October 2026

Fall break has come and gone, and we are officially past the halfway point of the semester. It's hard to believe how quickly the semester has flown by, and we hope you had the opportunity to enjoy some well-deserved time off.

As we head into the final stretch, ARD Research Day is quickly approaching. This year's event will be held on Monday, November 16, at the Nebraska Innovation Campus Conference Center. We look forward to engaging with and learning from faculty leaders across IANR as they share their vision for the future, as well as hearing insights from our keynote speakers from Bayer Crop Science, Dr. Pat Morgan and Dr. Laura L. McConnell. We are excited to bring colleagues together for a day of collaboration, innovation, and discovery.

Dr. Pat Morgan, is a dynamic scientific leader working at the confluence of plant physiology and technology to advance row crop products.  At Bayer, he leads a team managing 40–70 field trials annually generating millions of data points. Dr. Laura L. McConnell is an internationally recognized environmental and agricultural chemist whose career spans government, academia, and industry. She serves as University and Scientific Society Engagement Lead at Bayer Crop Science. Please register using the link here by Friday, November 6. 

During last week's All-Hands Meeting, it was announced that a series of roundtable discussions will be held to bring members of the IANR community together to explore important topics, challenges, and opportunities facing our college. We encourage you to share your ideas for discussion topics through this survey. If you were unable to attend the meeting, you can also view the recording here.

I would also like to highlight a recent research success. With the addition of 35 new weather stations, the Nebraska Mesonet statewide network has grown to 104 stations, further strengthening Nebraska's weather monitoring capabilities and supporting research and decision-making across the state. Learn more on the Mesonet website here. 

Additionally, IANR launched its Regenerative AI Initiative last week, bringing together university leaders, faculty, researchers, industry partners, and growers to explore how AI and recovered data center energy can support year-round, high-value crop production while advancing agriculture, natural resources, food systems, and resilient communities.

Finally, ARD is currently seeking nominations for two faculty awards, both with submission deadlines at the end of October. The High Impact Publication Award recognizes research published in peer-reviewed journals that addresses global challenges and critical issues affecting agricultural production, natural resources, the environment, climate, human health and well-being, the economy, and society. Nominations should be submitted via email to ARD (ard@unl.edu) with Lauren Kruger (lkruger4@unl.edu) copied.

Nominations are also being accepted for the Early Career Faculty Recognition for Excellence in Research. The nomination form and award guidelines are both available on the ARD website. Please submit nominations for both awards by Friday, October 30.

As always, thank you for all that you do. We appreciate your contributions and hope to see you at ARD Research Day!

Rachael Whitehair
Director of Innovation & Stewardship
Nebraska Corn Board

From Crop Pests to Corn Roots: University Research Tackles Challenges Facing Farmers

Deloris Pittman and Abigayle Warm | ENREEC Communications 

At the Eastern Nebraska Research, Extension and Education Center (ENREEC), researchers are studying ways to help farmers protect crops and improve production. Pests are tracked and monitored, such as fall armyworm, wheat stem maggot, and western bean cutworm. Studies also look at how insects damage crops and possible management solutions are explored and tested. Current research uses digital tools to better understand the root system in modern corn hybrids. The study looks at how different hybrid traits, seeding rates, water availability and nitrogen affect corn root development and overall crop performance. Projects such as these are examples of how researchers investigate problems in the field and use what they learn to help Nebraska farmers make informed decisions about growing and protecting their crops.

• In the Field: Tracking Pests, Protecting Crops
• Root Architecture in Corn: Graduate students in the Digital Farming Lab are studying how corn root systems interact with seeding rate and fertility levels.