Back

Discover CALS

See how our current work and research is bringing new thinking and new solutions to some of today's biggest challenges.

Search for News & Stories

Fungus extending long filament-like structures far out into soil

News

Researchers know that a type of fungi called arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi establishes symbiotic relationships with the roots of 70% of all land plants. In this relationship, plants trade fatty acids for the fungi’s nitrogen and phosphorus...
  • Boyce Thompson Institute
  • School of Integrative Plant Science
  • Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology Section

News

  • Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management
  • Microbiology
  • Molecular Biology and Genetics
A headshot of Lori Huberman

Spotlight

Academic focus: Fungal genetics and genomics Research summary: I study how fungi sense and respond to their environment. Specifically, I am interested in understanding how fungi sense available nutrients and efficiently utilize them. Accurate...
  • School of Integrative Plant Science
  • Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology Section
  • Plants
Man looks at apples in an orchard.

News

This effort is thanks to a recent $299,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. The three-year project, “Root Traits and Rapid Decline of Apple Trees in High-Density Orchards,” is one of the...
  • Cornell AgriTech
  • School of Integrative Plant Science
  • Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology Section
Zoom screen shot of the winners

News

The event, held virtually March 5-7, brought together 176 students from 32 teams representing five of the world’s top agriculture schools for a 36-hour hackathon. A mix of undergraduate and graduate students in fields ranging from agriculture...
  • Cornell AgriTech
  • Cornell Institute for Digital Agriculture
  • School of Integrative Plant Science
a field of malting barley growing

News

Formerly called CU-31, the barley got its name as a result of a contest co-hosted this fall by the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) and the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets. Richard Ball, commissioner of Ag and...
  • Cornell Cooperative Extension
  • School of Integrative Plant Science
  • Plant Breeding and Genetics Section
fungi grows in a lab

News

Researchers from Cornell, Oregon State University and the North-West University–Potchefstroom in South Africa will team up on the four-year Dimensions of Biodiversity grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF). The funding program requires...
  • School of Integrative Plant Science
  • Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology Section
  • Health + Nutrition
Golden oats outside in a field

News

The study, “ Victorin, the Host-Selective Cyclic Peptide Toxin from the Oat Pathogen Cochliobolus victoriae, is Ribosomally Encoded,” was published Sept. 15 in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Victoria blight is...
  • School of Integrative Plant Science
  • Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology Section
  • Disease
A hand holds a handful of malting barley, pouring it into a grain bag.

News

The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) and the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets are co-hosting a naming contest, Nov. 12 through Dec. 3, for this promising new variety – currently called CU-31. All those...
  • Cornell AgriTech
  • Cornell Cooperative Extension
  • School of Integrative Plant Science
People standing outside at an apple orchard and wearing masks

News

The Hudson Valley Research Laboratory (HVRL), a Cornell center for tree fruit research in Highland, New York, donated 47,000 pounds of apples and pears to the Food Bank of the Hudson Valley and Ulster Corps this fall. The contribution has helped...
  • Cornell AgriTech
  • Hudson Valley Lab
  • Horticulture Section
An apple tree outside against a blue sky with a banner that says "Grow-NY Food & Ag Summit: Virtual Pitch Competition & Symposium - November 17-18, 2020. Registration: FREE, VIP Package: $75. www.grown-ny.com

News

Smart drones that distribute beneficial insects on crops, packaging materials to extend the shelf life of bread, and technology to transform food waste into nutrients for hydroponic farming – these are a few of the innovations to be featured at...
  • Center of Excellence in Food and Agriculture
  • Cornell AgriTech
  • School of Integrative Plant Science
A female reaching for an apple hanging in a tree

News

New findings from the lab of Kerik Cox, associate professor of plant pathology and plant-microbe biology, indicate that there may be hope for producers vying to use these technologies. Published by the American Phytopathological Society in...
  • Cornell AgriTech
  • School of Integrative Plant Science
  • Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology Section
A woman harvests in a valley

Spotlight

In academic publishing, one measurement of a work’s importance is how many other academics have cited it. This long-standing system has the benefit of simplicity and helping to form a common knowledge base. But especially for those working to...
  • Global Development Section
  • School of Integrative Plant Science
  • Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology Section
A statue of Norman Borlaug

News

A research team from the United States earned the Borlaug Global Rust Initiative (BGRI) 2020 Gene Stewardship award for their pioneering work protecting global wheat crops from vulnerabilities to fungal pathogens that threaten global food...
  • Global Development Section
  • School of Integrative Plant Science
  • Plant Breeding and Genetics Section
A man inspecting an apple on a branch outside

News

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture has awarded a $779,000 grant to Cornell AgriTech researchers to combat fire blight, one of the most devastating bacterial diseases for the apple and pear industries...
  • School of Integrative Plant Science
  • Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology Section
  • Food

News

The recipients are: Andy Borum (mathematics, College of Arts and Sciences) and Yoon Choi ( communication, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences) for Excellence in Community Engagement; Rachel Cheng ( food science, CALS) and Sara Sachs...

  • School of Integrative Plant Science
  • Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology Section
  • Food Science
harvested eggplant

News

The new app “Btbegun” provides farmers, extension professionals, field officers, policymakers, seed suppliers and other stakeholders with the most current information about Bt eggplant — a genetically engineered variety resistant to a ravenous...
  • Global Development Section
  • School of Integrative Plant Science
  • Plant Breeding and Genetics Section
Brown soil and green plants in a field

News

Cornell-based startup Ascribe Bioscience, which applies the emerging field of metabolomics to the soil microbiome to develop new products for agriculture, has won a $750,000 National Science Foundation (NSF) Small Business Innovation Research...
  • Boyce Thompson Institute
  • School of Integrative Plant Science
  • Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology Section
Rows of crops

News

The funding is intended to advance knowledge in both fundamental and applied sciences important to agriculture. The projects: Michelle Heck, a research molecular biologist at the USDA Agricultural Research Service and adjunct associate professor...
  • Animal Science
  • School of Integrative Plant Science
  • Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology Section

News

A multidisciplinary, Cornell-led team of scientists has been selected for a $750,000 NASA grant to combine their expertise in remote sensing, climate and earth system computer modeling, plant pathology and genomics to better understand how plant...
  • Cornell AgriTech
  • School of Integrative Plant Science
  • Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology Section