People

Rajan Ghimire, Ph.D. 

Professor & Research Director, NMSU Carbon Management Center 

Dr. Ghimire's research focuses on improving efficiency, profitability, and soil environmental quality in dryland and irrigation cropping systems. The primary area of their 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. Dr. Ghimire also serves 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. 
Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences


Sundar Sapkota, Research Scientist I
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 research evaluating biochar impacts on sorghum and cotton-based cropping systems, greenhouse gas emissions, and soil health across diverse land uses, as well as in carbon management outreach and communication activities. Google Scholar

Juan P. Frene, Postdoctoral Scholar
Dr. Frene 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.

Pratima Poudel, Postdoctoral Scholar
Dr. Poudel has expertise in agroecosystem biogeochemistry and soil health, and has been working on cover cropping systems. Her project aims to develop conservation and regenerative farming strategies in areas facing irrigation retirement. Google Scholar   

Tamjid Us Sakib, Postdoctoral Scholar


Amrit Dhoj Adhikari, Lab Coordinator
Amrit coordinates field research and laboratory activities evaluating soil health. He uses specialized equipment to study soil carbon and nitrogen dynamics and the soil's physical, chemical, and biological health. He also supports researchers by purchasing supplies, preparing reports of completed projects, and other documentation as needed.


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




Hamza Badrari, Ph.D. Student (2024-2027)
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, PhD Student (2026-2028)
Piumi's doctoral research focuses on understanding the soil biogeochemical and agroecological drivers of greenhouse gas emissions following cropping intensification and amendment application. 


Hemant Awasti, M.Sc. Student (2024-2026)
Hemant's research evaluates soil health, soil profiles, carbon, and nutrients under circular buffer strips of perennial grasses and adjacent corn strips.

Anjila Devkota, M.Sc. Student (2025-2026)
Anjila's work involves 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.



Dulmini Mullage, M.Sc. Student (2026-2027)
Dulmini's work involves understanding disturbance impacts on soil structure and carbon stability under aggregates 


Laboratory Members

Summer 2023


























Lab Alumni

Olufemi Adebayo, Ph.D. Student (2022-2025)
(Now Research Scientist at NMSU)

Atinderpal Singh, Postdoc, 2023-2025 (Now Assistant Professor, Montana State University)

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 the 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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