January 8, 2015
Fulbright senior scholar to speak on 'Growing Better Roots'
Zed Rengel, K-State Fulbright senior scholar and Winthrop professor at the University of Western Australia, will present a special seminar "Growing Better Roots" at 1 p.m. Friday, Jan. 9, in 1018 Throckmorton Hall. Refreshments will be served at 12:30 p.m.
His talk will pose critical questions about growing better roots, such as: Should we care? What is "better"? Do we know how to do it? Can we do it so well as to make roots optimal?
The seminar will deal with architectural and functional root responses to heterogeneous soil environments, alterations of chemical and biological properties of the rhizosphere, and 3-D models of root growth and nutrient uptake as tools in crop breeding. Crops discussed will include wheat, maize, lupins and canola.
Rengel is one of the world's leading scholars in biology and chemistry of the rhizosphere, and in 3-D modeling of root growth and function in crop plants.
For more information, contact Vara Prasad, director of the Sustainable Intensification Innovation Lab and professor of agronomy, crop ecophysiology, at vara@k-state.edu or 785-532 3746.