In our lab, we are not only focused on research, but also the ability to extend that research out to the general public. Through community outreach, we aim to complete that objective and allow the outside community to see what we are working on in our lab.

Click here to learn more about the Grant Funding Research.

Extending our research program to high school communities is important for students interested in pursuing a college degree, enhancing their resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV), or wanting to get hands-on experience working in a laboratory setting.

Publications

Another critical aspect of community outreach is through extension publications. These are publications that forego a lot of the scientific terminology and are intended for the general audience. This can include farmers, growers, producers, students, and anyone else interested in the content discussed. 

A Publication on Enhancing Peppers in the southwest - a multi-state project involving Texas AgriLife and New Mexico State University.

Conferences

2024 Annual Chile Conference

Above: The 2024 Annual Chile Conference was held at the Convention Center in Las Cruces, NM and featured both oral and poster presentations from students and scientific researchers. Talks centered on pest and disease control and management, breeding efforts, and flavor/nutritional profiles of different types of chile peppers. Booths outside of the event were set up with additional information from various chile companies. 

2024 American Phytopathological Society (APS) Conference

March 26-28, 2024: Our research team attended a conference in Corvallis Oregon geared towards plant pathogens. There were two poster presentations and one oral presentation given at this conference. The two posters were entitled:

(1) Screening Advanced Pepper Varieties from Texas AgriLife Breeding Programs for Resistance to Diseases and Other Disorders

(2) Effects of Soil Treatment with Bioactive Byproducts on Three Major Soilborne Pathogens of Chile Pepper

The oral presentation, given by graduate student Jonathan Consford, was entitled:

(1) Enhancing Disease Suppression in Soils by Increasing Microbial Diversity Through Multi-species Cover Cropping

Above: Senior research assistant Jason Fechner discussing his poster on advanced pepper variety screening from the Texas AgriLife Breeding Program for various pathogens and disorders. 

Above: Graduate student Jonathan Consford giving an oral presentation on his research using cover crops to increase soil microbe diversity currently being conducted in the lab.

Above: Lab manager for Dr. Soum Sanogo's lab presents his poster on bioactive product treatment of chile peppers for three soilborne pathogens.