Bumpers College Student Named Outstanding Ph.D. Student in Weed Science

MEDIA CONTACT

Robby Edwards

Director of Communications
Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Maria Zaccaro-Gruener, a graduate student in the University of Arkansas’ Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences, has been named Outstanding Ph.D. Student for 2021 by the Southern Weed Science Society.

Zaccaro-Gruener is a doctoral student in the department of crop, soil and environmental sciences. She is advised by Distinguished Professor and Elms Farming Chair of Weed Science Jason Norsworthy, a weed scientist with the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, the research arm of the U of A System Division of Agriculture.

Zaccaro-Gruener’s dissertation focuses on evaluating dicamba translocation and metabolism in soybean, understanding factors affecting volatilization of dicamba and ascertaining the contribution of dicamba volatilization to injury observed on soybean in Arkansas and other locations. Her research is related to Norsworthy’s research on Dicamba for the Agricultural Experiment Station

She has authored and co-authored five peer-reviewed papers, 13 extension or technical reports and 57 abstracts from scientific presentations. Zaccaro-Gruener, from Sao Paulo, Brazil, has presented research and won awards at the Arkansas Crop Protection Association, Gamma Sigma Delta, Weed Science Society of America and SWSS.

In addition, five other students in the department of crop, soil and environmental sciences earned awards at the 75th Southern Weed Science Society annual meeting held in Austin, Texas, in January. All of their research was conducted within Agricultural Experiment Station programs.

• Mason Castner won the Ph.D. division poster contest, “Use of Radio-Labeled Herbicides to Understand Interactions Between Dicamba and Glufosinate.”
• Bodie Cotter placed first in the master’s division poster contest, “Does Coating Urea with Florpyrauxifen-Benzyl Reduce Risk for Damage to Adjacent Soybean?”
• Pamela Carvalho-Moore won the Ph.D. division paper presentation, “Initial Insights into the Mechanism of Glufosinate Resistance in Palmer amaranth.”
• Noah Reed finished second in the M.S. poster category, “Impact of Drill Spacing and Nozzle Selection on Spray Coverage and Weed Control in Rice.”
• Ty Smith was second in the M.S. paper presentation section, “Long-Term Management Strategies for Palmer Amaranth Control in Cotton.”

​To learn more about the Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu. Follow us on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch and Instagram at @ArkAgResearch.

To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk.

About the Division of Agriculture

The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.

The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on five system campuses.

The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs and services without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.