Graduate Student Grants for FY2011 Announced

GRIFFIN, Georgia– Organic intercropping, pollinator conservation, high tunnel production and impacts of climate change on fruit orchards are among the sustainable ag graduate student projects that the Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education (SARE) program has funded for FY2011.

Southern SARE funded 11 research projects totaling $108,323.

Graduate Student Grants are one of seven grant opportunities supported by Southern SARE. They are designed for full-time Master’s and PhD students at accredited institutions in the Southern region who are studying sustainable agriculture.  The grants fund $10,000 for up to three years and are offered annually.

Research projects funded this year include:

GS11-098 Dewatering Aquaculture Effluent for the Hydroponic Production of Pak Choi (Brassica rapa chinensis) and Production of Vegetable Seedlings, Auburn University, AL, $9,932, professor Jesse Chappell, 334-844-9209, chappj1@auburn.edu, and graduate student Jason Danaher, jjd0011@auburn.edu.

GS11-099 Plant Mediated Effects on Parasitoid Efficacy in a Banker Plant System, North Carolina State University, NC, $9,930, professor Steven Frank, 919-515-8880, steven_frank@ncsu.edu, and graduate student Sara Prado, sprado@ncsu.edu.

GS11-100 Efficacy of Entomopathogenic Fungi in Controlling the Small Hive Beetle: a destructive and invasive pest of honeybee colonies, Florida A&M University, FL, $9,996, professor Lambert Kanga, 850-599-8725, lambert.kanga@famu.edu, and graduate student Saundra Wheeler, aundra_wheeler22@yahoo.com.

GS11-101 Understanding Olfactory Cues in Host Location and Dispersal Range of the Filth Fly Parasitoid Spalangia cameroni (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) to Improve the Use as Sustainable Biological Control Agents for Fly Control on Livestock Operations, University of Florida, FL, $9,828, professor Norman Leppla, 352-392-1901, ncleppla@ufl.edu, and graduate student Erika Machtinger, irishtangerine@ufl.edu.

GS11-102 Verticillium Wilt Management: Elucidating mechanisms of resistance and integration of sustainable alternatives in tomato production systems, North Carolina State University, NC, $9,970, professor Frank Louws, 919-515-6689, frank_louws@ncsu.edu, and graduate student Meagan Iott, miott@ncsu.edu.

GS11-103 Effects of High Tunnels on Lettuce, Parsley and Ciliantro in the Deep South, Louisiana State University, LA, $10,000, professor Carol Motsenbocker, 225-578-1037, cmotsenbocker@agcenter.lsu.edu, and graduate student Robert Williams, rwilliams@agcenter.lsu.edu.

GS11-104 Potential for Conservation Biological Control of Stink Bugs in North Carolina, North Carolina State University, NC, $9,735, professor David Orr, 919-515-4684, david_orr@ncsu.edu, and graduate student Sriyanka Lahiri, slahiri@ncsu.edu.

GS11-105 Strategies for Increasing Rhizoma Peanut Contribution to Productivity and Ecosystem Services of Low-Input Pasture Systems, University of Florida, FL, $9,978,professor Lynn Sollenberger, 352-273-3420, lesollen@ufl.edu, and graduate student Kimberly Cline, clinemk@ufl.edu.

GS11-106 Evaluationof the Utility of Adding Artificial Bumble Bee Nesting Sites to Increase Pollination Services in a Small Farm Environment, University of Arkansas, AR, $9,000, professor Allen Szalanski, 479-575-4342, aszalan@uark.edu, and graduate student Amber Tripodi, atripodi@uark.edu.

GS11-107 Managing Climate Change on Apple Orchards, University of North Texas, TX, $9,954, professor James Veteto, 940-369-7833, james.veteto@unt.edu, and graduate student Stephen Carlson, steve.carlson25@gmail.com

GS11-108 Evaluating Functional Diversity in an Organic Intercropping System, Texas A&M University, TX, $10,000, professor Astrid Volder, 979-845-9277, a-volder@tamu.edu, and graduate student Jose Franco, franjo@tamu.edu.

Learn more about Southern SARE’s Graduate Student Grants. Calls for Proposals open in March and grant projects are announced in September.

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Published by the Southern Region of the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program. Funded by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), Southern SARE operates under cooperative agreements with the University of Georgia, Fort Valley State University, and the Kerr Center for Sustainable Agriculture to offer competitive grants to advance sustainable agriculture in America's Southern region.