Latest News

August 22, 2025

Penn State’s Ag Progress Days, held Aug. 12-14 at the Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center at Rock Springs, was a successful showcase of agricultural innovation, research and technology, according to leaders in the College of Agricultural Sciences, which sponsored the event.

August 22, 2025

Faculty and students in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences will soon have expanded opportunities for hands-on learning and research with the addition of New Holland’s fully methane-powered tractor.

August 21, 2025

Researchers at Penn State investigated how strains of Salmonella Dublin — a type of bacteria that can cause severe illness and death in cattle and blood infections and hospitalization in humans — are evolving and spreading across humans, cattle and the environment in the United States.

August 18, 2025

Over the centuries, root traits of corn — now the most widely planted crop in the U.S., and second globally (by acreage) — evolved in response to both changing environmental conditions and human agricultural practices. Because the role of roots in crop domestication in response to shifting circumstances remains unclear — and because it may be relevant to the present when a warming climate is stressing corn and other crops — a team of researchers led by Penn State plant scientists conducted a study to understand how root traits evolved during corn domestication.

August 15, 2025

For the newest generation of U.S. veterans, transitioning to civilian life can pose profound challenges. According to Penn State researchers, post-9/11 veterans are younger and more diverse, and they face rising rates of trauma, mental health conditions, underemployment and service-connected disabilities. To help veterans tackle these hurdles, researchers have created an online assessment tool that assists veteran-serving organizations in identifying individualized risks and providing targeted, evidence-informed support.

August 14, 2025

A new way to treat poultry for fowl mites was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in July, thanks in part to a team of researchers in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences.

August 13, 2025

New research led by researchers at Penn State examined what happens when two common viruses — tomato spotted wilt orthotospovirus and impatiens necrotic spot orthotospovirus — infect the same plant.

August 1, 2025

Sibel Irmak, research professor of agricultural and biological engineering, received the IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access) Award from the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers for her efforts helping and encouraging young scientists and underrepresented minority students, making significant contributions to creating a welcoming and equitable environment in academia. 

July 30, 2025

A new initiative aimed at developing emerging and advanced technologies to enhance food production, agricultural ecosystems and natural resources will be one of the focal points of the College of Agricultural Sciences Exhibits Building at Penn State’s 2025 Ag Progress Days, Aug. 12-14.

July 28, 2025

Sophia Mucciolo, an ecology student affiliated with the Penn State Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, recently received a fellowship from the U.S. National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program. She was one of eight students from Penn State selected for the program this year.

July 23, 2025

New research, led by scientists at Penn State and the University of Pittsburgh and published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, indicates that immunity to a seasonal influenza virus known as pandemic H1N1 that began circulating in 2009 provides protection from severe illness from H5N1 — the strain causing the current bird flu outbreak — in a laboratory animal model.  

July 22, 2025

The Penn State One Health Microbiome Center received a grant from the National Institutes of Health to develop a training program to provide early career professional development and research support to graduate students in the microbiome sciences.

July 22, 2025

Research in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences aimed at helping amphibians fight fungal disease by strengthening their natural defenses has received a $120,000 grant from the Morris Animal Foundation, a national nonprofit dedicated to advancing animal health through scientific research.

July 22, 2025

Making wine is a complex endeavor — it depends on grape composition, microbes like yeast, and environmental conditions such as temperatures, rainfall amounts and soil quality where grapevines are growing. A team of researchers led by Penn State food scientists has validated a reliable and more convenient way to study wine chemistry than the traditional 5-gallon fermentation batch approach — microvinification, or fermentations of about a quarter cup. 

July 21, 2025

A team led by researchers at Penn State have modeled precisely how various nuclear winter scenarios could impact global production of corn — the most widely planted grain crop in the world. They also recommended preparing “agricultural resilience kits” with seeds for faster-growing varieties better adapted to colder temperatures that could potentially help offset the impact of nuclear winter, as well as natural disasters like volcanic eruptions.

July 17, 2025

Ag Progress Days welcomes visitors of all ages, and organizers of the 4-H and Youth Building have a slate of activities planned for its youngest attendees on all three days of the expo, Aug. 12-14.

July 16, 2025

A grant program in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences aims to enhance student learning by empowering faculty and students to design immersive, hands-on projects that bridge classroom knowledge with real-world partnerships.

July 14, 2025

People who are curious about what takes place at Penn State's Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center can get a sampling by taking a variety of guided tours and demonstrations offered during Ag Progress Days, Aug. 12-14.

July 8, 2025

Golf course managers have much more insight into which fungicides to use to suppress turfgrass diseases, such as the common and costly dollar spot disease, without damaging the grass on their fairways, thanks to a new study by researchers at Penn State.

July 7, 2025

A wildlife behavioral ecologist at Penn State is part of a multi-institution team that received funding from Scialog: Neurobiology and Changing Ecosystems, a international three-year initiative that aims to spark new science exploring neurobiological responses to rapidly changing environments.

July 7, 2025

The latest in farming products, services, equipment and technology will be on full display during this year’s Ag Progress Days, which will take place Aug. 12-14 at the Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center.

July 2, 2025

In early June, Bogotá, Colombia, became the center of global páramo research as faculty and students from Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences joined forces with international partners to host the landmark Páramos 2025 Symposium.

July 2, 2025

Leading North American forest genetics researchers, professionals and students joined together at Penn State for the 2025 Forest Genetics Conference, where they shared ideas and made connections to enhance research dedicated to preserving forests.

July 2, 2025

Humans may not be the only species that struggles to eat the right amounts of the ideal foods. A new study led by researchers at Penn State suggests that what bumble bees choose to eat may not line up with their ideal nutritional needs.

July 2, 2025

On the latest episode of “Growing Impact,” the podcast hosted by Penn State's Institute of Energy and the Environment, researchers discussed their project that looks to inform lawmakers with actionable insights to protect pregnant women and infants — populations particularly vulnerable to extreme heat.

June 25, 2025

The Penn State Agricultural Safety and Health Program in the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering — which also is affiliated with Penn State Extension — released the annual “Pennsylvania Farm Fatal Injury Summary” for 2024 this spring. Researchers and extension educators use these data to identify hazards and risks associated with agricultural production and to inform the development of trainings and resources.

June 24, 2025

Climate can vary across large areas of land, but it also can vary within much smaller areas such as farms. A new study led by researchers at Penn State examined whether these microclimates affect pollination by both wild and managed bees and resulting wild blueberry yields.

June 24, 2025

More than 30 researchers from seven Penn State colleges received seed funding from the Institute of Energy and the Environment to advance innovative, early-stage work addressing critical energy and environmental challenges.

June 23, 2025

Herbicide-resistant weeds result in significant economic losses for U.S. soybean growers, according to the United Soybean Board, which has awarded $500,000 to a multistate research project to develop new diagnostic tools for herbicide-resistant weeds in soybean production. The team includes scientists from Penn State.