Flavonoids' Presence in Sorghum Roots May Lead to Frost-Resistant Crop

Flavonoid compounds, produced by the roots of some sorghum plants, positively affect soil microorganisms, according to Penn State University researchers. They suggest the discovery is an early step in developing a frost-resistant line of the valuable crop for North American farmers.

That is important because sorghum is a crop that can respond to climate change because of its high water- and nitrogen-use efficiency, according to Surinder Chopra, professor of maize genetics, and Mary Ann Bruns, professor of soil microbiology. A close relative to corn, it is the fifth most valuable cereal crop globally.

Sorghum can be used for human food and animal feed and also can be grown as a bioenergy crop, producing more ethanol than corn and is better adapted than corn to stresses such as drought, salinity and heat. But increased sorghum production requires increasing its tolerance to chilling and frost stress.

In this study, researchers found evidence that plant genetic variation influences root flavonoids and the composition of the soil microbial community, and low temperatures affect these relationships. The National Institute of Food and Agriculture helped fund this research. For more information, read the Penn State University article.

This sorghum head shows accumulation of red flavonoid compounds. Photo courtesy of Surinder Chopra.

NIFA Welcomes New Animal Systems Division Director

Dr. Debora Hamernik joined NIFA to serve as the Division Director of the Division of Animal Systems of the Institute of Food Production and Sustainability. Dr. Hamernik joins us from the University of Nebraska where she served for two years as Associate Vice Chancellor for Research in the Office of Research and Economic Development and nine years as Associate Dean of Agricultural Research and Associate Director of the Nebraska Agricultural Experiment station. She served as a National Program Leader for animal physiology with NIFA’s predecessor agency Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service for eleven years. Dr. Hamernik has also served as the Scientific Review Administrator for National Institute of Health’s (NIH) Center for Scientific Review, an assistant professor in the Department of Physiology at the University of Arizona, and an assistant professor in the Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Her research interests focused on understanding molecular mechanisms that regulate gene expression and enhancement of fertility in sheep and beef cattle. Dr. Hamernik is a first-generation college graduate with a B.S. in animal science from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, an M.S. in animal science from Washington State University, and a Ph.D. in reproductive physiology from Colorado State University. She received an NIH National Research Service Award to conduct postdoctoral training in molecular endocrinology at Case Western Reserve University.

NIFA Welcomes New Family and Consumer Sciences Division Director

Dr. Suzanne Stluka joined NIFA as the Division Director for the Division of Family and Consumer Sciences and she will also lead the Division of Youth and 4-H in the Institute of Youth, Family, and Community. Prior to joining NIFA, Dr. Stluka served as the Associate Director at Montana State University Extension and served in several leadership roles at South Dakota State University Extension for 13 years. Throughout her career she has maintained an active research and extension portfolio, exploring topics such as community resiliency, farm stress, trauma, food insecurity, nutrition education, community development, community coaching, and policy, systems, and environmental work in the areas of nutrition and physical activity. Her research was primarily conducted in and with rural, frontier, and tribal communities. Stluka earned a B.S. in Family and Consumer Sciences Education and Nutrition (Dietetics) from South Dakota State University, an M.S. degree in Family and Consumer Sciences from the University of Eastern Illinois, and a Ph.D. degree in Human Sciences from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She is also a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist.

NIFA Career Opportunities

We are hiring! Remember to check out NIFA's Career Opportunities webpage, where there is a direct link to all open positions. You can also explore NIFA jobs at the USAjobs.gov website. Current openings in Kansas City, Missouri:

Equal Employment Specialist, (GS 13)
Closing date: 8/18/2020

Biological Science Specialist, GS 9-11
Closing date: 8/24/2020

Social Science Specialist, GS 11
Closing date: 8/24/2020         

Biological/Social Science Specialist (National Program Leader), GS 13-15
Closing date: 9/30/2020

Improving Precision Irrigation Management Practices  

University of Florida Water Institute Affiliate Faculty Dr. Haimanote Bayabil and his colleagues were awarded a NIFA Agricultural Engineering Program Area grant to implement the project, “Integrating Data from Ground Measurements, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, and Modeling to Quantify Plot Scale Evapotranspiration.” The project aims to develop effective strategies for the implementation of precision irrigation management practices that will not only conserve freshwater resources and increase crop productivity, but also improve water quality and ensure environmental sustainability. For more information, read the UF Water Institute article.

Is the Gut Biome a Heritable Trait?

While it's long been said, "You are what you eat," a team of animal scientists in the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture (UTIA) is taking an in-depth look at how what you are is influenced by your ability to eat, at least in cattle. Phillip Myer, an assistant professor and microbiologist in the Department of Animal Science, is leading a new study to determine how the rumen, the largest compartment of the cattle stomach, and the microbes that inhabit it affect the conversion of low-quality feedstuffs into usable energy for ruminants. Funded by USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, the $500,000 study seeks to identify whether the genetics of a particular cow influences the rumen microbiome and whether that influence can be passed on to future generations. For more information, read the University of Tennessee article.

Photo of Black Angus at UT's AgResearch and Education Center courtesy UTIA.