Tiffany Bensen

Instructional Professor of Biology

• Faculty
• Instructor

• Email:

  tabensen@olemiss.edu

• Office Location:

  320 Shoemaker Hall

• Phone:

  662-915-2089

Dr. Bensen teaches courses in Non-majors Introductory Biology.

Biography

Tiffany Bensen is an Instructional Professor of Biology. Dr. Bensen received her Ph.D. in ecology from the University of California, Davis. Her graduate research interests were in sustainable agriculture and exploring ways to biologically manipulate crop systems to successfully manage insect pests. Her research experience post-graduation focused on questions of disease and insect management in row crop systems of the Salinas Valley, CA with the UC Extension Service and in vegetable crop systems in central North Carolina with NC State. At the University of Mississippi, she is dedicated to teaching human biology as well as ecology and evolution to non-science students. In August 2022, Dr. Bensen became the course coordinator for the Biology Department's non-science majors program. Recently, Dr. Bensen worked with the department's team of non-science majors instructors to redesign the Biology Department's 100-level courses to be centered on active learning for dynamic instruction in the University of Mississippi's Duff Center for Science Technology and Innovation.

Publications

Bensen, TA, RF Smith, KV Subbarao, ST Koike, S Fennimore, and S Shem-Tov. 2009. Mustard and Other Cover Crop Effects Vary on Lettuce Drop Caused by Sclerotinia minor and on Weeds. Plant Disease 93:1019-1027.

Mustard cover crops have been suggested as a potential biofumigant for managing soilborne agricultural pests and weeds. We conducted several experiments in commercial lettuce fields in the Salinas Valley, CA, to evaluate the effects of mustard cover crops on lettuce drop caused by Sclerotinia minor and on weed density and seed viability. In a long-term study, we measured the effects of white and Indian mustard cover crops on the density of S. minor sclerotia in soil, lettuce drop incidence, weed densities, weed seed viability, and crop yield in head lettuce. We also tested broccoli and rye cover crop treatments and a fallow control. Across several short-term studies, we evaluated the density of S. minor sclerotia in soil, lettuce drop incidence, weed densities, and weed seed viability following cover cropping with a mustard species blend. Numbers of sclerotia in soil were low in most experimental locations and were not affected by cover cropping. Mustard cover crops did not reduce disease incidence in the long-term experiment but the incidence of lettuce drop was lower in mustard-cover-cropped plots across the short-term experiments. With the exception of common purslane and hairy nightshade, weed densities and weed seed viability were not significantly reduced by cover cropping with mustard. Head lettuce yield was significantly higher in mustard-cover-cropped plots compared with a fallow control. Glucosinolate content in the two mustard species was similar to those measured in other studies but, when converted to an equivalent of a commercial fumigant, the concentrations were much lower than the labeled rate for lettuce production. Although mustard cover cropping resulted in yield benefits in this study, there was little to no disease or weed suppression.

Smith, R, L Bettiga, M Cahn, K Baumgartner, L Jackson, T Bensen. 2008. Vineyard floor management affects soil, plant nutrition, and grape yield and quality. California Agriculture 62(4):184-190.

Smith, HA, WE Chaney, and TA Bensen. 2008. The impact of suppressing populations of syrphid fly larvae on aphid infestations in organic lettuce on California’s Central Coast. Journal of Economic Entomology 101(5):1526-1532.

Bensen, TA and SR Temple. 2008. Trap Cropping, Planting Date, and Cowpea Variety as Potential Elements of an Integrated Pest Management Strategy for Lygus hesperus in Blackeyed Cowpea. Crop Protection 27:1343-1353.

Tourte, L, R Smith, L Bettiga, T Bensen, J Smith, and D Salm. 2007. Post-emergence herbicides are cost effective for vineyard floor management on the Central Coast. California Agriculture 62(1):19-23.

Courses Taught

• BISC 104 Inquiry into Life: The Environment
• BISC 111 The Environment: An Integrated Exploration