About Us | Plant Phenotyping | Agricultural Research Division

In 2014, the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources (IANR) at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln began investment in transformative technologies in high-throughput plant phenotyping platforms that offer the opportunity to integrate proximal remote sensing and imaging measurements of intricate morphological and functional characteristics of plants. This integration is of paramount importance in the quest to link phenomics to genomic expression, optimize yields, achieve crop efficiencies (e.g., water, nutrient, and photosynthetic), understand resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses, and develop biomass for bioenergy and other valuable traits in plants.

This investment in cutting-edge instrumentation and supporting infrastructure for plant phenotyping builds on existing programmatic expertise at UNL across the plant sciences including areas of plant and landscape phenotyping, and aligns with capacity growth initiatives in these and related areas in IANR.

Amy Hilske

Greenhouse Director

Amy Hilske is the Greenhouse Director at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. Amy has expertise in growing a wide range of agronomic crops; corn, sorghum, soybeans, wheat, camelina, rice, arabidopsis, etc., in greenhouse and growth chamber applications. Amy is responsible for, in coordination with the University of Nebraska Agricultural Research Division and the UNL Plant Growth Facilities Faculty Advisory Committee, the operation of all greenhouse and shared plant growth chamber facilities across City, East and Nebraska Innovation Campuses. Previous to her current position, Amy managed UNL's George W. Beadle Greenhouse where she grew and managed genetically modified agronomic research crops for over 10 years. She has worked in greenhouse environments since 1994 as well has participated in undergraduate and graduate instruction.

Amy grew up on century owned family farm in southeast Minnesota. She earned her Master's Degree in Horticulture from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Horticulture from the University of Wisconsin–River Falls. Amy is also a member of the Institutional Biosafety Committee at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.

Vincent Stoerger

Plant Phenotyping Facilities Manager

Vincent Stoerger is the Plant Phenotyping Facilities Manager at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. Vincent is responsible for operating and maintaining the LemnaTec plant phenotyping systems at the Innovation Campus greenhouse and the Beadle greenhouse. He has experience performing molecular and physiological experiments on several species of plants including arabidopsis, sugar beets, rice, soybeans and miscanthus. He has mechanical experience with hydroponic plant growth systems, automobile and motorcycle maintenance, machining and welding. Vincent grew up in a small farming community in central Illinois. He earned a PhD in Botany specializing in Plant Molecular Biology at Colorado State University and has a Bachelors of Science in Biology and a Bachelors of Arts from Southeast Missouri State University.

Troy Pabst

Rsch Mgr II Plant Sci

Troy manages the greenhouse complex located on Nebraska Innovation Campus.
He has a Bachelor’s degree in Horticulture from the University of Nebraska.
Troy retired from the Nebraska Army National Guard after serving for more than 30 years and enjoys traveling, working on his acreage, and Farmall tractors.