TPS Fellow, Stephanie Karhoff, has earned an internship with Beck's Hybrids Practical Farm Research (PFR) program at the London, Ohio station. She will be working with Dr. Alexandria Knight, the PFR research agronomist for the 2017 field season. 

Karhoff is a graduate student in the TPS program being advised by Dr. Leah McHale, and co-advised by Dr. Anne Dorrance. She is studying quantitative disease resistance to Phytophthora root and stem rot in soybean. Specifically, she is characterizing a major resistance quantitative trait loci (QTL) and determining which genes are associated with the QTL. The goal of this work is to increase the potential for this resistance source to be used for variety/germplasm development. 

The PFR program provides farmers unbiased agronomic research on emerging technologies and products. The internship coordinator's goal is to have her assist with data collection, analysis, and presentation of multiple field experiments testing agronomic products and practices. 

Karhoff's goal through this internship is to gain in-depth experience in agronomic testing, specifically field design and analyzing large data sets. The work she will do with the PFR will complement previous breeding internships she has held with AgReliant Genetics and Monsanto Company.

Her long term career goal is to work in either industry as a plant breeder, research agronomist, or research scientist or in extension.