Undergrad Research Experiences, Influencing Two Generations

RegenPGC

Education is a large part of our RegenPGC project. With our summer Research Experience for Undergraduates program, we get to influence two generations of learners! Mikayla Sampson-Pagan (University of South Florida) is looking forward to a career as an elementary school education teacher. Thanks to the guidance of her summer mentors and teachers (RegenPGC Team Members Shui-zhang Fei, Rickiel R. Franklin da Silva, Patrick Galland, Maureen Griffin, Kenneth J.Moore, and Susana Goggi), Mikayla’s summer adventure will shape her teaching philosophies for years to come.

What was the biggest takeaway from your research experience with RegenPGC?
“Always remember to promote belonging. This includes remembering that it is okay to make mistakes. This program has taught me the scientific side of research. Research is constantly changing day to day. There are errors, repeating activities, and constant learning.”

Learn more about Mikayla’s  research at https://lnkd.in/gnXd4xK3

New research released on the economics of perennial groundcover

There is an adage that says if you want to find something, follow the money. Our researchers, Cynthia Bartel, Keri Jacobs, Ken Moore, and Raj Raman, did just that with their latest journal publication.

Their paper, Anticipatory technoeconomic evaluation of Kentucky Bluegrass-based perennial groundcover implementations in large-scale Midwestern US corn production systems, utilizes an enterprise budget framework to examine and compare expected costs and revenues associated with establishing and maintaining perennial groundcover in row crop systems with standard continuous corn (SCC) (Zea mays L.) production. The good news is that the article is an open-access publication and written in an accessible style.

Bartel, Cynthia A., Jacobs, Keri L., Moore, Kenneth J., & Raman, D.Raj. (2024). Anticipatory technoeconomic evaluation of Kentucky Bluegrass-based perennial groundcover implementations in large-scale Midwestern US corn production systems. Sustainability, 2024, 16(16), 7112. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16167112. Open access.

Philip Rockson is the latest RegenPGC student to earn a Master’s degree

Please join us in congratulating RegenPGC graduate student Philip E. Rockson (Rockson) on the acceptance of his Master’s thesis at Iowa State University, “Visualization of agricultural field operations,” available at https://lnkd.in/g-w-tkAd.

Rockson was mentored throughout by RegenPGC Project Director Dr. Dave Raj Raman and was also assisted by RegenPGC CoPd Dr. Daniel Andersen. Rockson is now working on adding a Ph.D. to his list of accomplishments. We are pleased that he has chosen Iowa State University for his Ph.D. studies. You can learn more about Rockson and his RegenPGC Graduate Education Community colleagues at https://lnkd.in/gMHFKXMk.

Before joining the Iowa State University graduate student community, Rockson earned a degree in Agricultural Engineering in Ghana. Afterward, he gained his first experience working with national farms. As he pursued his interests in technology, Rockson had the opportunity to work with startups, gaining valuable experience in industry. Eventually, he joined the technology division of a bank with a presence across Africa, where he worked on developing services and applications. Seeking to delve further into agriculture, engineering, and technology, Rockson returned to school to explore research opportunities in regenerative and precision agriculture. We are so pleased that he found a home with the RegenPGC research team!

Time for…Field Days

Our project is about two things: 1) Our long-term goal is to develop and increase the reliability of PGC systems through research and to share what we know with all interested parties. That’s why Field Days are so important to us as a multidisciplinary research team.

We just finished our first 2024 Field Day sponsored by the Black Hawk (Iowa) Soil and Water Conservation District. On June 13th, we shared our PGC vision with 24 producers. By all accounts, the event was a success.

We are hosting three more Iowa Field Days this summer and in Nebraska. Don’t miss your chance to learn about Perennial Groundcover and what this new approach to cover crops can bring to the land. Stay tuned for complete registration information, and until then … start making plans!

  • Corning, IA – July 24 ( * Registration Deadline 7/19/24)
  • Nashua, IA – Aug. 7 ( * Registration Deadline – 8/2/24)
  • Ames/Boone IA Aug. 14 (* Registration Deadline 8/9/24)
  • Nebraska – TBD

RegenPGC and Iowa Learning Farms release new webinar

Working with Iowa Learning Farms, RegenPGC alum Gabrielle (Gabby) Myers will help you learn from our latest findings in “Assessing the Impact of Perennial Groundcover and Interseeded Annual Cover Crops on Corn Yield and Drainage Water Quality.” 

The webinar is, as the title suggests, about how perennial groundcover and annual cover crops impact maize yield and water quality, two topics that could not be hotter in modern agriculture. Take some time and learn how producers can address what too often seem like competing issues.

Schools almost out… kids bored yet?

What parent has heard that annoying refrain, “There’s nothing to do!” Or maybe you can’t get the kid to look up from a device. We just might have a little reprieve for you from our two upcoming summer day camps. Sign up the kids for day camps on June 11 and June 20. ISU Extension will be hosting two “Water Connects Us All” Day Camps. RegenPGC personnel will be on hand to educate the kids (Grades 3-6) about our project.

The camps will feature hands-on activities and experiments to learn about perennial ground cover and other conservation practices that protect soil and water. Activities include rain simulators, soil microbes, cover crops, bioreactors, and more.

Sign-up information is available here:

June 11 – Contact Shelby County Extension and Outreach for more information and to register (https://www.extension.iastate.edu/shelby/)

June 20 -Contact Union County Extension and Outreach for more information and to register (https://www.extension.iastate.edu/union/)

RegenPGC team wins Iowa State University Award

We are pleased to announce that the 11 RegenPGC Co-Project Directors currently employed at Iowa State University have been awarded the 2024 ISU Interdisciplinary Team Research Award. This award is given in recognition of a research team’s commitment to the University’s land grant university mission, professional reputation, and esteem among peers.

While the award is specific to Iowa State University, we know it was received with the efforts of all RegenPGC team members, including graduate students and our Stakeholder Advisory Board.

The recognized team members are:

  • Raj Raman
  • Kenneth Moore
  • Daniel Andersen
  • Cynthia Bartel
  • Shui-zhang Fei
  • Susana Goggi
  • Amy Kaleita
  • Anne Kinzel
  • Thomas Lübbersted
  • Marshall McDaniel

RegenPGC grad student receives outstanding student award

RegenPGC Graduate Education Community member Hallie Sandeen has been named the University of Kentucky Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment “Integrated Plant and Soil Sciences Outstanding New MS Student, 2023-2024.” The best honor is being recognized by your colleagues and peers.

We also want to acknowledge RegenPGC CoPd Erin Haramoto for her role as a mentor to Hallie. Learn more about Hallie’s graduate school work in her video “Perennial Cover Crops: Evaluating Poaceae Species’ Establishment and Weed Suppression Potential.”

You can learn more about our Graduate Education Community at https://www.regenpgc.org/theme-3-education/graduate-education/.

RegenPGC & Iowa Learning Farms collaborate on producer focused video

In our newest video, “A New Direction in Cover Crops Developing Perennial Ground Cover for Corn Systems in the Midwest,” Professor and Research and Extension specialist Dan Andersen (Iowa State University) provides producers with information from the RegenPGC project on perennial ground cover in row crop cropping systems. Dan addresses the vital question, “Can we come up with a cover crop that we only have to plant once and then manage instead of reestablishing it every year to help with environmental services while we are producing our row crops?

The video focuses on:
– Corn selection
– Types of groundcover
– System management (including groundcover establishment and suppression)
– Ecosystem services (potential to reduce spring herbicide applications & to reduce insect presence).

This video is part of a collaboration between the RegenPGC project and Iowa Learning Farms – https://www.iowalearningfarms.org/.