Last Week in Noble Research: To Space, India and the Ranch

Noble Research Institute researchers work toward agricultural advancements for the benefit of farmers, ranchers and consumers in the Southern Great Plains and beyond – perhaps even to outer space one day.

Here's a little look at last week in research at the Noble Research Institute.

  1 Sunday, Feb. 19

Reminiscing about the times Professor Elison Blancaflor, Ph.D., worked with NASA to send plants to space as part of a research project. The data analysis continues.

Just heard about the successful launch of the Falcon 9 rocket on Space X-10 mission this morning at the Kennedy Space Center (#ksc). Reminiscing about the @noble_cell_imaging team's own Advanced Plant Experiments (#apex3) on #spacex5. In January 10, 2015, the Falcon rocket carried @noblefoundation experiments to the International Space Station #iss to better understand how near weightlessness impacts plant growth. Such knowledge will be crucial in developing strategies for #advancedlifesupport systems as humans journey to #space. The upper panel shows signs at the entrance of the lab in the space station processing facility where the #noblefoundation team prepared their plant #experiments. The lower panel shows the Falcon rocket a few days before launching APEX3. As we complete analysis of our data, we might even have some cell images from plants grown in #microgravity in future posts. #plantscience #plantsinspace #outofthisworld #farminginspace #spacefarms #spaceag #everynoblestory #spaceagriculture #nasa #plantbiology #biology #florida #capecanaveral #science #spacebiology #spaceexploration #spaceexperiment #ardmoreok

A post shared by Noble Cell Imaging (@noble_cell_imaging) on Feb 19, 2017 at 11:00am PST

  2 Sunday, Feb. 19

The beginnings of what could be a new cultivar someday.

Keeping the breeding pipeline primed with new material. Who knows, 10 years from now a cultivar may be released that originated from this group of crosses. #everynoblestory #plantbreeding #alwaysthinkingahead #plantcrossing #cultivardevelopment #iphoneonly #noblefoundation #ittakesasteadyhand #grasses #ardmoreok #scicomm #plantscience #plantscience #agriculture #farming #yearroundgrazing

A post shared by Mike Trammell (@nobleplantbreeder) on Feb 19, 2017 at 6:57am PST

  3 Monday, Feb. 20

"What's that you got there?" Just another day on a research ranch.

I'd say she's pretty photogenic #heifers #allfortheloveofbeefcattle #everynoblestory #knowyourrancher #cattle #iphoneonly #iphoneography

A post shared by Austin Miles (@austinmiles2010) on Feb 20, 2017 at 8:05am PST

  4 Wednesday, Feb. 22

Yun Kang, Ph.D., staff scientist in the Plant Biology Division, shared her findings at the InterDrought-V conference in India. She and Brice Cazenave, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow in the Forage Improvement Division, joined hundreds of other scientists from throughout the world to explore possibilities of improving drought- and other stress-tolerance in crops.

Proud to have listened my colleague and friend Dr. Yun Kang from the Noble Research Institute presenting her results on physiology, genetic, and metabolic on tall fescue under drought stress. Congrats. @noblefoundation #everynoblestory #nobleacademy #highereducation #highered #research #science #scienceexperiment #scicomm #hyderabad #india #idvconf #interdroughtv #friends #coworkers #conference #talk

A post shared by A.-Brice Cazenave, PhD (@dr.abcazenave) on Feb 23, 2017 at 1:46am PST

  5 Friday, Feb. 24

A close-up view of buckwheat. Noble Research Institute researchers are testing out buckwheat as a cover crop.

#horseshoecrab. Not so fast! We do not work on marine arthropods. @jaydeepkolape took an image of a buckwheat #seed with a table top scanning electron #microscope. #buckwheat is cultivated for its #grain and to make delicious Asian #noodles. But for #noblefoundation researchers, buckwheat is one of many species being considered as a #cover #crop that could be part of a year-round grazing system to benefit #farmers and ranchers in the #southernplains. #covercrops provide numerous benefits for #sustainable #agriculture. They help minimize soil #erosion, enhance #soil physical properties and organic matter, and suppress pests and weeds. From under the lens of a #microscope to the fields of Southern #oklahoma, @noblefoundation #scientists, plant breeders and agronomists are improving #soilhealth and global agriculture one seed at a time. #soils #saveoursoil #agronomy #forages #farming #plantscience #everynoblestory #sustainableagriculture

A post shared by Noble Cell Imaging (@noble_cell_imaging) on Feb 24, 2017 at 11:28am PST