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Kaylee South

Assistant Professor
  • Extension Specialist

Kaylee South

Assistant Professor
  • Extension Specialist
Kaylee South
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Location:

Institute for Advanced Learning and Research
150 Slayton Ave
Danville, VA 24540
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Contact:

kasouth@vt.edu
434-766-6618

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Overview

I am an Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist of Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) in the School of Plant and Environmental Sciences. I focus on improving the yield, quality, and sustainability of horticulture crop production in greenhouses and indoor vertical farms. I hold a 70% research and 30% Extension appointment. My program integrates applied research and stakeholder-driven Extension to support the expanding CEA industry. I work with a diverse set of crops, including strawberries, basil, edible flowers, microtomatoes, and other specialty crops, with a primary focus on hydroponic production systems. 

Expertise

  • Greenhouse and indoor vertical farm crop production
  • Hydroponic and soilless substrate systems
  • Biostimulants for crop yield and quality
  • Biological control of plant pathogens

Education

  • Ph.D., Horticulture and Crop Science, The Ohio State University, 2020
  • B.S., Horticulture, University of Georgia, 2015

Production of edible, medicinal, and ornamental crops in environmentally controlled structures continues to expand across the U.S. My research program supports this growing industry through three interconnected focus areas:

  1.  Optimization of horticultural practices to enhance crop yield, quality, and economic viability of both established and emerging CEA crops.
  2.  Development and evaluation of biological inputs, including biological control strategies for plant pathogen management and biostimulants to improve crop performance.
  3. Assessment of emerging technologies, such as imaging-based tools, to advance crop monitoring and management in controlled environments.

This work includes immediately applicable outcomes and longer-range innovations that contribute to sustainable and resilient food production systems.

Assistant Professor | 2021-Present
School of Plant and Environmental Sciences
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Postdoctoral Researcher | 2020-2021
Department of Horticulture and Crop Sciences
The Ohio State University

I collaborate with VA Cooperative Extension agents, Agricultural Research and Extension Centers, and the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research, to develop a multifaceted Extension and outreach program that serves CEA stakeholders.

Primary Extension goals include:

  1.  Supporting CEA stakeholders in improving yield, quality, and profitability of edible and medicinal crops
  2.  Developing workforce training programs, including educational opportunities for K-12
  3.  Creating resources and programs to enhance public awareness and understanding of CEA.

My Extension efforts are organized across education, workforce development, and industry engagement, with emphasis on translating research into practical, grower-ready resources.

Selected Extension Resources and Programs

Extension Publications: https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/content/pubs_ext_vt_edu/en/author/s/south-kaylee.resource.html

  • The Ohio State University Horticulture and Crop Science Department Graduate Manuscript Competition: 1st place, 2020
  • American Society for Horticultural Science Annual Conference Floriculture Oral Competition: 1st place, 2018

Selected Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles

See complete list: Google Scholar https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=jWdhXnoAAAAJ&hl=en

  1.  Tharpe, A.E., South, K.A., Lowman, S., Shur, B. & Evans, M.R.(2026) Microtomato Fruit Production Varies among Cultivar and Photosynthetic Photon Flux Density in an Indoor Vertical Production System. HortTechnology. 36(1): 31-35. https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTTECH05782-25
  2.  Naik, S., Chapin, L. J., South, K. A., & Jones, M. L.(2025). Biocontrol efficacy of Pseudomonas consortia against botrytis blight in petunias. Plant Disease. 109(3): 670-682. https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-06-24-1210-RE
  3.  South, K.A., Nordstedt, N.P., & Jones, M.L. (2021). Identification of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria that improve the performance of greenhouse-grown petunias under low fertility conditions. Plants, 10(7): 1410. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10071410
  4.  South, K.A., Peduto Hand, F., & Jones, M.L. (2020). Beneficial bacteria identified for the control of Botrytis cinerea in petunia greenhouse production. Plant Disease, 104(6): 1801-1810. https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-10-19-2276-RE

Selected Extension Articles

See complete Virginia Cooperative Extension list: https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/content/pubs_ext_vt_edu/en/author/s/south-kaylee.resource.html

  1.  South, K., Snead, G., Roark, J., Evans, M., and Turner, A. (2026). Introduction to Microgreen Production in Indoor Vertical Farms and Greenhouses. (SPES-756NP). https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/SPES/spes-756.html
  2.  Stallknecht, E., and South, K.A. (2025). Virginia Horticulture Production Trends: 2017-2022. Virginia Cooperative Extension SPES-723NP. https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/SPES/spes-723/spes-723.html
  3.  Reiter, M., Kuhar, T., Lopez, L., Mullins, C., Nartea, T., Rideout, S., Singh, V., South, K.A., Strawn, L. K., Torres Quezada, E., Vallotton, A., Higgins, D., Zeng, Y., Rashed, A., Mersha, Z., and Gu, S. (2023). Virginia Vegetable Specialist Team. Virginia Cooperative Extension SPES-480NP. https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/content/pubs_ext_vt_edu/en/SPES/spes-480/spes-480.html