New ideas needed? Find them at RegenPGC!

It’s spring! It’s always a good time to be open to new ideas on managing our land and soil in row crop production. Our @RegenPGC Perennial Groundcover Project does precisely that. We are working on new approaches to a lot of old issues, such as how to:
◼ Reduce soil erosion (reduced P losses)
◼ Reduce water runoff
◼ Increase water infiltration
◼ Improve soil quality
AND
◼ How to achieve greater stover harvest

Our Project Director, Dr. Raj Raman, has some ideas on these topics, which he covers in this video presentation, “Perennial Groundcovers in Corn & Soybean Production Systems: Potential & Scalability.” You can find the video at https://youtu.be/MYQcSBZXVXQ  and the accompanying Field Notes at https://iastate.box.com/s/fij94zkojl6kpaofkmepdk66cpzb0ij3.

New RegenPGC Video Series

We realize some of you may be new to perennial groundcover and its potential for modern #agrictulture. So, we have started a new series to acquaint (or reacquaint) folks with @RegenPGC and our vision for using perennial groundcover in row crop fields for all kinds of interesting benefits.. This first video features Dr. Ken Moore and Roger Hintz, two members RegenPGC Team who have the most experience of anyone trying to manage and maintain yields when incorporating perennial ground cover into a row crop system –so, this video – https://lnkd.in/gbdgz9mQ is for you. (See the accompanying Field Notes at https://lnkd.in/gHQsGpXP)

We acknowledge that some of you may be unfamiliar with perennial groundcover and its potential for modern agriculture. Consequently, we have initiated a new series to educate (or reeducate) folks in the agriculture sector about RegenPGC and our vision for introducing perennial groundcover to the row crop landscape.

This video showcases Dr. Ken Moore and Roger Hintz, two individuals with extensive experience managing and maintaining yields when incorporating perennial ground cover into row crop systems. This video, accessible at https://youtu.be/MYQcSBZXVXQ, and you will find the accompanying Field Notes at https://iastate.box.com/s/fij94zkojl6kpaofkmepdk66cpzb0ij3.

Over the next several weeks, we will be dropping in more from this series into our blog. Stay tuned!

 

 

Lübberstedt receives ISU 2025 Outstanding Achievement in International Agriculture Award

Thomas Lubberstedt Headshot

Dr. Thomas Lübberstedt, RegenPGC Co-Project Director of our Breeding and Genetics Objective, has been honored by his peers with the ISU College of Agriculture and Life Science 2025 Outstanding Achievement in International Agriculture Award.

In the RegenPGC project, Dr. Lṻbberstedt is the co-leader with Dr. Shui-zhang Fei of our Breeding and Genetics Objective, where his work focuses on evaluating maize x PGC (GxM) interactions.

Among Dr. Lübberstedt’s many talents is his ability to attract excellent graduate students, including many international students. He is currently working with RegenPGC graduate student Memiş Bilgici and PostDoc Yu Ru Chen. Throughout his career at ISU, Dr. Lübberstedt has been a major or co-major professor for 41 doctorate students and 21 master’s degree students. Additionally, he has supervised 17 postdoctoral researchers and 83 visiting scientists and students.

In 2024, Dr. Lübberstedt was also awarded the ISU Award for Achievement in Intellectual Property. This award recognizes individuals or teams of faculty and professional and scientific staff for outstanding university-based achievements in producing intellectual property.

More honors and recognition for the RegenPGC Graduate Education Community

Our 18-member Graduate Education Community (https://www.regenpgc.org/theme-3-education/graduate-education-copy/) never stops impressing us with their dedication to good research and the RegenPGC vision.* But this month shows what an interesting and talented group we have.

Hallie Sandeen (University of Kentucky / Mentor Dr. Erin Haramoto) received a 1st place award at the University of Kentucky’s Integrated Plant & Soil Science Department Fall 2024 Symposium for her poster “Evaluation of Poacae Species and Suppression Application Methods for Permanent Groundcover in Corn.” Earlier this year, Hallie was recognized as the Weed Science Society of America’s 2025 Photographer of the Year! At the Society’s Annual Meeting in Vancouver.

We learned Graduate Student Jack Moran’s (Iowa State University / Mentors Drs. Susan Goggi & Ken Moore) interesting backstory of how he made it from Multyfarnham, Central Ireland, to Iowa State University. Jack’s Iowa State University ‘origin story’ was shared in an article by the ISU College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Office for Global Engagement. You can read “From Exchange Student to a Master’s Degree: a Global Journey to Iowa State University” at https://global.ag.iastate.edu/news/2025/exchange-student-masters-degree-global-journey-iowa-state-university

*Our vision is to create well-adapted PGC systems for a range of farm operations that require low labor inputs, provide significant ecosystem benefits, increase row crop resiliency, and have similar economic profiles as conventional row crop practices.

RegenPGC Airs Webinar Series Jan-Feb 2025

Week 2 of our January- February 2025 Webinar Series, “UNLOCKING THE POTENTIAL OF PERENNIAL GROUNDCOVERS IN CORN AND CORN/SOYBEAN PRODUCTION SYSTEMS,” will air live on January 21 at noon (Central Time).

Learn more about the entire 5-week series at https://www.regenpgc.org/resources/webinars/

Register now. If you missed Week 1, you can catch up on our YouTube site at https://www.youtube.com/@RegenPGC

Week 2. Selecting Perennial Groundcovers for Corn & Soybean Production Systems and Their Ideal Characteristics

Amina Moro (Iowa State University)

  • Crop Zone Requirements

Dr. Sara Lira & Brent Wilson (Corteva Agrisciences)

  • Techniques for maintaining a crop growth zone in corn and soybean production systems

Dr. Erin Haramoto & Kiera Searcy (University of Kentucky)

  • Chemical weed control options for perennial groundcover systems. Experiences & Options

Research is meant to be shared across the ages

Patrick Galland and Rickiel Franklin in James Wenman's 4th Grade class

2024 RegenPGC Research Education for Teachers participant James Wenman (Holy Trinity School, Waverly, Iowa) invited RegenPGC Collaborator Patrick Galland and Graduate Student Rickiel Franklin to his 4th grade class. We are unsure who learned the most, but Patrick had this to say about this unique experience.

“The students really seemed to have a blast, Rickiel and I had fun, too. We just went over our background (educational and personal) and went over the basics of how experiments progress through and what we hope to gain from them.

We then spent a good chunk of time reviewing Rickiel’s experiment (the one James worked on the most) and related the themes to real-world examples. James came up with my favorite; he compared the competition of PGC/corn over nutrients, water, and light to the kids with their siblings around the dinner table fighting over food. It got a good laugh out of everyone and was a very apt analogy. The biggest struggle for me was how to appropriately discuss topics in a way that was engaging and digestible to 4th graders, but James did an excellent job facilitating that. The kids were a pleasure, and I’m happy to help however I can.”

St Cyr honored at Tuskegee University presentation event

Malcolm Yusuf St Cyr receives award

RegenPGC Graduate Education Community member Malcolm Yusuf St Cyr was recently recognized at the 82nd Professional Agricultural Workers Conference held at Tuskegee University for his presentation, Using Perennial Ground Covers in Midwest Agriculture to Sustain High Crop Productivity and Reduce Environment Impact.

Malcolm’s presentation was awarded second place at the Gamma Sigma Delta Agriculture Honors Society Graduate Competitive Oral Presentations event.

Malcolm is a graduate student in soil science at Iowa State University and a member of the RegenPGC Soil Health & Nutrient Management Objective. His current research focuses on nitrous oxide emissions and soil health within perennial grain cropping systems.

Malcolm holds a bachelor’s degree in agronomy and global resource systems. Growing up and attending high school in Senegal, West Africa, Malcolm developed a passion for agriculture in middle school, aspiring to help Senegal achieve food self-sufficiency and become a leading agricultural exporter.

You can learn more about the RegenPGC Graduate Education Community here.

  • St Cyr, Malcolm. (2024, November). Using Perennial Ground Covers in Midwest Agriculture to Sustain High Crop Productivity and Reduce Environment Impact [Gamma Sigma Delta Agriculture Honors Society Graduate Competitive Oral Presentations]. 82nd Professional Agricultural Workers Conference, Tuskegee, Alabama, United States.
  • Malcolm Yusuf St Cyr and Dr. Olga Bolden-Tiller, Dean of the College of Agriculture, Environmental & Nutritional Science, Tuskegee University

Webinar Series Unlocks Potential of Perennial Groundcovers in Corn and Corn/Soybean Production Systems

PGC in corn

A five-week lunch-and-learn webinar series starting in January 2025 will explore the innovative use of perennial groundcovers in corn and corn/soybean production systems as a cover crop. This series, sponsored by Iowa State University and RegenPCG, will be held on consecutive Tuesdays (Jan. 14, 21, 28 and Feb. 4 and 11, 2025) from 12-1 p.m. CST.

Register for the webinar series and stay tuned for the video series release.

This webinar series will focus on providing information on what perennial groundcover agriculture is, the potential benefits it offers, insight into how to effectively manage these systems, and work that is being undertaken to make them more robust for widespread adoption and implementation. The presentations are tailored for farmers, crop advisors, technical service providers, government agencies (NRCS/DNR) and other agricultural scientists eager to understand the possibilities and challenges of integrating perennial groundcovers into their row crop agriculture.

Jan. 14, 2025 – Perennial Ground Cover Integration into Corn and Soybean Production: System Basics and Potential Benefits; all speakers are from Iowa State University.
• Raj Raman – A visionary overview of the potential and scalability of perennial groundcovers in corn and soybean production systems
• Ken Moore and Roger Hintz – An operational guide to implementing a perennial groundcover in corn and soybean production systems
• Philip Rockson – A comparative analysis of time and labor demands across conventional, cereal rye, and perennial ground cover in corn and soybean production systems
• Cyndi Bartel – Comparisons of costs for conventional, cover cropping, and perennial groundcover in corn and soybean production systems
Jan. 21, 2025 – Perennial Ground Cover Suppression and Weed Management within Corn and Soybean Production Systems
• Amina Moro, Iowa State University – Crop Zone Requirements
• Sara Lira and Brent Wilson, Corteva Agriscience – Techniques for maintaining a crop growth zone in corn and soybean production systems
• Erin Haramoto, University of Kentucky – Chemical weed control options for perennial groundcover systems. Experiences and options
 Jan. 28, 2025 – Selecting Perennial Groundcovers for Corn and Soybean Production Systems and Their Ideal Characteristics
• Shuiz-hang Fei, Iowa State University – Choices for perennial groundcover in corn and soybean production systems
• Patrick Galland, Iowa State University – Research of unsuppressed production systems with perennial ground cover in corn production
• Brandon Schlautman, The Land Institute, and Philip Rockson, Iowa State University – Experiences from partnering farms using perennial ground cover in corn and soy production systems

Feb. 4, 2025 – Corn Hybrid Performance within Perennial Groundcover Systems
• Raj Raman, Iowa State University – Types of perennial groundcover production systems and how this influences brittleness
• Thomas Lubberstedt and Memis Bilgici, Iowa State University – Should we breed corn for use in perennial groundcover production systems?
• Sara Lira, Corteva Agriscience – Evaluating hybrid performance in well suppressed perennial groundcover systems

Feb. 11, 2025 – Quantifying and Valorizing Ecosystem Service Benefits for Perennial Groundcover in Corn and Soybean Production; all speakers are from Iowa State University
• Marshall McDaniel– Soil moisture results and water competition for nitrogen in perennial groundcover systems
• Oluwatuyi Olowoyeye – Research on grass cover and erosion control
• Philip Rockson – Findings on nitrogen leaching reduction
• Cyndi Bartel – Federal farm bill programs and valorizing ecosystem services
For more information about the series, please contact Daniel Andersen at dsa@iastate.edu or 515-294-4210. For registration inquiries, please contact Melissa McEnany at mmcenany@iastate.edu or 515-294-9075.

RegenPGC grad student honored at 2024 World Food Prize

World Food Prize Graduate Student Poster Competition awardees - RegenPGC Pratyusha Cheguri

RegenPGC Graduate Education Community member Prathyusha Cheguri (4th from left) earned a significant award from the World Food Prize’s “Norman Borlaug Lecture Poster Competition for Graduate and Undergraduate Students.” Prthyusha’s presentation focused on her research “on one of the ideal candidates (Poa bulbosa) to use as the ground cover of the Perennial Ground Cover based cropping systems.” Prathyusha’s achievement speaks well of her efforts as a graduate student at Iowa State University and the mentoring she has received from RegenPGC CoPd, Shui-zhang Fei.

Three graduate students were honored in the Borlaug Competition on Oct. 28 as part of the 2024 World Food Prize. Entrants submitted research posters on global issues in food, climate, technology, and more.
Graduate Students Awards
1st place – Esther Y. Akoto, industrial and agricultural technology
2nd place – Brady Clausen, sustainable agriculture
3rd place – Prathyusha Cheguri, genetics and genomics

You can learn more about Prthyusha and her colleagues in our RegenPGC Graduate Education Community at https://www.regenpgc.org/theme-3-education/graduate-education-copy/

(Photo: World Food Prize)

RegenPGC Graduate Students selected for prestigious fellowship

Not one, but two! RegenPGC graduate students Oluwatuyi (Tuyi) Olowoyeye and Vipul Kumar have been awarded prestigious FFAR Fellowships. Since 2018, the Foundation for Food and Agricultural Research (FFAR) has awarded three-year fellowships to PhD students studying food and agricultural sciences.

The FFAR fellowship provides training, professional development, and opportunities to engage with thought leaders in government and industry. You can learn more about the FFAR fellows program at https://foundationfar.org/what-we-do/research-priorities/scientific-workforce/ffar-fellows/.

Oluwatuyi (Tuyi) Olowoyeye is part of the 2023–2026 FFAR fellowship cohort. At Iowa State University, Tuyi is mentored by RegenPGC CoProject Director Dr. Amy Kaleita, and his Fellowship is sponsored by Iowa State University. His dissertation research “focuses on using computer models to quantify the benefits of generative agricultural practices.” You can learn more about Tuyi and his FFAR story here: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/4d24147d86924b33a2ae17fd602d318d.

Vipul Kumar is a member of the 2024–2027 FFAR fellowship cohort as a plant breeder. His Iowa State University/RegenPGC mentor is Dr. Shui-zhang Fei. Iowa State University and Corteva Agrisciences sponsor Vipul’s fellowship. Vipul’s research focuses on Sandberg bluegrass (Poa secunda), a promising perennial groundcover candidate characterized by its summer dormancy, cool-season growth habit, and shallow root system. You can learn more about Vipul’s Fellowship at https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/7f23a8cd28494b3eaafc8a4a9b25941e.