Department of Crop Sciences
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Fred Below
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Fred Below

Professor
322A E R Madigan Laboratory
1201 W. Gregory Dr.
Urbana, IL 61801
fbelow@illinois.edu
(217) 333-9745

Education

Ph.D.: Agronomy, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
M.S.: Agronomy, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
B.S.: Agricultural Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Research Areas

Crop Production Management Evaluation

  • The Seven Wonders of the Corn Yield World
  • Relation of early plant growth to yield
  • Influence of ethylene inhibitors on plant physiology, biomass and yield
  • Crop Rotation and Tillage effects

Grain Quality for Processing

  • Increasing starch quality and quantity for ethanol
  • Improving hard endosperm food grade corn

Nitrogen Use Efficiency (NUE)

  • Discovering genes influencing maize responses to nitrogen NitroGenes
  • Understanding the Physiological and Genetic basis of NUE
    -Using field studies, hydroponics and in vitro kernel culture
  • Influence of Nitrogen fertilizer form and timing on yield
  • Variable Rate Nitrogen (VRN) technology
  • Improving plant Bioenergy yield without excess N
  • Nitrogen Utilization Efficiency – Metabolic and enzymatic differences between hybrids in yield production
  • Amino acid signalling of plant N status

Teaching Honors

Other Honors and Awards

Outstanding Presentation Award

Journal Articles

Seebauer, JR, Singletary, GW, Krumpelman, PM, Ruffo, ML, Below, FE (2010) Relationship of source and sink in determining kernel composition of maize. J. Exp Bot 61:511-519. [open access]
Gentry, LE, David, MB, Below, FE, Royer, TV, McIsaac, GF. (2009) Nitrogen Mass Balance of a Tile-drained Agricultural Watershed in East-Central Illinois. J. Env. Quality 38:1841-1847.
Uribelarrea, M, Crafts-Bradner, S.J. and Below, F.E. (2009)  Physiological N response of field-grown maize hybrids (Zea mays L.) with divergent yield potential and grain protein concentration [Open access] Plant Soil 316:151-160.
Below, F.E., Duncan, K.A., Uribelarrea, M. and T.B. Ruyle (2009)  Occurrence and proposed cause of hollow husk in maize. Agron J. 101:237-242.
Uribelarrea, M, Moose, SP, Below, FE. (2007) Divergent selection for grain protein affects nitrogen use efficiency in maize hybrids. Field Crops Res., 100 (1): 82-90.
Seebauer JR, Moose SP, Fabbri BJ, Crossland, L, Below, FE. (2004) Amino Acid Metabolism in Maize Earshoots. Implications for Assimilate Preconditioning and Nitrogen Signaling. Plant Physiology 136 (4): 4326-4334.
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Bergerou JA, Gentry LE, David MB, Below FE. (2004) Role of N-2 Fixation in the Soybean N Credit in Maize Production. Plant and Soil 262 (1-2): 383-394.
Uribelarrea M, Below FE, Moose SP. (2004) Grain Composition and Productivity of Maize Hybrids Derived from The Illinois Protein Strains in Response to Variable Nitrogen Supply. Crop Science 44 (5): 1593-1600.
Gentry LE, Below FE, David MB, Bergerou JA. (2001) Source of the Soybean N Credit in Maize Production. Plant And Soil 236 (2): 175-184.
Lee HJ, Seebauer JR, Below FE. (2000) An Improved Technique for Culture of Rice Panicles. Plant Cell Tissue and Organ Culture 60 (1): 55-60.
Cazetta JO, Seebauer JR, Below FE. (1999) Sucrose and Nitrogen Supplies Regulate Growth of Maize Kernels. Annals of Botany 84 (6): 747-754.
Wang XT, Below FE. (1998) Accumulation and Partitioning of Mineral Nutrients in Wheat as Influenced by Nitrogen Form. J. of Plant Nutrition 21 (1):49-61.
Faleiros, RRS, Seebauer JR, Below FE. (1996) Nutritionally Induced Changes in Endosperm of Shrunken-1 and Brittle-2 Maize Kernels Grown In Vitro. Crop Sci. 36:947-954.
Mumera, LM, Below FE. (1996) Genotypic Variation in Resistance to Striga Parasitism of Maize. Maydica 41:255-262.
Wang, XT, Below FE. (1996) Cytokinins in Enhanced Growth and Tillering of Wheat Induced by Mixed Nitrogen Source. Crop Sci 36:121-126.

Conference Articles

Gentry, L, FE Below. Achieving high-yield corn sustainably. Proceedings of the NC-1142 Cooperative North Central Regional Research Project. Nov. 11-12, 2011. East Lansing, MI.

Below, FE, JW Haegele. 2011. Strategies for Improving Nitrogen Use Efficiencies of Maize. Proceedings of the XIX Congress AAPRESID (no- till association in Argentina). Aug 15- 23, 2011. Rosario, Argentina.

Below, FE, F Cantao, JW Haegele, AS Henninger. 2011. Managing ethylene to achieve 300 bushel corn. Proceedings of the Plant Growth Regulation Society of America 38th annual meeting. July 25-26, 2011. Chicago, IL.

Haegele, JW, F Cantao, F Below. 2011. Changes in maize growth and reproductive development associated with aminoethoxyvinylglycine application. Proceedings of the Plant Growth Regulation Society of America 2011 meeting. July 25-26, 2011. Chicago, IL.

Overstreet, L, F Below. 2011. Achieving 300 bushels-per-acre corn sustainably: A proceedings of the 2011 Fluid Fertilizer Foundation Symposium- Fluid Forum Proceedings. Cropping intensification on the farm. Feb. 20-22, 2011. Scottsdale, AZ.

Below, FE. 2011. The Quest for 300 bu Corn. Proceedings of the Southwest Ag Conference (SWAC). Jan. 6, 2011. Chatham, Ontario, Canada

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Below, FE, JW Haegele . 2010. Corn Utilization and Technology Conference. National Corn Growers Association. ‘Genetic and agronomic contributions to more efficient corn production.’ June 7-9, 2010. Atlanta, GA.
Below, FE, A Henninger, ML Ruffo. 2010. The Formula for 300 bushel corn. Proceedings of the MN Ag Expo. Jan 11-12, 2010. Morton, MN.
Below, FE, JW Haegele and ML Ruffo 2010. ‘More nitrogen, more corn?’ Proceedings of the Southwest Ag Conference. Jan. 6-7, 2010. Chatham, Ontario, Canada
Below, FE, JW Haegele and ML Ruffo 2010. Mineral Nutrition of Rootworm Resistant Corn. FREC proceedings.
Below, FE, and ML Ruffo. 2010 Enhanced Urea Sources for Nitrogen Fertilization of Corn. FREC proceedings.
Below, FE, R Agarwal, H Blashek, D Faulkner, J Kesan, M Khanna, S Moose, V Singh, G Letterly. 2009. DSystems: Developing Tropical Maize as a New Biofuel and Forage Crop for Illinois. Proceedings of the Dudley Smith Initiative. Dec. 18, 2009. Urbana, IL.
Below, FE, JW Haegele, ML Ruffo. 2009. Technology and Biotechnology for better nitrogen use efficiency in corn. Proceedings of the CSS 2009 & Seed Expo. 39th Soybean Seed Research Conference & 64th Corn & Sorghum Seed Research Conference. American Seed Trade Association. Dec. 8-11, 2009. Chicago, IL.
Below, FE. 2009. Nitrogen Use by corn: how much, when, where, and why. Proceedings of the Ag Masters Conference. Dec.1-2, 2009. Champaign, IL.
Below, FE, M Uribelarrea. 2009. Stress control for achieving high yields: The quest for 300 bushel per acre corn. Proceedings of the 36th PGRSA (Plant Growth Regulation Society of America) Annual Meeting. Aug. 2-6, 2009. Asheville, NC.

Contributed Chapters

White, WG, Moose, SP, Weil, CF, McCann, MC, Carpita, NC, Below, FE (2011) Tropical Maize: Exploiting Maize Genetic Diversity to Develop a Novel Annual Crop for Lignocellulosic Biomass and Sugar Production. p167-179. In: Buckeridge MS, Goldman GH, eds. Routes to Cellulosic Ethanol: Springer New York.

Wessel, JR, Ruffo, MR, Below, FE. (2007) Spring Rainfall Dictates Success of Nitrogen Applied to Corn in Fall or Winter. In T. Bruulsema (ed.) Managing Crop Nitrogen for Weather. International Plant Nutrition Institute, Norcross, GA. 

Below, FE, Seebauer JR, Uribelarrea M, Schneerman MC, Moose SP. (2004) Physiological changes accompanying long-term selection for grain protein in maize. p. 133-151. In: J. Janick (ed). Plant Breeding Reviews: Long-term selection: Maize. Vol. 24. John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken, NJ. 

Below FE, Cazetta JO, Seebauer JR. 2000. Carbon/nitrogen interactions during ear and kernel development of maize. p. 15-24. In M. Westgate and K. Boote (eds.) Physiology and modeling kernel set in maize. CSSA Special publication no. 29. CSSA-ASA. Madison, WI. 

Invited Lectures

XIII Brazilian Congress of Plant Physiology. ‘The Quest for 20-Ton Maize.’ Buzios, Brazil. Sept. 19, 2011.
XIX Congress AAPRESID (no- till association in Argentina). Two invited presentations ‘The quest for 20- ton maize’ and ‘Strategies for improving nitrogen use efficiencies of maize’. Rosario, Argentina. Aug 15- 23, 2011.

International Plant Nutrition Institute InfoAg ‘The quest for 300 bushel corn.’ Springfield, IL. July 13, 2011.

18th Annual Southwest Ag Conference. ‘The Quest for 300 bushel Corn’. Chatham, Ontario, Canada. Jan. 5-6, 2011.
TD Agriculture/ Fertilizer Investor Conference. ‘The formula for 300 bushel corn.’ Toronto, Canada. Nov. 18, 2010.
Mosaic AgCollege. 2010. ‘The 300 bushel corn yield formula?’ Orlando, FL Jan 13-15, 2010.
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A-9 symposium: Applications for plant health and agronomic perspective at ASA, CSSA, and SSSA Annual meetings. ‘Is there a physiological benefit from strobilurin fungicides to yield of corn?’ Pittsburgh, PA. Nov. 1-5, 2009.
Joint symposium S04 & S08: Fertilizer efficiency improvement at ASA, CSSA, and SSSA Annual meetings. ‘Technology and biotechnology for better nitrogen use efficiency in corn.’ Pittsburgh, PA. Nov. 1-5, 2009.
8th International Symposium on the plant hormone ethylene. ‘Ethylene control for achieving high yields.’ Ithaca, NY. June 21-25, 2009.
'Using Maize as a Sugar Crop' Workshop on Plant Breeding and Biotechnology in the Great Pannonian Region- Present and Future Needs. PPBA and Agric. Inst Osijek, Osijek, Croatia. April 7-9, 2008
International Seminar on Crop Nutrition, Paysandu, Uruguay, May 8, 2007.
'Crop Management for Biofuel Production: Managing Maize Hybrids for Fuel Ethanol Production' Keynote Presentation at the Chinese Society of Agronomy Annual Meeting, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. April 24, 2007.

International Invited Presentations

Cargill ProShop VIP Meeting. ‘Key Factors Driving Corn Yields.’ Minneapolis, MN. Dec. 6, 2011.
Ag Retailers Association- ARA Conference. ‘Seven Wonders of the Corn Yield World.’ Boca Raton, FL. Nov 29- Dec 1, 2011.

Farm Progress Show. ‘Seven wonders of the corn yield world.’ Decatur, IL. Aug 30- Sept 1, 2011.

Plant Growth Regulation Society of America 2011 meeting. Invited ‘Managing ethylene to achieve 300 bushel corn’ and volunteered ‘Changes in maize growth and reproductive development associated with aminoethoxyvinylglycine application’ Chicago, IL. July 25-26, 2011.
Farm Journal Corn College. ‘Advice to hit your yield goal.’ Bloomington, IL. July 19, 2011.
American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers. ‘Future Crop Production: Is 300 bushel Corn Yield Possible?’ Des Moines, IA. Mar. 22, 2011.
Fluid Fertilizer Foundation Forum. ‘300 bushel Corn Sustainably’. with Dr. Laura Overstreet. Scottsdale, AZ. Feb. 21, 2011.

National Invited Presentations

South Dakota Agri-Business Association Agronomy Conference. ‘The Quest for 300 bushel Corn.’ Sioux Falls, SD. Dec. 15, 2011.
North Central Extension-Industry Soil Fertility Conference. ‘The Quest for 300 bushel Corn.’ Des Moines, IA. Nov. 16, 2011.
Mid America CropLife Association (MACA) Annual Meeting. ‘Raising 300 bushel Corn: Chemicals- the seventh wonder of the corn yield world.’ Bloomington, MN. Sept. 6-8, 2011.
Corn Technology Tour. Illinois Corn Growers Association. ‘Improving efficiency of nutrient utilization for corn.’ Urbana, IL. Aug. 29, 2011.
Land O’Lakes/ Winfield Solutions Answer Plots. ‘The Seven Wonders of high corn yields.’ Black Earth, WI. July 29, 2011.
AgReliant Genetics Conference. ‘The formula for 300 bushel corn.’ Peoria, IL. Feb. 22, 2011.
Conservation Tillage & Technology College- Corn University. ‘The formula for 300 bushel corn.’ Ada, OH. Feb. 24, 2011.
Growmark FS Green Plan Solutions ‘In pursuit of maximum yields’ conference. ‘The 300 bushel Corn Yield Formula.’ Springfield, IL. Feb 10, 2011.
Growmark FS Green Plan Solutions ‘In pursuit of maximum yields’ conference for involved growers. ‘The formula for 300 bushel corn.’ East Peoria, IL. Jan. 28, 2011.