Ingenuity | Spring 2023

Ingenuity

About the School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences

ACADEMICS

The University of Maryland Eastern Shore’s School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences offers personalized student attention, authentic research opportunities, experiential learning and state-of-the-art facilities to train tomorrow’s workforce as leaders in agriculture and science. Strong research and extension programs are integrated with the school’s academic programming.

RESEARCH

The UMES Agricultural Experiment Station within the School of Agriculture and Natural Sciences provides enhanced knowledge and technology to improve agriculture and food systems; enhance the quality of natural resources and the environment; and serve communities, families and consumers. Research is organized around: Agriculture and Food, Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability, Human Health and Development, and Product Development. UMES is one of two land-grant institutions in Maryland that provide leadership for research in agriculture, food, biomedical science and natural resource conservation and use.

EXTENSION

UMES Extension uses research-based knowledge to provide practical educational opportunities to help people, businesses and communities solve problems, develop skills and build better futures. Our programs specialize in: the Agriculture Law and Education Initiative, Alternative Crops, Community and Economic Development, Family Nutrition and Health, Food Safety, Horticulture and Fruits, Small Farms, Small Ruminants, and 4-H STEM & Youth Development.

SANS ACADEMIC DEPARTMENTS

Agriculture, Food and Resource Sciences:

• Agribusiness Management (BS)

• Urban Forestry (BS)

• General Agriculture (BS)

• Agricultural Education

• Plant and Soil Science

• Animal and Poultry Science

• Business and Technology Option I

• Food and Agricultural Sciences (MS and Ph.D.)

Natural Sciences:

• Biochemistry (BS)

• Biology (BS)

• Chemistry (BS)

• Environmental Sciences (BS)

• Chemistry (MS)

• Marine, Estuarine, and Environmental Sciences (MS, PhD)

• Toxicology (MS, PhD)

Human Ecology:

• Human Ecology (BS) (Child Development/CHDE Online Option, Dietetics, Nutrition, Family and Consumer Sciences, Family and Consumer Sciences Education

• Fashion Merchandising and Design (BS) (Fashion Merchandising, Fashion Merchandising/FIT Option, Fashion Design)

• Human Ecology (MS) (Child Development, Dietetics and Nutrition with Clinical and Non-Clinical Options, Family and Consumer Sciences, Fashion Merchandising)

• Dietetic Internship

LMRCSC

Ingenuity is the Research and Extension magazine of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. It is published yearly for alumni, students, stakeholders, clients and friends of the School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences.

ADMINISTRATION

HEIDI M. ANDERSON, PH.D.

President

MOSES T. KAIRO, PH.D., DIC

Dean of the School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences

PAULINUS CHIGBU, PH.D.

Associate Dean For Research, Development & Graduate Education, professor and director, NOAA Living Marine Resources Cooperative Science Center

E. NELSON ESCOBAR, PH.D.

Associate Dean and Associate Administer for UMES Extension

JONATHAN CUMMING, PH.D.

Professor and Chair, Department of Natural Sciences

GRACE NAMWAMBA, PH.D.

Professor and Chair, Department of Human Ecology

STEPHAN L. TUBENE, PH.D.

Professor and Acting Chair, Department of Agriculture, Food, and Resource Sciences

INGENUITY MAGAZINE

Editor-in-chief: Laura Benedict Sileo

Primary writer: Gail Stephens

Staff photographer: Todd Dudek

Cover photographer: Jesu Raj Pandya

Designer: Nicole Abresch, Piccolo Creative

The opinions expressed are not necessarily shared by the University or School.

UMES is an EEO/AA employer. For help accessing this publication, contact: ADA@umes.edu.

This work was supported in part by the Evans-Allen Program and other state appropriated funds.

It has been an outstanding year for the School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences here at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, a Top 10 public HBCU.

With a wide range of programs spanning teaching, research and extension, SANS embodies UMES’ core mission as a top land-grant university.

I am pleased with the School’s efforts to develop the talent of students who will pursue careers in agriculture and science. These future industry leaders are earning degrees through experiential learning and research thanks to our esteemed and dedicated faculty.

On the research front, I am excited to see faculty and students enhance knowledge and technology on issues relevant to the Delmarva Peninsula and Maryland, with further implications to the nation and world. Their work takes place at the Paul S. Sarbanes Coastal Ecology Center; the Research, Extension and Teaching Farm; and campus laboratories.

I was honored to host Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller during her visit to campus in April, when she toured the site of the future AgREC building and realized our efforts to establish a veterinary school.

On our outreach, UMES Extension continues to bring research-based knowledge directly to people, families and communities. Extension specialists strengthen our community by teaching people everything from how to grow their agricultural business to eating and growing nutritious foods, along with food safety.

There are plenty of opportunities to make connections ahead. Ag Showcase will enter its third year this August. In November, the 20th annual Small Farms Conference will relay tools and strategies to increase farm profitability and promote sustainability. New for 2023, SANS and UMES Extension will host the inaugural Maryland Agritourism Conference.

All of this was made possible thanks to our many supporters including the Maryland Legislature and our federal partners such as the USDA, NOAA and NSF, as well as private entities.

SANS and UMES Extension will continue to grow to serve the changing needs of the stakeholders. I look forward to what the new school year holds.

Heidi M. Anderson, Ph.D. President

Dear Stakeholders,

On behalf of the students, faculty and staff in the School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences, which anchors UMES' land-grant mission, I am delighted to bring you greetings!

This edition of Ingenuity covers stories that speak to some of our activities in research, extension and teaching: our triumvirate mission. Our focus in these areas is driven by priorities identified by stakeholders. We deliberately match our unique strengths to ensure that federal, state and private sector investments in our programs are used in such a manner to deliver maximum outcomes. With this said, I invite you to provide feedback and suggestions that will allow us to continuously improve upon the delivery of our goals.

We are deeply grateful for the funding received from federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Science Foundation, the Department of Education, Department of Energy and the Department of Defense. We are equally thankful for support from the Maryland Legislature and private sector entities without which our work would not be possible.

I am also appreciative of your interest in our programs and hope that you find this issue of Ingenuity to be informative. Perhaps keep it handy to share with colleagues in your travels, or use it as a coffee table magazine!

Please keep in mind that the material covered here is just a snapshot of the many exciting things happening at UMES SANS.

Moses T. Kairo, Professor and Dean

Students train to enter hemp industry

A U.S. Department of Agriculture grant has opened the door for University of Maryland Eastern Shore students to receive the training they will need to successfully compete for jobs in the hemp industry. Funded by a $100,000 1890 Center for Excellence in Student Success and Workforce Development grant, the project provides training in hemp production and marketing for students at UMES and Central State University.

“Two of the students in last year’s inaugural cohort at UMES were hired by hemp companies on the Eastern Shore for summer employment on account of the training they received through the project,” said Dr. Sadanand Dhekney, professor of plant breeding and biotechnology in UMES’ Department of Agriculture, Food and Resource Sciences. “We will continue to train students in various aspects of hemp cultivation and expect to see a positive outcome in them obtaining hemp-related jobs in the future.”

UMES’ Industrial Hemp Program, of which Dhekney is the coordinator, said the program “involves faculty expertise in hemp agronomy, breeding and biotechnology, pest management, processing and marketing.” In addition to an indoor facility for the study of hemp propagation and indoor cultivation, there was also a 1-acre field trial established in 2021 for research.

Hemp is harvested after 120 days and is transferred indoors for post-harvest processing, Dhekney said. Students on the project collect flower samples that are sent to a commercial lab for THC and CBD analysis. They also dry, trim, buck and strip the hemp to convert the flower into value-added products.

At the close of the experience, UMES and Central State University interns completed a one-week reciprocal visit. Additionally, students presented their research at professional conferences, such as the Cannabis Science Conference.

Carissa

is shown in

where students experience aspects of growing hemp, including weed management, identifying male plants for roguing and canopy management operations such as pinching, thinning shoots and leaves, and shoot training. They are also versed in identifying plant diseases and insect pests, and physiological disorders in hemp at different growth stages

In the lab, Michael Foland, an agricultural technician, trains undergraduate researchers in clonal propagation of hemp using cuttings under soil and in aeroponic conditions. They work with feminized seed production where different concentrations of silver thiosulfate are sprayed on female hemp plants to produce male flower production and seeding through self-pollination. Another technique the researchers are involved in is using plant tissue culture for production of clean plants.

Jackson

the field

UMES helps hemp growers combat pests, disease, weeds

The University of Maryland Eastern Shore aims to help industrial hemp growers on Delmarva with managing pests, plant diseases and weeds through a capacity building grant funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Dr. Simon Zebelo, an associate professor of entomology and plant biology at UMES, serves as the principal director for the $600,000, threeyear award.

In addition to helping agricultural producers, the grant will also educate the next generation of agricultural entrepreneurs through the development of an introductory course on hemp production and management, and train graduate and undergraduate student interns. The initiative is in partnership with the University of Maryland College Park and Alabama State University.

For nearly a decade, hemp and marijuana were illegal in most states until the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, which removed hemp with less than 0.3 percent delta-9tetrahydrocannabinol (D9THC) from the controlled substance list, Zebelo said.

“Now that hemp is a legal

agricultural commodity, a need exists for research and extension activities on pest and weed management that make growing hemp challenging,” said Zebelo, who is also the director of UMES’ Center for Integrated Pest Management and the IR-4 Project Northeast Region director.

As team lead, Zebelo will direct coprincipal directors - Drs. Behnam Khatabi, Sadanand Dhekney, Tigist Tolosa of UMES’ Department of Agriculture, Food and Resource Sciences; Dwayne Joseph, Cerruti Hooks and Kurt Vollmer, all of the University of Maryland College Park; and Olufemi Ajayi of Alabama State University - on the activities and goals of the project.

Corn earworm moths will be caught using different trap types and a correlation will be done with the presence of larvae in the hemp fields to study the density of the pest, Zebelo said. An assessment will be made of the host preferences of the key insect pests associated with different varieties of hemp. In addition, research will look at the feeding and oviposition site selection.

“We will evaluate the efficacy of

currently registered biological insecticides for the management of arthropod pests and diseases in hemp,” Zebelo explained. “Along with examining the effect of corn earworm moths damage and that of other arthropods on the level of terpenoids, cannabidiol (CBD) and D9THC content.” The team, he said, will also look at the effects of minimum tillage and cover cropping on weed and insect pests, natural enemy efficacy and industrial hemp yield.

Information from the study will be shared with farmers and stakeholders through various extension activities as is customary with a standard integrated project, Zebelo said. University students will also reap the benefits of the research by way of an introductory course and research experiences.

“Developing and Implementing Insect Pest, Diseases and Weed Monitoring and Managing Tactics on Hemp Production In The Delmarva Region” is funded by USDA-NIFA grant 2022-38821-37354.

Students gain oceanography research opportunities

UMES lab only one of its kind at an HBCU

Underrepresented students in marine sciences at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore will benefit from a three-year, half a million dollar National Science Foundation grant. The Ocean Sciences Excellence in Research grant will boost the university’s capacity to give students research opportunities while helping solve a real-world challenge, understanding and projecting the future of freshwater plume dynamics under climate change scenarios that will lead to a better understanding of the nutrient distribution and productivity zone of a large lake.

“This project will help expand a pool of minority students in the field by supporting the only physical oceanography numerical modeling laboratory within the HBCU community in the continental U.S.,” said Dr. Meng Xia, a professor in UMES’ Department of Natural Sciences. “Undergraduates will be afforded opportunities to integrate research with their education through inquiry-based learning.”

FRESHWATER PLUME DYNAMICS UNDER CLIMATE CHANGE

Xia, who specializes in river plume and estuary dynamics, is turning his attention to understanding the factors governing plume behavior in a large lake (Lake Michigan) after completing a project focusing on the Maryland Coastal Bays. Using numerical hydrodynamic-waveice modeling, Xia will now study how the current, waves and ice in the lake influence plumes and how they, in turn, are influenced. The experiments, he said, will separate the factors in the complex system governing plume interactions and reveal those of importance to dominating the impacts on plume behavior.

River plumes, which are seasonally active in intertidal zones, are an important and not fully understood phenomenon for the circulation of an estuarine, Xia said. Lake Michigan, for example, experiences a 10 km-wide plume each spring on

its southern shore that resuspends materials extending over 100 km. The temperate climate of southern Lake Michigan is potentially influenced by the colder climate and ice covers in its northern basin. The southern basin is intervened by the denser population in the surroundings and prone to water pollution though the riverine channels.

Xia’s research, along with the contributions of undergraduate and graduate students and post-doctoral fellow, Dr. Bishnupriya Sahoo, will benefit the broader field of physical oceanography.

At Top: Graduate student Haoran Liu (China) works with Dr. Meng Xia (standing) in UMES’ physical oceanography numerical modeling lab.

Fashion merchandising students get firsthand experience Grant primes students for STEM graduate studies, careers

A $100,000 Closing the Gap grant will aid Dr. Bridgett Clinton-Scott, an associate professor in UMES’ Department of Human Ecology, in her continuing effort to connect fashion merchandising students with alumni through a fashion entrepreneur mentorship program.

“This is a semester-long program exposing students to fashion careers through firsthand experiential projects with alumni and other fashion mentors,” Clinton-Scott said. “The program also grooms students to enter into corporate positions with major fashion brands.”

Last year, Clinton-Scott said, five fashion merchandising students — Nathan Dance, Aleecia Joof, Tamber Jackson, Kassidy Langham and Vante Thomas — participated in a yearlong Gap Inc. apprenticeship program as a direct result of the grant.

Funded by ICON 360 x Gap Inc., students also apply their creative skills and knowledge in special projects exposing them to media production, product development and entrepreneurship.

The Closing the Gap initiative was launched last year as a means of “strengthening educational opportunities for the next generation of Black, indigenous and other people of color fashion leaders … to drive innovation within the fashion industry.”

The grant is part of half a million in funding allocated among nine HBCUs to “boost their fashion programs.”

The National Science Foundation has renewed a fiveyear, $3 million grant funding the University System of Maryland’s Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation program, which is aimed at increasing the number and success of minority students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

“We are pleased to be able to continue this opportunity to positively impact the lives of many science-minded students at our institution,” said Dr. Moses T. Kairo, dean of the School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences at UMES.

Since the initiation of the program three decades ago, UMES has provided opportunities for some 250 students. Undergraduates receive academic and social support including mentoring, professional development workshops, community outreach activities and, most importantly, research opportunities under the guidance of a faculty mentor. Students present research at STEM conferences and the annual UMES Research Symposium. Participants who have completed qualifying activities earn a stipend at the end of each semester.

UMES is joined by the University of Maryland College Park, the University of Maryland Baltimore County and Towson University in collaborative efforts under USM’s LSAMP. The program is funded under National Science Foundation Grant No.1619676.

LEARN MORE AT:

www.umes.edu/SANS/LSAMP/About-LSAMP

At top: From left, fashion merchandising majors Justin Harrison and De’Yona Willoughby, Donzhane Lyons and Darienne Penn pose with Dr. Bridgett Clinton-Scott, center. At top: Summer 2022 LSAMP interns pose for a photo.

How zinc can sway corn yield

Micronutrient zinc deficiency can cause decline in corn yield according to UMES Associate Professor of Horticulture Naveen Kumar Dixit. Funding through the Maryland Grain Producers Utilization Board in Queenstown, Maryland, will enable Dixit to continue his research on micronutrient zinc to enhance yield potential in corn.

A $12,500 grant award will allow Dixit to replicate and build on a field experiment during last year’s growing season.

“We are pleased to provide funding for projects that carry out our mission to increase the profitability of Maryland grain production and to improve public understanding of agriculture using checkoff funds to support promotion, education and research,” Joe Bruning, president of Maryland Grain Producers Utilization Board.

During Dixit’s field experiment, multiple doses (0, 2, 4, 6, and 8 lbs/A) of zinc were applied in the form of liquid fertilizer using a strip-till machine. Zinc was delivered 4 inches below the soil level and 2 inches below the seed level. Corn roots, Dixit said, accessed the applied zinc between fourth and sixth leaf stage when the roots reached a depth of 6 inches in the soil profile.

“Positive effects of zinc were observed on corn yield, number of grains per cob, number of grains in basal and apical region of the cob, grain yield in basal and apical region of the cob, cob length and pollen viability,” Dixit said.

The highest (168.0 bu/A) grain yield was observed in 8 lbs/A zinc application and was 16% more in comparison to controls (141.0 bu/A), Dixit said. The increase in corn yield at 8 lbs/A zinc application is attributed to a decrease in dry matter accumulation in shoot at harvest (11.8%), increase in number (basal grain: 7%, apical grain: 10%) and yield of grains in basal (14.3%) and apical (18.1%) region of the cob, and increase in pollen viability (6.3%).

Based on the current price ($6.86/bu) of corn, the total economic gain per acre is $192.08, not including the cost of labor and other resources. The current price of ZnSO4 fertilizer (35.5%) is $120/50 lbs. To provide 8 lbs of zinc (100%) per acre, approximately 24 lbs of ZnSO4 fertilizer (35.5%) is required, which costs approximately $60/A. Therefore, the total economic profit ($192.08 - $60) is $132.08/A by using 8 lbs/A application of zinc.

“The corn yield (168.0 bu/A) was calculated during low rainfall conditions and could end up being more during a season with normal rainfall,” Dixit said. “However, it is evident even with drought conditions that the application of zinc enhanced the yield in treated plots in comparison to controls.”

Does poultry affect the air?

Lecture explores industry's impact on ambient air quality

A March 15 lecture at UMES addressed one of the area’s hot topics, ambient air quality related to the poultry industry. Chemistry professor Deborah Sauder presented the results of the first two and a half years of a study led by the Maryland Department of the Environment to measure ammonia and particulate matter air concentrations on the lower Eastern Shore.

The university played a key part in collecting and reporting the data, along with MDE. The Lower Shore Air Monitoring Project was set up in April 2020 with air monitoring stations installed at locations in Princess Anne (considered a low-density poultry operation site) and Pocomoke City (high poultry density). Air quality at these sites can be compared with other sites MDE operates in Maryland, but these sites are the first to measure ambient air quality on the Eastern Shore. The research study was supported with more than $500,000 in funding by the Keith Campbell Foundation for the Environment.

The Campbell Foundation has extended funding to UMES to continue the study through Fall 2023 in collaboration with MDE to ensure that the data collected during COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns was not artificially depressed by unknown factors, and that the study is correctly determining ambient air quality on the Lower Eastern Shore.

So far, Sauder said, the data has shown little variation in average air pollution levels between areas with no poultry farms, those with a low density of chicken houses and those in high density areas.

What are the potential effects of large poultry houses on air quality?

This is the first to measure ambient air quality on the Eastern Shore. Ammonia and particulate matter air concentrations were measured.

AT ISSUE: THE STUDY: RESULTS:

Data thus far has shown little variation in average air pollution levels between areas with no poultry farms, those with a low density of chicken houses and those in highdensity areas.

UMES faculty conduct global food security training in Democratic Republic of Congo

Faculty in the Department of Agriculture, Food and Resource Sciences traveled to the city of Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, over the summer and fall 2022 to conduct global food security training workshops, followed by hands-on activities in laboratories and at farm sites in the countryside. All were possible due to funding through the Center of Excellence for Global Food Security and Defense and a grant from the USAID Current and Emerging Threats to Crops Innovation Lab at Pennsylvania State University.

Sadanand Dhekney, a professor of plant breeding and biotechnology, presented “Techniques for Viral Pathogen Testing and In Vitro Culture for Large-Scale Propagation of Clean, Disease-Free Tropical Crop Species.” He trained 30 Congolese scientists from institutions, including the Plant Clinic International, the National Agricultural Study and Research Institute, the University of Kinshasa, the National Pedagogic University and the Ministry of Agriculture at the Plants Clinic Lab in Kinshasa.

“My interaction with the country’s agricultural scientists and stakeholders underscored a dire and critical need to establish a repository of local germplasm (National Clean Plants Network) for important asexually propagated crops in the Democratic Republic of Congo,” Dhekney said. His outreach efforts “were well-received and led to a better understanding of pests and plant disease detection, along with the necessity of using certified, disease-free planting materials.”

Food safety and security in the country was the focus of Dr. Behnam Khatabi’s efforts there. The associate professor of plant pathology’s workshops and hands-on training covered banana, plantain and cassava diseases; cost-effective disease management tools for emerging plant pests and diseases; and isolating RNA and DNA

Dr. Behnam Khatabi, an associate professor of plant pathology, visits farms to conduct disease detection, monitoring and control demonstrations in the field.

UMES’ associate director of the Center of Excellence for Global Food Security and Defense and professor of agricultural economics Dr. Stephan Tubene visits newly-minted graduates of Kinshasa’s National Pedagogic University and a local community college to talk about issues surrounding the future of food security.

from plants to identify bacterial and fungal pathogens from plant sources.

Khatabi set up a plant health workshop at the PCi lab, in addition to conducting brainstorming sessions with students, faculty and administrators from INERA and the Plant Health Clinic to develop plans for collaborative research in plant pathology and rapid detection methods of plant diseases. He also went on a farm tour organized by the INERA Mvuazi’s facilities to conduct disease detection, monitoring and control demonstrations in the field.

“It was incredibly eye-opening to see first-hand the problems farmers were facing and to be able to help them fight crop losses by adopting new farming practices to boost their harvests and incomes,” Khatabi said.

UMES’ associate director of the Center of Excellence for Global Food Security and Defense and professor of agricultural economics Dr. Stephan Tubene, at the suggestion of partnering agency the International

Institute of Tropical Agriculture, visited recent graduates of Kinshasa’s National Pedagogic University and a local community college to talk about issues surrounding food security and its future. The graduates are employed at the private farm in a suburb of the capital working on the project “In Vitro Culture for Large-Scale Propagation of Clean, Disease-Free Cassava.”

“From their comments during the visit, it was encouraging for a professor from the U.S. to take the time to visit and motivate them to continue their pursuit of a career in agriculture,” Tubene said. “If other students were interested in the field or if young unemployed Congolese made an effort to produce crops such as vegetables, maize or cassava, it would greatly help the country reduce food insecurity.”

At Top: Sadanand Dhekney, (center), a professor of plant breeding and biotechnology at UMES, trains Congolese scientists on techniques for viral pathogen testing and in vitro culture for largescale propagation of clean, disease-free tropical crop species.

SUBMITTED PHOTOS

Inside the birthing barn

With the exception of pollen creating a yellow carpet on EVERYTHING on Delmarva, the arrival of spring is a welcome time, especially on the UMES campus. For two weeks, typically the last week of March and first week of April, it’s lambing and kidding season with lambs and kids being born (and cuddled) through UMES Extension’s Small Ruminant Program.

This year in the birthing barn, which also serves as practicum for the school’s pre-vet program, nine lambs and 31 kids were ushered into the world. Some entered with a partner, as there were multiple does that had twins or triplets. One doe had tricolored triplets — one tan, one black and one white. One potential bottle

baby was adopted instead by Bertha, the farm’s “oldest and nicest” ewe according to fourth-year UMES PreVet student Carlien Brown.

It was a year notable for an increased number of kids versus lambs, said E. Nelson Escobar, associate dean for extension, and associate professor and small ruminant specialist at UMES. In past years, lambs outnumbered kids.

“For more than a decade, the estrus synchronization approach that we practice has functioned well, with lambing and kidding occurring in 10 days,” Escobar said. “Another benefit of the practice is that we have a very uniform crop of lambs and kids, which facilitates feeding,

vaccination, castration and other post-birth activities.”

Typically, in October, the ewes and does are synchronized using a procedure validated by Escobar and a former graduate student. Then, the first week of November, two rams and two bucks join the herd of does and ewes for 10 days. After 35 days post breeding, a blood sample is taken from the exposed females and sent to a laboratory for pregnancy confirmation (BioPRIN®), and those that are not pregnant are returned to the pasture. Prenatal care over the approximated fivemonth gestation period is overseen by UMES Extension student workers and the campus veterinarian and Pre-Vet Program advisor, Dr.

Pre-vet students help deliver, care for lambs and kids

Kimberly Braxton. One month before the lambing date, the ewes and does are watched around- theclock and the lambing bucket is kept close by with all the tools needed to assist (only if needed) and help clean the little ones post birth.

When the lambs and kids are born, data such as the mother’s identification number, the number of siblings born in the litter, sex and birth weight is recorded. After five to six weeks, the newborns are “welcomed to the herd/flock” by receiving an ear tag (right for female, left for male). Students who prove they have the facility and ability to care for the babies have also been known to adopt.

The dams and their offspring are put in lambing/kidding pens, private areas in the barn, to enable them to bond and for the other ewes/ does not to interfere or interrupt. Straw bedding is replaced regularly and the mother’s nutritional care is adjusted to meet requirements. If the temperature is cool outside, the furry little bodies huddle under the

glow and warmth of heating lamps. They will remain in the lambing/ kidding pens for up to 14 days, then it’s “release day!” Mothers and their babies are released from their pens to roam about the birthing barn.

“It’s quite a sight to see as all the newborns test out their legs by performing side-kick bunny hops inside the birthing barn,” Braxton said. “They will stay inside until old enough to wean and vaccinate.”

“Lambing/kidding season can be a busy and sometimes gross time on the farm. However, being up close to help Drs. Braxton and Escobar, and even the mother at times, softened my take on the subject of reproductive health,” said third-year transfer Pre-Vet student Shamia

Onley. “Assisting the mother by giving her an extra hand to help push her newborn out and having the hands-on experience was pretty cool.”

“Providing this practicum for our students is such a positive experience for both the students and myself. When they get to be directly involved in the birthing process, I can actually see the spark they have for this profession ignite! Very stoic faces of today’s young adults become literally joyful and amazed,” Braxton said. “UMES is training the next generation of minority/ underrepresented veterinarians, it’s just an honor to be a contributing part.”

Goats being born on the campus of UMES as part of the UMES Extension and UMES SANS program.

It's quite a sight to see all the newborns test out their legs by performing side-kick bunny hops inside the birthing barn."

- DR. KIMBERLY BRAXTON, CAMPUS VETERINARIAN

What's on the menu? Bugs. Diners sample gourmet edible insect dishes at event

Describing the edible insect series of events held April 3-6 at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore as a “unique experience” would be an understatement. The campus responded with sell-out attendance, capped at 75, to sample dishes such as cricket mac and cheese, and buggy chocolate bark with crickets and mealworms at a Family Bug Buffet and scorpion crackers at a Bug Banquet. The banquet was the culminating event to the weeklong adventure in dining and insect agriculture research. Even UMES President Heidi Anderson was game for the experience.

Celebrity Chef Joseph Yoon of Brooklyn Bugs of New York worked side by side with Paul Suplee, a senior lecturer in UMES’ Culinary Arts Program, creating “delicious dishes” with protein-packed ingredients: edible insects. Fan favorites were the cricket bread with black ant butter and the deviled buggy eggs featuring grasshoppers and black ants.

“I love that we were able to share the tremendous potential and innovation of insect agriculture to address food security, sustainability and workforce activation,” Yoon said. “I was even out in the community and someone recognized me and was like, ‘Aren’t you that chef for the edible insect events?’ It was very cool.”

Yoon connected with Ebony Jenkins, a doctoral student in food and agricultural sciences, while taping a PBS-NOVA project. This led him to the university to help highlight her work under the mentorship of Simon Zebelo, an associate professor of entomology and plant biology.

When asked about the concept of entomophagy, the consumption of insects as a source of nutrition, Zebelo taps his finger to his temple. “It’s all in here,” he said simply.

Although it may seem off-putting for people in the U.S., over 2 billion people around the world currently consume insects as a protein source, Zebelo said. Proponents like himself tout it as “economical, environmentally friendly and the future of food.”

“The presentation (of the dishes) was phenomenal — everything was so beautiful you couldn’t resist trying it. Once you took a bite, it was all surprisingly delicious,” said Carrie Samis, manager for Main Street Princess Anne, who attended the 12-course Bug Banquet with a friend.

Diners sampled buggy chocolate bark as a finishing touch to the Family Bug Buffet.

PHOTO BY NICOLE COOK

“Everyone anxiously awaited the arrival of each new dish. The tempura cicada and the guacamole with ants were favorites at our table. I’m so grateful UMES provided such a unique opportunity to expand our palates and our understanding of entomophagy. I certainly look forward to more culinary events in Princess Anne!”

“The cooperation we received from so many different departments to make our residency such a success was phenomenal,” Yoon said.

This UMES grad student is learning science policy up close

Kayle Krieg, a marine, estuarine, environmental science doctoral student at UMES, was awarded a competitive Maryland Sea Grant State Science Policy Fellowship. She worked directly with Dr. Peter Goodwin, president of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Sciences in Cambridge.

“It’s a new fellowship designed to provide experience working with state agencies at the science policy interface,” Krieg said. “I’m working with the Office of the Vice President for Sustainability in the University System of Maryland in part by supporting the Science and Technical Working Group of the Maryland Commission on Climate Change. In addition, I will be collaborating with USM institutions in the best ways to share knowledge and progress toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions with a goal of net zero by 2045.”

Krieg is among three fellows as part of a second cohort. She attributes her educational background and outreach experience as having helped her qualify for the position. Krieg was active in the Advancing Indigenous People in STEM, Society for Women in Marine Science and the American Fisheries Society.

Born in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, Krieg is Anishinaabe from the White Earth reservation, part of the Minnesota Ojibwe. She was raised in Tucson, Arizona, and earned a bachelor’s in environmental science and a master’s in natural resources from the University of Arizona.

The youngest diner at UMES' Bug Banquet, Journee Elliott of Salisbury, has some fun while tasting a cricket arancini ball with cricket gochujang aioli.

PHOTO BY GAIL STEPHENS

Dean Moses T. Kairo, right, stops by the UMES kitchen to chat with Paul Suplee, left, a senior lecturer in UMES’ Culinary Arts Program, and chef Joseph Yoon of Brooklyn Bugs of New York.

Top left: Among the items served during the 10- turned into 12-course Bug Banquet was hoppin’ fried green tomatoes with cricket pimento cheese.

PHOTO BY GAIL STEPHENS

Raiford Box of Middletown, De., left, and Stacey Carver Jr. of Randallstown, Md., are in the assembly area prior to UMES’ 25th Winter Commencement.

Sophia Chacon hoists the school name high as she leads SANS graduates in the processional as part of the Winter 2022 Commencement.

Autumn Smith has her stole adjusted by fellow SANS graduate Bethany Ngere during the university’s Winter Commencement.

The William P. Hytche Athletic Center was brimming with grateful and enthusiastic graduate candidates and their family and friends during UMES’ Spring 2023 Commencement.

Yeganeh Mansourian, named the top SANS student during the university’s 17th annual Honors Convocation, shows off her mortar board during spring commencement.

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The next generation in agriculture: USDA Future Leaders

Students who were chosen as Future Leaders in Agriculture attended the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 99th annual Agricultural Outlook Forum in Washington, D.C.

Now in its 16th year, the USDA Future Leaders in Agriculture Program introduces college students to the work of USDA and partner organizations. The program also

provides learning opportunities in contemporary agribusiness, scientific research and agricultural policy to 21 undergraduates and nine graduate students who are majoring in agriculture-related subjects.

Future Leaders participated in a USDA briefing where they discussed career development with agriculture leaders in academia, government

and industry. They toured the nation’s capital and attended the forum, where Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack presented their awards.

From left, UMES sophomore agriculture majors Cameron Geddie (general agriculture), Sophia Goins (agribusiness) and Isaiah McKenzie (general agriculture) were among students designated as Future Leaders in Agriculture. SUBMITTED PHOTOS

UMES senior receives top student honor by USM Board of Regents

A UMES senior is among the 12 inaugural recipients of the University System of Maryland Board of Regents Student Excellence Scholarships. The award is the highest honor that the board awards to recognize exemplary student achievement.

Isaac Omodia, an awardee in the category of academics, scholarship and research, will receive a $2,000 scholarship from the USM and its foundation.

Omadia spent last summer as a research intern at Harvard University in Dr. L. Mahadevan’s laboratory, where he helped develop an experimental prototype to

investigate the adhesive effect of induced vibration on a thin elastic sheet. Another summer internship saw him completing a nanofabrication process research internship at Brookhaven National Laboratory with Dr. Gregory Doerk. Last fall, Omadia participated in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Access Program.

“I was able to succeed on these projects with the guidance of my research mentor Dr. Kausik Das from the Department of Natural Sciences and with funding and support from UMES’ LSAMP (Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation) program,” Omadia said.

Isaac Omodia, right, who is among the inaugural recipients of the USM Board of Regents Student Excellence Scholarships, credits undergraduate research in the physics lab of professor Kausik Das, left, and internship connections with his success.

UMES pairs with Princeton for research projects

SANS professors Sadanand Dhekney and Meng Xia received $250,000 grants through the Princeton Alliance for Collaborative Research and Innovation to fund two-year research projects co-led with peers at Princeton University. The Nov. 1 announcement described the projects as being among the first set in motion as part of a groundbreaking alliance between Princeton University faculty and their peers at HBCUs.

The United Negro College Fund partnered with Princeton to give rise to the alliance for the purpose of “taking up some of the most difficult challenges of our day, from cybersecurity to climate change to public health and the social safety net.” The idea is to bring together researchers with diverse expertise and perspectives, leading to innovative ideas and solutions. UMES is among five HBCUs to partner with the Ivy League school.

HOW GENE EDITING CAN HELP DEVELOP DISEASE-RESISTANT GRAPEVINES

“Powdery mildew is the most destructive fungal disease affecting wine and table grape production worldwide,” Dhekney said. “The goal of the project is to improve our understanding of the role of plant receptor proteins involved in powdery mildew infection of grapevines.”

Dhekney said genetic engineering and CRISPR-Cas9 mediated gene editing technology will be used to generate mutant grapevines with altered responses to powdery mildew infection. This will provide information on how plant and fungal genes interact during the infection process and help in the development of disease-resistant grapevines.

UMES student Carissa Jackson works on a project to improve resistance to powdery mildew in grapevines.

MENG XIA

SADANAND DHEKNEY

UMES currently has expertise in the above areas of grapevine biotechnology, he said. The grant provides for UMES researchers and students to interact with and utilize the expertise of Princeton University faculty and facilities in the areas of genomics, transcriptomics and bioinformatics.

“This will improve the quality of research and education at UMES, while the joint collaboration expands opportunities for securing additional grant funding in plant breeding and biotechnology,” he said.

UNDERSTANDING COASTAL FLOODING

Xia’s project will not only increase UMES’ research capability. It will also expand groundwater and hydrological effects on nearshore circulation, hydrodynamics, river and sediment plume dynamics, and processes of the Chesapeake Bay.

“The interaction between surface water and groundwater is an important process when looking at circulation in watersheds,” Xia said. “More often, the surface water modeling system overpredicts the inundation extent by not considering the intrusion factor. Connected aquifers have the greater salinized extent and shorter recovery time. For example, storm surge events like Hurricanes Katrina and Rita witnessed a decrease in the Ca/ Mg ratio and elevated chloride concentration right after the storm, which recovered after about six months.”

Xia and his research team will couple the integrated hydrology model, ParFlow, and the ocean model, FVCOM, to gain a comprehensive

perspective on integrated surface water and groundwater modeling, including the intrusion mechanism essential to understanding the hydrological and biogeochemical processes of these two interconnected systems.

“Dissecting Erysiphe Necator Infection Mechanisms and Vitis Host Responses to Improve Grapevine Powdery Mildew Resistance.” Xia will work with Dr. Reed Maxwell, civil and environmental engineering at Princeton’s High Meadows Environmental Institute on “A Framework to Better Understand Coastal Flooding in the Mid-Atlantic Region: How Groundwater May Play an Unseen Role in Climate Impacts to Estuarian Systems.”

“UMES faculty are passionate about their research,” said Dr. LaKeisha Harris, UMES’ Dean of the School of Graduate Studies and the PACRI campus liaison. “Working with Princeton to develop more ideas and make meaningful contributions to their respective fields is a win-win situation for both institutions.”

“These projects present a tremendous opportunity for our faculty and students to hybridize their ideas with colleagues from Princeton to address significant food security and ecosystem challenges,” said Dr. Moses T. Kairo, dean of the School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences at UMES. “I have no doubt that they will lead to the generation of new knowledge to address the significant constraint presented by powdery mildew, and to a greater understanding of the dynamics within the Chesapeake Bay, which has an enormous economic and ecological footprint in the region.”

Dhekney will collaborate with Dr. Jonathan Conway, chemical and biological engineering at Princeton, on the project titled,

UMES physics professor Dr. Kausik Das was selected as a 2023-24 fellow with the Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics at the University of California, Santa Barbara. This summer, he will visit the institute, where he will "explore and develop collaborative designs for cuttingedge undergraduate research projects and to integrate remote labs at UMES."

An UMES student works on the “Dissecting Erysiphe Necator Infection Mechanisms and Vitis Host Responses to Improve Grapevine Powdery Mildew Resistance” project.

UMES takes root as Tree Campus

745-acre arboretumstyle campus receives national certification by Arbor Day Foundation

This year’s Arbor Day celebration at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore was one for the books. The 745 acres that make up the main campus in Somerset County were certificated by the Arbor Day Foundation as an official Tree Campus during a tree planting ceremony April 26. The school, known for its arboretum-style grounds, joined the ranks of 411 other institutions in the distinction.

“The Tree Campus Higher Education Program recognizes that college campuses are ecosystems, providing a healthier environment for the students and community,” said Dr. Stephanie Stotts, an associate professor in UMES’ departments of Natural Sciences and Agriculture, Food and Resource Sciences, and organizer for the event. “Trees add beauty, reduce heat island effect by creating shade, can clean the air and reduce asthma rates, and help mitigate climate change.”

Helping the state meet its tree canopy goal is the Maryland Forest Service’s business. The urban and community forestry program within the Maryland Forest Service is tasked with helping to carry out

the Tree Solutions Now Act of 2021 passed by Maryland’s General Assembly.

“Our programs support educational institutions, communities and civic groups who want to plant trees all across the state of Maryland, particularly in underserved regions. Through the Act, the state of Maryland is financially supporting and encouraging everyone to help meet the goal of planting 5 million trees,” said Regional Forester Matthew Hurd, who is coordinating the effort on the Eastern Shore.

Students in Stotts’ urban forestry class worked with the university’s grounds supervisor to pick a location (between the Pond and Court Plaza) to plant two red maples donated by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. DNR also supplied some silky dogwood tree saplings for attendees to take home and plant. UMES’ Urban Forestry Program supports the university’s groundskeepers by conducting periodic tree inventories and through grants projects.

“To receive this designation, UMES was required to meet Tree

Campus’ five standards, which include maintaining a tree advisory committee, a campus tree-care plan, dedicated annual expenditures for its campus tree program, an Arbor Day observance and student service-learning projects,” Stotts said. “We hope UMES’ involvement in the program seals our commitment to additional plantings on campus and the community and brings awareness to the field of urban forestry, which is growing at an impressive rate.”

At Top: Matthew Hurd, center, a regional forester (Eastern Shore) with the Maryland Forest Service, Department of Natural Resources, presents a plaque to University of Maryland Eastern Shore representatives for meeting the requirements of the Arbor Day Foundation’s Tree Campus Higher Education Program (formerly Tree Campus USA). Pictured from left, are Logan Doggett, a junior agriculture major studying dendrology; School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences Dean Moses T. Kairo; Charles Smith III, a sophomore majoring in urban forestry; Dr. Stephanie Stotts, an associate professor in UMES’ departments of Natural Sciences and Agriculture, Food and Resource Sciences; Hurd; Dr. Stephan Tubene, acting chair of Agriculture, Food and Resource Sciences; and Dr. Jonathan Cumming, chair of Natural Sciences.

Lt. Gov. Miller visit spotlights proposed AgREC building

Science Meeting illuminates need for data-savvy grads

BY KARA NUZBACK

The Living Marine Resources Cooperative Science Center held its 2023 annual Science Meeting in March. The event put National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration scientists and LMRCSC students in the same virtual space to encourage collaboration and mentorships.

Samuel Rauch, NOAA Fisheries deputy assistant administrator for regulatory programs, said the Biden-Harris Administration’s 2023 Ocean Climate Action Plan is a core focus of NOAA Fisheries. The plan outlines actions to create a carbon-neutral future, accelerate nature-based solutions and enhance community resilience to ocean change.

Maryland Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller visited the Agricultural Research and Entrepreneurial centers at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore on April 25 on a leg of a tour of Delmarva. UMES' President Heidi Anderson and Director of Government Relations James Mathias were hosts for the campus stops.

Miller got a glimpse of the types of research taking place in the UMES Agricultural Experiment Station some of which in the future will be housed in a new AgREC building with hopes of breaking ground in the near future. The building with a $31.2 million price tag will be an integrated facility for teaching, research and extension to help "support Maryland's goals and serve the citizens of Maryland more effectively," said Dr. Moses T. Kairo, dean of UMES' School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences.

At Top: Sadanand Dhekney, left, professor of plant breeding and biotechnology, talks about the grape biotechnology research program at UMES and explains the techniques for improving disease resistance in grapes to Maryland Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller, far right, during a campus tour as UMES Dean of the School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences Moses T. Kairo and Hawk Ambassador Mya Woods listen.

Rauch said state control of regulations for communities that rely on the fishing industry end 3 miles off the coast, where federal regulations take over. While state regulatory agencies can respond quickly to the changing needs of the industry, federal regulations are more difficult to update. As global warming changes the distribution of marine species, the need for more adaptable federal regulations arises. As a result, Rauch said, NOAA Fisheries is working to craft recommendations for federal regulators for multiple climate change scenarios.

Dr. Cisco Werner, NOAA Fisheries chief science advisor and director of scientific programs, said NOAA Fisheries will need more data collection and a plan to incorporate artificial intelligence and more advanced types of data analysis. “It is a great time to be a graduate student,” he said.

Several LMRCSC fellows presented research projects, including doctoral fellow and UMES graduate student Tahirah Johnson presented research on an emerging pathogen, Shewanella, affecting oysters in the Chesapeake Bay.