USDA-ARS Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Agronomy​/Plant Physiology

Organization

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)

USDA-ARS-SEA-

11/6/2026 3:00:00 PM Eastern Time Zone

Applications are reviewed on a rolling-basis.

A research opportunity is currently available with the Crop Production Systems Research Unit, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), located in Stoneville, Mississippi.

The Agricultural Research Service (ARS) is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific in-house research agency with a mission to find solutions to agricultural problems that affect Americans every day from field to table. ARS will deliver cutting‑edge, scientific tools and innovative solutions for American farmers, producers, industry, and communities to support the nourishment and well‑being of all people; sustain our nation’s agroecosystems and natural resources;

and ensure the economic competitiveness and excellence of our agriculture. The vision of the agency is to provide global leadership in agricultural discoveries through scientific excellence.

This research is a component of ARS National Programs 305 (Crop Production) and 304 (Crop Protection & Quarantine). Throughout the course of this project, you will learn about project management by contributing to research evaluating herbicide efficacy and screening for herbicide resistance in established and newly emerging problematic weed species in the Mississippi Delta region. You will also learn to identify key differences in physiology, growth characteristics, photosynthetic capacities, adaptability, competitiveness, and responses to stress and other fitness criteria of wild‑type versus herbicide‑resistant plant biotypes.

You will contribute to studies examining how environmental conditions, cropping systems, and management practices influence weed emergence, competitiveness, and long‑term persistence.

The project involves collecting, managing, and analyzing data related to weed control, herbicide performance, and whole‑plant physiological processes of herbicide‑resistant and susceptible populations under controlled environmental and field conditions. These insights are important for predicting the ecological success of resistant populations and developing more sustainable, integrated weed management strategies. This project will also involve close collaboration with USDA‑ARS scientists specializing in plant physiology, molecular biology, genomics, and herbicide resistance to advance understanding of resistance mechanisms and support the development of novel weed management solutions for problematic weeds in Mississippi cropping systems.

Through participation in this research project, you will gain experience operating specialized equipment such as spray chambers and LI‑COR gas‑exchange systems, as well as opportunities for managing field, growth‑chamber, and greenhouse studies to investigate weed control in cropping systems.

• Gain hands‑on research experience in agronomy/weed science and herbicide resistance screening across multiple species;
• Learn to operate specialized equipment such as an research track sprayer, leaf area meter, root scanner, and LI‑COR photosynthesis systems;
• Develop strong competencies in collecting, processing, and analyzing plant samples to characterize herbicide resistance mechanisms; and
• Build robust data analysis skills and enhance scientific writing and publishing capabilities.

The mentor for this opportunity is Krishna Reddy (krishna.reddy). If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentor(s).

2026. Start date is flexible and will depend on a variety of…