People
Connor Ferguson
Dr. J. Connor Ferguson is an Assistant Professor of Weed Science in the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences at Mississippi State University. His research focuses on improved spray application methods and technology and weed control for corn, cotton, peanuts, and wheat.
Dr. Ferguson’s research program seeks to address practical weed management issues for Mississippi growers and help every grower to improve their spray application practices. By focusing on existing problems in the field and developing new methods for improved management in the future, the Weed science Research program seeks to be the primary resource for MS growers.
The Weed Science Research Program has engaged with many growers and hopes to continue to do so in the future. Research has been conducted to address optimal droplet size for preemergence herbicides, improved Italian ryegrass control in corn, season-long weed management programs in peanut and cotton and overcoming herbicide antagonism. His team of students also has worked on-farm to optimize the use of prohexadione calcium, a plant growth regulator for increasing yield in peanut.
@connorferguson on Twitter
Email: connor.ferguson@msstate.edu
Justin Calhoun
Justin is originally from Star City, Arkansas and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Plant and Soil Sciences at the University of Arkansas at Monticello. It was there where he was introduced to agriculture research which led him to Mississippi State in 2017 to pursue a Master’s degree in Plant and Soil Science with a focus on Weed Science. He completed his Master’s in 2019.
Justin is now working toward earning his PhD in Plant and Soil Science. His research is focused on optimizing complete weed control programs in cotton and peanut including evaluating the duration of preemergent herbicide chemistries, utilizing novel application techniques, and conducting grower surveys.
Kayla Broster
Kayla Broster is a M.S. student in Plant and Soil Sciences. She originally is from Illinois and earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale.
Her research is focused on determining an effective weed control program for peanuts, looking at different preemergent and postemergent herbicide combinations. She is also observing the effects of different nozzles and operating pressures for application. Her expected date of graduation is May 2020.
Zachary Treadway
Zachary Treadway is a second-year master’s student from Independence, Mississippi. Zachary attended Northwest Mississippi Community College before transferring to Mississippi State to earn a Bachelor of Science in Agronomy with a concentration in Integrated Pest Management. He is currently pursuing his Master of Science in Agronomy. His thesis research centers around the use of prohexadione calcium growth regulator in Mississippi Peanut (Arachis hypogaea). Expected graduation May 2020.
Graduated Students
Luke Merritt
Luke is a M.S. student in the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences at Mississippi State University. He is originally from Illinois and received his Bachelor’s degree from Western Illinois University after attending John Wood Community College.
His research is focused on herbicide antagonism and application techniques to reduce antagonistic reactions. He hopes that through his research that he can develop recommendations to apply antagonistic herbicide combinations that results in optimal weed control. Luke Graduated in December 2019.
Michael Wesley
Michael Wesley is from Council Bluffs, Iowa and earned a Bachelor of Science at MSU in Agronomy with an Integrated Pest Management concentration. He earned his MS degree in weed science.
His research studied how residual herbicides, spray droplet size, and removal timing affected Italian ryegrass control in corn. Michael graduated in December 2019.