September 2026
K-State in the news
Some of the top stories mentioning Kansas State University are posted below.
Monday, Sept. 14, 2026
National/International
Machine Learning Improves Crop Stress Monitoring
9/11/2026 Farms.com
A crop field may appear healthy and productive, but plants can experience stress long before visible symptoms emerge, says Kelechi Igwe, a doctoral student in Biological and Agricultural Engineering at Kansas State University. Detecting these hidden signs early is essential because prolonged stress caused by factors such as heat and insufficient water can significantly reduce crop yields.
'Ethical nutrition': Rising in human food, also in pet food?
9/11/2026 PETFOOD INDUSTRY
Namely, 90% of the consumers surveyed said they would likely switch pet food brands if they learned competitors sourced from farms with better animal treatment. That puts companies like J.M. Smucker, cited for sourcing 100% cage-free eggs for its pet food products since 2022, as well as Goodness Gracious and Evermore Pet Food, mentioned as transitioning to cage-free eggs, in good stead in this regard. And, that data point aligns with similar data from an ongoing study launched in 2025 by Lonnie Hobbs Jr., Ph.D., assistant professor of agricultural economics at Kansas State University: The 1,000 U.S. pet owners he surveyed rated animal welfare at 8.29 on a 10-point scale of importance for the pet foods they seek.
State/Regional
Two K-State faculty receive $7,500 Iman Awards for teaching and research
9/11/2026 The Kansas City Star
Two Kansas State University faculty members from the College of Agriculture the Carl R. Ice College of Engineering will each receive a $7,500 award in recognition of their accomplishments in teaching and research in a ceremony at the Alumni Center on Monday at 4 p.m. The awards are part of the annual Dr. Ron and Rae Iman Outstanding Faculty Awards introduced in 2007. Jessica L. Heier Stamm, associate professor of industrial and manufacturing systems engineering, will receive the Iman Outstanding Faculty Award for teaching. Eduard Akhunov, university distinguished professor of plant pathology, will receive the award for research.
Local
Dividing plants is good for making friends, too
9/11/2026 The Mercury
Dividing and transplanting perennial plants may be more than a way for gardeners to rejuvenate tired landscapes and boost flower production. Kansas State University horticultural expert Travis Carmichael says it's also a way to make new friends. Carmichael, the horticulture and community development agent with K-State Extension’s office in Lyon County, said many perennials benefit from being divided every three to five years. Some vigorous growing plants can be divided even more often.
Friday, Sept. 11, 2026
National/International
The hobby that can decrease stress and help strengthen relationships
9/11/26 The Independent
At Kansas State University, the Bonding thru Board Games program uses tabletop gaming to support the development soft skills, such as self-control, positive self-concept, social and communication skills and executive function.
State/Regional
K-State research uses AI and drones to detect crop stress
9/9/26 Kansas Ag Connection
A field of crops may appear healthy and green, but hidden stress caused by heat or insufficient water can affect plant health long before visible symptoms appear. Detecting these early signs is the focus of research led by Kelechi Igwe, a doctoral student in biological and agricultural engineering at Kansas State University. Igwe's research explores new ways to identify crop stress before farmers can see it in the field. The goal is to provide growers with an early warning system that helps them take action and reduce potential yield losses.
Use physics, not force: Smarter cattle restraint
9/9/26 Drovers
When Dr. Todd Gunderson demonstrated cattle restraint at AABP, he didn’t bring a model animal on stage. He tied a rope around his own foot. The Kansas State University production medicine veterinarian was demonstrating a simple point: when working with a 1,000-pound cow or a much larger bull, you aren’t going to win a contest of strength. The better approach is to use rope, leverage, positioning and physics to make the restraint system do the work.
Local
Willie AI | What does it do for students?
9/9/26 The K-State Collegian
Students can interact with the program to find on-campus resources as well as any other K-State information. Shana Bender, director of retention and persistence, said the program has two functions which ensure adequate assistance to students. “The first is to support students and provide them with resources at the time that they need it,” Bender said. “At any point in time, a first- or second-year student can text Willie AI and ask questions and get an answer about resources, locations and information on campus. The second part of what Willie AI does is routine check-ins with students to find out if there are any areas that are particularly challenging for them in a moment.”
Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026
National/International
No Licking. How scientists study Sonoran desert toads
9/4/26 Arizona Luminaria
Last summer, Kansas State University veterinarian Gretel Tovar-Lopez headed south on Interstate 35 bound for Oklahoma State University, home to a colony of Sonoran desert toads. She and her colleagues wanted to give each toad a neurological exam to find out whether what’s normal in one species is normal in another.
K-State Announces Course on Dust Collection
9/9/26 Powder and Bulk Solids
Over three days at the Olathe campus of Kansas State University, students will get hands-on instruction in how dust collection systems actually work, not just the theory but the math behind it.
State/Regional
Stafford County family has led local 4-H efforts for nearly 90 years
9/9/26 Hutch Post
In 1937, Alpers became a founding member of the Jolly Workers 4-H Club in Hudson and served as a community leader from 1942 to 1967. Known for his gift for mentoring and his favorite saying, "You can never have too many friends," he continues to influence the Jolly Workers through the Clarence and Vera Alpers 4-H Scholarship, awarded each year through the Golden Belt Community Foundation..
K-State opens new agronomy innovation complex
9/9/26 Kansas Farmer/Farm Progress
The Kansas State University College of Agriculture officially cut the ribbon to celebrate the opening of the L. Eldon Gideon Agronomy Research and Innovation Complex on Aug. 20. The new facility, located on K-State Agronomy’s North Farm across from Bill Snyder Family Stadium, is a massive upgrade from the previous facility. The Gideon Complex will have laboratory space and field-scale testing abilities for not only crop genetics, but also soil science, water, cropping systems, precision agriculture and more, according to a news release from K-State.
Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2026
National/International
Merck Animal Health Supports Next Generation of Bovine Veterinarians with $90,000 in Scholarships
9/8/26 American Ag Network
Derrick Goldammer, Kansas State University, was raised in Mitchell, South Dakota, around cattle and agriculture. After graduation, he plans to return to Dimock, South Dakota, to practice at Sweetgrass Veterinary Services, an almost cattle-exclusive practice.
Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026
National/International
Here's How To Tell If You’re Buying American Meat
09/05/26 Forbes
Agricultural economists have said relaxing tariffs on beef will have a negligible impact on what consumers pay at checkout. Glynn Tonsor, an agricultural economist at Kansas State University, said it will help some with supply but that he thinks the Trump administration is overstating how much the imports will help pricing.
What Happens If The Ogallala Aquifer Runs Dry
09/07/26 World Atlas
Because the High Plains grows a huge share of the nation's crops and cattle feed, a long decline in irrigation ripples outward into higher food costs and a strained regional economy worth tens of billions of dollars. The sharpest effects land on the small towns whose entire existence was built on irrigated agriculture. As farms shrink, those communities must dig deeper municipal wells, buy water rights, or simply get smaller, a slow thinning already visible across the emptiest counties of the plains. Yet even here, the picture is not hopeless. A Kansas State University study found that the well-being of these communities does not automatically collapse when irrigation fades, suggesting that with the right choices, towns can adapt and endure rather than vanish.
Diesel prices soar as U.S. farmers preparing for harvest continue to feel squeezed
09/07/26 KNAU-FM
Near-record-high diesel prices are increasing shipping and construction costs. They're making it a lot more expensive to farm. As Frank Morris of member station KCUR reports, the diesel price spike comes at a bad time for farmers. The price will vary significantly from farm to farm. All big farming operations need lots of diesel. But Jennifer Ifft, an agricultural economist at Kansas State University, says farmers with relatively low debt and lots of land can better afford to just eat high fuel prices.
Friday, Sept. 4, 2026
National/International
How to attract butterflies to your garden
9/3/26 All for Gardening
Selecting plants that will attract butterflies to the home garden has grown in popularity, said Kansas State University horticulture expert Matt McKernan. Knowing what species of plants butterflies prefer can help gardeners with their selections, he said. “Butterflies are crucial for pollination and are a delight to host in the garden,” McKernan said, noting that the North American Butterfly Association has resources for gardeners wanting to certify their landscape as a butterfly habitat.
Local
New agronomy research complex advances K-State’s Agriculture Innovation Initiative
9/4/26 The K-State Collegian
Dr. Dorivar Ruiz Diaz, interim department head for agronomy, said the investment in the new facility has further strengthened efforts to improve agricultural research in Kansas. “One of our main economic engines in the state is agriculture, and through investments like this, the university is demonstrating a strong commitment to advancing agricultural research, innovation and its impact across Kansas,” Ruiz Diaz said.
Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026
National/International
Pet-friendly domestic violence shelters protect survivors at both ends of the leash
9/3/26 Columbia Missourian
This bus is part of Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine’s outreach program — which provides comprehensive wellness checks and preventative care directly to underserved and isolated populations. “Most of the pets just needed some vaccines,” said Elizabeth Scarbrough, the K-State community outreach and shelter medicine intern. “It sounds like a lot of them are for housing-related issues … they were pretty much happy and healthy.”
State/Regional
Kansas homeowners, experts navigate lawn care during drought
9/2/26 KWCH
Matthew McKernan, of K-State Extension’s Horticulture and Natural Resources program, said many lawns have gone dormant. “A lot of lawns have gone dormant, and so they’ve turned more brown and gone into survival mode rather than being lush and green,” McKernan said.
Local
K-State announces new scholarship network. What can students expect?
9/2/26 Collegian
Students will have a new way to access scholarship opportunities after the Office of Financial Assistance announced Monday that it is launching a new K-State Scholarship Network.
Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026
State/Regional
K-State’s Kansas 4-H program prepares for State Fair as members get ready to showcase projects
9/1/26 KSNT
Kansas 4-H, a youth development program housed at Kansas State University, oversees the 4-H divisions at the Kansas State Fair. According to Kansas 4-H Youth Development Program Leader Sarah Maass, many participants qualify for the State Fair through their local county fairs before advancing to the statewide competition.
Local
K-State hires new chief of police
8/31/26 Manhattan Mercury
K-State officials on Friday announced they hired a new chief of police and director of public safety for the university.
Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026
National/International
Trump's 'Discounted' Beef Imports Start Today—Here's How To Tell If You’re Buying American Meat
09/01/26 Yahoo! News
The first imports of 300,000 metric tons of tariff-free beef President Donald Trump says will be sold to U.S. consumers at a discounted rate are set to enter the country Tuesday amid consumer worries about food safety and concerns from American ranchers who say it's more important than ever for shoppers to buy domestic meat products. Glynn Tonsor, an agricultural economist at Kansas State University, said it will help some with supply but that he thinks the Trump administration is overstating how much the imports will help pricing.
State/Regional
Healthier eating is a lifestyle choice, says K-State extension agent
09/01/26 Salina Post
The growing popularity of a plan that encourages people to eat more healthy foods and less added sugars is not really about getting rid of specific foods in the diet completely, says a K-State Extension agent in Johnson County. Chelsea King, a nutrition, food safety and health extension agent, notes that the Mediterranean diet “is really more about an overall lifestyle and making small changes to eat more nutritious foods and less of the not-so-nutritious foods most of the time.”
Rural Veterinary Task Force Marks Five Years of Progress
08/31/26 Kansas Livestock Association
The Rural Veterinary Workforce Task Force has released a five-year impact summary highlighting progress in strengthening the pipeline and retention of veterinarians serving Kansas’ rural communities. The coalition includes representatives from KLA, the Kansas Veterinary Medical Association, Kansas Farm Bureau, Livestock Marketing Association, Kansas Department of Agriculture and Kansas State University.