Virginia Tech School of Plant and Environmental Sciences

08/25/2026

08/25/2026

08/19/2026

08/17/2026

A $1.1 million endowment established by the Virginia Turfgrass Foundation is creating lasting opportunities for graduate students at the Virginia Tech School of Plant and Environmental Sciences, strengthening cutting-edge turfgrass research while advancing sustainable solutions for the turfgrass industry 🌱

“This is about investing in people,” said David McCall, associate professor and Virginia Cooperative Extension turfgrass pathologist. “When you invest in graduate students, you invest in research, sustainability, and the future of an entire industry.”

See how a decades-long partnership is creating opportunities for future turfgrass scientists ⬇
https://news.vt.edu/articles/2026/07/VTF_endowment_expands_graduate_education.html

08/14/2026

08/12/2026

Researchers at the Virginia Tech School of Plant and Environmental Sciences are using an experimental enzyme to significantly reduce fire blight, one of the fruit industry's most destructive diseases 🍎

"Our primary goal has always been to build a toolbox for growers rather than rely on a single solution," said Srdjan Acimovic, associate professor of tree fruit pathology. "This study shows one of those tools has real potential under orchard conditions."

Backed by a $5.7 million USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture grant, this research may offer growers a promising new tool to fight fire blight ⬇
https://news.vt.edu/articles/2026/08/cals-fire-blight-enzyme.html

08/10/2026

From genome editing to disease resistance, researchers at the Virginia Tech School of Plant and Environmental Sciences are helping crack the genetic code for peppers built for indoor growing 🌶️

By developing compact, resilient varieties tailored for controlled environment agriculture, researchers are creating new opportunities for Virginia growers, strengthening local food systems, and bringing fresher produce closer to East Coast consumers.

See how this research could transform indoor crop production ⬇
https://www.cals.vt.edu/research/monthly/2026/07/researcher-of-the-month.html

08/07/2026

Virginia Tech researchers combined fluorescent pollen, drones, ground-based air samplers, and atmospheric modeling to better understand how pollen moves through the environment 🌱

“Pollen is an airborne particle with important implications for agriculture, ecosystems, and human health,” said David Schmale, a professor at the Virginia Tech School of Plant and Environmental Sciences.

Their findings could help improve agricultural management, protect seed production systems, and strengthen forecasts for airborne allergens ⬇

In a new study, researchers established an accurate methodology for tracking, measuring, and forecasting pollen dispersal of genetically engineered switchgrass at both the ground and atmospheric levels.