clemson

Just hearing “pigweed” can cause fear in cotton and soybean farmers, but a Clemson University geneticist and others believe they have discovered the armor this dreaded weed uses to protect itself against the herbicide glyphosate. The researchers have determined a specific genetic feature, the extrachromosomal circular DNA (eccDNA) replicon, gives Palmer pigweed, or Palmer amaranth, its resistance to glyphosate and ... Read More »

• By Denise Attaway • One thing many farmers know for certain is that nothing is certain right now. During the South Carolina Cotton Growers Meeting held in Santee recently, Clemson Extension Economist Nathan Smith told growers that despite stable demand for cotton worldwide, fluctuations in yields, prices and international trade have the potential to create stress for both producers ... Read More »

Healthy crops begin with healthy soil and researchers with the Clemson University’s Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program are teaching farmers how they can benefit from keeping their soils fit. The researchers teamed up with other agricultural professionals and farmers who have implemented soil health principles by using cover crops, no-till and livestock integration to hold a conference to teach ... Read More »

Sometimes The Yield Reflects What Is Invisible To The Eye • By Carroll Smith, Editor • If you are a cotton farmer, what you can’t see can hurt you in terms of reduced yield and delayed crop maturity. Plant-parasitic nematodes are tiny worms — most of which are invisible to the naked eye — that infect the roots of cotton ... Read More »

All cotton is not created equal, and a Clemson University student is looking to bring back a species that once dominated South Carolina cotton fields. Sarah Holladay, a master’s student studying plant and environmental sciences, is working with Clemson Extension Service cotton specialist Mike Jones and Agricultural Research Service cotton geneticist Todd Campbell to determine if Pima cotton can be ... Read More »

Healthy soils are important for healthy crops and Clemson University researcher Rongzhong Ye says planting cover crops, especially cereal rye, can help rejuvenate South Carolina soils. Cover crops during the off-season can help build organic carbon in the soil, Ye told almost 200 people who attended the 2019 Pee Dee Research and Education Center Field Day. Eight treatments of three ... Read More »

The agricultural workforce is shrinking and some Clemson University researchers believe robots may help provide a means to protect America’s food and fiber industries. A group of them studying the use of robots in agriculture recently met with researchers from other universities and representatives from Clearpath Robotics to learn about programs and hardware that are available to equip robots to ... Read More »