University of Tennessee Department of Plant Sciences

🌷 Event Recap: Last Thursday the Organic Crops Unit hosted a casual walking tour for the public to learn about the research and work being done at the UT Organic Farm! Several Plant Sciences faculty and staff were part of the event. Check out a few photos from the day below!

East Tennessee Research and Education Center (ETREC)
Herbert College of Agriculture
University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture
University of Tennessee, Knoxville

🌱 Event Recap: Green Industry Field Day

Thank you to everyone who came out for the Green Industry Field Day last week! We loved getting to meet with everyone and talk about all things plants! Check out a few snaps from the day!

UT Gardens Knoxville
Herbert College of Agriculture
University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture
Tennessee Nursery Landscape Association
University of Tennessee, Knoxville

We are so proud of the work our turfgrass team has done to get the pitches ready for the FIFA World Cup 26! Find out more below!

The world’s most-watched sports tournament begins today, and UTIA turfgrass research is in the spotlight!

For the past five years, a University of Tennessee Department of Plant Sciences research team led by John Sorochan has helped develop the playing surfaces for FIFA World Cup 26, ensuring every pitch meets the highest standards for performance and safety across three countries and multiple climates.

See how this work is shaping the game and the future of turfgrass science in the latest issue of Land, Life & Science: landlifeandscience.tennessee.edu/periodical/spring-2026/ut-turfgrass-research-already-scoring-benefits-on-the-world-stage

UT AgResearch | Herbert College of Agriculture

We had a packed house for the Tennessee Green Industry Field Day… a day dedicated to nurseries, landscaping, horticulture and plant science!

And the UT Gardens Knoxville is always the perfect backdrop for a conference!

Pictured L-R: Sam Kinsey (President, Tennessee Nursery and Landscape Association), Dr. Becky Boling (Turfgrass Extension Specialist and Professor), Gregg Upchurch (Cumberland County Extension) and Dr. Gary Bates (Department Head, Plant Sciences).

🌱 Join us for the upcoming Green Industry Field Day! Taking place June 11th, 2026, at the UT Gardens Knoxville and on campus, this event hosted by the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture and the Tennessee Nursery and Landscape Association offers members of the green industry a special opportunity to hear firsthand from UT experts who are researching practical solutions to the industry’s latest challenges.

The event features three outdoor sessions followed by lunch and four indoor classroom-style sessions. Sessions will touch on a variety of topics including turf and landscape w**d management, pest management for herbaceous and woody plants, and herbicide and fertilizer application.

Registration is open here: https://tnla.starchapter.com/meetinginfo.php

We hope to see you there!

Tennessee Nursery Landscape Association
Herbert College of Agriculture
University of Tennessee, Knoxville

🏅 Award Winners: Congratulations to the UTIA Hurricane Helene Flood Recovery Team which recently received the Success in Multidisciplinary Research Award from the Provost. This team includes Drs. Bruno Pedreira, Annette Wszelaki, Emine Fidan, Forbes Walker, Shawn Hawkins, Andrea Ludwig, Shelli Rampold, Aaron Smith, Annette Engel, and Haochen Li. In addition to those listed above who won the award, several staff members and graduate students also make up the team which helped assess the damage and develop a comprehensive recovery plan for East Tennessee after the storm.

To find out more about the project and for a look at flood resources, click here: https://plantsciences.tennessee.edu/utia-hurricane-helene-flood-recovery-team-receives-success-in-multidisciplinary-research-award/

Herbert College of Agriculture
University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture
University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Office of the Provost, UT Knoxville

🏅 Award Winners: Congratulations to Nathan Tucker, Jacob Weston, and Jacob Wittmer, three undergraduate students in the Department of Plant Sciences who recently received EUReCA awards! Nathan Tucker won second place for his project “Effect of Light Quantity on Morphology and Physiology of Hydroponic Basil” under the supervision of Dr. Kellie Walters, Jacob Weston won third place for his project “RUBY as a Superior Visual Marker for Transformation of Switchgrass Cell Cultures” under the supervision of Dr. Reggie Millwood, and Jacob Wittmer received an honorable mention for his project “Optimizing Organic Corn Production Using Legume Living Mulches” under the supervision of Dr. Renata Nave Oakes. Congratulations!

https://plantsciences.tennessee.edu/three-plant-sciences-students-receive-eureca-awards/

Herbert College of Agriculture
University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture
University of Tennessee, Knoxville

🏅 Award Winner: Congratulations to Lily Cooper, an undergraduate student in the Department of Plant Sciences, who recently received two awards for her work as an undergraduate researcher. Lily received the 2026 Edward Neal Duncan Award for Outstanding Undergraduate Research in the Herbert College of Agriculture and the Undergraduate Researcher of the Year Award from the Provost for her research in plant pathology.

Find out more about the details of Lily’s research here: https://plantsciences.tennessee.edu/plant-sciences-undergraduate-student-wins-two-research-awards/

Herbert College of Agriculture
University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture
University of Tennessee, Knoxville

🏅 Award Winner: Congratulations to Plant Sciences graduate student, Jacob Friedrich, who recently received two awards for his work as a graduate teaching assistant! Jacob was named a “Volunteer of Distinction in Recognition of Outstanding Teaching” and received the "Outstanding Graduate Student Teaching Award of Merit in the Herbert College of Agriculture” for his work as a graduate teaching assistant in PLSC 333 Plant Physiology and Nutrition and PLSC 430 Greenhouse Management.

Congratulations, Jacob!

Herbert College of Agriculture
University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture
University of Tennessee, Knoxville

🌳 Class Spotlight: PLSC 122 Community Gardens

Earlier this spring Dr. Annie Vogel, UT Extension's Fruit Crop Specialist, taught the students in PLSC 122 some best practices for pruning fruit trees. Students had a great time getting hands-on experience caring for the apples and stone fruit growing at the Knoxville Botanical Garden & Arboretum's orchard. Thank you to Dr. Vogel for your time and expertise, and many thanks to the Knoxville Botanical Garden for letting our students practice pruning your fruit trees!

Herbert College of Agriculture
University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture
University of Tennessee, Knoxville