News Release

Mar. 13, 2018 - The American Society of Agronomy (ASA) has released four videos highlighting scientists in action. The series, “A Day in the Life,” explains the science of agronomy to the general public.

Four ASA members participated in a project in late 2017 to create videos outlining one aspect of their research. The short, quick-moving videos show the agronomists in action: in the field, the lab, and interacting in meetings. More videos are expected in 2019.

Diversity, simplicity, and showing scientists in action were the top goals for the video series. The main messages are sustainability and feeding the world.

Laura Christianson, PhD, PE, is an agronomist and professional engineer in the field of agricultural water quality. Her research involves growing food while making sure water stays clean. One of her favorite things to study is a denitrifying woodchip bioreactor.

The main points from Christianson’s video are:

1. The Midwest often has wet springs, so drain tiles help farmers channel runoff to get into their fields faster.
2. Nitrogen, important for growing crops, can harm streams.
3. Bioreactors are one solution scientists have found to keep streams clean while feeding the world.

There are three other videos:

• Ray Asebedo, PhD, is an agronomist working in the field of precision agronomy. He helps growers determine the best practices to manage large farm fields by looking at smaller segments of their fields.
• Anita Dille, PhD, is an agronomist working in the area of weed science. Her research focuses on the ecology of weeds and best ways to manage them in the field.
• David Weindorf, PhD, is a soil scientist and research agronomist. Over his career he’s helped develop tools for agronomists and farmers to analyze the soil in the field. One tool is a portable x-ray fluorescence spectrometer. It gives rapid, accurate results about what elements are found in soil. 

To read more about the scientists profiled in the @Work page, visit https://www.agronomy.org/about-agronomy/at-work. Follow ASA on social media: https://www.facebook.com/ASA.agronomy and https://twitter.com/ASA_CSSA_SSSA.