New report on farm sales and income graphically shows 'where the action is'

August 22, 2017

Many would argue that bigger doesn't necessarily mean better. But when it comes to the profitability and survival of Pennsylvania farms, size apparently matters, according to a report compiled by economists in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.

Researchers win funding for new tomatoes, wood packaging pest treatment

August 22, 2017

Penn State research teams working on two promising discoveries -- a new, energy-efficient treatment to kill destructive insects in wood and new tomato varieties bred for Pennsylvania conditions -- each have won $75,000 Research Applications for Innovation, or RAIN, grants to bring their discoveries to market.

Wood frogs research clarifies risks posed to animals by warming climate

August 19, 2017

As conditions warm, fish and wildlife living at the southern edge of their species' ranges are most at risk, according to Penn State researchers who led a major collaborative study of how wood frogs are being affected by climate change.

Potato waste processing may be the road to enhanced food waste conversion

August 17, 2017

With more than two dozen companies in Pennsylvania manufacturing potato chips, it is no wonder that researchers in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences have developed a novel approach to more efficiently convert potato waste into ethanol. This process may lead to reduced production costs for biofuel in the future and add extra value for chip makers.

Altoona professor leads group in maintaining the right-of-way in the right way

August 17, 2017

A group of faculty, students, energy providers, and vegetation-management companies are looking at how to best maintain right-of-ways under utilities to protect those utilities and promote wildlife at the same time.

Injecting manure instead of spreading on surface reduces estrogen loads

August 16, 2017

With water quality in the Chesapeake Bay suffering from excess nutrients and fish populations in rivers such as the Susquehanna experiencing gender skewing and other reproductive abnormalities, understanding how to minimize runoff of both nutrients and endocrine-disrupting compounds from farm fields after manure applications is a critical objective for agriculture.

Students complete fieldwork with the Ojibwe, a Native American people

August 16, 2017

Three students in the global health minor spent five weeks, as part of their required fieldwork, in northern Minnesota working with the population of the Ojibwe, a Native American people. The first two weeks were spent immersing in the culture of the Leech Lake Reservation and the Red Lake Reservation, while the last three weeks consisted of academic research at White Earth Reservation.

Penn State Berkey Creamery expands ice cream availability to Beaver Stadium

August 14, 2017

Fans attending football games will, for the first time, have access to Penn State Berkey Creamery ice cream in Beaver Stadium when the Nittany Lions kick off their season on Sept. 2.

Huddle with the Faculty series to kick off 25th year on Sept. 2

August 14, 2017

The Penn State Alumni Association’s Huddle with the Faculty series will enlighten and inform alumni, friends and fans on home fall Saturdays this football season, the program’s 25th year.

Grant enables study of mosquito virus as a genetic lab tool, malaria biocontrol

August 14, 2017

A virus that infects a species of malaria-transmitting mosquito could help scientists gain a better understanding of mosquito biology and eventually could lead to methods for stopping or slowing the spread of the disease, according to a researcher in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences. Jason Rasgon, professor of entomology, has received a grant of $1.9 million from the National Institutes of Health to study the virus, called AgDNV.

So, you want to raise sheep or goats? Attend this workshop

August 8, 2017

Southwestern Pennsylvania provides an ideal environment to raise sheep and goats. Rolling hills may not be suitable for crop production, but they can provide high-quality pasture for sheep and goat production.

Land-use webinar to focus on aligning transportation with local planning

August 7, 2017

How the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation is connecting transportation projects with local municipal land-use planning initiatives will be the topic of a web-based seminar offered by Penn State Extension.

Reducing reliance on herbicides the objective of research at Penn State

August 7, 2017

Researchers in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences are developing strategies to combat weeds while reducing reliance on herbicides.

Journalism student tells stories with an entrepreneurial flair

August 7, 2017

Student combines passions, utilizes internship as another step to hone her skills on career path as an "entrepreneurial journalist."

Institutes of Energy and the Environment seed grant recipients announced

August 4, 2017

The 2017 Institutes for Energy and the Environment seed grants have been awarded to a pool of interdisciplinary researchers at Penn State. Thirteen grants totaling more than $312,000 have been awarded to 42 researchers that addressed four research themes: Climate and Ecosystem Change, Future Energy Supply, Smart Energy Systems, and Water and Biogeochemical Cycles.

Video: Penn State researchers find new solution to combat age-old bedbug problem

August 3, 2017

A team of Penn State scientists has developed a potential game-changer in the war against bedbugs — a naturally derived, fungal-based pesticide that uses the bugs’ own natural tendencies to humankind’s advantage.

Plant pathology professors receive $1.2 million to study, catalog Fusarium fungi

August 2, 2017

David Geiser and Seogchan Kang, professors of plant pathology and environmental biology in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, received a grant from the National Science Foundation to perform the first new synthesis of taxonomy for species of the genus Fusarium in the past 30 years.

Tree-of-heaven's prolific seed production adds to its invasive potential

August 2, 2017

Ailanthus, also called tree-of-heaven, is a voracious invasive plant species that is rapidly affecting more and more forests in the United States, according to plant pathologists. These researchers recently found that Ailanthus not only produces lots of viable seeds, but also that the species produces seeds earlier in its lifespan and keeps producing seeds, in some cases, more than a century later. Recognizing the invasive potential of Ailanthus may help forestry experts control it.

Pennsylvania snowshoe hares differ from those in Yukon

August 1, 2017

Snowshoe hares in Pennsylvania — at the southern end of the species' range — show adaptations in fur color and characteristics, behavior and metabolism, to enable them to survive in less wintry conditions than their far northern relatives, according to a team of researchers in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.

Plant Disease Clinic at Penn State provides diagnostic, management services

July 28, 2017

The Plant Disease Clinic in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences provides clinical diagnoses of plant diseases for Pennsylvania's agricultural producers, gardeners and homeowners.

Senior capstone projects teach students skills for the industry

July 25, 2017

For their senior capstone projects, biological engineering students at Penn State designed possible solutions to real problems in agriculture and the environment.

Free insect identification and soil health workshop on Aug. 5

July 24, 2017

The Student Farm is hosting a free insect identification and biological soil health workshop on Saturday, Aug. 5 from 9 to 11 a.m. The workshop will led by Dr. Mary Barbercheck, professor of entomology, Penn State.

Researchers receive USDA grant to study new riparian buffer strategy

July 20, 2017

A team led by researchers in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences has received a nearly $500,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to conduct a three-year study of a new flexible strategy to ramp up installation of riparian buffers.

Using a pig model to study chronic diseases may help minimize drug failure rate

July 20, 2017

Pigs have gut bacterial profiles and immune systems similar to humans. Using a pig model, in addition to mice models, may help minimize the failure rate of drugs for diseases linked to high-calorie diets, such as colon cancer and type 2 diabetes, say researchers.

Shale gas development spurring spread of invasive plants in Pa. forests

July 20, 2017

Vast swaths of Pennsylvania forests were clear-cut circa 1900 and regrowth has largely been from local native plant communities, but a team of researchers in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences has found that invasive, non-native plants are making significant inroads with unconventional natural gas development.

High-fat ice cream may not necessarily mean tastier ice cream

July 19, 2017

Ice cream with higher fat amounts are typically called "premium" ice creams. However, Penn State researchers found that most people can't tell the difference between ice creams with certain levels of fat. The findings may help ice cream producers and entrepreneurs make recipes that are tasty, but less expensive.

Soil filters out some emerging contaminants before reaching groundwater

July 17, 2017

There is considerable uncertainty surrounding emerging contaminants in aquatic ecosystems and groundwater, and a recent Penn State study of compounds from pharmaceuticals and personal care products didn't add much clarity. But it did provide insight into the transport of the chemicals, according to researchers in the College of Agricultural Sciences.

Twitter data changing future of population research

July 17, 2017

Guangqing Chi, associate professor of rural sociology and demography and public health sciences in Penn State's Department of Agricultural Economics, Sociology, and Education and director of the Computational and Spatial Analysis (CSA) Core in the Social Science Research Institute, and his team have collected over 30 terabytes of geo-tagged tweets over the last four years.

Penn State teams excel in food science competitions

July 11, 2017

Three teams of food science students from Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences came out on top in national product-development competitions and a trivia bowl in June.

Meet Susan Watson, the friendliest face at Arts Fest

July 11, 2017

Susan Watson is a staple at the Penn State Berkey Creamery tent at the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts. She has been running, staffing and supervising the tent's operations for nearly 30 years.

Media Contacts

  • Senior Public Relations Specialist/News Editor
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  • Public Relations Specialist/Science Writer
  • Science and News Writer
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Media Contacts

  • Senior Public Relations Specialist/News Editor
  • Associate Director of Communications
  • Public Relations Specialist/Science Writer
  • Science and News Writer
  • Penn State Extension Writer (Marketing Communications Specialist)