People

PI: Rajan Ghimire, Ph.D.

Cropping Systems and Soil Management Laboratory
My research focuses on improving efficiency, profitability, and soil environmental quality in dryland and limited-irrigation cropping systems. I am interested in soil organic matter dynamics, nutrient cycling,  soil-plant relations, and greenhouse gas emissions, soil organic matter-microbial community interactions, and their relationships with sustainable crop production and ecosystem services.

Google scholar site

Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences



Postdoctoral Research Associate and Lab Manager

Abdelaziz Nilahyane, Ph.D.



Prospective students
We are always looking for highly motivated, diligent graduate students interested in interdisciplinary cropping systems and soil management research. 

Current students
Sk. Musfiq-Us-Salehin, M.S. Student, 2018-2020: The main goal of Musfiq's research is to study the nitrogen dynamics in semiarid drylands. He evaluates soil N pools and N2O emissions in dryland sorghum field with diverse N fertility rates and compost application.  









Pramod Achayra, M.S. Student, 2017-2019: Studying soil profile C and N dynamics, soil health, and soil structure under diverse cover crops limited-irrigation winter wheat-sorghum-fallow. The main goal of my research is to increase crop diversity and improve soil resilience in while transitioning crop production in limited irrigation to dryland crop production.  
Role: Co-advisor (ENMU)

Mikayla J. Allan, M.S. Student, 2017-2018: Evaluating effects of corn row spacing, silage cutting heights, and cover crops on soil health; specifically C and N dynamics within Heritage Dairy Farm located on the outskirts of Clovis, NM. Maps will be created to illustrate the spatial variability of nutrients within the field before and after the treatment applications. I am also monitoring the soil hydraulic properties of a small watershed in Jornada Rangeland Research site in my second project. 

Role: Major advisor

Vesh R. Thapa, Ph.D. Student, 2018-2021: Soil health and crop production in limited irrigation cropping systems.  I am comparing soil health indicators such as active C, mineralizable C, available N, soil aggregation, and crop yields in a limited irrigation cropping systems with diverse cover crops. Overall, the research is addressing the need for crop diversification to improve the agronomic, economic and economic sustainability of New Mexico farmers in the face of declining Ogallala water for irrigation and climate change.
Role: Major advisor





Recent graduates

Vesh R. Thapa, 2016-2018: Agricultural management systems affect soil health and crop production in drylands of Eastern New Mexico (Role: Major advisor). Continuing as a Ph.D. Student with me at NMSU. 

Binod Ghimire, M.S., 2017, Cover crops effects on soil organic matter dynamics, weed suppression and crop yield in a limited-irrigated winter wheat-summer fallow system (Role: Co-advisor), Currently Ph.D. Student at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, IL. 

Visiting scholars

Yaqiong Fan, China Agricultural University, Simulating SOC dynamics and GHG emissions in cropping systems using DayCent Model, Sept.-Oct. 2017.