

Agronomist Thomas W. Scott dies at 89
Thomas W. Scott, an emeritus professor of agronomy who specialized in soil fertility, died Aug. 22 in Ithaca. He was 89.

Bram Govaerts appointed as Andrew D. White Professor-at-Large
Bram Govaerts, director of the Integrated Development Program and regional representative for the Americas at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), has been appointed as a Cornell Andrew D. White Professor-at-Large in recognition of his contribution to sustainable agri-food systems in Mexico and globally.

CALS strengthens NYC connections with new grant projects
Three collaborative New York City-based projects, designed to inspire cross-campus research partnerships, have been awarded grant funding totaling approximately $500,000 from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

Workshop fuels discussion about biochar, NYS climate goals
Cornell and the Atkinson Center helped organize a workshop, “Helping NYS address its climate goals through thermochemical conversion,” on July 16 to develop opportunities for New York to meet its climate goals.

Congratulations to our 2019 SIPS graduates!
Congratulations to the 36 graduate students and 58 undergraduates recognized by SIPS as part of the 2019 Commencement Ceremonies. Soil and Crop Sciences graduate students Angela Possinger and Sonam Sherpa were awarded PhDs and Sabrina Kelch received an MS, in addition to the many undergraduates with advisers and mentors in the Section.

Cyle one of eight SIPS students awarded AFRI-NIFA Predoctoral Fellowships
Eight SIPS graduate students have been awarded predoctoral fellowships from the USDA NIFA Agriculture and Food Research Initiative. Among them are Taylor Cyle in the Martínez program, whose thesis research focuses tracking the fate of low molecular weight organic substrates in solution-microbe-mineral systems.

Janani Hariharan, SCS Doctoral Student, Receives Award Recognizing Inclusive Excellence
Hariharan received the the Exemplary Service – Early Graduate Career Award for exemplary leadership in creating inclusive spaces at Cornell, engagement with various organizations promoting diversity on campus, and deepening of connections among graduate students.

Agronomist Madison Wright dies at 95
Madison J. Wright, professor emeritus of agronomy whose efforts helped establish soybean production in New York, died April 27 in Ithaca. He was 95.

Meet our Faculty: Andrew McDonald
New faculty member Andrew McDonald is an associate professor in the School of Integrative Plant Science, Soil and Crop Sciences Section with a focus on cropping systems ecology and sustainable agricultural development.

Martínez promoted to full professor
Enid Martínez in the SIPS Soil and Crop Sciences Section, was officially promoted to full professor, effective April 1, 2019. Martínez is a soil and environmental chemist whose research focuses on deciphering the mechanisms and rates of reactions that mediate elemental fate and cycling in soils.

SCS researchers show that charcoal can trap ammonia pollution
Johannes Lehmann and former graduate student Rachel Hestrin, along with collaborators from Canada and Australia, have shown that charcoal can mop up large quantities of nitrogen from the air pollutant ammonia. The results were published Friday in Nature Communications.

DiTommaso honored by Northeastern Weed Science Society
Congratulations to Toni DiTommaso, Professor & Chair of the SIPS Soil and Crop Sciences Section, for receiving the 2019 Fellow Award from the Northeastern Weed Science Society (NEWSS).

CO2 soil sequestration plan aims to relieve atmospheric warming
An international group of scientists and other professionals, co-led by SCS professor Johannes Lehmann, have offered solutions for sequestering atmospheric carbon.

Adapt-N and other tools for N management highlighted in Corn & Soybean Digest
Nitrogen (N) management is one of agriculture's great enigmas. But web-based management tools like Harold van Es's Adapt-N (now owned by Yara International) have revolutionized growers' ability to monitor and adjust N inputs throughout the season.

Chang, Collins, and Law receive MacDonald Musgrave Awards
Christine Yao-Yun Chang, Post-Doctoral Associate with the Sun research group, Amy Collins, Assistant to the Chair, and Eugene Law, PhD candidate, were recognized December 7 at the annual MacDonald Musgrave Awards ceremony. Awards were presented by Soil and Crop Sciences Chair, Professor Antonio DiTommaso.

Study reveals natural solutions to combat climate change
Annual greenhouse gas emissions from all U.S. vehicles could be absorbed by forests, wetlands and agricultural lands – erasing a fifth of all greenhouse gas pollution, according to new research by Peter Woodbury and others.

Bybee-Finley receives Crop Science Graduate Student Scholarship
Ann Bybee-Finley, graduate student with Matt Ryan in the Soil and Crop Sciences Section, has been named as the 2018 recipient of an award from the Crop Science Society of America. The Crop Science Graduate Student Scholarship is provided to a meritorious graduate student in crop science and will be presented during the upcoming CSSA Annual Meeting in Baltimore, MD.

DiTommaso speaks on weeds and climate to the Australasian Weed Congress
How is climate change affecting agriculture? How can we prepare ourselves for expected challenges in weed management? These are some of the questions addressed by Toni DiTommaso, professor and chair in the SIPS Soil and Crop Sciences Section, in his keynote address to the 2018 Australasian Weed Congress.

Cornell students excel at collegiate weed contest
Cornell students excelled at the Northeastern Collegiate Weed Contest held July 24 at the BASF Research facility in Pine Level, NC. Undergraduates Aleah Butler-Jones and Jonathan Berlingeri placed second and third place, respectively, in the individual undergraduate category.
Vatamaniuk research featured in media coverage of the Cornell synchrotron
A recent episode of SciTech Now, a production of WCNY, included discussion of research conducted by Soil and Crop Sciences professor Olena Vatamaniuk in collaboration with staff at the Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source (CHESS).

Lehmann elected to Germany’s National Academy of Sciences
Johannes Lehmann, the Liberty Hyde Bailey Professor in the Soil and Crop Sciences Section of the School of Integrative Plant Science, was elected in May to the German National Academy of Sciences.

CALS lab offers comprehensive check-ups for an essential resource: soil
Housed in Bradfield Hall, Cornell’s Soil Health Lab is a pioneer in its field. The first facility to offer an exhaustive array of tests to assess soil health— Kirsten Kurtz, manager of the lab, calls it “the most comprehensive soil health lab in the world”—it’s the busiest in the business, conducting some 50,000 individual tests per year.

Vatamaniuk and Sorrells team up to study copper uptake absorption and yield impacts in wheat
Olena Vatamaniuk in SIPS Soil and Crop Sciences and Mark Sorrells in the SIPS Plant Breeding and Genetics are working to better understand what is required for the uptake and delivery of copper in wheat. Copper deficiency in alkaline, sandy, or organic soils compromises plant fertility and reduces grain and seed yield.

Trash to treasure: Cornell’s pyrolysis kiln opens May 24
Johannes Lehmann and his team in the SIPS Soil and Crop Sciences Section led the official opening of the Cornell pyrolysis kiln with an open house at the facility in Leland Laboratory. The pilot-plant kiln will be used to produce biochar under highly controlled and monitored conditions for research on its use as a soil amendment, contributor to carbon sequestration, and component of sustainable fuel production.

Possinger receives outstanding TA award
Angela Possinger, in the SIPS Soil and Crop Sciences Section was among twenty eight CALS graduate students to receive an outstanding teaching assistant award for 2018.

Wallace and DiTommaso discuss strategies for weed control with fruit grower media
Toni DiTommaso (Soil and Crop Sciences) and John Wallace (Horticulture) recently discussed the need for new approaches to weed control with Good Fruit Grower. Emphasizing the importance of a long-term systems based approach, DiTommaso and Wallace emphasized the importance of understanding weed biology and ecology and the power of targeted approaches and decision support tools.

Farmers get guidance on growing new perennial grains
Matt Ryan, faculty in the SIPS Soil and Crop Sciences Section, describes strategies to integrate and manage the perennial grain Kernza in a recent publication. Ryan, whose research focuses on sustainable cropping systems and perennial grains, finds that in order to offset Kernza’s relatively low yields, it’s important to take advantage of its strengths.

DanoneWave to partner with Cornell's soil health team
DanoneWave, maker of dairy and plant-based products, coffee creamers, and beverages, has announced the launch of a soil health initiative in partnership with Harold van Es in the SIPS Soil and Crop Sciences Section and other soil scientists. DanoneWave is committing up to $6M for research on soil regeneration and enhancement of organic matter and soil fertility over the next five years.

DiTommaso and Law honored by Northeastern Weed Science Society
Toni DiTommaso, Professor in the SIPS Soil and Crop Sciences Section, receiving the 2018 Outstanding Researcher Award from the Northeastern Weed Science Society at the 3rd Northeastern Plant, Pest, and Soils Conference (NEPPSC 2018) held January 8 - 11. Eugene Law, graduate student in the SIPS Soil and Crop Sciences Section, was awarded First Place in the Student Research Poster Competition.

Lehmann among top cited researchers for 2017
Mark Sorrells, Johannes Lehmann, Jim Giovannoni, and Jean-Luc Jannink are among 23 Cornell affiliated scientists identified by Reuters and Clarivate Analytics whose publications are in the top 1 percent in their fields for journal citations. Sorrells is a members of the SIPS Plant Breeding & Genetics Section, and Lehmann of Soil & Crop Sciences, while Giovannoni and Jannink are adjunct faculty of the school.

‘Three Sisters in Soil’ wins global soil painting competition
Kirsten Kurtz, manager of the Cornell Soil Health Lab, organized a public painting event event Dec. 5, 2017 as part of World Soil Day and with financial support from the SIPS Soil & Crop Sciences Section. Their creation captured first prize in the university division of the global soil painting competition sponsored by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

Digital agriculture tech Adapt-N nets $1M Tulane prize
Adapt-N, a team from Cornell, was awarded the $1 million grand prize from the Tulane Nitrogen Reduction Challenge Dec. 14 in New Orleans.

SCS's Law to serve on Presidential Task Force
SIPS graduate students Breanne Kisselstein and Eugene Law are among 36 students, staff, and faculty in the Cornell community recommended to serve on the Presidential Task Force on Campus Climate.

Newsweek highlights "Natural Climate Solutions"
A recent paper co-authored by Peter Woodbury, SIPS Soil and Crop Sciences Section, is receiving widespread attention in the popular press, including the magazine Newsweek. The study outlines options for mitigating climate change such as carbon sequestration, reduced emissions, and environmental restoration.

Adapt-N technology acquired by Yara International ASA
Norway-based Yara International has acquired Agronomic Technology Corporation, holder of the license to the Adapt-N technology developed by Harold van Es and colleagues in the SIPS Soil and Crop Sciences Section. Yara International is the largest global manufacturer of synthetic nitrogen and will be making significant further investments in Adapt-N, enhancing its global reach.

Palette Earth: global soil painting competition illustrates soil’s vital role
A global soil painting competition Dec. 5 organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations was inspired by a Cornell event in 2015.

Cover crop meeting draws big crowd
More than 170 researchers, educators, farmers, and agricultural service providers attended the Northeast Cover Crops Council’s (NECCC) Annual Meeting at The Statler Hotel on November 8, coordinated by SIPS Soil and Crop Sciences Section faculty Matt Ryan.

Cornell Students, Faculty Participate in UN Climate Conference
Johannes Lehmann, Professor in the SIPS Soil and Crop Sciences Section was among the US delegation to the UN Climate Conference in Bonn Germany, November 6 - 13.

Hoskins receives Lifetime Achievement Award from the New York GIS Association
Susan Hoskins, senior extension associate in the Soil and Crop Sciences Section of the School of Integrative Plant Science, was given a Lifetime Achievement Award by the New York GIS Association. Susan was recognized for her more than 20 years’ experience in aerial photo interpretation and mapping, and for her service with youth education.

Digital agriculture retreat lays the ground for emerging interdisciplinary initiative
The retreat culminates a series of meetings aimed at finding synergies between Cornell researchers as they develop technologies that optimize key food systems components.

DiTommaso honored with Weiss teaching award
The fellowship awards, announced by President Martha E. Pollack Oct. 20, are among Cornell’s highest honors for outstanding, exemplary teaching.

Satellite data paints a portrait of global plant health
When it comes to measuring photosynthesis, green is not all that counts. A Cornell researcher is using a NASA satellite to measure photosynthesis in high resolution at the global scale, advancing how we measure plant health and its impact on food production and atmospheric carbon dioxide.

Art intervenes in Minns Garden
More than 70 Environmental and Sustainability Sciences (ESS) majors turned Minns Garden into an ephemeral art gallery Sept. 29, as part of a class led by Soil and Crop Sciences professor Johannes Lehman

Buckley describes genome surfing for Cell Press videos
In a recent review, Dan Buckley, SIPS Section of Soil and Crop Sciences, proposes "genome surfing" as a driver of microbial genomic diversity. He describes the general concept in a Cell Press Video abstract.

Cornell students shine at weed competition
Cornell brought a graduate team and two undergraduate teams to the Northeastern Collegiate Weed Science Contest held on July 25 in North Rose NY. Undergrad Team #1 place third overall and Patty Chan (Plant Sciences) placed placed second in the individual undergraduate category.

van Es Named 2017 Educator/Researcher of the Year by PrecisionAg
Harold van Es, SIPS Section of Soil and Crop Sciences, has been named 2017 Educator/Researcher of the Year for his role development of high resolution climate data and a model-based nitrogen management tool, Adapt-N.

Novel Study Explores Ways Copper Impacts Crop Performance in Marginal Soils
Technological advances making it possible to image micronutrients in plant tissues are giving Olena Vatamaniuk, SIPS Section of Soil and Crop Sciences, additional tools to develop crops that thrive in marginal soils.
Soil microbiologist Martin Alexander dies at 87
Alexander, emeritus professor in the SIPS Section of Soil and Crop Sciences, was a world leader in the study of the microbial decomposition and the effects of aging on bioavailability of toxins in the soil environment.

Van Es delivers Congressional Briefing on Digital Agriculture
Harold van Es, SIPS Section of Soil and Crop Sciences, delivered a presentation on digital agriculture to House and Senate staff and agency personnel on June 12th. Van Es was invited by the National Coalition for Food and Agricultural Research to highlight the value of federally funded food and agricultural research, extension, and education.

Congratulations 2017 SIPS Graduates
Congratulations to the 15 graduate students and 36 undergraduates recognized by SIPS as part of the 2017 Commencement Ceremonies. Among these were Kiera Crowley, earning an MS in Soil and Crop Sciences.

Upper Big Branch Mine conviction spurs SIPS grad student's letter campaign
SCS grad student organizes letter-writing campaign targeting a coal company executive convicted in the Upper Big Branch Mine explosion. Bybee-Finley is motivated by concerns over soil and watershed contamination as well as fundamental issues of sustainable resource use and social justice. Details of the campaign are described in an LA Times article.

Lehmann outlines the benefits of soil carbon sequestration in Nature Climate
Johannes Lehmann, SIPS Section of the Soil and Crop Sciences, and international colleagues assert that sequestering organic carbon in soils can provide numerous benefits for future global climates, agriculture, and food security.

Cornell's Innovations in Food Systems Forum Is June 7
Dig into digital agriculture, comprehend plant breeding biotechnology, and learn out how the microbiome may solve food production problems at an agricultural technology and partnership forum June 7.
Cornell Doctoral Student Calls on Canada to be a Bold Player in Agriculture
Doctoral candidate Jeff Liebert called on Canadians to boldly reimagine agriculture and food systems in a manner that reflects the diversity of Canadian cultures and landscapes.

Healthy Harvest
Research and outreach protect urban gardeners from compromised soils. Healthy Soils, Healthy Communities project led by Murray McBride and Hannah Shayler.

Researchers discover high-def electron pathways in soil
In a recent publication in Nature Communications, Cornell soil biogeochemists report they have identified a biogeoconductor network in pyrolyzed organic matter of potential importance in suppression of greenhouse gas emissions and decontamination. Drs. Tianran Sun and Johannes Lehmann, and colleagues, show that the contribution of pyrogenic carbon to electron fluxes could be considerable.

Buckely and Douglas Share Microbiome Expertise at World Economic Forum
Daniel Buckley and Angela Douglas presented microbiome research to influential leaders at the World Economic Forum.

Ann Bybee-Finley Named Future Leader in Science
Ann Bybee-Finley, a second-year doctoral student at Cornell studying cropping systems resilience with a focus on Northeastern dairy producers, has been named a 2017 Future Leader in Science.

Vatamaniuk receives funding to boost micronutrients in wheat
Olena Vatamaniuk in the SIPS Section of Soil and Crop Sciences and Olga Terek at the Avan Tranko National University of Lviv have been awarded a $90,000 grant from CRDF Global to develop innovative breeding strategies with the goal of boosting yield and mineral content of bread wheat.

SCS welcomes new faculty member, Ying Sun
On February 10, SCS held a Friday coffee celebration to welcome our newest member, Dr. Ying Sun, assistant professor of geospatial sciences.

Buckley speaks on microbiomes at the 2017 World Economic Forum
Professor Dan Buckley, soil microbiologist in the SCS Section at Cornell University, will lead IdeasLab sessions at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland

Vatamaniuk among three to receive annual Schwartz awards for life sciences
An immunologist, a molecular biologist and Olena Vatamaniuk, plant scientist in the SIPS Section of Soil and Crop Science, have each received awards from the Schwartz Research Fund for Women in Life Sciences.

Johannes Lehmann, Professor in Soil and Crop Sciences, is among the most cited researchers in the world
Reuters and Clarivate Analytics identified scientists whose publications are in the top 1% of their fields for journal citations from 2004 to 2014. Professor Lehmann is one of 16 faculty at Cornell to receive this distinction, and one of 5 in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

Tulane announces five finalists for $1 million Dead Zone Challenge
Adapt-N, an initiative of Professor van Es, Soil and Crop Sciences, is one of the five finalists! The purpose of the challenge is to find in-field solutions to hypoxia that reduce nitrogen runoff from crop fertilizers into rivers. Such runoff from the nation's farmlands is considered the primary cause of annual dead zones. (Best of luck to the Adapt-N research team!)

Digital agriculture report looks to data-driven future
Cornell experts Harold van Es, Soil and Crop Sciences section, and Joshua Woodard, Applied Economics and Management, issued a report “Digital Agriculture in New York State” highlighting the opportunities and challenges facing the state's farmers and food producers as emerging digital technologies shape the agricultural industry.

Pest control: Wicked weeds may be agricultural angels
Farmers looking to reduce reliance on pesticides, herbicides and other pest management tools may want to heed the advice of Cornell agricultural scientists: Let nature be nature – to a degree.

Soil scientist Dawit Solomon speaks on land degradation at COP22
In a presentation to global leaders battling climate change and feeding a burgeoning world population, Dawit Solomon, senior research associate in the Soil and Crop Sciences section, presented food security ideas to stave off the Earth's atmospheric warming.

Grant to aid study of microbes' role in soil carbon cycle
A project led by Cornell researchers Dan Buckley and Johannes Lehmann, Soil and Crop Sciences section, to better understand soil microbes and their role in the carbon cycle has received a three-year, $3.59 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy.

SCS Professor Janice Thies to receive awards at the Tri-Societies annual meeting in Phoenix, AZ
The tri-societies, including the American Society of Agronomy (ASA), Soil Science Society of America (SSSA), and the Crop Science Society of America (CSSA) are presenting national awards at the national meetings in Phoenix, AZ on November 6-9, 2016. Cornell professor Janice Thies will receive the fellow award from SSSA and the fellow award from ASA. Cornell will also be well represented as Harold van Es is the President of SSSA in 2016.
Ancient Farming Practice Reduces Pollution
Using a technique similar to composting – but with a twist – West African farmers create rich soil that absorbs global-warming carbon dioxide. Hear the Yale Climate Connections radio spot with Dawit Solomon, faculty member in Cornell’s Soil and Crop Sciences section.

New model suggests scrubbing CO2 from the atmosphere
New Cornell research by Dominic Woolf and Professor Johannes Lehmann, from Cornell’s Soil and Crop Sciences section, suggests an economically viable model to scrub carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to thwart runaway, point-of-no-return global warming. (Click here for the article.)

New cover crops for better organic farming
Professors Matt Ryan and Laurie Drinkwater were recently awarded a grant from the USDA NIFA to study "New Cover Crops for Better Organic Farming."

Toward forest growth: Understaning nitrogen in soils
Professors Enid Martinez and Christine Goodale were recently awarded a grant from the USDA NIFA to study "Toward Forest Growth: Understanding Nitrogen in Soils."

Optimizing productivity through precision fertilizer application
Harold van Es, Professor of Soil Science, addressed the World Economic Forum in Beijing describing the development and applications of nitrogen recommendation software.

Nutrition information...for cows?
We have it easier than cows. When we want to know how much fat, sodium, or carbohydrates are in the food we are eating, we can usually check the nutrition label on the food’s package. But cows haven't had access to detailed nutrition facts about their forage. Until recently.

Grant to help dairy farms avoid setbacks from extreme weather
Organic dairy farmers in the Northeast have taken a beating over the last several years due to extreme weather, but a new grant will support a project that aims at solutions.

The Tent Casually Observed Phenologies
For one day only, Brooklyn-based artist James Leonard is putting up his “Tent of Casually Observed Phenologies” between Bradfield and Rice Halls, on October 14, 2016. Between 10am and 5pm, visitors can probe climate futures and get tarot readings to help them grapple with today’s environmental issues. His readings do not replace hard facts and scientific data on climate change. The tarot readings serve as a framework to talk about anxieties of an increasingly uncertain and rapidly changing future.
The event is organized and part of the Environmental and Sustainability Science Colloquium (Riha and Lehmann), co-organized by the Johnson Museum, and supported by the Department of Natural Resources. More information about the artist and his project under http://jamesleonard.org/work/

Intercropping: Intersection of soil health, production
Ann Bybee-Finley, graduate student in the section of Soil and Crop Sciences, researches intercropping at Cornell University. Intercropping is a complex practice of farming where different plant species are grown in the same space.

Farmers and farm suppliers explain the benefits of Adapt-N
The benefits of Adapt-N, a nitrogen management tool developed by Professor van Es and his research group at Cornell, are explained in two Corn and Soybean Digest articles: Farmers apply science to optimize nitrogen on corn and Corn and soybean producers find retailer who supports sustainable farming.

DiTommaso wins award for his way with weeds — and people
If two words could sum up Toni DiTommaso’s qualities as professor of weed science at Cornell University, “unbridled enthusiasm” — words from a nomination letter — fit the bill.

Cornell partners on 4-H National Youth Science Day
Susan Hoskins, Senior Extension Associate, Soil and Crop Sciences section, pilots the Drone Discovery curriculum with youth on campus for 4-H Career Explorations.

For dairy farms, flaring methane offers mitigation option
As New York's dairy farms get larger and store more manure, methane emissions have doubled in the last two decades. To reduce this potent greenhouse gas in the atmosphere, Cornell researchers advocate combustion.

Can mountains of animal bones boost food security in Ethiopia?
“There were piles of bones that nobody was using at the time,” says Cornell University soil scientist Dawit Solomon, a native of Ethiopia. Solomon and colleagues decided to turn the mountains of slaughtered cattle, sheep and goat carcasses into a local fertilizer source.

As sea level rises, Hudson River wetlands may expand
In the face of climate change and inevitable sea level rise, Cornell scientists studying the Hudson River estuary have forecast 33 percent more wetland area by the year 2100.

Big data experts to share green ideas at World Economic Forum
Faculty members Harold van Es, Carla Gomes and Joshua Woodard will present their innovative research at the intersection of computation, food and sustainability at the World Economic Forum June 26-28 in Tianjin, China.

How Africans Are Saving Their Own Soil
Cornell faculty member Dr. Dawitt Solomon, and colleagues, explain the value of studying traditional African methods of soil enrichment in a recently published scientific paper and a National Geographic feature

Atkinson Center gives record number of seed research grants
Cornell's Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future has given $1.5 million from its Academic Venture Fund to 14 new university projects, marking the third year the grants are over $1 million.

Four Cornell projects receive $1.65 million from USDA
Four Cornell projects were awarded more than $1.65 million in total by the United States Department of Agriculture for research on plant health, production and resilience.

Agricultural Sciences education an effective path to STEM careers
A recent article in USNews & World Report concludes that education in agriculture sciences provide STEM education that can lead to exciting career opportunities. For example, Cornell professor DiTommaso points out that “airborne multi-spectral imagery allows for remote sensing to differentiate weeds from crops in a field, for more effective and targeted control.”

Finicky deer avoid some invasive plants, promoting spread
The dietary preferences of deer may be promoting the spread of such invasive species as garlic mustard, Japanese barberry and Japanese stiltgrass, according to a new study, by Kristine Averill, research associate in Soil and Crop Sciences and the article's lead author in the Journal Biological Invasions.

Swegarden and van Es go to Washington
Harold van Es, Professor in the Section of Soil & Crop Sciences, and Hannah Swegarden, PhD candidate in the Graduate Field of Horticulture, traveled to Washington DC March 14-15 to participate in the 2016 Congressional Visits Day.

Kids face higher lead exposure playing in urban gardens
Professor Murray McBride, Soil and Crop Sciences, and Hannah Shayler, Cornell Waste Management Institute, along with researchers from NYS Department of Health, estimate that some gardeners who toil in urban gardens and children at play in them could be exposed to lead levels that exceed FDA thresholds, as reported in Environmental Geochemistry and Health.

'Climate-smart soils' may help balance the carbon budget
Johannes Lehmann, Cornell professor of soil and crop sciences, explains how soil can help reduce greenhouse gas emission in a co-authored article published in Nature, April 6, 2016.

Interest in biochar surges
One of the two cover stories published in Chemical & Engineering News highlights Professor Johannes Lehmann's research.

Nine Cornell faculty named 'most influential' researchers
Johannes Lehmann, one of nine Cornell professors named to a list of the most influential scientific minds for 2015 compiled by Thompson Reuters and based on how often faculty members' research is cited.
Soil Health Program featured in USDA video
A new video from the USDA’s Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program features Cornell’s Soil Health Program, based in Soil and Crop Sciences.

SIPS professors discuss climate change initiative
Cornell professors Matt Ryan and Neil Mattson describe the new Cornell Institute for Climate Change and Agriculture (CICCA), which aims to strengthen agriculture in the face of a changing climate. The project will to help train and educate farmers on how to adapt to a changing climate and reduce their impact on the environment.

For the love of dirt, Dec. 10 event offers soil painting
On Dec. 10, the public can try soil painting as part of a soil celebration led by the Soil and Crop Sciences Section in the School of Integrative Plant Science on World Soil Day.

Soil scientist Nyle Brady dies at 95
Nyle Brady, a professor and leader in soil science, died Nov. 24 in Colorado at age 95. He joined Cornell in 1947 and held leadership roles in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Nyle was the Chair of Soil and Crop Sciences from 1955-1963.

Scientists urge new soil-carbon model for climate change era
In the fight to protect the environment, achieve food security and promote sustainable development, agricultural scientists, Professor Johannes Lehmann, Soil and Crop Sciences Section in the School of Integrative Plant Science at Cornell University and Professor Markus Kleber, Oregon State University, advocate for new and improved soil research models that accurately forecast climate change.

New element tracking method a boon for geoscientists
A new method that allows geoscientists to tease out the exact inputs from three different sources, with implications for modeling and predicting climate change.
The study, published in Nature Communications, is authored by Thea Whitman, Ph.D. '14 a former graduate student of co-author Professor Johannes Lehmann.
Cornellians travel to Paris for global climate summit
Cornell researchers will travel to Paris as part of the university's delegation to the global climate change summit, COP21. Delegations from over 190 countries and more than 50,000 people will attend. Professor Johannes Lehmann, Soil and Crop Sciences Section in the School of Integrative Plant Science is one of the Cornell delegates.

SCS faculty receiving awards at the Tri-Societies annual meeting in Minneapolis, MN
The tri-societies, including the American Society of Agronomy (ASA), Soil Science Society of America (SSSA), and the Crop Science Society of America (CSSA) are presenting national awards at the national meetings in Minneapolis, MN, November 15-18, 2015. Cornell award recipients include professors Tim Setter, Peter Hobbs and Tony DiTommaso. Harold van Es is the President-Elect for SSSA. Read more about the national awards.

Susan Hoskins receives the 2015 Virginia Figura Award
Susan Hoskins, Senior Extension Associate in the SCS Section, was presented the award by the New York Geographic Alliance in recognition of her distinguished service to geographic education in NYS. Susan has taught many mapping workshops for educators through the Alliance and has contributed to NOAA/National Geographic educator professional development grants for mapping the Susquehanna River watershed and other river basins in New York. Susan is a faculty-member in the Soil and Crop Sciences Section of the School of Integrative Plant Science and member of Cornell’s Institute for Resource Information Sciences.

Professor Leon Kochian named to Agricultural Research Service Science Hall of Fame
Professor Kochian, adjunct professor in Soil and Crop Science and in Plant Biology at Cornell University, has been named to the Agricultural Research Service Science Hall of Fame. The award honors USDA-ARS senior agency researchers for outstanding, lifelong achievements in agricultural science and technology. His work has unraveled the strategies that plants use to tolerate acid soils which are high in toxic soluble aluminum. This environmental constrain is especially prevalent in the highly weathered soils of the tropics and subtropics. His work has also elucidated plant processes involved in mineral nutrition.

Garden offers living library of weeds, poisonous plants
The Cornell Weed Science Teaching Garden gives students and the public a chance to recognize species that might harm people or animals, and reduce crop yields.
Rise of the citizen scientist
A paper in Geoderma entitled ‘Can citizen science assist digital soil mapping?’ by David Rossiter, Adjunct Associate Professor, is prominently featured in an editorial in Nature and makes the case that, yes, non-specialists can help expert soil scientists to track quality, properties and types of soil.

DiTommaso Wins Crop Science Teaching Award
In his 16 years of teaching at Cornell University, Antonio DiTommaso has taught more than 1,000 students in his weed science and integrated pest management courses. The evaluations of many of these students contributed to the decision of The Crop Science Society of America award.

Top TAs honored for excellence by CALS faculty and leadership
Congratulations to Jiapei Yan, graduate student in the section of Soil and Crop Sciences, chosen as one of the 2015 Outstanding Teaching Assistants!

Researchers share the "Year of Soils"
Faculty and graduate researchers from Cornell’s Soil and Crop Sciences section spread the dirt on the power – and vulnerability – of soil at an April 29 event.

"Soil and Crop Sciences" name change
In recent celebration, chair Tim Setter unveiled the section’s new name “Soil and Crop Sciences.” In 2014, the department joined with four other CALS departments to form the School of Integrative Plant Science, and changed its name to Section of Soil and Crop Sciences. An updated history of soil and crop departments at Cornell can be found at this link: http://scs.cals.cornell.edu/about/history. Photos of the event can be seen at: https://cornellcropsoilsciences.shutterfly.com/pictures/45.

New faculty focus: Martínez joins SIPS with universal appeal
Is there a universal science? Carmen Enid Martínez, a new associate professor in the Soil and Crop Sciences section of the School of Integrative Plant Sciences, thinks there is: chemistry. She might be biased, as a soil and environmental chemist herself, but she says the work she is doing in her lab is certainly universally applicable. Read the full article in CALS Notes.

Jean Bonhotal receives US Composting Council Award
Jean Bonhotal was awarded the distinguished Rufus Chaney Award by the US Composting Council at the USCC Annual Conference and Trade Show in January 2015 in Austin, TX. The award goes to recipients who excel in research and education over a period of many years. Jean has dedicated her career at the Cornell Waste Management Institute to research and technical assistance to a range of audiences, including youth, college students, extension, farmers and solid waste managers.

Agriculture: State-Of-The-Art Soil
In a recent article in the journal Nature, Cornell’s professor of soil science, Johannes Lehmann, is quoted as saying that different types of biochar “have unique potential to mitigate some of the greatest soil-health constraints to crop productivity.” The article is in the January 14, 2015 issue of Nature.


Adapt-N 'graduates'
The nitrogen recommendation system Adapt-N, which originated in the lab of soil science professor Harold van Es, has ‘graduated’ from Cornell’s venture development center. ATC, a technology startup at Cornell, which makes the system available to corn growers, has obtained capital investment and will expand on its own.

Mitigating Climate Change with Soil Conservation Practices
Cornell soil scientist Johannes Lehmann speaks about climate change mitigation strategies for the UN COP 20 Climate Change Conference held December 2014 in Lima, Peru. Lehmann addresses the potential of biochar for sequestering carbon and improving soil health.

World Soil Day
December 5th has been designated "World Soil Day 2014" by the International Union of Soil Sciences, the FAO, and the UN General Assembly. World Soil Day will serve as a celebration of "the importance of soil as a critical component of the natural system and as a vital contributor to human well-being."
In support of World Soil Day 2014, the Section of Soil and Crop Sciences invites faculty, staff and students to drop by a display in Mann Library foyer from 9-5 on December 5th, 2014. We will be using posters, hands on displays and video clips to educate observers about the importance of soils from multiple perspectives. Come see what all the excitement is about!
National awards presented to Cornell soil Scientists
The tri-societies, including the American Society of Agronomy (ASA), Soil Science Society of America (SSSA), and the Crop Science Society of America (CSSA) presented national awards at the national meetings in Long Beach, California in November 1-5, 2014. Several Cornell University faculty and students were among those recognized.
The Love Life of Plants
Read Bill Gates blog post during his visit to Cornell about field crops research being done on corn and cassava.
Building Agricultural Research
Greater investment in agricultural research is advocated by Donald Kennedy, president emeritus at Stanford University and a former editor-in-chief of Science, to assure our ability to sustain the looming population increase. In an editorial published in the October 3, 2014 issue of Science, he concludes that “The much-needed revolutions in agriculture can only come about through the investments that we make now.” Read more

2014 Grain Corn And Soybean Yields Could Be Record Highs Despite Another Challenging Growing Season
The 2014 growing season started slowly for corn and soybeans in New York because of wet conditions during the first 20 days of May in most grain corn and soybean growing regions.

Adapt-N Boosts Profits and Cuts N Losses in Three Years of On-Farm Trials in New York and Iowa
Adapt-N is an on-line tool that provides location-specific, weather-adjusted nitrogen (N) recommendations for corn. At sidedress time, critical early-season weather that strongly influences actual N needs is incorporated into the recommendation.

Prof C. Enid Martinez, Associate Professor of soil and environmental chemistry is one of 72 new faculty members welcomed to Cornell University
To help introduce new members of the university's faculty to the Cornell community, the Cornell Chronicle is publishing brief new-faculty profiles for the 2014-15 academic year.

Northern Stem Canker: A New Challenge for New York Soybean Producers
For the first time in New York or the northeastern U.S., a serious disease called ‘northern stem canker’ was confirmed in New York soybean fields. Reported yield losses in the Midwest have ranged from minor to in excess of 50%, so the presence of the pathogen is considered a significant factor for soybean production.

Implementation of a Soil Health Management Plan Resolves Pond Eutrophication at Tuckaway Farm, NH
A collaborative project has been initiated among partners at NH NRCS, Cornell, Greenstart, NH Conservation Districts, and NH farms in four counties. The goal was to develop a framework for a soil health test-informed Soil Health Management Plan (SHMP), analogous with the NRCS’s Nutrient Management Plan, but with biological and physical test results to be considered, in addition to standard soil test results.

Soil health workshop teaches from the ground up
A campus workshop held Aug. 12-15 attracted domestic and international participants who learned about health concepts and management strategies.

Professor van Es and Adapt-N are featured in The Guardian
Adapt-N, a software program from Cornell researchers, aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and save farmers’ crops. Now the big seed companies are taking notice.

What's Cropping Up? Vol. 24, No. 4 - Full Version
The full version of What's Cropping Up? Vol. 24, No. 4 is available as a downloadable PDF.

Late Summer is a Good Time to Control “Deep-Rooted” Perennial Broadleaf Weeds
All perennial weeds can be troublesome, however “deep-rooted”, creeping perennial broadleaf weeds such as field bindweed, hemp dogbane, horsenettle, and common milkweed are among the most difficult to control. Like annual and biennial weeds, these perennials reproduce by forming seed. In addition, they spread by rhizomes (underground stems).
Preliminary Data Indicate Corn and Wheat Acreage Down but Soybean Acreage Soars in NY in 2014
Corn acreage for grain in NY, as of June 1, is expected to total 660,000 acres in 2014, a decrease of about 4% from 2013 (690,000 acres). Corn acreage for silage production in NY, as of June 1, is expected to total 500,000 acres in 2014, down about 2% from 2013 (510,000 acres). Only 58% of the corn in NY was planted by June 1, however, so grain acreage could decrease further because of maturity concerns for June-planted corn, especially on dairy farms.
How Does Soybean Planting Depth Affect Early Plant Populations?
Most agronomists agree that growers should plant soybeans at the 1.5 inch depth because the seed is vulnerable to drying out at shallower depths and crusting problems at deeper planting depths, both which result in reduced emergence.
How Does Corn Planting Depth Affect Stand Establishment?
Most agronomists agree that a ~2.0 inch planting depth is usually optimum for corn establishment in northern latitudes that receive ample rainfall during the spring. A shallower planting depth, especially less than 1.5 inches, may lead to early-season root lodging associated with shallow nodal root development or corn injury from pre-emergence herbicides.
What's Cropping Up? Vol. 24, No. 3 - Full Version
The full version of What's Cropping Up? Vol. 24, No. 3 is available as a downloadable PDF.

Weed Seedling Identification Workshop Held
Professor Antonio DiTommaso, Cornell Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, in cooperation with the Cornell Cooperative Extension Invasive Species Statewide Program, held a one-day hands-on workshop on weed seedling identification for PRISM partners. Scott Morris, Kathy Howard, and Courtney Stokes, Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, assisted with the workshop.

Do Modern Corn Hybrids Still Exhibit Imbibitional Chilling Injury?
Imbibitional chilling injury to corn purportedly occurs when recently planted corn seed imbibes water at temperatures less than 41oF (although some say 50oF) during the first 48 hours after planting.

New school positions plant and soil science for the future
Five departments in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences – Plant Biology, Horticulture, Plant Breeding and Genetics, Crop and Soil Sciences, and Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology – have been consolidated into the School of Integrative Plant Science.

Adapt-N Responds to Weather, Increases Grower Profits in 2013 Strip Trials
Adapt-N is an on-line tool for weather-adjusted precision nitrogen management in corn that has been available to growers in the Northeast and several Midwestern states since 2010 (http://adapt-n.cals.cornell.edu). In 2013, with an uncharacteristically wet spring, the tool successfully adapted N recommendations to account for early-season N dynamics, and further demonstrated its ability to improve farmer profits.

New York Farm Delves Deeper with Adapt-N
Arnold Richardson has had his eye on Adapt-N since 2009, when the tool for weather-adapted sidedress nitrogen recommendations first became available. Of a self-described “competitive nature,” the Red Creek, NY farmer is constantly seeking and testing new strategies that can improve his farm system and boost yields and profits. After several years of watching the development of Adapt-N and its success in early on-farm trials, Richardson conducted strip trials of the Cornell nitrogen management tool in three fields in 2013.

Findings may advance iron-rich, cadmium-free crops
Professor Olena Vatamaniuk and colleagues have discovered that a transporter protein is involved in iron as well as cadmium partitioning. The work, which is reported in a recent article in Plant Cell, is a multidisciplinary collaboration including current PhD student Sheena Gayomba, as well as several other current and former students, and colleagues at the USDA, Purdue University, University of Aberdeen, and Dartmouth College.

Collmer to lead new School of Integrative Plant Science
Alan Collmer will direct the new School of Integrative Plant Science in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. The school will integrate five current departments.

Custom-built, rather than all-purpose biochars are needed
Professor Johannes Lehmann suggests in a recent issue of Nature Geoscience that “Rather than thinking of biochar as a one-size-fits-all soil enhancer, we need to focus on developing tailor-made biochar systems for individual applications that take into account soil type, climate and social setting.”

Aluminum tolerance fix could open arable land
With as much as 40 percent of the world’s potentially arable land unusable due to aluminum toxicity, a solution may be near in the form of a rice gene.

Invasive vines swallow up New York's natural areas
As invasive Pale and black swallow-wort vines spread across the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada, Cornell researchers lead efforts to understand these pernicious plants.

Professor Peter Hobbs Receives NACTA Teaching Award
Professor Peter Hobbs is the 2014 recipient of the National Association of Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture (NACTA) Teaching Award. This award is presented to a faculty member who has demonstrated a commitment to teaching in agricultural sciences. Hobbs was presented with this award at the Dean’s Awards Reception on April 21.

Wheat Value Triples in NY Over Last 25 Years While Oat and Dry Bean Values Stagnate
What's Cropping Up? Vol. 24, No. 2: Wheat yields have continued to increase and wheat acrage remains stable in New York state, while oat and dry bean acrage plummets.

New York Corn Production During the Last 25 Years
What's Cropping Up? Vol. 24, No. 2: NY corn growers typically plant 1.15 million acres annually, making NY the 17th leading state in the USA in corn acres. NY is unique, in that planted corn acreage fluctuates between an approximate 50:50 ratio of grain corn and corn silage.

Transformation of soybean from minor to major NY crop
What's Cropping Up? Vol. 24, No. 2: Soybean is the agricultural commodity in New York that has increased the most in both acreage and value over the last 25 years. The $195M value of soybean in 2012 ranked the crop as the 6th leading agricultural commodity in New York.

Acetochlor Herbicide Stewardship – New York State
What's Cropping Up? Vol. 24, No. 2: Acetochlor herbicide products received registration approval in New York in February 2013 providing New York growers with a valuable new tool and an expanded array of options for weed control.

Deer proliferation disrupts a forest's natural growth
Literally digging up the dirt, Cornell researchers have found that burgeoning deer populations forever alters a forest’s natural future by disrupting the soil’s seed banks.

Predators delay pest resistance to Bt crops
The combination of natural enemies, such as ladybeetles, with Bt crops, delays a pest's ability to evolve resistance to the crops' insecticidal proteins, according to new research.

Waste not: Student aims to get more out of manure
Ph.D. student Leliah Krounb is studying how to turn human waste into soil nutrients in Kenya by using pyrolysis – thermal combustion in the absence of oxygen.

When it comes to battling weeds on the farm, Russell Hahn is a true road warrior
What sets associate professor Russell Hahn apart is his enduring commitment to educating growers and other stakeholders all across the region on herbicides and their proper application.

As crop indicators, weeds spread in warmer world
Weeds, those unwanted, unloved and annoying invasive plants that farmers and gardeners hate amid their plantings, are expanding to northern latitudes, thanks to rising temperatures.

Food, poverty research are focus of Sept. 17 event
Symposium to showcase program that trained students to use interdisciplinary approaches to food systems and agriculture issues that contribute to extreme poverty.

Grad student to wrestle weeds in collegiate contest
The Cornell University Weed Team sends graduate student Courtney Stokes to the 2013 North Central and Northeastern Collegiate Weed competition in Illinois for two days of brutal, mind-bending, grueling agronomic combat on July 24-25.