Marie Abbey

Marie Abbey is a Research Professor in Horticultural Science at the University of Minnesota, actively engaged in agricultural research with current projects through 2026. Her work focuses on aquaponics for northern-climate crop production and socioeconomic analysis of genetic technology adoption among growers, contributing to UN Sustainable Development Goals for sustainable agriculture.

Her research spans two primary domains: controlled environment agriculture for high-value crops (lettuce, strawberry, basil) in non-traditional latitudes, and economic barriers to biotechnology implementation. The aquaponics work optimizes yield in soilless systems under northern growing constraints, while her biotechnology research investigates willingness-to-pay metrics and adoption drivers for genetically modified specialty crops through grower surveys and economic modeling.

Publication trends reveal increasing emphasis on gene editing economics since 2021, complementing foundational aquaponics research that generated significant citations (17 for her 2019 lettuce study). Her work bridges horticultural science with agricultural economics, targeting practical applications for growers in climate-vulnerable regions.

No scientific awards were documented in the source material.

Abbey serves as co-investigator on the active Skagit Reed Canarygrass Genetics Study (2024-2026) funded by the City of Seattle, demonstrating ongoing grant acquisition. While student advising isn't explicitly listed, her multi-author publications indicate collaborative mentorship across disciplines including horticulture, agricultural economics, and food science.

Her research operates through University of Minnesota greenhouse facilities and field collaborations, with notable partnerships in aquaponics system design and grower outreach. Current projects focus on reed canarygrass genetics for ecological restoration, extending her expertise in northern-adapted plant systems.