Austin Day, senior in agronomy, spent several months studying abroad in New Zealand this past year.
“I chose to study in New Zealand because I wished to learn about alternate forms of agricultural production and hoped to find methods that could improve our own,” said Austin.
Austin was able to take classes that fulfilled requirements in both his agronomy major and animal science minor. These classes included animal nutrition, animal production, and understanding plant protection.
“My weekends and breaks from class consisted of traveling and experiencing everything that New Zealand had to offer. I was even able to spend a week in Australia. During my adventures, I enjoyed hiking, climbing mountains, visiting scenes from “Lord of the Rings,” trying new things like surfing, and much more,” said Austin.
Austin found the opportunity to study abroad by talking to others that had been involved in similar programs as well as attending the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences study abroad fair. His experiences have given him a broader perspective of the agriculture industry and how farmers around the globe are striving to reach the same goals of efficiently and effectively feeding the world.
“What I have experienced has expanded my love for all aspects of agriculture. I would highly recommend this kind of experience to anyone who has an interest in traveling and exploring new cultures,” said Austin. “I wouldn’t trade my adventure nor the chance of meeting all of the new friends I have now for anything.”
Dr. William H. Pierre (1898-1982) left an indelible imprint on agronomic science during his tenure at Iowa State University as an administrator, researcher, and leader. In all of his endeavors he could not accept anything but his best effort. Dr. Pierre came to Iowa State University in 1938 as head of the Department of Agronomy. He was born in Brussels, Wisconsin, and completed his graduate education at the University of Wisconsin, receiving the Ph.D. in 1925. He served at South Dakota State University (1921-22), Auburn University (1925-29), and West Virginia University (1929-38). His initial work on the effect of nitrogen fertilizers on soil pH was rewarded with the American Society of Agronomy Nitrogen Research Award in 1931. This often cited research was pursued in his later years when he elucidated the effect of crops on soil acidity development by the cation-anion balance in plants and the excess-base concept. This research led him to the pioneer development of methodology for the determination of maximum yield of corn as a function of the N concentration in corn grain. Until his death, Dr. Pierre continued to research the effect of corn genotypes on N concentration in corn grain.
Dr. Pierre was a superb judge of scientists. As head of the ISU Department of Agronomy, the faculty increased from 22 to 47 and 8 of the faculty he selected became distinguished professors. Many of his students and former faculty progressed to leadership positions throughout the nation.
He was a strong supporter of basic and applied research, a promoter of cooperative research, and a believer in excellence in teaching, research, and extension. Under Dr. Pierre’s leadership, field research on the major soils in Iowa was expanded with the establishment of outlying research centers; the climatology program was established; the Soil Testing Laboratory was organized; the North Central Regional Plant Introduction Center was accepted as part of agronomy; USDA scientists were incorporated as full members into the department; and the groundwork for the cooperative soil survey program was established.
Dr. Pierre was named a fellow and honorary member of the Soil Science Society of America and the American Society of America, both of which he served as president Among the numerous honors he received throughout his career, Dr. Pierre was named fellow of the Soil Conservation Society of America and of the International Society of Soil Science. In addition to his teaching, research, and administrative responsibilities, Dr. Pierre also served on several national committees and participated in international phases of agronomy through the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization and the US Agency for International Development.
A kind and gentle person, Dr. Pierre always had time for those who needed his counsel. He was proud of and dedicated to his family. His energy and enthusiasm for his work were unsurpassed. For those who knew him and his family, this lecture is a fitting reminder of Dr. Pierre’s standard of excellence.
The William H. Pierre Lecture in Soil Science
Established by a generous donation from and supported by the family of Dr. John T. Pesek.
2021 – Asmeret Berhe, University of California-Merced
2019 – Andrew Sharpley, University of Arkansas
2018 – William Schlesinger, Carey Institute of Ecosystem Studies
2017 – David Myrold, Oregon State University
2014 – Kate Scow, University of California-Davis and Deborah Garcia, Lily Films (in conjunction with the Pesek Colloquium in Sustainable Agriculture)
2013 – Dani Or, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology
2011 – Steven Driese, Baylor University and E. Arthur Bettis III, University of Iowa
2007 – Jeffrey D. Sachs, Columbia University
2006 – Samuel Traina, University of California-Merced
2004 – Rattan Lal, Ohio State University
2003 – Philip Robertson, Michigan State University
2002 – William Jury, University of California- Riverside
2000 – Rienk van der Ploeg, University of Hannover, Germany
1999 – Don Nielsen, Unviersity of California-Davis
1995 – John T. Pesek, Iowa State University
1994 – Robert Pappendick, USDA-ARS in Pullman, Washington
1993 – Leo Walsh, University of Wisconsin
1992 – Daniel Hillel, University of Massachusetts
1991 – Fred Miller, Ohio State University
1990 – C. Fred Bentley, University of Alberta
1989 – Charles Black, Iowa State University
1988 – Cornelius van Bavel, Texas A&M University
1987 – Robert Olson, University of Nebraska
1986 – Wilford Gardner, University of California-Berkley
1985 – William Alloway, USDA in Ithaca, New York
1984 – William Larson, University of Minnesota
When Kelsie Ferin sits down to code, she has a million square miles of soil, water, and sky at her fingertips: from Iowa’s Corn Belt to the Mississippi River, and all the way to the Gulf of Mexico. These iconic landscapes form the backdrop for Ferin’s research on how bioenergy crops can help purify the nation’s water.
Ferin, a Ph.D. Candidate in Agricultural Meteorology at Iowa State University, cites an eighth-grade physical science class as the “aha” moment when she discovered her passion for all things Earth-related. Though her first love was biology, Ferin soon realized that her interests included not only the planet’s flora and fauna, but also the physical processes (like climate and weather) that act on them. Upon starting at Iowa State, Ferin married the two realms by pairing a Meteorology major with an Agronomy minor.
In her undergrad, Ferin began what would become a long-term collaboration with her now-PI, Professor Andy VanLoocke. Their research solidified Ferin’s interest in the intersections of soil, water, crops, and climate:
“I was interested in how our climate and atmosphere influenced crop production and how moisture in our atmosphere is going to be changing, and how that influences crop production.”
Pursuing a Ph.D. introduced a newfound passion for teaching, as well as Ferin’s quickly developing research focus: agroecosystem and hydrology modeling. Essentially, she studies water quality through the lens of crop production — how the two are intertwined, and how scientists can step in to make that relationship as sustainable as possible.
“I fell in love with how agricultural production influences water quality,” she said, “and how this is going to change ecosystems and crop production under future climate scenarios.”
Initially, Ferin’s scope of research was the North Raccoon River Basin, a small-scale water system in the Des Moines region. A year and a half in, her project became part of the Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproduct Innovation (CABBI), a U.S. Department of Energy-funded Bioenergy Research Center led by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Through CABBI, her region of study expanded to encompass the entire Mississippi River Basin:
“It was everything I was already doing,” Ferin said, “but scaled up.”
Ferin and VanLoocke’s research investigates how CABBI’s biofuel initiative could address not one, but two of the world’s most pressing sustainability problems: clean energy and clean water. Research suggests that planting perennial biofuel crops like miscanthus and switchgrass can help meet the nation’s Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) while also decreasing nitrogen runoff in the Mississippi River system.
“Currently, we have a lot of corn and soybean production in the Corn Belt. In Iowa, the majority of our land is heavily fertilized. If we apply fertilizer before corn is able to grow its root system, the nitrogen has the potential to be leached through artificial tile drainage. If the soil isn’t going to retain nitrogen, it has nowhere else to go but out.”
“Out” could mean anywhere in the Mississippi River Basin. Depending on factors like rainfall, excess nitrogen often makes its way down the Mississippi and straight into the Gulf of Mexico. In the Gulf, the combination of steadily accumulating nitrogen and decay from dead organisms drastically depletes the area’s oxygen, creating what’s commonly referred to as a “dead zone.”
Ferin and VanLoocke’s work with CABBI intends to balance the RFS targets with the EPA’s Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Task Force, which aims for a 60 percent nitrogen reduction by 2035.
“In order to do that,” Ferin said, “you need to start reducing nitrogen leaching rates from the source, which leads all the way back to Iowa.”
CABBI’s initiative to cultivate biofuels in the Iowan Corn Belt is primed with a built-in method to combat nitrogen. Perennial grasses — like miscanthus and switchgrass — are efficient in nitrogen cycling and have larger root systems and longer growing seasons than annuals. This allows them to absorb more nitrogen and reduce the amount that ends up in waterways.
Kelsie Ferin presents a poster during the U.S. Department of Energy’s Genomic Sciences Program Annual Principal Investigator Meeting on Feb. 26, 2019. Photo by Elizabeth Murphy
“If we’re able to implement more perennial crops like these that have more economic value and meet the demands of the RFS, we can also help reduce nitrogen leaching,” she said
Between land management, crop production, nitrogen, and the water cycle, there are more moving parts to this project than anyone could keep track of, and it just so happens that Ferin’s primary job is exactly that. Luckily, she is a coding connoisseur — since picking up Fortran for her Meteorology degree, she has enjoyed refining her coding chops and mastering as many coding languages as she can.
“I put my headphones on, and I get lost in coding,” she said. “And suddenly, it’s four hours later.”
Ferin uses a baseline agroecosystem model (created with a program called Agro-IBIS) to experiment with one central question: What do Iowa’s agricultural fields need to look like to yield positive results in the Gulf? She starts by tweaking different factors — photosynthetic parameters, nitrogen fertilizer application, and the allocation of land given to each crop per scenario — and simulating their effects on nitrate leaching, water drainage, and crop and biomass yields. From there, Agro-IBIS output is fed into a hydrology model, a real-world simulation of how water travels through the Mississippi River Basin.
Ferin explains the hydrology simulation model, called THMB:
“If we were to overlay a topography map, this is the direction in which (water) would flow. That helps to measure how much nitrogen export enters the Gulf of Mexico. If we were to continue agricultural production the way that we’re currently doing, will we meet the demand for the renewable fuel standard, and how would this affect water quality in the Mississippi River Basin as well as the Gulf of Mexico?”
The staggering scope of Ferin’s work is anything but daunting. On the contrary, she embraces the opportunity to combine her various interest fields into a cohesive picture.
“I guess by now, I’ve made the full circle back,” she said of her childhood interest in biology. “I’ve been able to implement biology back into my path and where I am today, learning how plants work and how they interact with the soil and the atmosphere.”
In addition to her interest in the subject matter, Ferin’s motivation to work tirelessly at this project stems from the conviction that her work will be instrumental in advancing the conversation surrounding sustainable agriculture. A Des Moines native herself, the issue of water purification hits very close to home.
“It’s the water that my family drinks,” she said matter-of-factly.
From a young age, Ferin has been well aware of — and eager to remedy — less-than-sustainable farming practices that have undesirable environmental impacts. Now, she is excited to help revolutionize those practices in the region where she grew up, sparking a chain reaction of sustainability that reaches all the way to the ocean.
“There are so many ways that we can change this,” she said, “and I want to be one of the people who can make that happen.”
Dr. John Pesek was a soil scientist, champion of sustainable agriculture, teacher and leader. Regrettably, our esteemed colleague passed away February 11. With over 40 years of service to the Department of Agronomy and Iowa State University, Dr. Pesek left a lasting legacy.
Dr. Pesek was born November 15, 1921 in Hallettsville, Texas. He received his bachelor’s degree in agriculture education from Texas A&M in 1943, at which point he entered the military. He was a member of the 98th Bomb Group within the 15th Air Force.
Following his military service, he completed his master’s degree in agronomy with a specialization in soils from Texas A&M in 1947. Dr. Pesek received his doctorate in agronomy from North Carolina State University in 1950.
Dr. Pesek joined the Iowa State agronomy family as assistant professor in 1950. He made his way through tenure ranks becoming associate professor in 1952 and full professor in 1958. In 1964, Dr. Pesek began a 26-year service as department head, taking one year off from 1987-1988 to assume the role of interim dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
Under his supervision, the addition to Agronomy Hall was funded and constructed. Dr. Pesek also spearheaded the development of the Agronomy and Agricultural Engineering Research Farms. In addition, Dr. Pesek also helped establish the Soil Tilth Laboratory, a USDA-ARS facility now called the National Laboratory for Agriculture and the Environment.
In 1990 Dr. Pesek transitioned the leadership of the agronomy department to Dr. Ron Cantrell. Known for working all hours of the day, including weekends, Dr. Pesek remained very active in the department until – and after – his retirement in June 1992.
Over the years the students of agronomy and the university served as Dr. Pesek’s guiding principle.
“He would always ask me, ‘but how will it impact the students, Gene,’” said Gene Takle, agronomy professor hired by Dr. Pesek.
During his career he was the major professor for over 40 graduate students and was particularly dedicated to international students and encouraging women to achieve advanced degrees in the sciences. Over 2,000 degrees were awarded to undergraduates and graduate students during Dr. Pesek’s time as department head.
His research, teaching and extension work focused on soil fertility, application of fertilizers and economics of fertilizer use. “His research efforts have led to a better understanding of the effects of management practices, the environment, and their interaction on crop yield response to fertilizer,” wrote Dr. Kenneth Frey. Dr. Pesek authored over 70 scientific papers and 15 book chapters.
Of the many accomplishments of his career, chairing the National Academy of Sciences National Research Council’s committee that developed the 1989 Report on Alternative Agriculture saw tremendous impact across the globe. Dr. Pesek championed the emerging field of sustainable agriculture and those who added their voices to the cause.
The annual Sustainable Agriculture Colloquium was named after Dr. Pesek in 2001.
“Sustainability of an agriculture that is environmentally benign in relation to world resources, population and the environment is a serious issue — perhaps the central issue for the human race . . . We are overdue in adopting new policies — replacing the old with those that are better and safer for farmers, healthier for consumers, kinder to the environment, and ultimately sustainable. After all, we will depend on agriculture for food forever. Even if we do not look forward any farther than we look back to the beginning of agriculture, we are speaking not of decades or centuries but of thousands of years. And our population continues to grow.” – John Pesek, retired Charles F. Curtiss Distinguished Professor in agronomy, speaking at the inaugural John Pesek Colloquium on Sustainable Agriculture March 1-2, 2001
Some of Pesek’s earliest service to the greater Iowa State University community came in the area of human relations and civil rights.
He wrote: “Several years after arriving at Iowa State, I was a member and later, chair, of the Human Relations Committee that helped establish the conscience of the University to follow the spirit and words of the Civil Rights Act, consciously to promote integration and uniform treatment of students, and the employment of faculty and staff.”
Much of the committee’s work was done “without fanfare,” including identifying and changing university documents to remove wording “leading to discriminatory implications.” Pesek wrote that he was the “penman” who wrote the first “Justice for All” statement printed on most university publications. Later, the Human Relations Committee proposed appointing a university Committee on Women. Pesek was an original member of that committee, which was comprised primarily of women.
For his long-time service, Iowa State’s University Human Relations Committee honored Pesek with the first Recognition Award for Significant Contributions to the Betterment of Human Relations at Iowa State University.
Dr. Pesek’s legacy will remain, not only for the Department of Agronomy and Iowa State University, but for the state of Iowa, the nation and the world.
David R. Montgomery, author of Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations, is a professor at the University of Washington, where he studies the evolution of topography and how geological processes shape landscapes and influence ecological systems. His most recent book, Growing a Revolution: Bringing Our Soil Back to Life, draws on his farm visits around the world as a MacArthur Fellow. In it he explores practices that help restore soil health and fertility and makes a case for how agriculture can be the solution to global environmental problems.
Written by Tracy Schlater, Department of Agronomy & Brian Meyer, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Dr. David W. Staniforth (1919-1984) was a pioneer in the field of weed science. His research efforts helped to shape the effective weed control systems used by farmers today. His experience spanned the development of modern herbicide technology, beginning with work on the mode of action of 2,4-D and continuing through refinements in weed control systems including the development of weed control for conservation tillage.
Dr. Staniforth was born in Ester, Alberta, Canada. He received his B.S.A. degree in 1944 and the M.S. in 1946 from the University of Saskatchewan, training under Dr. T.K. Pavlychenko. He came to Iowa State University in 1947 to pursue the Ph.D. in plant physiology, training under Dr. Walter E. Loomis. Following completion of the Ph.D., Dr. Staniforth was appointed as an instructor at Iowa State University in 1949 and continued the rest of his career at this institution, being promoted to Professor in 1960.
Dr. Staniforth’s primary area of research interest was in weed biology-ecology. Although his research included determining effective uses for herbicides, his ultimate aim was always to learn something more about the nature of the weed and its environment, recognizing that this knowledge would always be lasting and useful. He was one of the first weed scientists to characterize the nature of weed competition with corn and soybeans, developing economic thresholds in the 1950’s, long before the IPM philosophy and the use of weed thresholds came into vogue. He also foresaw possible problems associated with the long-term use of herbicides, including weed resistance and problems associated with herbicide residues in the soil.
Dr. Staniforth correctly predicted the dramatic changes that have taken place in tillage practices and began to work on weed control systems for reduced tillage systems in the 1960’s. He was one of the first to conceive of the early preplant herbicide application system for no-till and was instrumental in the development of this system in the 1970’s. Today this system is the most popular herbicide application method for no-till in Iowa.
In 1978 Dr. Staniforth was named a Fellow of the Weed Science Society of America. The Weed Science Society of America also bestowed a fitting acknowledgement of his contributions by dedicating the monograph, Weed Control in Limited-Tillage Systems, to Dr. Staniforth. In 1983 he was named “Distinguished Scientist” and in 1984 he was named “Man of the Year” by the Iowa Fertilizer and Chemical Association.
Dr. Staniforth’s incisive mind stimulated others to think clearly. He was dedicated to his students. This was especially evident in his last year when his dwindling energy was spent on his students instead of himself. His students have gone on to influential positions across the United States. He was proud of and dedicated to his family. His standards of excellence challenged his family, his peers, and his students. But the sternest standards were reserved for himself. For those who knew him and for his family, this lecture is a fitting reminder of Dr. Staniforth’s standard of excellence.
Staniforth passed away in 1984 and rests alongside his wife Earla in the Iowa State University cemetery along Pammel Avenue.
The Staniforth Memorial Lecture
November 1, 2020 – Dr. Stephen Duke
October 22, 2019 – Dr. Michael Walsh
April 3, 2018 – Dr. Fred Gould
November 7, 2017 – Dr. Paul Neve
October 25, 2016 – Dr. Marie A. Jasieniuk
April 14, 2015 – Dr. Michael E. Gray
April 15, 2014 – Dr. David E. Ervin
March 5, 2013 – Dr. Frank Forcella
April 26, 2012 – Dr. Jon Marshall
April 14, 2011 – Dr. Robert J. Kremer
February 25, 2010 – Dr. David A. Mortensen
February 25, 2009 – Dr. Allison Snow
