The Department of Plant, Animal and Soil Sciences provides statewide education, research and outreach in agriculture, soils, revegetation and bioremediation through the University of Alaska Fairbanks at the Fairbanks and Palmer Research Centers. Thirteen faculty provide instruction both in Fairbanks and Palmer for undergraduate and graduate degrees in Natural Resources Management with an emphasis in plant, animal and soil sciences. Non-credit short-courses are also offered through the Georgeson Botanical Garden.
Research by the Department supports Alaska's agricultural industries; promotes the use of Alaska grown products; assists the petroleum and mineral industries in reclamation and revegetation projects; and expands fundamental knowledge of plant growth and development, animal husbandry and soils in northern environments. Main areas of research by the faculty, staff and students in the Plant, Animal and Soil Sciences Department are highlighted here.
Plant breeding to improve quality, yield and
disease resistance of barley, oats, wheat, lettuce, potatoes,
raspberries, lingonberries and blueberries
Light and temperature requirements for cold climate greenhouse
crops production
Disease and weed control for sustainable production of vegetable
and fruit crops
Nitrogen fixing plants as organic sources of nitrogen on agricultural
soils and reclaimed mines
Variety evaluation of annual flower bedding plants, vegetables,
forage crops, grains and fruit crops for improved commercial production
Alternative agronomic crops such as canola, sunflowers, buckwheat
and flax to diversify Alaska's agricultural industry
Potato disease characterization and control to enhance domestic
production and promote export of seed potatoes
Wildflower cultivation for home and commercial landscapes and
roadside revegetation
Cold hardiness of woody ornamental plant materials for public,
home and commercial landscapes
Oil content of native plant seeds for use as wild bird seed
Adaptation of the unique northern daylength, light intensity and
light quality to stimulate greenhouse crop production, especially
early- and late-season growth
Production and harvest management practices for improved yield,
quality and winter survival of forage crops for cattle, reindeer
and wild bison
Harvest and management strategies to reduce weather-related damage
to hay and silage crops
Brucellosis, warble fly and handling stress
in reindeer
Reindeer range management using Geographic Information Systems
(GIS) to study soil, plant and animal relationships
Alaska-grown cereal grains and marine byproducts as livestock
and pet food
Alkaloid content of native lupine species in relation to crooked
calf's disease
Nutritive feed value of native and domestic forages as affected
by soil type and location
Tillage practices for soil stabilization and
moisture retention in cultivated soils
Biosolids (recycled municipal sewage sludge) as a soil amendment
for agricultural production and reclamation of mined lands
Alaska marine byproducts (fish meal, crab meal, etc.) as organic
fertilizers
Optimum fertilizer requirements and methods of application for
lettuce, potatoes, raspberries, greenhouse-grown bedding plants,
wild berry crops, small grains, oilseed crops and forage crops
Classification and characterization of wetland soils in northern
regions
Soil stabilization against erosion on farm land and reclaimed
mine lands
Bioremediation of soils contaminated by petroleum products
Reclamation and revegetation of soils disturbed by oil and mineral
development
Genesis and classification of soils on permafrost terrain
Global climate change and its effects on high latitude soils
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