Research

Research Projects

1. NSF Climate resilient cropping systems project 

The overarching goal of this project is to make agricultural systems more resilient to climate change, reduce GHG emissions from agricultural sources in an environmentally sustainable manner (e.g., improving soil health and water and air quality), and enhance the resilience of farmers to the negative consequences of climate change. The project aims to engineer biochar produced from plant biomass to capture nutrients and GHG from manure and soil, quantify the impact of biochar + manure application on soil microbial and physiochemical processes, and determine the plant genes and pathways that are associated with a positive yield response to engineered biochar amendment under water deficit conditions.

2. Engineered biochar and phosphorus dynamics

The long-term goal of this project is to develop a dual-function substrate that captures excess phosphorus in soils and releases it slowly to meet plant needs. Herein, we propose to engineer biochar as a template to capture phosphorus (P) and release it to meet the dynamic needs of plants. This collaborative project (Auburn University, NMSU, University of Deleware, Republic of Ireland-ROI, and Northern Ireland-NI) proposes to engineer next-generation duo-biochar and develop fundamental knowledge using the state-of-the-art material characterization techniques and ground-truth the efficacy of the slow P release properties in greenhouses and field trials using winter wheat as a model crop. We will also develop educational and extension materials related to improving nutrient use efficiency (NUE), soil health, and carbon sequestration by using duo-biochar.

3. NMSU Initiative on Carbon Management and Soil Health

The main goal of the NMSU initiative on carbon management and soil health in arid and semi-arid environments is to identify, verify, and disseminate cost-effective practices for soil health and carbon management in all major land use types, i.e., croplands, rangelands, forests, and urban lands. NMSU has the existing facilities to create living laboratories to identify, evaluate, and demonstrate the action steps. Four of our existing Agricultural Science Centers (ASCs) will serve as living laboratories, examining the viability and verifiability of C sequestration approaches for arid and semi-arid lands. In addition, off-campus ASCs across the state and on-campus crop, range, and turf-management sites will demonstrate C sequestration practices unique to those regions. 

4. Soil Health Framework for Water-Limited regions

There is a growing consensus around a set of soil health indicators that are repeatable, sensitive to management changes, and include chemical, physical, and biological components. However, a framework that links soil health indicators to essential soil functions and their relative sensitivity to management decisions in water-limited environments is yet to be identified. The overarching goal of this project is to develop that framework under two major management factors, cropping systems intensification and manure application, in water-limited environments. The project will evaluate the relationships between soil health indicators and specific soil functions, including a better mechanistic understanding of soil health and soil water dynamics. 

5. Conservation Systems in Drylands

Cropping systems that reduce or eliminate tillage and improve crop, soil, and water management strategies can enhance soil health and agricultural sustainability in the semiarid southwestern USA. We evaluate tillage systems, crop rotations, and other novel cropping strategies to improve soil health, reduce soil erosion, and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions from diverse crop rotations.

6. Cover Crops for Cropping System Diversification 

Typical cropping systems in the western United States use intensive tillage and a long fallow period to conserve moisture for crop production. Cropping system diversification through cover crops and alternative crops could improve soil health, water conservation, and sustainable crop production. We are evaluating the effects of various cover crops on soil properties, water conservation, and soil microbial community structure in different crop and forage production systems.

7. Optimizing Water Use for Sustainable Food Systems

The Ogallala Aquifer, one of the largest freshwater aquifers in the world, impacts global food supplies. However, a rapid decline in water level in the aquifer and climate change considerably affected agricultural systems in the High Plains region. We are collaborating with researchers, extension specialists, and other stakeholders from 6 states, 9 institutions, and 6 hub agricultural experiment stations to conduct regional research on the issues of water decline and long-term agricultural sustainability in the High Plains region. More information: http://www.ogallalawater.org/  

8. Soil Sustainability in Changing Climate

Improved management practices that minimize disturbance, increase diversity in crop residue and nutrient inputs, and provide a consistent environment for microbial proliferation can accumulate more soil organic matter, a storehouse of nutrients. Soil organic matter also increases water holding capacity, pH buffering, soil aggregation and aggregate stability, and infiltration. We are working with researchers across the southern High Plains region to sustainably increase agricultural productivity while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing resilience and adaptation to climate change. More information: https://arid.nmsu.edu/

9. Forage Systems Project

Irrigated cropping systems in eastern New Mexico are mainly forage-based systems (e.g., silage corn and sorghum followed by winter wheat/triticale in a continuous cropping scenario). These intensively managed systems traditionally utilize annual cereal crops and exhaustive soils. Cover crops or alternative crops could promote crop diversity and improve soil health while increasing yields and forage quality. Information is limited on cover cropping practices and their impacts on soil water conservation, soil health, and farm profitability in forage-based systems. We evaluate how cover crops improve soil health, forage production, and the nutritive value of corn and sorghum silage.

10. Sustainable Farming Systems in Nepal

Sustainable crop production in Nepal is continuously challenged by environmental and economic pressures on farmers. We are working on research and demonstration projects that benefit farmers through improved soil management and integrated pest management practices on soil health and the agricultural sustainability of small-holder farming in Nepal. More information is also available at http://www.cardnepal.org/ongoing-projects.html.