Our Graduate Students

We are interested in the irrigation efficiency of micro-irrigators on small-plot organic crops grown in the Palouse Region of North Idaho and Eastern Washington. To facilitate our study, we incorporate apparent electrical conductivity, saturated hydraulic conductivity and water retention measurements with texture, volumetric water and irrigation flow monitoring. Ultimately, we hope to be able to provide future growers in the region with an estimate for irrigation prescription with methods to ensure efficient water use in the face of increasing groundwater scarcity.

• Major professor: Robert Heinse, Ph.D.
• B.S. Sustainable Crop and Landscape Management; emphasis in Soils Management, University of Idaho, 2020
• Hometown: Homer, Alaska

My project aims to understand spatial variation of nitrate accumulation, uptake and leaching in agricultural systems. An overall goal of the project is to capture spatial patterns with hydrologic cropping models and identify practices that improve nitrogen use efficiencies and reduce instream loading.

• Major professor: Erin Brooks, Ph.D.
• B.S. Biology, University of Minnesota – Morris
• Hometown: Cambridge, Minnesota

I am looking at the effects of various intensities of wildfire on soils. I am doing this by burning multiple square meter plots using a ceramic heater and measuring how the soil responds. This information will be used to fortify a commonly used land management model known as the Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) to help understand the effects of wildfires on forested watersheds.

• Major professor: Erin Brooks, Ph.D.
• B.S. Environmental Science, University of Idaho
• Hometown: Meridian

My research interests are soil ecology, soil microbes and biogeochemistry. I am currently investigating the implications of agricultural antibiotic deposition on soil microbial communities and ecosystem processes. I am particularly intrigued in how soil microbial communities drive the formation of soil organic matter and long-term soil carbon storage.

• Major professor is Michael Strickland, Ph.D.
• B.Sc. Biology, Indiana University
• Hometown is Indiana

I'm interested in regenerative agriculture practices and their impact on soil health and diversity. My current project looks at how organic farming methods, such as cover crop combinations, affect nutrient and microbe levels on the Palouse and on farmland in southern Idaho.

• Major professor is Zachary Kayler, Ph.D.
• B.Sc., Environmental Science, Saint Michael's College
• Hometown: Goffstown, New Hampshire

I am studying biogeochemical cycling of nutrients in deep soil and deep soil pore water.

• Major Professor: Zachary Kayler, Ph.D.
• B.A., Chemical Engineering, Michigan Technological University
• Hometown: Huntington Woods, Michigan

My project investigates selenium biogeochemistry of biochar amended soils reclaimed from phosphate mining in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest.

• Major Professor: Daniel Strawn, Ph.D.
• B.S., Environmental Resource Management, Pennsylvania State University, 2023
• Hometown: Jacksonville, North Carolina

My research has quantitatively established positive relationships between increased soil organic carbon (SOC) and soil available water capacity. However, these relationships do not adequately inform our understanding, particularly of how improved available water capacity impacts hydrological balances and crop water stress. This research addresses these knowledge gaps by using standardized crop water requirement and stress estimation procedures to determine SOC impacts on agrohydrological outcomes, including crop evapotranspiration, crop water stress, irrigation requirements and hydrological losses.

• Major professor: Meetpal S. Kukal, Ph.D.
• M.Tech, Soil and Water Engineering, Punjab Agricultural University, India
• B.Tech, Agricultural Engineering, Punjab Agricultural University, India
• Hometown: Ferozepur, Punjab, India

My research focuses on the application of dairy manure and chemical fertilizers to crop fields in southern Idaho. Through sample collection, producer surveys and data analysis, I will be determining the effect of these applications on soil health and soil fertility in southern Idaho. There is an additional goal of adding value to manure-based products as alternative fertilizer sources that provide adequate nutrient needs and improve soil quality.

• Major professor: Linda Schott, Ph.D.
• B.S. Agronomy, South Dakota State University
• Hometown: Harlan, Iowa

Modeling water and nutrient transport in the Magic Valley region of south-central Idaho with a focus on assessing the long-term impacts of increased dairy agriculture. The SWAT model is being used to simulate irrigation schedules, canal withdrawals, land use changes and fertilizer application rates. The overall goal of the research is to assist in ensuring the long-term sustainability and growth of agriculture in the Magic Valley.

• Major Professor: Erin S. Brooks, Ph.D.
• M.S., Natural Resource Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
• B.S., Environmental Science, Western Washington University
• Hometown: Seattle, Washington

My research focuses on soil microbial interactions in agroecosystems. I'm interested in how different farming practices affect the soil microbial community and ecosystem functioning.

• Major professor: Michael Strickland, Ph.D.
• B.S. Biology double concentration in Molecular Biology and Botany, University of North Carolina
• Hometown: Rowland, North Carolina

My project is focused on organic farming in southern Idaho with one component examining the effects of organic fertilizer rates and tillage intensity on soil health. The other component is evaluating how soil health changes over time under organic management.

• Major professor: Linda Schott, Ph.D.
• B.S., Sustainable Agriculture, Washington State University
• Hometown: Ketchum

My research focus on the evaluation of phosphorus availability in response to biochar amendment. Studying nutrient release pattern of P in the soil system helps the farmers to take decision on the biochar application based on quality of biochar and soil properties. My research project emphasizes soil sustainability through the effective utilization of the available organic resources to meet the crop nutrient demand and to reduce the rate of fertilizer application.

• Major professor: Daniel Strawn, Ph.D.
• M.S., Soil Science and Agricultural chemistry, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, India, 2017
• B.S., Agriculture, University of Agricultural Sciences Bengaluru, India, 2014
• Hometown: Chikkamagaluru, India

I am researching the soil health benefits of intercropping in fields in southern Idaho under different watering regimes. To assess this, I am working with an experimental plot in Aberdeen which is split between traditional monocropping and intercropping practices with various pulses. For each of these treatments, I am assessing Carbon and Nitrogen content in the soil, microbial communities and abundance, nutrient transfer between roots via stable C and N isotopic analysis, and greenhouse gas flux from soil.

• Major Professor: Zachary Kayler, Ph.D.
• B.S., Environmental Science, University of Idaho
• Hometown: Weiser

My current research project is looking at how cover crop diversity affects soil processes. Specifically, my research involves the use of isotopes to track how carbon is being cycled belowground. Through this work I aim to better understand the impact of aboveground diversity on soil carbon storage.

• Major professor is Michael Strickland, Ph.D.
• B.S. Sustainable Agriculture, University of Maine
• Hometown is Windham, Maine

Specific research project is in progress but will be partnering with TIFO to address drinking water contamination in Karakalpakstan, Uzbekistan.

• Major Professor: Gregory Moller, Ph.D.
• B.S., Environmental Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison
• Hometown St. Paul, Minnesota

I'm working to understand how the practice of intercropping — growing two crops together on the same piece of land — influences soil health. My fieldwork takes place at the U of I Aberdeen Research and Extension Center, where we are growing nitrogen-fixing pulse crops together with barley. I use techniques such as stable isotope labeling to understand and trace nutrient uptake and allocation through the soil and plant ecosystem.

• Major professor is: Zachary Kayler, Ph.D.
• B.S., Human Dimensions of Natural Resources, Colorado State University
• Hometown is: Loveland, Colorado

My research focuses on hydro-climate modeling, agricultural drought monitoring and prediction by using unmanned aerial systems. I'm also working on controlled environment agriculture for the development of a drought resilient and sustainable urban agricultural system.

• Major professor: Jae H. Ryu, Ph.D.
• M.Sc., Water Resource Development from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology.
• B.Sc., Environmental Science (major), Mathematics (minor) from Asian University for Women
• Hometown: Chittagong, Bangladesh

My research investigates the long-term effects of biochar on forest soils and is funded through the USDA National Needs Fellowship program. In addition, I coach the U of I Soil Judging Team and teach our pedology course, intro soils labs and north Idaho field trip.

• Major professor is Zackary Kayler, Ph.D.
• M.S., Soil and Land Resources, University of Idaho, 2022
• B.S., Environmental Science, University of Wisconsin-River Falls, 2020
• Hometown is Waunakee, Wisconsin