As a soil scientist, I believe that sustainable agricultural management systems have the potential to shape soil microbiomes and provide environmental benefits. My research integrates biogeochemistry and soil microbial ecology to address critical knowledge gaps that could help improve our understanding of soil, plant, and microbial interactions, and of nutrient cycling in terrestrial ecosystems.
Funded Projects (~$4.3 million)
1. Soil Health Management Practices for Value-Added CBD Hemp Production in North Carolina
Role: lead PI
Agency: USDA-NIFA
Duration: 2020-2023
2. NC A&T Small Farmers Research and Innovation Center (SFRIC) Training Workshop
Role: Co-PI
Agency: Mississippi State University Southern Rural Development Center
Duration: 2020
3. Determining Optimal Growing Conditions for Industrial Hemp in North Carolina.
Role: lead PI
Agency: USDA-NIFA (Evans Allen-NC.X317-18-130-1)
Duration: 2018-2020
4. Refining Fertility Application for Sustainable Pest Management, Weed Management, and Soil Health
Role: Lead and only PI (NC A&T), Other Institutions: University of Georgia (lead) and Clemson University
Agency: USDA (USDA-ORG-2019-5110630188; SUB00002201)
Duration: 2019-2022
5. Multicultural Scholars Program (MSP): Preparing Future Global Ag Leaders
Role: Co-PI
Agency: USDA Multicultural Scholars
Duration: 2020-2025
6. Development of a Sustainable Cropping System for Industrial Hemp Production by Limited Resource Farmers
Role: Co-PI
Agency: S-SARE (Southern-Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education)
Duration: 2020-2023
7. Integrative Research for Sustainable Crucifer Production: Pest Management, Soil Health and Profitability
Role: Co-PI
Agency: USDA-NIFA
Duration: 2019-2022
8. Internal Research Equipment Grant
Role: Co-PI
Agency: College of Engineering, NC A&T
Duration: 2019
9. Nitrous Oxide Consumption in Soils under Adaptive Management to Climate Change (received at Penn State before joining NC A&T)
Role: Collaborator
Agency: USDA-NIFA
Duration: 2018-2020
10. Bio-fertilizer and Truffles in Sustainable Agriculture: Student Training and Research Capacity Building
Role: Collaborator
Agency: USDA-NIFA Evans Allen
Amount: $600,000
POST DOC PROJECTS
I have and am continuing collaborations with Bruns Soil Microbial Ecology Lab to study how soils and manures can be managed to counteract denitrification and promote higher nitrogen (N) retention through dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium and non-denitrifier nitrous oxide consumption using molecular tools that include qPCR, reverse transcriptase (RT)-PCR, microbial community analysis by high-throughput sequencing and nitrous oxide isotopomer analysis. These projects are supported by USDA-NIFA awards #2016-67003-24966 and #2018-68002-27917
A depiction of respiratory nitrogen (N)-reducing enzymes involved in dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium viz. dNar (dissimilatory nitrate reductase) and Nrf (cytochrome c nitrite reductase) and denitrification viz. dNar, Nir (nitrite reductase), Nor (nitric oxide reductase) and Nos (nitrous oxide reductase). (Adapted from Bhowmik et al 2017; AIMS Microbiology)
PhD DISSERTATION
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Title: Greenhouse gas emissions and soil quality in long-term integrated and reduced tillage organic systems
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Rationale: Adoption of crop rotations, cover crops, conservation tillage practices and animal amendments improve soil health but could potentially create conditions that lead to greater losses of reactive N (ammonium, nitrate, nitrous oxide).
Action: Implemented potential soil health indicators and microbiological drivers to identify key management practices that improve soil health and reduce nitrous oxide emissions by using molecular tools like qPCR and 15N stable isotope analysis.
Impact: This research compares the effects of climate and key best management practices (disturbance, amendment type, and livestock integration) on C sequestration, N cycling and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in five organic cropping systems. It also contributes to our understanding of how microbial community members controlling reactive N and C cycling contribute to or reduce GHG as well as the potential of reduced tillage organic systems to lower GHG emissions when N is coupled with C in organic materials. Research results verify that the types and quantities of N cycling microorganisms can be used as indicators of soil health to assess the impact of short and long-term management on biogeochemical processes (the transformation and cycling of elements between non-living and living matter) that reduce or contribute to global climate change in long-term organic systems. This project was supported by USDA-NIFA Org Tans#2011-51106-20659.
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