From the Station Director |
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A unique strength of Agricultural Experiment Stations is that there is at least one located in each U.S. state and territory. And while the agricultural, food and natural resources research and innovations at each Station are inspired by local challenges, the shared purpose and mission across all the Stations empowers our scientists to more readily collaborate across state lines and to develop resilient solutions to complex regional and national challenges that bring together many different perspectives and, ultimately, lead to health, environmental and economic impacts that are greater than the sum of their parts.
Earlier this week, I had that opportunity at the annual meeting of northeast Station directors, hosted by the Maryland Agricultural Experiment Station. During our meeting, we discussed the Northeast Agenda—a collaborative effort with our partners from northeastern Extension units—which outlines a regional vision for how research and extension efforts across our states can more effectively “sum to a greater total.”
The Northeast Agenda is not intended to directly influence any specific research project or affect any Station’s ability to develop and leverage innovation to address locally inspired challenges. Rather, it provides a roadmap for how scholarship and extension efforts in our region can more effectively fit together to amplify the benefits to our diverse stakeholders. I hope you will have an opportunity to briefly read through the executive summary, and I look forward to hearing your reflections.
And thank you for supporting our efforts to improve the lives of our state and region!
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Director, NH Agricultural Experiment Station
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An interdisciplinary team of researchers, including NHAES scientists Serita Frey and Rebecca Rowe, shared their findings into how wind and small mammals—eastern chipmunks, southern red-backed voles and woodland jumping mice—help disperse fungi. In their research, published in the journal Ecology, the scientists studied whether wind disperses different fungi than mammals or if both mechanisms are generally similar. Learn how the two fungi dispersal methods complement each other during new forest growth.
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Newly published research—led by NHAES scientist Becky Sideman—examined the benefits of removing new growth occurring at the tips of the plants in the shoot apical meristem, or “topping,” on 23 different Brussels sprout cultivars grown in the Northeast. The research, which took place over the growing seasons of 2013–2015 and 2017, examined early and mid-season cultivars and assessed yield and sprout size of topped and un-topped plants. The study was featured on the front page of HortTechnology journal. Learn how timing is everything in cropping your Brussels sprouts.
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For many, the emerging adult (ages 18–24) life stage is transformational. Young adults might for the first time live away from their family, assume and begin to balance more personal and professional responsibilities, and start establishing lifestyle habits that can impact them not only as emerging adults for many future years. Now, new research supported by NHAES and led by Jesse Stabile Morrell suggests that it’s not just getting sufficient sleep that’s important, but it’s the right amount of sleep that can affect long-term health in this population. Read how this and similar studies can help support health and wellbeing on the UNH campus.
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UNH forestry researchers Mark Ducey, professor and chair of natural resources and the environment, and Andy Fast, forest industry state specialist and extension professor in UNH Cooperative Extension, are partners in the new Coalition of Northern Forest Innovation and Research, led by the Northern Forest Center and launched with a $1 million inaugural NSF Engines Development Award. The award will help support the coalition in creating regional connections and local forest innovation ecosystems within two years to prepare strong proposals for future NSF Engines funding of up to $160 million. Read about other core partners in this research award.
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Go back 120 years and walk through a New Hampshire forest and you’d notice something quite different: the American chestnut being a core part of New England woodlands. But with the spread of the chestnut blight fungus in the early part of the 20th century, it took less than four decades for American chestnuts to become nearly extinct. Today, one of the largest remaining plots of American chestnut trees in New Hampshire is located at the UNH Kingman Research Farm. Learn about the history of UNH's American Beech tree garden and how it supports UNH research.
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More Station News & Notes |
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Cooperative Extension programming is an important avenue for research from NHAES and others to reach the agricultural community. UNH Extension is again offering their free twilight educational meetings throughout the summer, graciously hosted by New Hampshire farms. These partnership events are great venues to share research-based information and learn about current issues facing growers around the state. Check the Twilight series webpage for additional details.
Upcoming Twilight talks:
- June 13—Insect IPM in Tunnels: Grafton County Farm, N. Haverhill, NH
- June 14—New Farm Tech/Veg & Fruit Prod - Brookdale Farm, Hollis, NH
- June 15—Tree Fruit - DeMeritt Hill Farm, Lee, NH
- June 20—Blueberry IPM - Stark Farm, Dunbarton, NH
- June 22—Wash Pack Sheds - Wilson Farm, Litchfield, NH
- June 29—Risk Mgmt & Food Safety - Slopeside Farm, Lancaster, NH
- June 27—Corn Evaluation - McNamara Dairy, Claremont, NH
- June 29—Corn Evaluation - Merrill Farm, Stratham, NH
- July TBD—Potting Media/Hydrafiber - Rolling Green Nursery, Greenland, NH
- July 5—Trellising & Ventilation in Tunnels - Grafton County Farm, N. Haverhill, NH
- July 11—Wash Pack Shed Pt. 2 - Longview Farm, Plymouth, NH
- July 19—Tissue Testing & Soil Fertility - Grafton County Farm, N. Haverhill, NH
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