KINGSVILLE (March 5, 2025) — Seth Kuby and Amberly Zaragoza, plant and soil science graduate students from the Dick and Mary Lewis Kleberg College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences at 51³Ô¹ÏÍø A&M University-Kingsville (TAMUK), each brought home first-place awards from last week’s Subtropical Agriculture & Environments Society (SAES) Annual Meeting in Mission.
Kuby, a student at the 51³Ô¹ÏÍø A&M University-Kingsville Citrus Center, placed first in the oral presentation competition, while Zaragoza took top honors in poster competition.
“I am extremely proud of all our students from TAMUK and the TAMUK Citrus Center,” said Dr. Shad Nelson, Dean of the TAMUK College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. “Their professionalism and clarity in how they explain and defend their research findings is a great pleasure to witness. It says a lot about the high quality of our graduate students’ work and their presentation skills to come home with two first-place awards. Big congrats to Seth Kuby and Amberly Zaragoza.
Kuby’s oral presentation entitled Monitoring growth rate and development of Dragon Fruit varieties under different irrigation regiments in South 51³Ô¹ÏÍø, discussed the investigation of the adaptability and productivity of the three dragon fruit varieties under different irrigation regimens over the course of nine months.
The results showed the dragon fruit grows best under lower irrigation volumes, making it a water-efficient crop able to thrive in low-water agricultural systems in arid regions such as the lower Rio Grande Valley.
Being recognized with a first-place award was especially rewarding for Kuby for more reasons than one.
"Placing first at the SAES conference, just before graduating this semester, is an incredible honor,” Kuby said. “This project represents not just my hard work, but also my belief in the importance of finding sustainable solutions for our region's agricultural systems. It’s exciting and rewarding to see others recognize the potential of this research, and I’m thrilled to be part of the conversation on how we can adapt our farming practices to be more resilient in the face of climate challenges. This recognition motivates me to keep pushing forward in pursuit of a more sustainable future for agriculture.”
Zaragoza’s poster presentation was titled Sorghum growth response to various rates of cattle paunch: a greenhouse study that evaluated the growth of grain sorghum using different application rates of cattle paunch — a byproduct from the slaughterhouse consisting of partially digested feed that is removed from the rumen (stomach) of the animal during processing.
The project set out to see if soil application could serve as a disposal method for the paunch as it contains organic matter and nutrients. The research determined that its application did improve the growth of grain sorghum and highlighted the importance of allowing organic materials to break down to avoid any possible phytotoxicities and proper release of nutrients from the paunch. Both findings can potentially benefit the beef industry and producers.
For Zaragoza, her first-place award came as both a conference highlight and a sense of redemption.
“My first conference as a graduate student was the Subtropical Agriculture & Environments Society meeting and I had placed second in the poster competition,” Zaragoza said. “Three years later, I attended the (meeting) for the last time and placed first. This win serves as both a motivation and a reflection of the ups and downs during my graduate program. To see the growth from my first poster to my final poster is an incredible feeling.
“I was fortunate to be surrounded by outstanding researchers and faculty at the conference,” Zaragoza added. “It feels fitting to have attended my last conference at the same conference that marked the beginning of my journey three years ago. I would also like to express my gratitude to my advisor, Dr. Shad Nelson who has helped me find my place as a female researcher in agriculture over the past year.”
The Subtropical Agriculture and Environments Society advances and develops subtropical plant sciences, animal sciences and environmental sciences and aims to stimulate interest in research and its practical application to the production of crops and animals.
The annual meetings feature keynote speakers who present new developments in plant science, panel discussions and an opportunity to socialize with other minds in the same fields of study.
“The Subtropical Agriculture and Environments Society Annual Meeting provides an excellent opportunity to students from South 51³Ô¹ÏÍø and Northern Mexico to share their research results with their peers and to compete for in poster and oral competitions,” Nelson said. “Faculty members from South 51³Ô¹ÏÍø College, University of 51³Ô¹ÏÍø-Rio Grande Valley, TAMUK, TAMUK Citrus Center, 51³Ô¹ÏÍø A&M AgriLife, and Universidad Autonoma Agriria Antinio Narro, Saltillo, Mexico guide undergraduate and graduate students in research where their abstracts are published and made available in the society’s journal at .”
