ISAT Symposium turns 21

In photo above, ISAT seniors Evan Hylton (left), Justin Ngo (center) and Nick Gentile discuss their research Friday, April 21, on growing industrial hemp in Virginia. Hemp can only be grown for university research in Virginia and requires stringent licensing and protocols. Two 10-acre crops were planted in May 2016 for the JMU study, one in Rockingham County and the other near Afton.

In August 2016, the seeds and stalks were harvested. Seed weight, total number of  seeds, total number of  plants, stalk length and stalk diameter were captured after harvest to measure crop characteristics and yield. The trio examined the differences in crop characteristics and yield based on farm and fertility levels, and explored strengths and weaknesses of  the experimental design used in 2016 to recommend new strategies for planting in 2017.

The ultimate goal of the project is to explore the agricultural feasibility of growing industrial hemp on small and medium-sized farms in Virginia, and integrating small-farm production with a potential supply chain for three key products: hemp fiber; hemp seed for livestock feed and human consumption; and hemp oil for biofuel.

Dr. Nicole Radziwill was the capstone adviser.

The daylong event, held for the 21^st year, also featured poster presentations and research by students majoring in computer science, geographic science and intelligence analysis.

Sharon Simmons, head of computer science, discusses findings with students.

ISAT junior Jeff Mangold (left) discusses research he worked on with Joe Timmins, a sophomore majoring in ISAT.

Posters lined the first and second floors of the ISAT/CS and EnGeo buildings.

More information on the symposium, including lists and descriptions of projects can be found on the ISAT website.