People

Rajan Ghimire, Ph.D. 

Associate Professor 

My research focuses on improving efficiency, profitability, and soil environmental quality in dryland and irrigation cropping systems. The primary area of work involves soil organic matter dynamics, carbon and nutrient cycling in agroecosystems, greenhouse gas emissions, soil organic matter-microbial community interactions, and their relationships with sustainable crop production and ecosystem services. I also serve as a research director for the National Center on Carbon Management and Soil Health within the NMSU College of ACES. The center aims to identify, verify, and disseminate cost-effective practices to soil health and carbon management in all major land use types (croplands, rangelands, forests, and urban lands) prevalent in arid and semi-arid regions. More information about my program:
Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences
NMSU Carbon Management Center


Sundar Sapkota, Research Scientist
Dr. Sapkota has expertise in soil carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas emissions. He coordinates the statewide soil health and carbon management program. He has been involved in (1) Biochar impacts on sorghum and cotton-based cropping systems, (2) Greenhouse gas emissions and soil health in diverse land uses, and (3) carbon management outreach and communication activities. 

Juan P. Frene, Postdoctoral Scholar
Juan has expertise in soil microbial ecology and microbial regulation of soil C and N cycling. He studies soil health under cover crops, compost, and biochar amendments.

Atinderpal Singh, Postdoctoral Scholar
Dr. Atinderpal Singh has expertise in soil health and water dynamics. His research will evaluate soil health dynamics and their relationship with ecosystem functions, specifically soil water conservation in agroecosystems.


Amrit Dhoj Adhikari, Lab Coordinator
Amrit performs laboratory and field tests to evaluate soil health in the field and laboratory. He uses specialized equipment to study soil carbon and nitrogen dynamics and the soil's physical, chemical, and biological health. He also assists in purchasing for the lab, helps in the field, and prepares reports and other documentation as needed.


Dotun Arije, Ph.D. Student (2023-2026)
Dotun's research involves evaluating cropping systems and management impacts on soil C sequestration and greenhouse gas emissions using field-based experiments and biogeochemical process-based models. 




Hamza Badrari, Ph.D. Student (2024-2026)
Hamza studies the effects of cover crops, compost, and tillage on soil health and weed dynamics in semi-arid dryland and limited irrigation cropping systems. 


Piumi Yaddehi, MS Student (2024-2025)
Piumi is interested in greenhouse gas emissions. Her research involves evaluating the effects of biochar on soil GHG emissions under field and laboratory conditions.


Olufemi Adebayo, Ph.D. Student (2022-2025)
Olufemi is interested in soil health and soil-plant water dynamics. His research project evaluates the effects of cover crops and compost on winter wheat-based rotations.


Hemant Awasti, M.Sc. Student (2024-2026)
Hemant is interested in soil health and soil carbon dynamics. His research project uses field and lab observations and biogeochemical models to understand the effects of perennial grass strips on soil C sequestration and soil health.

Anjila Devkota, M.Sc. Student (2025-2026)
Anjila is interested in sustainable agriculture and climate change adaptation. Her research project uses field and lab observations to evaluate the effects of biochar on soil health and carbon dynamics.

Laboratory Members
summer 2023


























Recent graduates and postdocs
Pramod Acharya, MS, 2019, Ph.D. 2023, Postdoc 2023-2024 (Now Assistant Professor, University of Idaho)

Barsha Sharma, MS 2024 (now a lab technician in Phoenix, AZ)

Sundar Sapkota, Ph.D. 2024 (Now Research Scientist and Carbon Management Program coordinator, NMSU)

Anuoluwapo (Anu) Ogunleye, Postdoctoral Scholar, 2023 (Now Assistant Professor, Eastern New Mexico University)

Amrit Dhoj Adhikari, MS, 2023 (Now Lab Coordinator, cropping Systems and Soil Health lab, NMSU)
Wooiklee S. Paye, Postdoctoral Scholar, 2020 - 2022 (Now USDA, ARS Research Soil Scientist)

Sk. Musfiq-Us-Salehin, M.S. 2020 (Now, Ph.D. Student, TAMU)

Abdelaziz Nilahyane, Postdoctoral Scholar, 2018-2019 (Now Assistant Professor at UM6P, Morocco)

Vesh R. Thapa, M.S. 2018, Ph.D. 2021, Postdoc 2021-2022 (Now  Postdoctoral Associate at UNL)

Mikayla J. Allan, M.S. 2018 (Now NRCS Soil Conservationist)

Binod Ghimire, M.S. 2017 (Now Ph.D. Student at the University of Illinois)

 



Visiting Scholars

Deb Raj Aryal, Ph.D., was a visiting scholar from Mexico National Council of Science and Technology (CONACYT). Jan - Dec 2023.

Babu Ram Khanal was a visiting scholar from Agriculture and Forestry University, Nepal. Oct 2018 - Jan 2019. 

Yaqiong Fan was a visiting scholar from China Agricultural University from September to October 2017.
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