Dr. Harkirat Kaur recently joined the UW–Madison Division of Extension Crops and Soils Program and College of Agriculture and Life Sciences as an assistant professor and extension specialist in corn production systems. She will work collaboratively with educators to identify and address research needs identified by farmers and industry professionals.
As a corn agronomist, Dr. Kaur aims to create a collaborative environment where her lab approaches research holistically and provides pragmatic insights for crop production. Her primary goal is to provide easily accessible research to the growers.
Originally from the northwestern part of India, Dr. Kaur grew up in a small village called Munak Khurd in Punjab, an agrarian state known as “India’s Breadbasket.” Her family has been involved in agriculture for six generations, making it essential for her to work with and for the growers to ensure that research benefits them and supports their decision-making.
Dr. Kaur is a former Michigan State Spartan from across the lake and is looking forward to her time as a Badger. Her training has been in corn agronomy with a focus on plant-pathogen interactions and their impact on the yield and quality of silage and grain corn. Dr. Kaur has worked on evaluating various components of the disease triangle and how they impact the occurrence of ear rots, mycotoxins, and tar spot. Her research efforts have always been directed towards exploring crop stresses, identifying thresholds to facilitate the development of economically and environmentally sustainable integrated management strategies for growers.
Looking ahead, she plans to focus on promoting economically and environmentally sustainable corn production while preserving ecological integrity. Dr. Kaur’s research will address agronomic concerns such as weather challenges, the resurgence of secondary pests, and the invasion of non-native species. Additionally, she aims to conduct collaborative studies with corn growers to tackle management issues and explore novel concepts like short-stature corn for grain and silage practices.