US Farms are Making an Urgent Push Into AI. It Could Help Feed the World

Standing in a lush green field in the American Midwest, a farmer points his smartphone at one of his soybean plants. He snaps a photo of a pest crawling a leaf, then lets an AI-driven programme name the species of the bug, and whether it's a cause for concern. Technology like this might sound like a novelty - but it is vital.

Across agriculture, a dearth of workers is threatening the viably of the industry, both in terms of profitably and crop yield. There simply are not enough hands to sustain the food systems that feed the world. This is particularly a problem in the US, which produces the third-largest agricultural output behind China and India.

One of the biggest issues is simple: farmers are getting older. Many can't take on the sun-up-to-sundown manual labour needed to effectively run a farm. And while many these operations have been family-run for decades, younger generations aren't taking the reins from their elders as they once did, instead opting for jobs in less labour-intensive, better-paying industries. The hired labourers who make up the rest of the agricultural workforce, largely immigrants, are following these patterns, too.

Iowa State's Translational AI Center (TrAC) to Participate in Department of Commerce Consortium Dedicated to AI Safety

The Translational AI Center (TrAC), a university level research center at Iowa State University of Science and Technology, is joining more than 200 of the nation's leading artificial intelligence (AI) stakeholders to participate in a U.S. Department of Commerce initiative to support the development and deployment of trustworthy and safe AI. Established by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the U.S. AI Safety Institute Consortium (AISIC) will bring together AI creators and users, academics, government and industry researchers, and civil society organizations to meet this mission.

TrAC and Iowa State are excited to be a part of the NIST US AI Safety Institute Consortium, said the center's director, Soumik Sarkar. As AI is impacting every sector, ranging from healthcare, transportation, energy, manufacturing to food production and agriculture, building safe and trustworthy AI solutions is ever more critical. As an academic partner, we look forward to contributing to this collaborative effort to have a deeper understanding of the risks posed by the advanced AI tools and design verifiable ways to mitigate them.

Two mechanical engineering faculty recently named ASME Fellows

Adarsh Krishnamurthy, associate professor, and Eliot Winer, professor, in mechanical engineering at Iowa State State University have each been named Fellows of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). The ASME Committee of Past Presidents confers the Fellow grade of membership on worthy candidates to recognize their outstanding engineering achievements. To be nominated candidates must have 10 or more years of active practice and at least 10 years of active corporate membership in the organization.

Move Toward Precise Crop Inputs

EnGeniousAg's easy-to-use nitrogen sensor can save farmers money — and help them better steward the land they depend on.

As an entrepreneurially minded plant scientist, Patrick Schnable got excited when he learned Liang Dong had developed a nitrogen sensor.

Dong, the Vikram L. Dalal Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, is a Plant Sciences Institute Scholar recruited to Iowa State by Schnable to do collaborative research that helps agriculture.

Nitrogen monitoring is a problem. Failing to use enough on a corn crop puts yields and profitability at risk. Use too much, and it wastes money and potentially harms the environment. Accurate nitrogen testing can be a challenge, though, because factors like soil makeup, weather, and crop genetics can interfere.

Singh Joins Iowa Soybean Research Center as Co-Director

Asheesh Danny Singh, professor of agronomy with expertise in soybean breeding and phenomics at Iowa State University, has joined the Iowa Soybean Research Center (ISRC) as a co-director. He holds a courtesy appointment in the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering.

Danny is the perfect person to join me in leading the ISRC, said founding director Greg Tylka. I look forward to working shoulder to shoulder with him to advance the center to greater heights and in new dimensions.

Singh's addition highlights the long-term commitment on the part of Iowa State University in its support of soybean research. With the addition of Singh, and in honor of the ISRC's 10-year anniversary in July, the co-directors will work together to expand the research and educational activities of the center while maintaining a focus on soybean production research.

ISU Researchers Hunt for Hard-to-Spot Genetic Links to Improve Crop and Livestock Breeding

When a hurricane-like derecho knocked down corn plants across Iowa in August 2020, it was devastating for farmers. But it also presented a natural experiment for an Iowa State University research team, which fanned out across flattened fields in the days after the storm to record how crops held up.

High winds caused widespread lodging, which happens when a corn plant's stalk breaks or its roots fail to keep it upright. The genetic makeup of corn stalk strength is well-studied, but little research has looked at what makes roots more resistant to lodging. By analyzing post-derecho observations of their genotyped test plots, searching for hereditary causes of root lodging, Iowa State researchers identified 118 genes that may affect corn root stability.

That storm was such a disaster, so it was exciting to be able to make some lemonade out of lemons, said Patrick Schnable, Baker Professor in Agronomy and Iowa Corn Promotion Board Endowed Chair in Genetics.

The root lodging study is an example of how advanced statistical analysis can help mine the expanding volumes of data collected by crop and livestock breeders, hunting for hard-to-spot relationships between the genetic code and complex traits that matter. An interdisciplinary research team at Iowa State recently won a $1.1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to probe existing data for previously unseen links between the genetic instructions carried by plants and animals (genomes) and their physiological characteristics (phenomes).

Move Toward a Resilient Food Supply

Teams of Iowa State researchers are creating a whole new paradigm in plant breeding, one that maximizes agricultural productivity at the critical intersection of sustainable agriculture, bioenergy and food security.

For more than a century, Iowa State University's plant breeding programs have improved the productivity and quality of crops for farmers, enabling the Midwest to lay claim to feeding the world.

Today, researchers at Iowa State are using the latest technologies to usher in a new era of plant breeding, one that maximizes agricultural productivity at the critical intersection of sustainable agriculture, bioenergy and food security - and greatly enhances quality of life for our growing global population.

Exploring New Sorghum Cultivars' Potential as Forage Crop for Upper Midwest

Sorghum is a productive and versatile annual crop used worldwide for livestock feed. Until now, the plant, which originated in the tropics, has done best in warmer regions with longer growing seasons than the Upper Midwest.

A new USDA-supported project will test and release several new sorghum cultivars that promise high-yielding, nutritious forage for beef and dairy cattle operations in the north-central states.

The project will be led by Maria Salas-Fernandez, associate professor of agronomy at Iowa State University, who directs the northernmost public sorghum breeding program in the United States.

The effort is funded by a $498,960 grant from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture's Agriculture and Food Research Initiative. It will facilitate evaluation of Salas-Fernandez's sorghum parental lines created from germplasm adapted for northern growing conditions, including drought-prone areas with sandy soils and low organic matter in the Dakotas and Wisconsin.

Ag Professor Father and Son Duo Develop Proso Millet as Crop for the Future

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has declared 2023 as the International Year of Millets, but these crops are unfamiliar to many Iowa farmers.

Expect that to change soon say plant-breeding father and son team Patrick and James Schnable, co-founders of the Ames-based company Dryland Genetics. They think proso millet (Panicum milaceum) can make midwestern agriculture more resilient and more profitable.

Proso millet is a hardy cereal grain that requires about half the water corn needs per bushel of grain produced. Its management is similar to corn, although it can be grown in the Midwest without the need to apply expensive nitrogen fertilizer. Farmers can use the same equipment they already use to plant and harvest corn or beans. Proso millet's short growing season and late planting date means the crop could mesh well with rotations that include a winter annual crop, such as winter canola, camelina or winter peas.

Singh appointed to Sprague Professorship by Iowa State's Department of Agronomy

Professor and plant breeder Asheesh K. (Danny) Singh has been named to the George Sprague Professorship in Agronomy by the Department of Agronomy in Iowa State University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

Singh succeeds William Beavis, professor emeritus in agronomy, who has served in the position since 2007.

It is quite an honor to be associated with Dr. Sprague, one of the foremost plant breeders, Singh said. His work is still relevant and is an inspiration to continue exploring all available tools and technologies to address the complex production challenges ahead of us.

The Sprague endowed chair, established in 2005, is funded by the Agronomy Endowment. Sprague is considered one of the fathers of modern maize breeding. In collaboration with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, he is credited with discovering hybrid corn, and his Iowa Stiff Stalk Synthetic is the germplasm foundation for many commercial corn hybrids.

Yu to Lead Iowa State's Baker Center for Plant Breeding

Jianming Yu's extensive background in plant genetics and breeding research will serve him well in his new role as director of the Raymond F. Baker Center for Plant Breeding at Iowa State University.

Yu is a professor and Pioneer Distinguished Chair in Maize Breeding in Iowa State's Department of Agronomy. He is known as one of the top scientists in the world for quantitative genetics, which interfaces plant breeding, genomics, molecular genetics and statistics.

His role as Baker Center director takes effect Aug. 16, following Thomas Lübberstedt, K. J. Frey Chair in agronomy, who has served as the center's director since 2007.

Professor Yu is not only an eminent scientist, but also has a special ability to engage and excite faculty and graduate students about new opportunities in plant breeding, said Patrick Schnable, Distinguished Professor of agronomy and director of Iowa State's Plant Sciences Institute. As such, I believe as director, he will foster innovation at the center.

Yu has been a faculty member at Iowa State since 2013. Much of his research focuses on developing and implementing new strategies and methods in complex trait dissection and crop improvement.

Iowa State University Agronomist Predicts the Future Through Modeling

Sotirios Archontoulis started out as a field crop researcher. Every research project led to more questions, he said. A mentor encouraged him to pursue modeling to find answers more quickly and cheaply. He took their advice and now he runs What if scenarios that help explain the present and predict the future.

The computer environment allows easier exploration of many different factors, said Archontoulis, Pioneer Hi-Bred Professor of Agronomy at Iowa State University. Process-based modeling really boils down to identifying the optimum contributions of management and plant traits that can maximize productivity while minimizing environmental footprint.

He will discuss modeling projects he has led for the Iowa Nutrient Research Center (INRC) at the center's upcoming water quality research seminar Wednesday, Dec. 14. Those projects have included assessing the impacts of weather and management on nitrogen loss and teasing out the impact of individual versus multiple nutrient reduction practices on water quality and farm economics.

Major USDA Grant Supports Pioneering Agricultural Genome to Phenome Collaboration Led by Iowa State University

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture announced today it is awarding more than $1.9 million to support the work of the Agricultural Genome to Phenome Initiative (AG2PI) being led by Iowa State University in collaboration with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and University of Idaho.

The goal of AG2PI is to help advance multidisciplinary crop and livestock research by addressing genome to phenome challenges, developing solutions for research infrastructure needs and sharing solutions across kingdoms. It aims to foster collaborations of crop and livestock scientists with colleagues in diverse areas, including data science, statistics, engineering and social sciences, to improve the long-term efficiency and resilience of U.S. agriculture.

Researchers working from genomics to phenomics explore how genomes (organisms' complete set of DNA) influence the expression of observable, phenotypic traits.

The primary focus of the new grant will be to provide competitive funding for projects that will implement a vision for research the AG2PI has been developing with community input over the past two years.

Researchers Studying Leaf Angle Aim to Improve Yields, Inspire Young Scientists

The angle of the leaves on a corn stalk directly affects the plant's ability to soak up the summer sun needed for photosynthesis.

Breeders have developed various corn hybrids with an upright leaf angle, as opposed to a flat leaf, to assist in the photosynthetic process and improve crop yields, particularly in densely planted fields. Still, the genetic mechanisms that control this trait are relatively unknown.

To better understand the underlying structure of leaf angle, an interdisciplinary research team, led by Iowa State University's Jianming Yu, is working to identify the genes using a robot developed at Iowa State to capture 3D images of corn in the field as well as transcriptomic- and CRISPR-based tools. The research, supported by a four-year, $2.5 million National Science Foundation grant, has the potential to aid in the engineering of new hybrids and boost yields.

Dr. Aaron Kusmec Presenting Research on Yield Predictions in Future Climates During the National Corn Growers Association Board of Director's Visit

Board of Regents Approves New Translational AI Research and Education Center at Iowa State University

The Board of Regents, State of Iowa has approved formation of the new Translational AI Research and Education Center (TrAC) at Iowa State University.

TrAC was initially established with $450,000 in Iowa State University Presidential Interdisciplinary Research Initiative (PIRI) funding, sponsored by the Office of the President and administered by the Office of the Vice President for Research. The mission of new BOR-approved interdisciplinary research center is to focus on the convergence of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, with the broad vision of solving science, engineering, and societal problems by applying AI principles, techniques, and technologies.

In addition to a focus on core artificial intelligence research and implementation, TrAC will explore five specific application areas of artificial intelligence:

• Materials, design, and manufacturing;
• Biology, healthcare, and quality of life;
• Autonomy, intelligent transportation, and smart infrastructure;
• Food, energy, and water; and
• Ethics, fairness, and adoption.

PSI Scholar Liang Dong honored with new professorship role

Congratulations to PSI Scholar, Liang Dong, who was honored today by the Iowa State University Foundation at the Vikram L. Dalal Professorship Medallion Ceremony. Engineering Dean W Samuel Easterling, PhD, PE, along with Provost Jonathan Wickert, honored Dr. Dong in his new professorship role.

Plant Sciences Institute Welcomes Four New Faculty Scholars in Third Cohort

The Iowa State University Plant Sciences Institute recently completed its third Faculty Scholars cohort, welcoming four additional Iowa State researchers to a roster currently comprised of 25 active faculty members.

The PSI Faculty Scholars program, which began in 2015, is open to PhDs with tenure-track positions of assistant professor or higher at Iowa State. It is intended to identify, support and empower talented university researchers who have the potential to significantly contribute to the complex and rapidly emerging discipline of predictive plant phenomics. Predictive phenomics is the science of understanding the effects of genetics and environment on phenotypes (traits) sufficiently well to be able to predict phenotype of a given genotype in a given environment.

PSI Faculty Scholars utilize innovative approaches to capitalize on traditional Iowa State strengths, including plant breeding/crop improvement, crop genetics/genomics, bioinformatics, statistics and engineering as well as emerging research in massive data integration and predictive modeling.

Second Round of Grants Awarded in Agriculture Genome-to-Phenome Research

The Agricultural Genome to Phenome Initiative has awarded 11 grants to institutions across the country for projects that help advance multidisciplinary crop and livestock genetics research.

The AG2PI project's second round of grants awarded will broaden the interactions between crop and livestock science, which is a major goal of our initiative. Finding synergistic relationships between plant and animal scientists will improve the pace and methodologies for both research communities, said Patrick Schnable, AG2PI lead scientist and distinguished professor at Iowa State University. I also want to acknowledge the chair of the seed grant committee Jennifer Clarke, at the University of Nebraska, and the rest of her committee for their success in establishing this grant program.

The Agricultural Genome to Phenome Initiative is a three-year project funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture. The goal of AG2PI is to connect crop and livestock scientists to each other and to those working in data science, statistics, engineering and social sciences to identify shared problems and collaborate on solutions.

Liang Dong named director of Microelectronics Research Center

Liang Dong, Vikram L. Dalal Professor in Electrical and Computer Engineering, has been named director of the Iowa State University Microelectronics Research Center (MRC).

The MRC is a multi-disciplinary center focusing on the study of semiconductor materials, devices and applications. The research conducted at the MRC includes a range of areas, including photovoltaics, organic electronics, photonic band gap structures, III-V semiconductors, nanomaterials, energy devices, sensors, microelectromechanical systems and biochips.

Dong replaces long-time MRC director, Vikram L. Dalal, Anson Marston Distinguished Professor of Engineering, who is stepping down after leading the MRC for 22 years.

The MRC will be in extremely capable hands with Liang, who is a talented innovator and leader, said Dalal. Liang will connect the right researchers to the right engineering questions to make major strides in microtechnologies.

Two PIRI awards grant $900,000 to support translational artificial intelligence and foster rural innovation

The Iowa State University Office of the Vice President for Research has announced two winning teams for the 2021 Presidential Interdisciplinary Research Initiative (PIRI), distributing a total of $900,000 in institutional funding to support two of the largest collaborative initiatives in award history.

Established in 2012 and sponsored by the Office of the President, PIRI provides interdisciplinary research groups funds to pursue large-scale research programs that build on the university's reputation for innovation and hold the potential to secure future external research grants and contracts. For the 2021 award cycle, two teams led by associate professor of mechanical engineering Soumik Sarkar, and professor of electrical and computer engineering Hongwei Zhang and professor of architecture Kimberly Zarecor, were each recently selected to receive $450,000 in PIRI funding over the next three years.

Gift establishes the Vikram L. Dalal professorship in electrical and computer engineering

Iowa State University Anson Marston Distinguished Professor Vikram Dalal, along with his former students and several corporations, have provided a gift to establish the Vikram L. Dalal Professorship in Electrical and Computer Engineering at Iowa State. The professorship honors Dalal, who has been with the ISU Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECpE) since 1988.

The first recipient of the professorship is ECpE Professor Liang Dong. Dong's core research areas are agricultural, biomedical and physical sensors, microelectromechanical systems, and biochips. He is a faculty scholar with the ISU Plant Sciences Institute and associate director of the ISU Microelectronics Research Center.

U.S., Mexico ag secretaries meet on campus

Coinciding with World Food Prize events in Des Moines this week, the U.S. and Mexico agriculture secretaries traveled to Iowa State for a few hours Oct. 20 for a bilateral meeting and a tour that included the Seed Science Center and the Plant Sciences Institute. Mexico's secretary of agriculture and rural development Víctor Manuel Villalobos Arámbula and U.S. secretary of agriculture Tom Vilsack were scheduled to participate Thursday on World Food Prize panels.

U.S. agriculture secretary Vilsack will join the mexican agriculture secretary in Iowa

This week, U.S. Agriculture Secretary and former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack will travel back to his home state to welcome Mexico’s Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development.

On Wednesday, the two officials will tour Iowa State University Seed Science Center and Plant Sciences Institute followed by speaking with Ankeny farmers about the challenges they faced over the past year and what support they need in the future.

The second half of the visit will be focused on the World Food Prize events where the secretaries will discuss the state of North American agriculture and how to support those in the field.

New institute aims to unlock the secrets of corn using artificial intelligence

Iowa State University researchers are growing two kinds of corn plants.

If you drive past the many fields near the university's campus in Ames, you can see row after row of the first. But the second exists in a location that hasn't been completely explored yet: cyberspace.

The researchers, part of the AI Institute for Resilient Agriculture, are using photos, sensor data and artificial intelligence to create digital twins of corn plants that, through analysis, can lead to a better understanding of their real-life counterparts. They hope the resulting software and techniques will lead to better management, improved breeding, and ultimately, smarter crops.

We need to use lots of real-time, high-resolution data to make decisions, Patrick Schnable, an agronomy professor and director of Iowa State's Plant Sciences Institute, told Agri-Pulse. Just collecting data for data's sake is not something that production ag wants. But data which is then linked to statistical models or other kinds of mathematical models that advise farmers on what to do has a lot of value.

Plant Sciences Institute Scholar Program RFP Announcement

The Plant Sciences Institute (PSI) requests applications for the appointment of outstanding researchers as PSI Faculty Scholars. The PSI Scholars program is intended to identify, support, and empower talented researchers at ISU who have the potential to significantly contribute to the complex and rapidly emerging discipline of predictive phenomics. PSI Scholars will build upon their existing strong funding and publication track records to enhance ISU’s research prominence in the plant sciences. A listing of current PSI Faculty Scholars and their research interests is available here.

PSI Scholars will utilize innovative approaches to capitalize on traditional ISU strengths (plant breeding/crop improvement, crop genetics/genomics, bioinformatics, statistics, engineering) as well as the emerging research in massive data integration and predictive modeling. Their research will provide new biological insights, develop new methods for analyzing phenomics-related data sets, and create new measurement tools that will deepen our understanding of the relationships among genotype, environment and phenotype and thereby further strengthen ISU’s reputation as a leader in plant science research. Collaboration with scholars on and off campus is encouraged whenever the research program of the applicant could benefit from such collaboration.

Grants Awarded for Multidisciplinary Research in Agricultural Genome-to-Phenome Arena

The Agricultural Genome to Phenome Initiative has awarded seven grants to institutions across the country for projects that help advance crop and livestock genetics research.

Projects such as this will help advance the field of genome-to-phenome research by identifying ways to share data and approaches across crops and livestock, said Patrick Schnable, AG2PI lead scientist and distinguished professor at Iowa State University. We anticipate that some researchers will be able to leverage their seed grants into larger studies.

The Agricultural Genome to Phenome Initiative is a three-year project funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture. The goal of AG2PI is to connect crop and livestock scientists to each other and to those working in data science, statistics, engineering and social sciences to identify shared problems and collaborate on solutions. The AG2PI program includes three rounds of seed grants, of which these are the first round of recipients. The seed grants help to address genome-to-phenome issues and develop solutions for research needs and identify gaps as well as sharing opportunities.

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Names Carolyn Lawrence-Dill Associate Dean for Research and Discovery

Carolyn Lawrence-Dill has been named associate dean for research and discovery for Iowa State University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, effective Aug. 16, 2021.

Lawrence-Dill has been a faculty member at Iowa State since 2014. She is a professor in the Department of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology and the Department of Agronomy, and a faculty scholar with the university's Plant Sciences Institute.

In her new role, Lawrence-Dill will provide the dean, department chairs and other unit directors with strategic guidance and counsel on opportunities and challenges related to the effective and compliant conduct of the research enterprise of the college. Working in collaboration with the dean and other associate deans, she will ensure operations directly advance the college’s mission, and that resources are deployed wisely and efficiently.

USDA-NIFA and NSF Invest $220M in Artificial Intelligence Research Institutes

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA) and the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) announced a $220 million investment in 11 new NSF-led Artificial Intelligence Research Institutes. USDA-NIFA and other agencies and organizations have partnered with NSF to pursue transformational advances in a range of economic sectors and science and engineering fields — from food system security to next-generation edge networks.

The new investment builds on the first round of seven Artificial Intelligence (AI) Research Institutes funded in 2020, totaling $140 million last year.

The USDA-NIFA AI Institute for Resilient Agriculture (AIIRA). Led by Iowa State University, this institute will transform agriculture through innovative AI-driven digital twins that model plants at an unprecedented scale. This approach is enabled by advances in computational theory, AI algorithms, and tools for crop improvement and production for resiliency to climate change. In addition, AIIRA will promote the study of cyber-agricultural systems at the intersection of plant science, agronomics, and AI; power education and workforce development through formal and informal educational activities, focusing on Native American bidirectional engagement and farmer programs; and drive knowledge transfer through partnerships with industry, producers, and federal and state agencies.

NSF partnerships expand National AI Research Institutes to 40 states

The U.S. National Science Foundation announced the establishment of 11 new NSF National Artificial Intelligence Research Institutes, building on the first round of seven institutes funded in 2020. The combined investment of $220 million expands the reach of these institutes to include a total of 40 states and the District of Columbia.

The institutes are focused on AI-based technologies that will bring about a range of advances: helping older adults lead more independent lives and improving the quality of their care; transforming AI into a more accessible plug-and-play technology; creating solutions to improve agriculture and food supply chains; enhancing adult online learning by introducing AI as a foundational element; and supporting underrepresented students in elementary to post-doctoral STEM education to improve equity and representation in AI research.

The AI Institute for Resilient Agriculture. Led by Iowa State University, this institute, also known as AIIRA, will transform agriculture through innovative AI-driven digital twins that model plants at an unprecedented scale. This approach is enabled by advances in computational theory, AI algorithms, and tools for crop improvement and production for resiliency to climate change. In addition, AIIRA will promote the study of cyber-agricultural systems at the intersection of plant science, agronomics, and AI; power education and workforce development through formal and informal educational activities, focusing on Native American bidirectional engagement and farmer programs; and drive knowledge transfer through partnerships with industry, producers, and federal and state agencies.

$20 million federal grant launches AI institute for better crops, agricultural production

The latest artificial intelligence tools will allow researchers to develop digital twins of individual crop plants and entire farm fields, helping plant breeders improve crop varieties and farmers boost production.

The researchers behind a new artificial intelligence research institute say their work can accelerate the productivity and sustainability of agriculture at a time when the world's population is increasing, cropland is decreasing and the climate is changing.

The National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture are supporting the researchers' idea with a five-year, $20 million grant to establish an AI Institute for Resilient Agriculture (AIIRA – eye-rah) based at Iowa State University. The institute is one of 11 AI institutes announced today.

Sensing what plants sense: Integrated framework helps scientists explain biology and predict crop performance

Scientists have invested great time and effort into making connections between a plant's genotype, or its genetic makeup, and its phenotype, or the plant's observable traits. Understanding a plant's genome helps plant biologists predict how that plant will perform in the real world, which can be useful for breeding crop varieties that will produce high yields or resist stress.

But environmental conditions play a role as well. Plants with the same genotype will perform differently when grown in different environments. A new study led by an Iowa State University scientist uses advanced data analytics to help scientists understand how the environment interacts with genomics in corn, wheat and oats. The results could lead to more accurate and faster models that will allow plant breeders to develop crop varieties with desirable traits.

The study was published recently in the peer-reviewed academic journal Molecular Plant.

Jianming Yu, a professor of agronomy and the Pioneer Distinguished Chair in Maize Breeding, said the study sheds light on phenotypic plasticity, or the ability of crops to adapt to environmental changes. This could help plant breeders get a better understanding of how shapable plant species are, or how much potential they have to perform well in different environments.

Genome to Phenome research community wins grant for next phase

A new federal grant will expand the impact of a project creating a shared vision across research communities for crops, livestock and data engineering, known as the Agricultural Genome to Phenome Initiative (AG2PI).

The $960,000 award from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute for Food and Agriculture supports phase II of the three-year Iowa State University-led AG2PI effort. The program won initial NIFA funding of $960,000 last September. Genomics to phenomics research generally explores how an organism’s genome, or complete set of DNA, influences expression of observable, phenotypic traits -- and often how these traits are influenced by environmental factors.

Sensing what plants sense: Integrated framework helps scientists explain biology and predict crop performance

Scientists have invested great time and effort into making connections between a plant's genotype, or its genetic makeup, and its phenotype, or the plant's observable traits. Understanding a plant's genome helps plant biologists predict how that plant will perform in the real world, which can be useful for breeding crop varieties that will produce high yields or resist stress.

But environmental conditions play a role as well. Plants with the same genotype will perform differently when grown in different environments. A new study led by an Iowa State University scientist uses advanced data analytics to help scientists understand how the environment interacts with genomics in corn, wheat and oats. The results could lead to more accurate and faster models that will allow plant breeders to develop crop varieties with desirable traits.

Skroot Laboratory Inc. Spins Off From Iowa State Research, Helps Labs Make Medicine

It's necessary work for a cell factory, but monitoring cell growth in small flasks is labor intensive and risks contaminating cell cultures. It can be a bit of lab drudgery, too.

I did this often in graduate school, said Nigel Reuel, an Iowa State University assistant professor who recently earned tenure and was promoted to associate professor of chemical and biological engineering. He's also the Jack R. and Carol A. Johnson Faculty Fellow.

For fast growing types, you'd have to pull samples every 30 minutes throughout the day or for slow growing types, you'd have to come in on weekends to take measurements for a complete growth curve.

Iowa State University Leads New Project to Build Genome to Phenome Research Community Across Crops and Livestock

A new federal grant will support an Iowa State University-led effort to spur development of a genome to phenome infrastructure for scientific collaboration across crops and livestock.

The three-year, $960,000 project will provide guidance and lay the groundwork for a larger federal Agricultural Genome to Phenome Initiative (AG2PI) sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute for Food and Agriculture.

OVPR Welcomes 29 Faculty to Research Collaboration Catalysts 2020-2021 Cohort

Twenty-nine faculty members will participate in the Research Collaboration Catalysts 2020-2021 cohort, designed to train the next generation of research team leaders.

The Research Collaboration Catalysts program is based on Team Science principles. Using evidence-based training, tools, and resources, participating Iowa State faculty will develop strong leadership skills and learn how to manage challenges that are specific to interdisciplinary collaborations to foster high-performing research teams. To participate, tenured, tenure-eligible, and research term faculty had to be nominated by their supervisors as individuals who have demonstrated potential to lead future high-impact interdisciplinary research teams.

Researchers Building Cyber-Physical System to Monitor Crops, Drive Decisions, Boost Yields

After decades of growing corn and soybean yields across the Midwest's Corn Belt, per-acre yields are approaching their theoretical limits. But there's still a need for more grain to feed people and livestock.

Where can that grain come from? How can farmers and fields produce even more? Is there a new, sustainable way to boost productivity?

Engineers, geneticists, agronomists, system modelers and machine-learning experts at Iowa State University and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln think they might have a way. They're combining their electronics, computing and crop expertise to develop a system that will constantly monitor fields at near single-plant resolution, predict productivity and help farmers manage their water and fertilizer use.

Dr. Asheesh Singh Honored with Mid-Career Achievement in Research Award

The award recognizes a tenured or tenure-track faculty member who has demonstrated exemplary research performance or scholarship accomplishments as documented by peers or experts in the field.

Dr. Soumik Sarkar Honored with Early Achievement in Research Award

The award recognizes a tenured or tenure-track faculty member who has demonstrated outstanding accomplishments unusually early in his or her professional career.

ISU Robot Still Reports to Work, Even During a Pandemic

The coronavirus pandemic has shut down much of everyday life, but one researcher at Iowa State University continues to work uninterrupted in a laboratory for hours a day, painstakingly watering and measuring plants to study the effects of drought.

This research project doesn't violate social distancing guidelines because it all depends on a robot that was designed to work as autonomously as possible. The project is called Robotic Assay for Drought, or RoAD, and Yanhai Yin, chair of genetics, development and cell biology, said the research is still churning out valuable data, even in the middle of a pandemic.

P3 Program Introducing New Technology, Teamwork to the Classroom

Since its start in 2015, Iowa State University's Predictive Plant Phenomics (P3) graduate program has focused on changing the narrative surrounding plant biology to increase crop productivity and meet industry demands for food and fuel. This semester, the program is kicking off a new initiative to bring what has been illustrated through textbooks and lectures to life, giving students the ability to track real-time data with the help of sensors designed to predict plant growth and productivity.

The main focus of the P3 program's introductory course, Foundations of Predictive Plant Phenomics, has always been about the basics: teaching students how to look after corn and soybean plants - often for the first time - and how to conduct simple plant phenotyping, the process of analyzing physical and biochemical genetic traits. But thanks to the introduction of new sensors to the lab portion of the course, this semester, students in the class have the chance to dig in and design their own computational experiments to collect and analyze data, from soil moisture to atmospheric pressure.

Iowa State University Scientists Call for Unconventional Collaboration in Agriculture

Iowa State University scientists have issued a call to action for researchers in a wide range of disciplines to turn their attention to some of the most pressing challenges facing agriculture. The unorthodox approach to collaboration could spark innovative new approaches to how farmers produce commodities and interact with the environment.

Carolyn Lawrence-Dill, professor of genetics, development and cell biology, said she and her co-authors hope their latest paper spurs cross-discipline collaboration. The paper, titled "Idea Factory: the Maize Genomes to Fields Initiative," appeared recently in the academic journal Crop Science.

Researchers use Crowdsourcing to Speed Up Data Analysis in Corn Plants

Teaching a machine to finish a complex task can save humans a lot of time, effort and money. But first, the machine has to learn how, and that comes with plenty of its own challenges

An interdisciplinary team of Iowa State University scientists turned to crowdsourcing, or relying on large groups of minimally trained people, to repeat a task often enough that researchers could formulate an algorithm that allows a computer to carry out that task automatically. In this case, the scientists wanted to teach a machine to identify the tassels of corn plants when given a vast number of photographic images to sort through.

Plant Scientists Use Big Data To Map Stress Responses In Corn

Plant scientists at Iowa State University have completed a new study that describes the genetic pathways at work when corn plants respond to stress brought on by heat, a step that could lead to crops better capable of withstanding stress.

The findings, published as a large-scale biology paper in the academic journal The Plant Cell, map the stress response detected by the endoplasmic reticulum, an organelle in cells of corn seedlings. The research was a multilevel study in which the scientists analyzed massive datasets to account for the expression of tens of thousands of plant genes. The size of the study required a multi-institutional effort that included scientists at Iowa State, Michigan State and the University of North Carolina, Wilmington

Plant Sciences Institute Names Nine Faculty to Second Cohort

After reviewing dozens of applications, Iowa State University's Plant Sciences Institute (PSI) has named nine faculty members to the second cohort of PSI Faculty Scholars. Faculty selected represent three of the university's eight colleges - Agriculture and Life Sciences, Engineering, and Liberal Arts and Sciences.

The PSI Scholars program identifies, supports and empowers talented Iowa State researchers who have the potential to significantly contribute to the complex and rapidly emerging discipline of predictive phenomics. PSI Scholars build upon their existing strong funding and publication track records to enhance ISU's research prominence in the plant sciences. Recipients receive $75,000 of research funding per year for up to three years.

Engineers Make Wearable Sensors For Plants, Enabling Measurements Of Water Use In Crops

Iowa State University plant scientist Patrick Schnable quickly described how he measured the time it takes for two kinds of corn plants to move water from their roots, to their lower leaves and then to their upper leaves.

This was no technical, precise, poster talk. This was a researcher interested in working with new, low-cost, easily produced, graphene-based, sensors-on-tape that can be attached to plants and can provide new kinds of data to researchers and farmers.

RFP Information for PSI Faculty Scholars Program

• Deadline for applications: 22 December 2017 (8AM)
• Expected effective date of awards: 1 February 2018

The Plant Sciences Institute (PSI) requests applications for the appointment of outstanding researchers as PSI Faculty Scholars. The PSI Scholars program is intended to identify, support, and empower talented researchers at ISU who have the potential to significantly contribute to the complex and rapidly emerging discipline of predictive phenomics. PSI Scholars will build upon their existing strong funding and publication track records to enhance ISU’s research prominence in the plant sciences. A listing of the first cohort of PSI Faculty Scholars and their research interests is available here.

Dr. Liang Dong to be a Plenary Speaker at PAG XXVI

Dr. Liang Dong to be a Plenary Speaker at PAG XXVI (January 14-17, 2018).

Talk Title: Agricultural Sensors and Biochips to Advance Plant Phenomics and Smart Agriculture

Viruses and aphids that help crops? ISU scientists think it may be possible

Farmers often go to great lengths to keep viruses and aphids out of their fields, but Iowa State University scientists are imagining a future in which these harmful agents could be engineered to help crops.

It's a wild and highly speculative idea, the researchers admit. But the research will unearth valuable clues about how viruses, insects and plants interact and could lead to new interventions to safeguard the food supply.

Iowa State University Researchers Untangle The Molecular Mechanisms Connecting Plant Stress and Growth

Iowa State University researchers for the first time have mapped the various molecular components that govern how environmentally stressed plants interrupt their normal growth pathways by tapping into an important energy recycling function.

The research, published today in the peer-reviewed academic journal Developmental Cell, shows that autophagy, a system by which both plants and animals recycle energy and molecular components, plays a key role in slowing plant growth during times of stress.

Innovative Research in Microfluidic Soil Sensor Featured on Front Cover of Journal

Iowa State University is no stranger to innovative research, and Electrical and Computer Engineering Professor Liang Dong has proven just that. Dong's research, which has been recently featured on the front cover of the journal Lab on a Chip, is about the development of tiny sensors helping farmers keep amounts of fertilizer under control in their fields.

Iowa State University Researchers Detail Genetic Mechanisms that Govern Growth and Drought Response in Plants

New research from an Iowa State University scientist identifies a genetic mechanism that governs growth and drought tolerance in plants, a development that could lead to better performing traits in crops.

Yanhai Yin, a professor of genetics, development and cell biology and a Plant Sciences Institute Faculty Scholar, said the biological processes that oversee plant growth and drought response often clash with one another. Yin said scientists have long observed the tendency of plants to slow their growth in times of drought to conserve energy and fight stress, but the genetic mechanisms that guide those interactions were poorly understood.

Modeling Long-Term Corn Yield Response to Nitrogen Rate and Crop Rotation

Front. Plant Sci. (Peer-Reviewed Article): Improved prediction of optimal N fertilizer rates for corn (Zea mays L.) can reduce N losses and increase profits. We tested the ability of the Agricultural Production Systems sIMulator (APSIM) to simulate corn and soybean (Glycine max L.) yields, the economic optimum N rate (EONR) using a 16-year field-experiment dataset from central Iowa, USA that included two crop sequences (continuous corn and soybean-corn) and five N fertilizer rates (0, 67, 134, 201, and 268 kg N ha-1) applied to corn. Our objectives were to: (a) quantify model prediction accuracy before and after calibration, and report calibration steps; (b) compare crop model-based techniques in estimating optimal N rate for corn; and (c) utilize the calibrated model to explain factors causing year to year variability in yield and optimal N. Results indicated that the model simulated well long-term crop yields response to N (relative root mean square error, RRMSE of 19.6% before and 12.3% after calibration), which provided strong evidence that important soil and crop processes were accounted for in the model. The prediction of EONR was more complex and had greater uncertainty than the prediction of crop yield (RRMSE of 44.5% before and 36.6% after calibration). For long-term site mean EONR predictions, both calibrated and uncalibrated versions can be used as the 16-year mean differences in EONR’s were within the historical N rate error range (40–50 kg N ha-1). However, for accurate year-by-year simulation of EONR the calibrated version should be used. Model analysis revealed that higher EONR values in years with above normal spring precipitation were caused by an exponential increase in N loss (denitrification and leaching) with precipitation. We concluded that long-term experimental data were valuable in testing and refining APSIM predictions. The model can be used as a tool to assist N management guidelines in the US Midwest and we identified five avenues on how the model can add value toward agronomic, economic, and environmental sustainability.

Iowa State University Scientists Propose a New Strategy to Accelerate Plant Breeding by Turbocharging Gene Banks

A new study led by an Iowa State University agronomist may help scientists sift through vast amounts of plant seeds stored in gene bank facilities across the globe to identify those useful to plant breeders attempting to produce better varieties.

The effort represents a proof-of-concept experiment that may help plant scientists separate the wheat from the chaff when it comes to selecting the best accessions to breed cultivars with better yield or stress resistance, said Jianming Yu, an associate professor of agronomy and the Pioneer Distinguished Chair in Maize Breeding.

Nettleton Named Director of Baker Center For Bioinformatics and Biological Statistics

Dan Nettleton has been named director of the Laurence H. Baker Center for Bioinformatics and Biological Statistics at Iowa State University.

Nettleton will lead the L.H. Baker Center's work in developing and applying statistical methods for addressing challenges in biological sciences research. Nettleton, a Distinguished Professor in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and professor of statistics, said he intends to continue the L.H. Baker Center's tradition of collaboration with researchers throughout Iowa State – and grow the center's presence in the use of data science in biosciences and agricultural innovations.

Plant Sciences Institute Announces PSI Faculty Scholars

Iowa State University's Plant Sciences Institute (PSI) has awarded funding to investigators in three colleges in an effort to stimulate high-risk, high-reward research in the plant sciences.

The awards are part of the Plant Sciences Institute's Faculty Scholars program. The new initiative was spearheaded by PSI director Patrick Schnable and takes a different approach than a traditional internal seed grant program. Instead of funding specific research projects, the program will invest $2 million annually to provide investigators with flexible funding they may use in a variety of ways -- salaries, acquisition of equipment, seminar support, consulting fees and other related expenses -- to engage in innovative and high-risk research that may lead to important breakthroughs in PSI's focus area of predictive phenomics.