Anna Coker Smyly, a student at Mississippi State University pursuing her doctorate in plant and soil science, received first place for her presentation at the Rice Technical Working Group Conference hosted in Hot Springs, Ark.
Anna Coker Smyly, a Mississippi State University doctoral candidate specializing in plant and soil science, won first place for her presentation at the 2023 Rice Technical Working Group (RTWG) Conference hosted in Hot Springs, Ark. The RTWG is a multistate research coordinating committee and information exchange group supported by the Southern Association of Agricultural Experiment Station Directors.
Her presentation, “Determining an Irrigation Management Plan in a Furrow Irrigated Rice Production System” won first place in the rice culture section of the oral presentations at the conference.
Smyly is pursuing her doctorate with MSU at Delta Research and Extension Center, where she works with the National Center for Alluvial Aquifer Research (NCAAR) in Stoneville.
“Anna is passionate about her research and helping rice growers in the Mississippi Delta increase profitability and decrease water use,” Drew Gholson, NCAAR coordinator and extension/research professor, said.
Smyly has a bachelor’s degree in Crop, Soil and Environmental Science from the University of Arkansas, where she minored in agricultural business. At Louisiana State University, she received her master’s degree in Plant, Environmental and Soil Science with the thesis “Rice Response to Nitrogen Fertilization and Comparison of Unmanned Aerial Systems and Active Crop Canopy Sensors Vegetative Index to Estimate Rice Yield Potential.”
Delta Research and Extension Center was established in 1904, and now the complex encompasses nearly 5,000 acres. DREC seeks to increase the yields of commercial agriculture and aquaculture producers, while at the same time preserving the Mississippi Delta’s environment and natural resources.