in Agriculture and AI. A few weeks later, she was in Washington, D.C., showcasing Iowa State’s new AI-based insect app at a National Science Foundation Day on Capitol Hill.

The WIAA group includes undergraduate and graduate students in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the College of Engineering. One of the student leaders working with Singh to promote Women in Ag and AI is Ashlyn Rairdin, a doctoral student in agronomy. Rairdin coordinated the event at Fellows Elementary and helped Singh organize other WIAA outreach projects, including training for 4-H leaders. The idea of crop-scouting drones and robotic rovers were among the AI uses that originally attracted her interest to pursue a Ph. D. in Plant Breeding at ISU

Three women in red Iowa State shirts demonstrate a drone to an elementary school group. — Iowa State graduate student Ashlyn Rairdin (center) with other members of WIAA demonstrating a drone to an elementary school group.

“This is an area where women haven’t always had the most representation,” Rairdin said. “I like the idea of sharing the potential of these cool technologies with younger women and girls and encouraging them to think, ‘I could do that kind of work someday.’” Rairdin’s career goal is to work with AI in industry “to build bridges between agriculture, data science and engineers.” She sees opportunities to use AI especially for repetitive, time-consuming tasks that few want to do, allowing humans to focus on more complex, interesting jobs.

Currently, she is programming unmanned aerial vehicles to collect data for Singh’s mung bean research and advocating for the WIAA chapter to become an official student group. The chapter has grown to include about 20 students, including two undergraduates. “We are working to expand and involve more students,” she said. “Our hope is to structure the organization so we can have several outreach events each year and also emphasize mentoring for undergraduates to get them involved in this area of research.”

Watch the video to learn more about Women in Agriculture and Artificial Intelligence at Iowa State.

Contacts:

Arti Singh, Agronomy, 515-294-0948, arti@iastate.edu

Ashlyn Rardin, Agronomy, arairdin@iastate.edu

Ann Y. Robinson, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Communications, 515-294-3066, ayr@iastate.edu

FFAR Features the Research of Drs. Lübberstedt and Aboobucker

A “Breakthrough” story and video interview on research conducted by Drs. Thomas Lübberstedt and Siddique Aboobucker and graduate student Liming Zhou is featured on the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR) website. The research focused on “Accelerating Crop Development with Improved Haploid Fertility.”

Video of Siddique Aboobucker — Video of Dr. Siddique Aboobucker discussing research on “Accelerating Crop Development with Improved Haploid Fertility.”

According to the FFAR article, “Plant breeders and researchers are developing crops that can better withstand climate stresses, produce larger yield or contain higher levels of essential nutrients – but it takes plant breeders an average of 10 years to develop a new crop. New breeding tools like doubled haploid technology can speed up development of hybrid crops, which are created by crossbreeding varieties of plants to promote desired traits such as increased yield or pathogen resistance.

While studying accelerated plant breeding in a project funded in part by FFAR, Aboobucker uncovered a process that has significant potential to efficiently and cheaply restore fertility to male haploid plants. This breakthrough has major implications for crop breeding research and techniques. Next steps include trying this process with haploid corn varieties. By increasing the success of doubled haploid breeding and fertility, breeders will be able to provide growers with a larger number of crops created to promote more desired agricultural traits such as higher yield and increased resilience in a shorter time.”

To read the initial article on this research, visit the CALS website.

Photo at top: Dr. Siddique Aboobucker, research scientist in agronomy, holds a five-week-old haploid Arabidopsis ps mutant plant in flowering stage. The computer screen shows magnified images of a flower, stained on a microscopic slide. Anthers, male parts of the flower, look like mushrooms on the screen and pollen grains appear like tiny pearls. Photo by Whitney Baxter, Iowa State University.

Senior Embraces Agronomy Studies Through a Variety of Experiences

Courtney Harle, a senior double majoring in agronomy and international agriculture from Kanawha, Iowa, has taken advantage of many opportunities during her time at Iowa State, making for a well-rounded experience.

Over the summer, she gained experience as a field biologist intern with BASF in Story City, Iowa. She assisted in small plot research for crop protection products from laying out trials across the farm to using a backpack sprayer to treat them. She also helped plan and execute many field days where she had the chance to network with internal employees from across many divisions, local co-op retail employees, and farmers. “I worked with a great team of people and loved getting to play a part in bringing new ag solutions to the market to serve farmers,” said Harle. Following graduation, Courtney plans to transition to a new role on the BASF Story City Research Farm to continue supporting the research and development of crop protection pesticides.

Last spring, she competed on the ISU Crops Judging Team. The team competed in two regional contests where she individually placed fourth in both. The team traveled to Modesto, California, for the 2023 North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture (NACTA) National Contest where she competed as an alternate for the team score and individually placed sixth overall. This fall, she continues to compete on the team for upcoming regional and national contests.

Harle has also completed two travel courses and is enrolled in a third. She traveled to the United Arab Emirates over the 2021 Thanksgiving break to explore their economic diversification and culture. During her fall 2022 semester, she traveled to Uruguay to study soils, agricultural field research, and livestock. This coming winter break, she will travel to Panama to learn about tropical agriculture and participate in the Panamanian New Year’s traditions. Harle said, “Traveling abroad has cultivated a love for experiencing life outside my comfort zone. A special thank you to the agronomy department for their support of international travel through the Fellowship Award!”

Currently, she serves as vice president of the Soil and Water Conservation Club and is a two-time recipient of the Elinor L. Fehr and Walter R. Fehr Endowed Scholarship and the Roland W. Holden Memorial Scholarship for the 2022 and 2023 school years.

Photos of Harle above from left: Preparing to spray a small plot herbicide trial during her BASF internship, with Dr. Lee Burras in Uruguay on a hike in Quebrada de los Cuervos National Park, in the United Arab Emirates visiting the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque.

Dr. Hornbuckle Invited to Present at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Brian Hornbuckle with Europa satellite. — Hornbuckle on the viewing balcony of JPL’s Spacecraft Assembly Facility with NASA’s Europa Clipper satellite in the background. It will be going to Jupiter to study one of its moons, Europa, where it is hypothesized that there is a water ocean under layers of thick ice, which may also contain life.

On October 10-12, Dr. Brian Hornbuckle attended a workshop at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in California. He was invited to talk about how new satellite measurements at a higher spatial resolution could be used to better understand ecosystems. Speaking on agro-ecosystems, the title of his presentation was “Besides Soil Moisture, What can be ‘Seen’ with Satellite L-band Radiometry in the U.S. Corn Belt?”

The goal of the workshop was to start the process for contributing to NASA’s 2027 Decadal Survey, which will be used to prioritize new Earth-remote-sensing satellite missions. Scientists in the community are providing input on science priorities that will be merged into a list of most important questions and needs. Workshop participants are putting together a list of new science that could be accomplished with measurements at 10-km resolution using microwave satellites rather than the current 40-km resolution. Information provided by Brian Hornbuckle.

Photo at top: Dr. Hornbuckle at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

ISU Agronomy Soil Judging Team Competes in Region V Soil Judging Contest

Congratulations to the ISU Agronomy Soil Judging team on their success at the Region V Soil Judging Contest hosted by South Dakota State University and South Dakota NRCS employees. The competition was held the first week of October near Sturgis and Deadwood, South Dakota and was led by Dr. Amber Anderson and assistant coach Adam Subora, a graduate student in soil science. The team took fourth place during the competition. Members of the ISU team also placed third in the jumble judging competition and Molly Simmons placed ninth in individual competition.

The event helps train students to describe, classify, and interpret soils both individually and as a team. Anderson explained, “Most of the week was spent learning about local soils and unique geography of Western South Dakota, which started with a geology tour of the badlands, continued through the example soil pits, discussion of major geologic formations and soil features of the area from the NRCS local and regional professionals.”

Alex Cecil, a senior in agronomy and mechanical engineering said, “The competition allowed us to see many different soils which we don’t get to see in Iowa, and it was a great way to learn.”

The team was one of 10 participating in the multiple-region contest, which included the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, University of Nebraska-Omaha, University of Minnesota, University of Missouri, Kansas State University, Iowa State University, and South Dakota State University from region 5, and Colorado State University, Utah State University, and University of Idaho from region 7.

Iowa State University will host the national contest in spring of 2024. Approximately 25 collegiate teams from across the country will compete. Photos and information provided by Amber Anderson.

In group photo at top: front row from left: Rebekah Veldboom, Elizabeth Severson, Estelle Venable, Molly Simmons, and Evelyn Bauer. Second row: Kai O’Connell, Gavin Anderson, Austin Elm, Tad Hatfield, and Amber Anderson. Third row: Adam
Subora (assistant coach), Nicolas Truitt, Alex Cecil.

The Region V Soil Judging Contest hosted by South Dakota State University was held near Sturgis and Deadwood, South Dakota

Iowa Nitrogen Initiative to bring more precision to fertilizer rates

When Michael Castellano tells people there are billions of different variations of farmer decisions and environmental conditions that can affect how much nitrogen fertilizer is just enough for a plot of corn, he’s occasionally chided for embellishing. Really? Billions?

“They’ll say, ‘Mike we get that it’s complex. You don’t need to exaggerate.’ But I’m not exaggerating. When you do the math, it’s literally billions of possible combinations of hybrid varieties, management practices, weather and other variables,” said Castellano, the William T. Frankenberger Professor of Soil Science and an Iowa State University professor of agronomy.

That uncertainty has big economic and environmental implications. Applying too little nitrogen hurts yields. Applying too much hurts profits because nitrogen is typically the most expensive input for corn production. Excess nitrogen in fields also contributes to water and air pollution.

Despite incentives to use just the right amount of nitrogen fertilizer on corn fields, current official recommendations are broad and ideal rates can vary widely from field to field and year to year. A research team led by Castellano and his ISU colleague Sotirios Archontoulis, Pioneer Hi-Bred Agronomy Professor, is collecting data from trials across Iowa – mostly in fields of participating volunteer farmers – to build models that offer far more granular guidance.

“This project is an investment that will help keep Iowa the best place in the world to grow corn and soybeans,” Castellano said.

The Iowa Nitrogen Initiative is supported with annual funding from the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig said the nitrogen initiative is a strong collaboration between Iowa farmers and ISU experts.

“Farmers depend on the best science when making decisions about crop production, including nutrient management, crop inputs and conservation practices,” Naig said. “This important work will lead to data and tools that farmers will utilize to optimize nutrient management, boost profitability and protect our natural resources.”

Closing the gap

The Iowa Nitrogen Initiative is running 270 on-farm trials this year across 72 different private farming operations. That’s a 400% increase in trials from the project’s first year in 2022. The ultimate goal is 500 trials per year.

To participate, farmers need access to two increasingly common precision ag technologies: variable rate fertilizer application and GPS-based yield monitoring. Using historical yield data to choose spots expected to behave differently, project partner Premier Crop Systems designs a trial in a small area of a field, usually about five acres. Sections within the trial area are assigned varying nitrogen rates, from none up to 200 pounds per acre, and farmers provide the yield data to the research team after harvest. Participants are compensated for the loss of yield on land that receives no nitrogen.

Trial data is enriched with simulations from biophysical process models to calculate optimal rates based on soil and seed types, management practices and weather. That database will be the engine behind the project’s public-facing decision-making tools, which are expected to be ready to use for the 2025 growing season.

The tools will be especially valuable for farmers using the precision ag technology needed to collect the data. Farmers who have the equipment for applying fertilizer at a variable rate often have insufficient evidence-based direction on how those rates should vary, Castellano said.

“We’re trying to close the gap between the precision ag advances made by engineers and the scientific understanding of agronomists,” he said.

Three tools in the works

The research team plans to develop three decision-making tools:

Updated and more dynamic benchmark recommendations for nitrogen rates will account for differences in genetics, soil, management and weather. Farmers also will be able to see anonymized data from trials to see the real-world outcomes of various rates and practices.
Forecasting will estimate ideal rates based on current and near-term predictions for soil and weather conditions. That’s important because weather has a disproportionate impact on nitrogen rates, Castellano said.
Hindcasting will help farmers look back at a prior growing year to explore how their crop’s nitrogen needs would have changed if they’d done things differently, from planting a different hybrid to applying at a different time.

Castellano said the goal is to continually refresh the tools with new trial data every year.

“As long as farmers are innovating and the weather is changing, optimal nitrogen rates will be changing. We need ongoing research to provide farmers the information to make the best decisions possible,” he said.

Farmers in the fold

Farmers have been involved in the Iowa Nitrogen Initiative from the beginning, including a design sprint in February facilitated by Google engineers and designers. Feedback from farmers, for instance, is why the initial rollout of the decision-making tools will be a mobile app. They told project designers they’re more likely to use the information if they can access it on the go.

Design spring sketch — A sketch created during a Google-sponsored design sprint illustrates some of the needs farmers and crop advisors have as they consider nitrogen rates. Image courtesy of Iowa Nitrogen Initiative.

“We’ve been working hand in hand with farmers who have helped us make sure the products we’re developing are useful for the people who will use them,” Castellano said. “We don’t want farmers to feel this is forced on them.”

Castellano said he’s encouraged that every farmer who participated in the first year of the project continued in the second year. Roger Zylstra is one of those volunteers who has hosted two years of trials. At a field day in September at a university farm near Boone, he told the crowd that collaborating with the research team was as simple and seamless as could be, though he’s hoping for some wet years soon to provide more variations in the data.

“I always try to figure out how to be a better steward of the land, and we learn there are better way to do things,” said Zylstra, a former president of the Iowa Corn Growers Association who farms near Lynnville in Jasper County. “I think the potential here is amazing.”

Project leaders are recruiting farmers, crop advisers and custom fertilizer applicators to sign up for a trial in the 2024 growing season. Fill out an online form to express interest or seek more information.

In photo at top: Research aimed at providing Iowa farmers with far more precise recommendations for nitrogen fertilizer application rates relies on trials in fields across the state. At this Fayette County farm, the lighter-colored portions of the field are where little or no nitrogen was applied. Photo courtesy of Iowa Nitrogen Initiative.

Agronomy Alum on a Mission to Make a Difference

ISU agronomy graduate Riley Wilgenbusch sits on a mountaintop in Peru.

This past spring, Riley Wilgenbusch, a 2020 ISU agronomy and global resource systems graduate, earned his Master’s in Public Health; International Health concentrated in Health Systems, from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Wilgenbusch calls his MSPH a good fit to meaningfully build upon his undergraduate studies in global resource systems at Iowa State. He also completed two graduate certificates at the Bloomberg School, one in humanitarian health and the second in food systems, the environment, and public health from the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future complementing his undergraduate degree in agronomy.

ISU agronomy graduate Riley Wilgenbusch received his Master’s in Public Health from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

“Iowa State was a great opportunity for me to grow into where I am now. The Agronomy Department challenged me to think critically about our food production systems while other experiences across campus rounded out my perspectives on many issues including healthcare. Pursuing a degree and career in public health just felt like the right next step,” Wilgenbusch said of his time at Iowa State.

Wilgenbusch also has fond memories of his time at the Bloomberg School, “My two years carried me to Peru to study nutrition and food security in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, and deep into the legislative systems of Washington, D.C., which impact the way we live each and every day. I am so excited to carry out my mission of achieving a more sustainable, equitable world for all as I support research for this year’s farm bill.”

Wilgenbusch recently accepted a job at the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless in Denver, Colorado working on health service provisions for persons experiencing homelessness. He is developing a career in research and policy to leverage food and health systems to build global public health systems that are resilient, sustainable, and equitable.

While Wilgenbusch’s career path may not be the norm for an agronomy graduate, he says it also highlights one of the fascinating things about the field. “The food we grow is fundamental to how we live each and every day – all 8.1 billion of us. Food supports livelihoods and is deeply ingrained in my work addressing the root causes of poverty and improving quality of life for those experiencing poverty. Food, health, and housing are fundamental rights that go hand-in-hand and that is a universal truth that guides my career path forward from the Agronomy Department into the world.”

In photo at top, Riley Wilgenbusch sits on a mountaintop in Peru.

Roth to Serve as Assistant Professor of Agronomy and Extension Nitrogen Education Specialist

Richard Roth, Agronomy and Extension Nitrogen Education Specialist

Roth started with the university on Sept. 18 and will serve as assistant professor in the Department of Agronomy at Iowa State, with an extension education appointment.

“I’m very proud to work for Iowa State and the opportunity to contribute to the Department of Agronomy,” said Roth. “In Iowa, nitrogen is a huge issue because our crops depend on it, and there are issues with leaching and water quality. My focus will be on looking at ways to engineer nitrogen management strategies to improve efficiency.”

At Iowa State, Roth plans to work toward engineering nitrogen management strategies through the manipulation of old technologies and investigation of new technologies to optimize the agronomic, economic and environmental performance of cropping systems throughout the Midwest.

He obtained his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Illinois State University before moving to Indiana where he graduated from the Department of Agronomy at Purdue University in 2021 with his Ph.D. in agronomy.

He also spent a year as a postdoctoral research associate in the Department of Agronomy at Purdue. Prior to joining the department, Roth spent the past year as an assistant professor and the extension grains and oilseeds agronomist in the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences at the University of Georgia.

“We are excited Richard has joined us because of the expertise that he brings to the department and also the opportunities we’re going to have as a result,” said Mary Wiedenhoeft, interim chair of the Department of Agronomy and Morrill Professor at Iowa State. “It’s always exciting when new faculty start because of the possibilities and the potential they bring.”

Roth grew up in a small farming community in central Illinois. He said he looks forward to studying ways farmers can maximize their use of nitrogen, while being environmentally conscious.

“The question is, how can we manipulate our management with our systems to help alleviate some of these environmental issues, but continue to optimize agricultural production,” he said.

Roth can be reached at rtroth@iastate.edu or 515-294-1360.

nitrogen

Sorghum Harvest Made Easier Due to Hatch Grant

Sorghum was chopped using a forage harvester and new krone header. While Miscanthus (Left) is known for being a large warm-season grass, Sorghum is massive in comparison.

New biomass crop chopper header. This header is the same style as what is being used in commercial Miscanthus operations in the U.S.

The team at Iowa State University’s Sustainable Advanced Bioeconomy Research Farm (SABR) recently harvested and hauled 400 tons of sorghum. Harvest was completed quicker and more efficiently due to the help of some new equipment. Nic Boersma along with co-authors Andy VanLoocke, Marshall McDaniel, and Brian Hornbuckle wrote a proposal for the ISU Strategic Seed Grants for Facilities and Equipment call for spending Hatch funds.

According to Boersma, a research scientist in agronomy and site manager at SABR, “This proposal had the distinct goal of increasing the biomass harvest capabilities at the University. Ultimately, this proposal was accepted for funding by ISU and the USDA. The Department of Agronomy also generously contributed matching funds.”

Biomass sorghum harvest. This year's sorghum grew to nearly 15' dwarfing our forage harvester. — Biomass sorghum harvest. This year’s sorghum grew to nearly 15′ dwarfing our forage harvester.

In order to improve harvesting capabilities, the team requested a new style of chopper header that was larger and the best in the world at harvesting biomass crops. Boersma said the header worked exceedingly well and is 50% larger than the previous header. Additionally, they requested a harvest lab sensor that, along with the GPS capabilities in the chopper, gives them the ability to map yields within the field. Finally, they requested a new dump trailer to drastically increase their capacity for hauling material out of the field. The wagon is 1.5-2 times larger than their existing forage wagons, which allows them to save fuel, time, and the need for fewer people to complete the job. Although the trailer did not arrive on time, it will be available for use for the next big biomass harvest, which will be Miscanthus in the spring.

The team’s vision for the new equipment is to enhance and streamline biomass logistics for any group working on dedicated biomass crops, so Boersma says to reach out for more information about using the equipment. “We also cannot say enough good things about the farm crews at ISU. Without Nathan Meyers, Kent Berns, Steve Jonas, and their crews, this work would not have been possible. Moving forward, we are committed to further improving our processes and capabilities to ensure we are the premiere destination for biomass crop research in the U.S.,” said Boersma.

Note: Research conducted at the SABR Farm is funded by the Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation (CABBI). Photos and article provided by Nic Boersma. For more information, please contact Nic Boersma.

In photo at top: Sorghum harvest: Sorghum (on right side) was chopped using a forage harvester and new krone header. While Miscanthus (on left) is known for being a large warm-season grass, Sorghum is massive in comparison.

First-Time ISU–NRCS Organic Training Held in Ames

Dr. Delate, left, and Dr. Mallarino, right, speak during the recent ISU–NRCS Organic Training.

On September 12, over 65 producers and researchers attended the Iowa Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) all-day training program on research-based organic practices from the ISU Organic Ag Program. USDA-NRCS soil conservationists, ISU professors and USDA-ARS soil scientists offered organic producers, and those with an interest in organic production, information on the latest ways to support organic practices. The group discussed cost-share programs for organic production and how to become organic certified through research-based practices.

Dr. Kathleen Delate, an organic specialist with ISU Extension and Outreach, said the event was very successful, from both an NRCS and farmer perspective. The training provided a review of organic opportunities offered by NRCS in their EQIP and CSP programs, as well as information on the new 823 Organic Management Practice Standard. In addition to Delate, speakers included Dr. Sabrina Ruis, soil scientist, USDA-ARS; Dr. Antonio Mallarino, agronomy, ISU; Kevin Kuhn, Iowa NRCS resource conservationist, and three organic farmers: Ron Rosmann, Paul Mugge and Scott Shriver. Details on Organic System Plans, which included nutrient and pest management plans, were presented along with examples of erosion and nutrient budgeting calculations for NRCS conservation practice standards.

Dr. Mallarino explained that, “Farmers need to understand how to calculate nutrients from manure applications, which is required for NRCS Nutrient Management cost-share programs. It is especially important for organic growers who rely on organic sources.” NRCS conservationists were equally grateful for the training, writing in their evaluations: “Really appreciated the organic farmer panel. It was nice to hear from producers that participate in NRCS programs and those who do not. For the producers who have not participated in programs, I appreciated hearing them share that flexibility was a concern, along with compliance. It’s good to know what the concerns are out there so we can work to try and alleviate them.”

The event was supported through a grant from the USDA National Organic Program Transitioning to Organic Partnership Program coordinated by Midwest Organic Services Association (MOSA): Midwest TOPP. For more information, contact Kathleen Delate.

In photo above, Dr. Delate, left, and Dr. Mallarino, right, speak during the recent ISU–NRCS Organic Training.

Pivot Bio Gives Agronomy Senior Well-rounded Experience

Rebecca Noe, a senior in agronomy, worked for Pivot Bio over the summer as a product development agronomy intern in Illinois. She was given the opportunity to scout and evaluate on-farm strip trials of future Pivot Bio products. This included soil sampling, tissue sampling, CCI meter use, stand counts, drone flights, and general observations of the quality of the trial. She also completed an intern research project regarding CCI meter use. In addition, she managed and completed her own individual intern project regarding corn moisture loss. The internship helped her better understand Pivot Bio’s products as well as their role in reducing synthetic nitrogen use.

“I had the opportunity to connect with several growers throughout the state of Illinois who are committed to reducing nitrogen loss on their farms. I enjoyed getting to know these growers, their operations, and their reasons for utilizing Pivot Bio products on their farms. I also enjoyed getting to work with Pivot Bio’s future products and evaluating them via large-scale field trials,” said Noe.

ISU Researchers Attend NSF’s AI Hill Day at the US Capitol

From left, NSF’s Sethuraman Panchanathan, Arti Singh, and Baskar Ganapathysubramanian.

On September 19, members of the Artificial Intelligence Institute for Resilient Agriculture (AIIRA), Dr. Arti Singh, agronomy, and Dr. Baskar Ganapathysubramanian, mechanical engineering and AIIRA director, attended the National Science Foundation’s AI Hill Day at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. Representatives from the nation’s 25 National AI Research Institutes were invited. Singh and Ganapathysubramanian shared AIIRA’s work on AI advances in agriculture (which included an InsectNet app) and STEM activities by Women in Ag and AI (WIAA). The InsectNet app is a web application that identifies and classifies more than 2,500 insect species using a model trained on 13 million insect images.

From left, Arti Singh, and Baskar Ganapathysubramanian. — From left, Arti Singh, agronomy, and Baskar Ganapathysubramanian, mechanical engineering, at the NSF’s AI Hill Day.

At NSF’s AI Hill Day, policy makers, congressional staffers, and other visitors had the opportunity to learn about real-world applications of AI and see firsthand the technologies transforming the AI field and the many ways in which federal investments in AI research are producing innovation, community partnerships, and workforce development.

“It was a very enriching experience to share our ongoing efforts and achievements with lawmakers at the Capitol,” said Singh. “It is exciting to be involved in building AI tools for smarter agriculture and to democratize the access of these AI tools in agriculture. I am also very excited about the WIAA group, as we empower women researchers and help create awareness to diversify our workforce with enhanced women participation.”

Singh explained that the WIAA, an ISU-based group funded by the AIIRA, was formed to increase participation and knowledge dissemination of AI tools and technologies among women. “The group comprises undergraduate and graduate plant science students in agronomy, engineering, computer science, plant pathology, entomology, and microbiology. WIAA routinely carries out demos, workshops, hands-on activities, and broadening participation events for undergraduate students, public and private sector stakeholders,” said Singh.

“This event allowed us to explain to a large spectrum of congressional staff and policy makers the impact of USDA-NIFA investments towards producing AI tools that can make agriculture resilient, profitable and scale-agnostic,” said Ganapathysubramanian.

About the AI Institutes and the AIIRA

Launched in 2020, the AI Institutes represent a $500 million investment connecting over 500 funded and collaborative institutions across the U.S. and worldwide. To learn more about the AI Institutes, visit National AI Research Institutes or nsf.gov.

The AIIRA was launched in 2021 after receiving a five-year, $20 million grant to establish the institute based at Iowa State University. AIIRA is a collaborative project involving faculty members from Iowa State University, the Iowa Soybean Center, the University of Arizona, Carnegie Mellon University, George Mason University, the University of Missouri, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and New York University. It is supported through funding by the USDA – National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

Top photo from left, NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan with Arti Singh, agronomy, and Baskar Ganapathysubramanian, AIIRA director, mechanical engineering.