UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Thirteen graduate students in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences received research grants recently awarded by the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program, organized by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Penn State students collectively received more than $190,000 for research projects relating to sustainable agriculture in entomology, food science, plant pathology, international agriculture and development, agricultural and environmental plant science, and agricultural and biological engineering.

“Our students are securing prestigious grants that not only advance their groundbreaking research but also equip them with essential professional skills such as grant writing, report preparation, budget management and more,” said Beth Gugino, assistant dean for graduate education. “It’s especially rewarding to see this achievement spanning six of the college’s nine departments, reflecting the breadth of talent and innovation across our programs.”

An initiative of the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, the SARE program provides competitive grants for research projects that address issues impacting U.S. agriculture’s long-term sustainability and economic viability.

The program’s northeast territory includes Pennsylvania, 11 other states and the District of Columbia. Graduate-student SARE grants are designed to address timely research topics with potential outcomes that benefit agricultural community members, including farmers and agricultural education providers.

Carolyn Lowry, assistant professor of weed ecology and management, said the grants are an important recognition of the students’ research.

“Penn State proudly celebrates our students’ remarkable achievements, earning 13 SARE awards for the second time since 2016,” said Lowry, who serves as adviser to two grant recipients. “Over the past five award years, we have consistently ranked among the top recipients in the northeast region, showcasing our leadership in sustainable agriculture and research excellence.”

Penn State’s 2024 SARE graduate grant recipients received individual awards ranging from approximately $12,000 to $15,000. The projects, awardees and their programs of study are:

•  “Climate-Smart Biologicals: Using beneficial fungi to reduce aflatoxin in corn grains.” Zilfa Irakoze, food science/international agriculture and development.

• “How does drought stress drive pathogenic and mycotoxigenic fusarium in maize?” Chelsea “Theo” Newbold, plant pathology/microbiome sciences.

• “Grain-to-Gain: Comparing the impact of wheat varieties and agricultural practices on sourdough microbiomes.” Ashley Ohstrom, food science.

• “Development of a robotic harvesting system for sustainable button mushroom production.” Sadjad Mahnan, agricultural and biological engineering.

• “Development of a machine vision-based robotic apple crop load management system at bud stage.” Kittiphum Pawikhum, agricultural and biological engineering.

• “Determining the efficacy of LifeGard biocontrol to suppress mildew diseases of grapes and its role in inducing plant defense metabolites.” Deivis V. Garay-Salas, plant pathology.

• “Persistence and control of foodborne pathogens in hydroponic systems.” Auja Bywater, food science.

• “Developing climate-resilient cropping systems: Investigating how increasing temperatures and crop management influence forage quality.” Nasib Koirala, agricultural and environmental plant science.

• “Investigating the impact of cover crop mixtures on ant communities and pest control services in no-till agroecosystems.” Adegboyega Fajemisin, entomology.

• “Functionalized biochar for reducing lead (Pb) bioaccessibility in contaminated urban soils.” Cara Bintrim, soil science.

• “Bacterial speck of tomato: Evaluating suppressive microbial communities for sustainable disease management.” Livleen Kaur, plant pathology/microbiome sciences.

• “Effects of sustainable intensification practices on herbicide stewardship in dairy cropping systems.” Noelle Connors, agricultural and environmental plant science.

• “Does perennial forage diversity influence microbially mediated weed seed mortality in the soil seedbank?” Kara Eckert, agricultural and environmental plant science.