Current and Past Research Projects
In the research descriptions below, I frequently refer to "we." "We" includes an incredible and hard-working team of undergraduate and graduate students, field researchers, research station managers, collaborating professors, and many other people who make this work possible.
From 2013 to 2016, I worked at Southern Illinois University - Carbondale in Soil Fertility and Soil Management. As of April 2016, I am currently working as a Co-Director of the Forest Productivity Cooperative at North Carolina State University researching ways to improve plantation forest productivity in the southeastern US and Latin America.
Current Projects at North Carolina State University
Forest Productivity Cooperative (FPC) was established in 1969 to determine the effect of fertilizer on pine plantations. Currently, one of the oldest and one of the world’s largest cooperative silviculture research and education programs, the FPC is an international partnership committed to creating innovative solutions to enhance forest productivity and value through the sustainable management of site resources. The partnership is lead by forestry faculty at North Carolina State University, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Universidad de Concepción, and the Federal University of Lavras. Team members have expertise in silviculture, forest nutrition, ecophysiology, soils, plant community ecology, growth and yield modeling, process-based models, remote sensing, spatial analysis and GIS, and statistics. To learn more about the FPC and our research, please visit the website at forestproductivitycoop.net or download our FPC annual brochure.
Research Projects from Southern Illinois University - Carbondale
Tillage x Fertility - 45 years and running
This project was started by Dr. George Kapusta in 1970. We examined the effects of rotation (continuous corn from 1970-1990, corn/soybean 1990-present), tillage (conventional, reduced, alternate, and no-till), and fertility (control, N-only, and NPK) on yield and soil properties. We also published an economic analysis and a paper on deep soil carbon. We are currently working on an analysis of extreme climate effects on yield under the different tillage systems. This is one of the longest continuously running field sites of its kind.
Cover Crop Management
We have two field projects focusing on cover crops in southern IL. Both projects look at the interaction of tillage vs no till and cover crops on soil properties.
These projects were funded by the Agronomic Science Foundation and the Illinois Nutrient Research and Education Council.
- Taylor Sievers (center), who graduated with her Masters in May 2016, examined above and belowground cover crop decomposition rates.
- Anna Sullivan (left), an undergraduate research assistant, was involved with investigating ammonia volatilization of urea with and without inhibitors.
- Ted Ballard (right), whol graduated with his Masters in May 2016, worked on quantifying soil nitrate and ammonium movement down to one meter below cover crops.
These projects were funded by the Agronomic Science Foundation and the Illinois Nutrient Research and Education Council.
Cover Crops and Water Quality
This project focuses on the potential water quality impacts that cover crops and tillage may have in non-tiled drained fields. Brooke Hagarty, who graduated with her Masters in 2016 (co-advised with Dr. Jon Schoonover, Forestry), quantified nitrate leaching at two depths through the year. Current work is being done by a PhD student, Gurbir Singh, to trace nitrogen fertilizer cycling with 15N stable isotopes.
This project was funded by the IL Nutrient Research and Education Council.
This project was funded by the IL Nutrient Research and Education Council.
Late Nitrogen Management
Maximizing nutrient efficiency, optimizing nutrient utilization, and minimizing environmental impact requires a more strategic application of nitrogen fertilizers. In this project, Brent Sunderlage, a masters' student, is examining at how later nitrogen applications (sidedress injection, or V10 applications) can impact corn yield and residual soil nitrogen.
This project was funded by the IL Nutrient Research and Education Council.
This project was funded by the IL Nutrient Research and Education Council.
Novel Soil Management in Southern Illinois Vineyards
In collaboration with Dr. Brad Taylor, PhD student Sarah Bowman is developing new soil management strategies for southern Illinois vineyards.
This project is funded by the IL Department of Agriculture Special Crop Grant.
This project is funded by the IL Department of Agriculture Special Crop Grant.
Meta-analysis of Enhanced Efficiency Fertilizers
Understanding where we are going requires knowing where we have been. This research pulled together published literature to analyze the effects of nitrification inhibitors, urease inhibitors, and polymer coated fertilizers on corn yield in the Midwest, nitrate leaching, and nitrous oxide emissions. Available at http://research.ipni.net/project/IPNI-2014-USA-4RM06
This project was funded by the International Plant Nutrition Institute 4R Fund.
This project was funded by the International Plant Nutrition Institute 4R Fund.
Soil Mapping of Nitrogen Transformations
Approximately one third of nitrogen applied as urea can be lost due to ammonia volatilization. This research focuses on understanding the effect of a new urease inhibitor in a wide variety of soil types from across agricultural regions in the US.
This project was funded by BASF.
This project was funded by BASF.