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Science-based innovation for a changing world

Setter, Westbrook, and Pelzer receive 2023 MacDonald Musgrave Awards; Lehmann celebrated

-Magdalen Lindeberg
Several awards are given out within the School of Integrative Plant Science at the end of each fall semester.  Among these are the MacDonald and Musgrave Awards, representing the desire of two crop science faculty members, Dr. Robert Musgrave and Dr. Harry MacDonald, to recognize outstanding accomplishments with the Section of Soil and Crop Sciences, at the time known as the Department of Agronomy. The awards were presented by SCS Chair, Toni DiTommaso on December 8.

3 men standingTim Setter is this year’s recipient of the faculty McDonald-Musgrave Award for exceptional service to the Department/Section of Soil and Crop Sciences. In his 40 years of service Tim made many significant research contributions, taught important courses in the disciple, served as Director of Graduate Studies for the Field, and mentored many undergraduate and graduate students. Of particular note, Tim served as Chair of Soil & Crop Sciences from 2012 to 2018 as the department was merged into the new School of Integrative Plant Science. In the words of a nominator, “Tim very capably supported our unit through this transition and adjusted well to the new organizational structure.”

Chris Pelzer is this year’s recipient of the staff McDonald-Musgrave Award. Chris serves as lab manager in Matt Ryan’s program where he is involved with virtually all aspects of lab activities. He provides outstanding support to undergraduate and graduate students, postdocs, and visiting scientists, is generous with his time, and routinely assists other research programs. In 2022, Chris took over teaching PLSCS 2940 Introduction to Agricultural Machinery, and more generally serves as a valued mentor, teaching students important skills related to experimental design and equipment operation.

sophie westbrook and toni ditommaso with awardSophie Westbrook is this year’s recipient of the MacDonald-Musgrave Outstanding Graduate Student Award. Sophie was cited for her ” incredible work ethic, generosity, breadth and depth of knowledge in various fields of study, and her sheer productivity during her time as a graduate student in the DiTommaso program”. Among her many accomplishments, Sophie has mentored numerous undergraduates, authored 23 peer-reviewed publications, and taken on leadership roles in the graduate student community.

2 men with awardAlso at the event, Johannes Lehmann was recognized for his 2023 election to the National Academy of Sciences. Lehmann is Liberty Hyde Bailey Professor in the Soil & Crop Sciences Section, and Professor of Global Development. His research and teaching focuses on soil biogeochemistry and soil fertility management, specializing in soil organic matter and nutrient studies of managed and natural ecosystems.

Awards, Graduate Students, Soil and Crop Sciences

Recent publications from the SIPS community – December 7, 2023

An integrated data-driven approach to monitor and estimate plant-scale growth using UAV.

Vigneault, P., Lafond-Lapalme, J., Deshaies, A., Khun, K., de la Sablonnière, S., Filion, M., Longchamps, L., and Mimee, B. 2023. ISPRS Open Journal of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing:100052.

Twelve new metagenome-assembled genomes from non-axenic culture of Griffithsia monilis (Rhodophyta).

Rizzieri, Y. C., Lipari, A., Gunn, L., and Li, F.-W. Microbiology Resource Announcements 0:e00728-00723.

Identification of QTL associated with resistance to Phytophthora fruit rot in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.).

Lin, Y.-C., Mansfeld, B. N., Tang, X., Colle, M., Chen, F., Weng, Y., Fei, Z., and Grumet, R. 2023. Frontiers in Plant Science 14.

Organ-specific volatiles from Sonoran desert Krameria flowers as potential signals for oil-collecting bees.

Balbuena, M. S., Buchmann, S. L., Papaj, D. R., and Raguso, R. A. 2024.  Phytochemistry 218:113937.

Publications

Recent publications from the SIPS community – November 30, 2023

Full-Season Crop Phenology Monitoring Using Two-Dimensional Normalized Difference Pairs.

Longchamps, L., and Philpot, W. 2023. Remote Sensing 15:5565.

Intra-household discrete choice experiment for trait preferences: a new method.

Mukerjee, R., Faye, N. F., Badji, M. J., Gomez, M., Rubin, D., Tufan, H. A., and Occelli, M. 2023. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems 7.

The amount and chemistry of acylsugars affects sweetpotato whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) oviposition and development, and tomato yellow leaf curl virus incidence, in field grown tomato plants.

Smeda, J. R., Smith, H. A., and Mutschler, M. A. 2023.  PLOS ONE 18:e0275112.

Biology of Infectious Disease: From Molecules to Ecosystems.

Milgroom, M. Springer, 2023.

Sensationalized soil carbon sequestration estimates excuse further climate inaction.

McClelland, S. C., and Woolf, D. Global Change Biology n/a:e17012.

Band herbicide application combined with inter-row cultivation as a sustainable weed management strategy for reducing herbicide use: A meta-analysis.

Ozaslan, C., Gürsoy, S., and DiTommaso, A. 2024. Crop Protection 175:106474.

Comparison of three sigmoidal functions describing the leaf growth of Camptotheca acuminata Decne.

Peng, Q., Chen, L., Niklas, K. J., Yao, W., Lian, M., and Shi, P. 2023.  Ecological Modelling 486:110531.

Functional analysis of Salix purpurea genes support roles for ARR17 and GATA15 as master regulators of sex determination.

Hyden, B., Carper, D. L., Abraham, P. E., Yuan, G., Yao, T., Baumgart, L., Zhang, Y., Chen, C., O’Malley, R., Chen, J.-G., Yang, X., Hettich, R. L., Tuskan, G. A., and Smart, L. B. 2023.  Plant Direct 7:e546.

Agricultural soil legacy influences multitrophic interactions between crops, their pathogens and pollinators.

Davis, J. K., Cohen, A. D., Getman-Pickering, Z. L., Grab, H. L., Hodgden, B., Maher, R. M., Pelzer, C. J., Rangarajan, A., Ryan, M. R., Ugine, T. A., and Thaler, J. S. 2023. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 290:20231453.

Adaptive constraints at the range edge of a widespread and expanding invasive plant.

Fletcher, R. A., Atwater, D. Z., Haak, D. C., Bagavathiannan, M. V., DiTommaso, A., Lehnhoff, E., Paterson, A. H., Auckland, S., Govindasamy, P., Lemke, C., Morris, E., Rainville, L., and Barney, J. N. 2023. AoB PLANTS 15.

Hybridization in agricultural weeds: a review from ecological, evolutionary, and management perspectives.

Westbrook, A. S., and DiTommaso, A.  American Journal of Botany n/a.

Expansin SlExp1 and endoglucanase SlCel2 synergistically promote fruit softening and cell wall disassembly in tomato.

Su, G., Lin, Y., Wang, C., Lu, J., Liu, Z., He, Z., Shu, X., Chen, W., Wu, R., Li, B., Zhu, C., Rose, J. K. C., Grierson, D., Giovannoni, J. J., Shi, Y., and Chen, K. 2023. The Plant Cell.

Publications

Recent publications from the SIPS community – November 23, 2023

The ratio of auxin to cytokinin controls leaf development and meristem initiation in Physcomitrium patens.

Cammarata, J., Roeder, A. H. K., and Scanlon, M. J. 2023. Journal of experimental botany 74:6541-6550.

A phylogeny of the evening primrose family (Onagraceae) using a target enrichment approach with 303 nuclear loci.

Overson, R. P., Johnson, M. G., Bechen, L. L., Kinosian, S. P., Douglas, N. A., Fant, J. B., Hoch, P. C., Levin, R. A., Moore, M. J., Raguso, R. A., Wagner, W. L., Skogen, K. A., and Wickett, N. J. 2023. BMC Ecology and Evolution 23:66.

Postharvest bacterial succession on cut flowers and vase water.

Chen, Y.-H., Miller, W. B., and Hay, A. 2023. PLOS ONE 18:e0292537.

Drought affects the synchrony of aboveground and belowground phenology in tropical potato.

Hoelle, J., Khan, A., and Asch, F. Journal of Agronomy and Crop Science n/a.

Publications

SIPS DEI Council Update: Rethinking Thanksgiving

The SIPS DEI Council is open to anyone in the SIPS community who would like to participate in building a diverse, equitable, and inclusive community in our school through monthly online meetings and working groups on various topics.  New voices, viewpoints and energy are always welcome. Read more about the efforts of our working groups. For more information, email: sips-dicouncil@cornell.edu.

Rethinking Thanksgiving

What follows is from the Cornell AgriTech DEI Bulletin.  Many thanks to our colleagues Anna Katharine Mansfield and Amara Dunn-Silver, Cornell AgriTech DEI Council co-chairs, who are taking such a strong lead with their DEI efforts.

For many Americans, our first memories of Thanksgiving were school pageants featuring Pilgrims and Indians*, construction paper hand turkeys, and the cheery story of a peaceful feast. As adults, the day is marked with a large meal of favorite family recipes followed by football, a parade, or shopping. A general mood of goodwill and gratefulness prevails, except for those with challenging family dynamics or dish-washing responsibilities.

…Or for North America’s Indigenous peoples.

The feathered headdresses of Thanksgiving pageant Indians mark them as stereotyped characterizations. The actual Native Americans who aided the English immigrants in 1621 were members of the Wampanoag Nation, whose land encompassed much of modern southeastern Massachusetts and eastern Rhode Island. Wampanoag tribal communities continue to inhabit and care for some of their ancestral lands today. Though initial relations may have been peaceful, history shows us that European settlers came in increasing numbers with new diseases and great violence, ultimately forcing native peoples across North America to assimilate or retreat to fragmented tribal lands.

During the rise of Native American activist movements in the late 1960’s, Wampanoag activist Frank James and a small group of like-minded organizers decided that this history of dispossession needed to be shared, and held the first National Day of Mourning in 1970. Their mission was to acknowledge the past and ongoing trauma of Native Americans while enhancing acceptance and cultural appreciation between Natives and non-Natives to improve the future.

There is great value in gathering with family and friends, sharing a meal, and reflecting on the good things in our lives. It is harmful, however, to insist on a national myth that ignores important but unpleasant historic facts. This dichotomy can be profoundly uncomfortable, but it’s empowering to reshape Thanksgiving by honoring family traditions while dismantling false narratives.

 *While ‘American Indian’ is still used on U.S. government documents, there is a lot of disagreement over preferred use within the community. Different people may prefer to be identified as ‘Native American’ or ‘Indigenous.’ If you don’t know, it’s ok to ask.

Here are some ways to rethink Thanksgiving:

  • Focus on giving thanks. This concept is central to the heritage and culture of many Native peoples. Reflecting on gratitude for the natural world, a successful harvest, and our loved ones is a universal human trait that helps us connect across cultures.
  • Disrupt the oversimplified Thanksgiving fairytale. If you haven’t revisited the history of Pilgrim and Wampanoag interactions since elementary school, consider learning more of the complex story — and sharing it in age-appropriate ways with the children in your life.
  • Explore Indigenous foodways. Thanksgiving dinners include lots of traditional dishes, and adding some regionally-sourced Native foods can help tie the celebration to the place you call home.

At Cornell AgriTech, we grow things- including appreciation for those who worked the soil before us.

Access and Community Empowerment

Pi Alpha Xi (PAX) Holiday Poinsettia Sale – order by Dec 1

Pi Alpha Xi (PAX), the national honor society for students in horticulture and the plant sciences, is having a poinsettia sale for the holidays.

Beautiful plants wrapped in decorative gold foil and great prices!  Only $15 for a 6” potted plant, or 3 for $40, and a wide selection of colors: red, pink, white, multicolored. Place your order online by Friday, December 1. Easy pick up at the KPL Greenhouses on Tower road each day from December 4-7 from noon to 1 pm, or 4 to 5 pm.

Details are attached.  Questions: call 315-529-2154 Please support our students!

poinsettia ad

Horticulture, Undergraduate

November 13: Plant Science Renovation Update

Project Brief

This gut renovation project will reconfigure floor layouts, restore the exterior building envelope, replace the exterior windows, replace the Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing & Life Safety systems, and generally modernize the facility to meet the School of Integrative Plant Science’s Instructional and Research needs in the 21st century.

  • The project obtained B&P’s Construction Approval on March 23, 2023.
  • FAHS Construction is the General Contractor.
  • The 30-month Construction period began on July 5, 2023, and is scheduled for substantial completion in January 2026.

Progress Report

  • Asbestos abatement has now been completed on the Ground, 1st and 2nd floors.
  • Selective demolition has largely been completed on the Ground and 1st floors.

Look ahead

  • Installation of temporary power and lights will continue through the next two weeks.
  • De-energization of the electrical circuits will continue through the next two weeks.
  • Mass demolition is in progress on the Ground and 1st floors.
  • Selective demolition on 3rd & 4th floors will continue through the next two weeks.
  • Asbestos abatement on the 3rd floor should be completed by Friday, November 17th.
  • Asbestos abatement on the 4th floor is scheduled to begin by Monday, November 20th.
  • Relocation of the RO/DI system to PSB 403B:
    • Abatement in PSB 403B is has been completed.
    • Coring of the floor drain is scheduled to begin on Nov. 22nd.
    • Relocation of the system is planned for a two-week window after Dec. 6th. To be coordinated w/SIPS
  • No utility shutdowns have been scheduled for the next two weeks.
reno photo
Progress – Mass demolition on Ground floor. View from the corridor towards the West Entrance (Academic Surge Buildings side)
reno photo
Progress – Formwork for the Elevator Pit on Ground Floor.
reno photo
Progress – On going mass demolition on First floor, View of the West corridor.
PSB Renovation

Welcome to our new Graduate Field Coordinator Shelby Champlain

head shot of Shelby ChamplainSIPS leadership is pleased to welcome Shelby Champlain in her new role as Graduate Field Coordinator in the School of Integrative Plant Science.  Shelby brings significant past experience to the role, having previously worked as Graduate Field Assistant in Africana Studies and prior to that, as a building manager on west campus and in management position at the Statler Hotel.

In her new position Shelby will work directly with the Fields of Plant Breeding and of Soil & Crop Sciences, and in close coordination with our other student services staff. Shelby’s office is in 231 Emerson. We are so grateful to Josh Balles and Karin Jantz for their coverage of these two graduate fields following Alicia Caswell’s departure last spring. Please join me in thanking them both and welcoming Shelby to our staff team!

 

Graduate Students, Plant Breeding, Soil and Crop Sciences

Special Seminars on Leaf Gas Exchange – Tues. 11/21, 1:20 pm – 404 Plant Science

Both seminars will be held on Tuesday, November 21, 1:20 – 3:00 pm, 404 Plant Science Building

https://cornell.zoom.us/j/99986531869?pwd=SEZYRk9QeDJBRm1PbXY1L0VWMm5WZz09

Meeting ID: 999 8653 1869

Passcode: 810284

Title: Understanding leaf-level CO2 diffusion: A necessity for improving global Gross Primary Productivity (GPP) estimates

Speaker: Dr. Florian Busch (School of Biosciences – University of Birmingham, UK)

Abstract: Estimations of the gross primary productivity (GPP) of land ecosystems are key to accurately predict the global carbon cycle. The photosynthesis models underpinning these estimates are making simplifications that result in GPP inaccuracies in the order of 10-15% by the end of the century (Knauer et al., 2019). These simplifications have been necessary due to insufficient understanding of how CO2 is taken up by the leaf. Carbon isotopes are commonly used to study how CO2 diffuses within photosynthetic plant tissues, information that is difficult to obtain with common gas exchange techniques alone. The standard method used to interpret the observed preference for the lighter carbon isotope in C3 photosynthesis involves the model of Farquhar et al. (1982), which relates carbon isotope discrimination to physical and biochemical processes within the leaf. However, under many conditions the model returns unreasonable results for mesophyll conductance to CO2 diffusion, including values that are negative. Here, I will discuss the impact of a re-derived carbon isotope discrimination model on quantifying mesophyll conductance and the implications this has for predictions of plant carbon uptake. This new model allows us now to assess how mesophyll conductance varies under changing environments. I will also outline a new theoretical framework that can be used to mechanistically implement mesophyll conductance into photosynthesis models, giving us the opportunity to vastly improve global GPP estimates.

Bio: Florian Busch (University of Birmingham) is a theoretical and experimental plant physiologist interested in all aspects of photosynthesis. His focus is on linking different photosynthetic processes with mathematical models to study the biochemical limitations of carbon fixation and to gain a quantitative understanding of how plant carbon uptake responds to changes in the environment. Florian obtained his PhD in 2008 from the Heinrich-Heine University in Düsseldorf, Germany, during which time he worked closely with Norm Hüner at Western University in London, Canada. After several years of post-doctoral work with Rowan Sage at the University of Toronto, Canada he moved to the Australian National University to first work as a Postdoctoral Fellow with Susanne von Caemmerer and later as a Research Fellow with Graham Farquhar. He is now an Associate Professor in the School of Biosciences at the University of Birmingham.

Title: Mesophyll air space unsaturation: Vapour gradients and cell membrane hydraulic conductivity

Speaker: Dr. Diego Marquez (School of Biosciences – University of Birmingham, UK)

Abstract: Unravelling the CO2 and water dynamics within the leaf is pivotal for accurately defining leaf gas exchange behaviour, which is essential in scientific research and crop improvement efforts. Recent evidence has refuted the longstanding assumption that leaf air spaces remain saturated, revealing gaps in our understanding of gas exchange processes under diverse conditions such as drought and high atmospheric vapour pressure deficit. We will discuss our recent studies exploring vapour gradients in the leaf intercellular air space. Our findings demonstrate that mesophyll cells can maintain significant water-potential differences between the cytosol and cell wall under high evaporative demand, resulting in pronounced unsaturation in the mesophyll air space and substomatal cavity. This unveils the existence of an important resistance to water movement through the cell membrane and considerable non-stomatal resistance to transpiration, which has not been accounted for.

Bio: Diego Márquez received a Master of Science in Agronomic Engineering from the University of Chile and a PhD in Plant Science from the Australian National University.

He is currently a Research Fellow in the lab of Dr Florian Busch at the University of Birmingham, working on the role of mesophyll CO2 diffusion in photosynthesis and water use efficiency.

Dr Márquez is a Plant Physiologist who combines theoretical biophysics and experimental approaches to develop mechanistic models for gas exchange, carbon fixation, and hydraulic systems in plants. His current research focuses on water and CO2 gradients and resistances to diffusion in the mesophyll’s intercellular air space and liquid volume.

Outreach

Recent publications from the SIPS community – November 16, 2023

Implications of weakening of the United States Geological Survey Pesticide National Synthesis Project for Weed Scientists.

Sosnoskie, L. M., and Duke, S. O. 2023.  Weed Science:1-7.

Sulfentrazone Crop Safety and Efficacy in Cabbage and Broccoli.

Pineda-Bermudez, L., Besançon, T. E., and Sosnoskie, L. M. 2023. Weed Technology:1-26.

Survival of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum Sclerotia in Central New York.

Pethybridge, S. J., Murphy, S., Lund, M., and Kikkert, J. R. Plant Disease 0:null.

Preharvest 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) treatment effects on quality of spot and strip picked ‘Gala’ apples at harvest and after storage as affected by postharvest 1-MCP and temperature conditioning treatments.

Doerflinger, F. C., Al Shoffe, Y., Sutanto, G., Nock, J. F., and Watkins, C. B. 2024. Scientia Horticulturae 325:112682.

Is tree planting an effective strategy for climate change mitigation?

Kirschbaum, M. U. F., Cowie, A. L., Peñuelas, J., Smith, P., Conant, R. T., Sage, R. F., Brandão, M., Cotrufo, M. F., Luo, Y., Way, D. A., and Robinson, S. A. 2023.  Science of The Total Environment:168479.

Publications

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