McNair Scholar 2019 - Chue Yang
Chue Yang is a junior at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, majoring in Plant Science with a focus toward Horticultural Production. His research interests revolve around sustainable ways to produce food and understanding how soil nutrients impact food production. Chue plans to get his Ph.D. in Plant Science.
Quote from Chue Yang
My dream is to build a community garden to provide access to healthy foods for my community and spark younger generation interest toward plant science and horticultural production.
Research project
Evaluating the Growth of Different Spring Planted Pea Varieties
Abstract: Field pea (pisum sativum L.) is a crop high in protein that is suitable for uses from animal feeds to food products. Flower abortion due to longer exposure to high temperature and other constraints during flowering time reduce the yield of field peas. Knowing the flowering time of different pea varieties can help growers decide which varieties to grow to maximize yield. An experiment field in St. Paul was prepared to evaluate the performance of 17 new and available pea varieties from Albert Lea Seed and Pulse USA. Varieties with the shortest average time to start flowering were: 6161526, Pusa 1904, and Pusa 1926. Varieties with the longest average time to start flowering were: AAC Profit C18 PTFP, PUSA 1919, and Spider Pea. Varieties with the shortest average time to finish flowering were: DL Apolo, Admiral, and Pusa 1909. Continuous evaluation is still needed to fully understand the different varieties.
Faculty mentor
Dr. Adria Fernandez is currently a Postdoctoral Associate in the Department of Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics at the University of Minnesota. Dr. Fernandez received her Ph.D. in Applied Plant Sciences in 2015 from the University of Minnesota. Her research specializes in the study of soil microbial communities, breeding and agronomy of quinoa for organic farming systems, and food legumes for upper Midwest organic systems: field pea and lentil. Throughout her academic career, she had multiple research published and has presented her work at conferences nationwide. This year is Dr. Fernandez first time mentoring for the McNair Scholars program.