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!

RegenPGC releases latest research updates

Is it progress if it is not recorded? Our latest quarterly report skips right over that philosophical question. Find out what our researchers were up to between February 1 and April 30, 2024, as we pursue our long-term goal of developing and increasing the reliability of PGC systems. We have many accomplishments, but not everything we do is SCIENCE. We like to share what we learn in ways the interested public can follow. For example, here is an outreach accomplishment from this past quarter, among many other things highlighted in our report. Stay tuned to our blog and our social media account on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/regenpgc) for our latest news.

Iowa Learning Farms On-Line Virtual Field Day – A New Direction in Cover Crops: Developing Perennial Ground Cover for Corn Systems in the Midwest – March 21, 2024
The virtual field day had 171 participants. The program—delivered by Dan Andersen and Raj Raman—covered an overview of the proposed PGC system, management options and perspectives, and the potential benefits it can bring to a farming operation.

RegenPGC Yr 3 Q3 Quarterly Update: https://www.regenpgc.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/2024-07-02-RegenPGC-Quarterly-Report-YR-3-Q3.pdf

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.

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
  • Shuizhang 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/.

RegenGC grad student pursues creative interests

Graduate education can be a slog. All those hours in the lab move students toward their careers, but in the short run, they can be incredibly long and dry. RegenPGC Graduate Education Community member Prathyusha Cheguri has not let herself be bogged down; instead, she has pursued expanding her creative side by creating original artwork and participating in the arts at Iowa State University.

Here is what Prathyusha recently posted on LinkedIn:

“Hello All!
I am excited to share that I had the honor of presenting my research poster (Cheguri, Prathyusha & Shui-zhang Fei. 2024. Photothermal Effects on Inflorescence Development in Poa Bulbosa) at the 2nd annual Interdisciplinary Biological Sciences Symposium – ‘From Code to Cure Bridging the Gap in Biological Sciences’. It was an incredible opportunity to showcase my work and engage with fellow scientists, researchers, and enthusiasts.

Additionally, I have proudly served as the Chair of the Creative Arts Submission Committee. But that’s not all! As a passionate artist, I also contributed some of my artwork to the Creative Arts Submissions🎨. The fusion of science and art is truly magical, and I’m grateful for the chance to express my creativity.”

RegenPGC featured in No-Till Farmer Magazine

Check out the no-till farming community’s view of our perennial ground cover project in the latest edition of No-Till Farmer magazine.

Producer Charles Martin’s article, “Productivity Meets Conservation with Perennial Groundcovers & Strip-Till,” explains our perennial ground cover project from the perspective of the working no-till farmer. The article is available online (free, registration required).