The SGC colloquium helped me understand the benefits of changing my major. I was afraid that by changing my major, I might set myself back in terms of graduation time and hinder my ability to do research. When I first entered college, I was working toward a degree in Cell Genetics, which I switched to Plant Biology. I always knew that I wanted to work in genetics with a focus on plants. What I didn't know was that there was a major specialization for that exact subject. A supplemental class I took, PLSC125, connected me directly to my major, helping me regain my passion for studying plants. I wanted to help people but I did not want to work with them.
Additionally, BSCI207, otherwise known as Organismal Biology, was a supplemental class for SGC that helped me determine what I did not want to pursue in the future. In that class, we learned about animals, fungi, and plants. The only subject that I enjoyed learning about was plants. I did not want to commit to a major that required two-thirds of my courses to be on subjects I do not care about. Also, Cell Genetics was a premed program, and I plan on pursuing a research career.
In my second semester at UMD, I attended a presentation on winter wheat that was promoted by my major and the College of Agriculture. The speaker, Dr. Mason, is a wheat breeder located in Colorado. He spoke about a sawfly epidemic that has been decimating over two-thirds of winter wheat grown annually. The sawfly operates by laying eggs in the stems of wheat (which are hollow), and the larvae feed on the plant. The next year's crop is also ruined because no plant residues are left behind, which are essential for fixing nutrients in the soil. For over a hundred years, sawflies had a negligible impact on winter wheat yields. So, why are sawflies becoming a major problem now of all times? Climate change. The increase in average daily temperatures has allowed the sawfly reproductive season to perfectly align with the growing season of winter wheat, when once it was too cold. Breeders identified sawflies as a potential issue over a decade ago and were able to sell their breed in 2022. Crop breeders have to be working to continuously identify and adapt plants to problems created by climate change. If not for SGC, I would've had a basic understanding of how climate change was negatively affecting the US agriculture industry. With my background knowledge from SGC, I was able to understand how the behaviors and temperatures of seasons are changing, as a small rise in average temperature does not account for the variability of temperature in a specific region.
Having a class with the same people for three semesters has certainly helped me adjust to college life. Most of the people in SGC are some sort of STEM major, meaning that there was overlap in our classes. I was able to study with other students in lounges in our shared dorm and walk to classes together to keep each other accountable.
As a plant biology major, I took an extra interest in SGC events that had to do with nature and biodiversity. For example, when I went on a field trip to the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC), I was able to apply knowledge from my soils and plant classes to the forest and evaluate the different biodiversity in old versus new-growth forests. I also took time to give back to my community, which I did by volunteering at the Community Garden to grow food for shelters.
Learning about climate change through scholars has helped me deal with the fear I feel for the changing world. Fear is the result of ignorance. By understanding why increasing CO2 levels and human processes have degraded the Earth, I can help mitigate climate change instead of fearing it. One such challenge with climate change is agriculture. As climate change progresses, the zones for certain crop growth will move towards the poles of Earth. Farmers will need to be able to change the crops they grow to adjust. Additionally, soil closer to the poles has been frozen for years and will not be high in organic matter or nutrients. It is the responsibility of farmers and scientists to change the soil to support life on Earth. If crops are not moved, they must be changed. One such change that is being studied is stomata closing in response to heat. If a plant reaches temperatures of about 95 degrees Fahrenheit, it will flood its leaves with ABA, which signals stomata closing. Stomata closing preserves water but also prevents gas exchange. GMO plants that are less responsive to ABA will reopen their stomata in less than a day, compared to the five-day recovery period normal plants require. This allows for crop yield to not be as negatively affected by higher temperatures.
Fear of GMOs is something that I've encountered more as a plant biology major. I have used my knowledge of plants to explain what GMOs are and why their benefits outweigh their potential risks. Every plant and multicellular organism is a genetically modified organism. The presence of plastids and mitochondria in plants indicates that at some point in time, two cells merged and shared genetic information. When plants are genetically modified, it is usually a gene that has been studied for years, and the FDA has gone through rigorous testing to ensure that it is safe to eat.
Anybody who is anyone in the plant community knows that climate change is real and will impact how crops are grown in the future. As such, people who study plants are being taught how to identify and respond to issues that could arise in 10, 20, 30 years. Increased atmospheric carbon dioxide is beneficial to plants; however, the increase in temperatures and loss of freshwater is detrimental to plant growth. In the future, I hope to continue work being done to study plant genomes and determine how specific genes work.