Plants, Soils, & Climate - News

PSC Student Named Outstanding Graduate Student at USU - Uintah Basin

tiffany.adams@usu.edu (Tiffany Adams) — Thu, 09 May 2013 00:00:00 MST

Colleen Jones, named Outstanding Graduate Student for 2012-2013 at USU - Uintah Basin, works in the Pariette Wetlands for her thesis.

Named Outstanding Graduate Student for 2012-2013 at Utah State University – Uintah Basin, Colleen Jones, a PSC student, became the first scholar to graduate with a doctorate in the sciences from this USU regional campus.

For her thesis, Jones worked with the Bureau of Land Management to identify how selenium mobilized in Pariette Wetlands. “Selenium is an essential nutrient for animals,” Jones said. “ However, in large doses selenium is toxic, especially to egg-laying animals.”

Now that she has finished her doctoral work, Jones plans to work with US Fish and Wildlife and the Utah Water Quality Division to continue monitoring water, soil and plants while also studying macroinvertebrates (e.g. worms and insects), birds and fish.

PSC Student Delivers Student Commencement Address

tiffany.adams@usu.edu (Tiffany Adams) — Wed, 08 May 2013 00:00:00 MST

Heather Larson, a horticulture major, delivered the university and the college's student commencement address on May 4.

This year a College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences student delivered Utah State University’s student commencement address on May 4.

Heather Larson, a horticulture major in the Department of Plants, Soils and Climate, grew up in Idaho Falls, Idaho, later moving to North Ogden where she attended high school. Beginning college at the University of Utah, Larson studied chemistry. “I didn’t love the school, didn’t love my major. It was interesting, and I was good at it, but I wasn’t loving it,” Larson said.

Unsure of what degree she should pursue, Larson took a leave of absence from school. During that time, she got married and started gardening, a passion that led her to a degree in horticulture. “I was thinking I could maybe see this as a future, so I did some research and decided to come [to USU],” Larson said.

Chosen as CAAS’s valedictorian, she and the top scholars from USU’s seven additional colleges were asked to prepare and deliver a commencement address. Presented to the other valedictorians and several faculty members, the group voted on the best address given, selecting Larson.

Larson said finding a topic for her speech was daunting because the university has such a diverse group. “I decided to focus on what we share in common,” she said.

Larson gave two speeches on graduation day. The first speech was given at the University’s commencement ceremony in the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum on May 4 at 9:30 a.m. The second was given to CAAS graduates along with their friends and families in the Kent Concert Hall on May 4 at 2 p.m.

Larson said her advice for new students is to get to know the faculty, because they have experience and the best guidance. “It’s just a warm and friendly school,” Larson said. “The faculty are so much more friendly. I feel like they reach out to the students. You don’t necessarily have to reach out to them to have them notice you at all.”

Excited to take the next step, Larson is unsure what job she wants to pursue but is interested in getting into the greenhouse industry, teaching or being involved with Extension.

Professor Researches How to Improve Nutrition Using Algae

McCarty.Hatfield@usu.edu (McCarty Hatfield) — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 00:00:00 MST

Bruce Bugbee, a professor in the Department of Plants, Soils and Climate, has been working with colleagues in the College of Science and College of Engineering on a research project that could improve the nutrient value of foods.

Bugbee and his colleagues have been studying microalgae for several years. The initial studies sought to grow algae to produce fuel, specifically jet fuel.

During their research, the group discovered that microalgae has a unique property: it produces healthy cooking oils. For many years, hydrogenated soybean oil has been used in food products, because it is inexpensive. However hydrogenated soybean oil contains trans fats that increase the risk of coronary heart disease by raising levels of LDL cholesterol and lowering levels of "good" HDL cholesterol.

Currently, soybean oil is being replaced with palm oil, a healthier alternative. However, obtaining these oils from tropical palm has significant environmental costs, while the use of microalgae is a healthy alternative without that cost.

“The goal is to make algae a new kind of agricultural commodity,” Bugbee said. “Give farmers another option for a crop.”

Microalgae don’t compete with crops for water, because it can be grown in salt water. In Utah, salt water is plentiful with large sources found in the Great Salt Lake and saline aquifers. Microalgae can also be grown in desert, rocky and arid areas and can be harvested every 7 days.

Bugbee estimates microalgae can produce three times more oil per acre than most other oil-producing crops, but the current cost of microalgae production is also about three times higher. He said it’s a big investment per acre, because it is grown in tanks that require aeration and

The algae growing tanks at the beginning of growing process.

continuous mixing.

Additionally, Bugbee said one challenge of growing the algae is getting the good stuff to grow and keeping the disease out. Bugbee said several private companies started producing algae but most of them went out of business, because it was harder than they expected. “Some say it will never get there,” Bugbee said.

However, Bugbee is hopeful. “This is what universities do,” Bugbee said. “We take on the really hard projects that private companies don’t have the patience for.” Currently, Bugbee said the research team is continuing to refine procedures and processes to make the operation more efficient and affordable.

PSC Professor Works as Jefferson Science Fellow

tiffany.adams@usu.edu (Tiffany Adams) — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 00:00:00 MST

Kjelgren gives a presentation during his service as a Jefferson Science Fellow

As the school year nears its end, one professor in the College of Agriculture continues his service as a Jefferson Science Fellow (JSF) in Washington, D.C.

Roger Kjelgren, a professor in the plants, soils and climate department (PSC), is currently serving as a JSF, working as a science advisor in the State Department Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR) Office of Economic Affairs.

The Jefferson Science Fellowship was founded in 2003 to establish a new model of engagement between the American academic science, technology, engineering and medical communities and American policy makers. After their one-year assignment, fellows continue to serve as a resource to the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) for an additional five years.

Fellows are selected by a 21-member committee made up of leadership from the National Academy of Sciences, State Department and former fellows and must go through an extensive U.S. government security clearance process prior to serving as a JSF.

After completing their necessary security clearances, fellows work to meet their specific office’s needs.

“What I bring to [the] State and the intelligence community is a unique scientific perspective on agricultural and higher education issues in developing countries,” Kjelgren said. Using that perspective, Kjelgren regularly engages in free trade discussions and writes about the economic impact climate volatility will have on agriculture and forestry in developing countries.

Additionally, Kjelgren plans to explore higher education gender ratios in developing countries and the use of remote sensing technologies to quantify water supplies in major river basins around the world.

Living in D.C. since August has also been a highlight for Kjelgren. “D.C. is a fascinating city of people and pedestrians interested in many things,” he said. “There are talks [at] any given hour [on] any given policy topic somewhere in the city.”

This isn’t Kjelgren’s first prestigious fellowship either. He also served a Fulbright fellowship in Thailand that led to developing academic relationships with partner Thai and Chinese universities.

Skaggs Research Lab Refurbished

McCarty.Hatfield@usu.edu (McCarty Hatfield) — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 00:00:00 MST

Built in the 1980s, the Skaggs Research Laboratory on 800 East in Logan housed animal nutrition labs for years.

Last year during the months of March, April, May and June, the Skaggs building underwent renovations. Refurbished the Skaggs became the new home of the Utah State University Analytical Labs (USUAL).

This service laboratory provides analysis of plant tissue, soil, water and forage samples for USU research labs and off campus clientele. The instrumentation is state of the art and helps Utah agriculture make better management decisions.

The refurbishing was perfectly timed as the old Animal Science building was being retired, and the new Agricultural Sciences building was not thought to be a fitting location for the, at times, dirty and dusty projects the lab performs.

The Skaggs building provides all the necessary components for the lab as well as a beneficial feature, abundant and free parking for the public.

Austrian Alps Mountain Farmer to Inaugural Professor

tiffany.adams@usu.edu (Tiffany Adams) — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 00:00:00 MST

From Utah State Today:

Professor Paul Grossl (right) with USU Executive Vice President and Provost Raymond T. Coward. Professor Grossl presented an Inaugural Professor Lecture Jan. 23.

An Austrian town located in the Carinthian-Styrian Alps. USU professor Paul Grossl spent summers during his high school years working as a farmer, high in the Austrian Carinthian-Styrian Alps.

Utah State University biogeochemist professor Paul Grossl spent his summers during his high school years working as a farmer, high in the Austrian Carinthian-Styrian Alps.

“That experience gave me a direction in life, I knew I wanted to be outdoors working with agriculture and forestry,” said Grossl.

These mountain farms are ancient, isolated farms with fragile terrain, some dating back 2,000 years. Grossl worked on a more recent farm, founded in 1515.

“It began to click in my head the process of sustainability; the ability to manage lands in sustainable ways to create worth over a long period of time,” said Grossl.

Grossl gave his Inaugural Lecture Series presentation Jan. 23, the fifth lecture of this academic year’s installment. His lecture, “A Middle-Ground Approach Toward Professorship and Beyond,” described his roots and path to USU.

“I was always in the middle growing up. I am a middle child, was raised in two different countries and settings, urban and rural,” said Grossl.

After completing school in Illinois and Austria, Grossl enrolled in the forestry undergraduate program at the University of Illinois, and discovered his passion for soil during his junior year after taking a required soil science class.

“It brought everything together, chemistry, biology and environmental science,” he said.

Grossl completed his master’s from University of Minnesota, and doctorate at Montana State University. Grossl took a position as an assistant professor of biogeochemistry with Utah State in 1994. He is a faculty member in the Plants, Soils and Climate Department in the College of Agriculture.

“I was targeting the West because I wanted two things, the opportunity to be outdoors and to be near mountains,” said Grossl. “Utah State has provided much more than that.”

Grossl is currently researching soil reclamation in the environment, but has shifted more attention to teaching and engaging students about soil and environmental science issues.

“I want to develop my courses so students don’t see it as a required course, but as an enjoyable learning experience,” said Grossl.

While at USU, Grossl is recognized for his research with arsenic reactions in the environment. His work has been cited multiple times, and the data was used to develop systems to remove arsenic from drinking water in third world countries.

“During the time of our research there was the largest mass poisoning in human history occurring in Bangladesh from arsenic contamination in the water wells,” Grossl said. “Our papers came out with parameters that helped engineers develop affordable systems to bring clean water to remote areas.”

Grossl came into USU with little teaching experience, but has grown a passion for communicating his experiences to students in helping them learn.

“I want people to gain an appreciation for soil, and see its value as a precious natural resource that needs to be preserved rather than abused as a short-term profitable but non-sustainable means to a destructive end,” said Grossl.

Utah Climate Center Helps Educate Public about Inversion

McCarty.Hatfield@usu.edu (McCarty Hatfield) — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 00:00:00 MST

LOGAN, UT – As Utah citizens urge lawmakers to pass legislation combating Utah’s pollution, the Utah Climate Center in the College of Agriculture at Utah State University continues to offer research and information about inversions and other weather phenomenon.

Dr. Robert Gillies, Director of the Utah Climate Center, said, “Many people who have actually called into the Climate Center … [are] soliciting advice about inversions, and really how to avoid them.” Dr. Gillies noted that while legislation is good, he would rather Utah residents “become educated and aware of what an inversion means for their health and their family’s health.”

Inversions are caused when a layer of warm air traps cold air below it, preventing pollutants from escaping the valley. This places all at risk, especially children, elderly and those with pre-existing respiratory conditions.

To aid Utahns and climate research, the Utah Climate Center uses a model to predict when inversions will occur. “We’ve had a model running for several years now that can predict inversions and the air quality during them, “ Martin Schroeder, Utah Climate Center meteorologist, said. These predications can be heard five times daily on Utah Public Radio.

While legislators decide on possible regulations, Utahns can take small steps to improve air quality by:

· Turning off vehicles while idling.

· Consider switching to a green power source offered by Rocky Mountain Power’s new Blue Sky program.

· Perform a quick and free energy audit on your home through utahcleanenergy.org

· Stay inside as much as possible on red air days.

For more information about the Utah Climate Center, please visit climate.usurf.usu.edu.

Students Experiment on Seed Germination for Plant Propagation

McCarty.Hatfield@usu.edu (McCarty Hatfield) — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 00:00:00 MST

Students conduct experiments on seed germination for Plant Propagation. Planting seeds is the most common means of propagating agronomic and horticultural crops. Students learn to evaluate seed quality and to provide optimal conditions for germination to ensure success.

Scientists From Nepal

McCarty.Hatfield@usu.edu (McCarty Hatfield) — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 00:00:00 MST

Two scientists from Nepal, Nirmala Pandey and Dale Davis (Agriculture and Food Safety Coordinators with Helen Keller International), are visiting the Utah Climate Center and the Department of Plants, Soils, and Climate. The purpose of their visit is to coordinate a joint project for climate change and livestock managagment in Nepal that is funded by USAID for three years. USU cooperators include Rob Gillies, Simon Wang, Dale ZoBell, Kerry Rood, and Ron Munger.

Pictured in the photo are Dr. Rob Gillies, Nirmala Pandey, Dale Davis, and Dean Noelle Cockett.

Writer: Simon Wang

Larry Rupp Wins 1st & Best of Show in the Pi Alpha Xi Photo Contest

McCarty.Hatfield@usu.edu (McCarty Hatfield) — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 00:00:00 MST

Larry Rupp, professor of ornamental horticulture and Extension specialist in the Department of Plants, Soils and Climate, took First Place and Best of Show in the Pi Alpha Xi photography contest. The photo contest was held during the American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS) annual conference in Miami, Florida, in early August.

According to the ASHS website, Pi Alpha Xi established an open photography contest in 1996 to be held in conjunction with the Annual Conference of the American Society for Horticultural Science. The purpose of the contest is to promote Pi Alpha Xi (PAX) to ASHS membership, to support Pi Alpha Xi’s scholarship program and to encourage horticulture-related photography.

Rupp’s winning photo is of the plant False Hellebore (Veratrum californicum).

To see more winning photos and learn about PAX and ASHS, click here