Key Researchers
Texas A&M AgriLife Research
Dr. Muthu Bagavathiannan, Research Lead
(bio missing)
Dr. Joseph Burke
Assistant Professor, Weed Science and Cropping System, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, Lubbock, Texas
Dr. Burke specializes in soil and water conservation efforts in semi-arid cropping systems. His program enhances agricultural resiliency in semi-arid regions through sustainable soil and water management. He will serve as a co-PI for this project and assist with the field experiments on the Southern High Plains. An expert in scientific communications, he will also assist in communicating project results to local, state, regional, and national stakeholders.
Soil Health Institute
Dr. Archie Flanders
Dr. Archie Flanders is agricultural economist for the Soil Health Institute. He assesses the economics of soil health-promoting practices and land management systems. Analytical methods focus on field activities and inputs associated with adopting soil health management systems for agricultural production. Results evaluate potential for increasing farm profit while improving soil health and minimizing environmental externalities. He works with producers and agricultural researchers to develop decision support tools that farmers and ranchers can use to make informed decisions about production practices on a field basis, optimizing soil health while realizing economic efficiencies.
Stephenville Research and Extension Center
Bob Whitney
Bob Whitney, Regents Fellow and Extension Program Specialist, is an expert in organic production and organic compliance and certification. He provides statewide Extension support for organic crop production in Texas. His outreach activities can be found at https://agrilifeorganic.org/. Bob will be involved in various outreach activities proposed in the project.
The Organic Center
Dr. Amber Sciligo
Dr. Sciligo is the Director of Science Programs and directs projects associated with communicating and conducting research related to organic agriculture. She has extensive experience communicating scientific research to the public, farmers, policymakers and other researchers and has managed several OREI-funded conferences and planning grant projects. The main goal of Dr. Sciligo’s research is to understand how farming practices that promote biodiversity and ecosystem services can be better supported at all farm scales. She hopes that by finding barriers to and opportunities for adoption, policy can more feasibly support farmers to adopt practices that simultaneously protect the land and support the economic health of their farms, while improving their own livelihoods and the livelihoods of their local communities.
Research students and staff
Rajan Nithya
Jane Dever
Muthu Bagavathiannan
Peter Dotray
Nithya Subramanian
Jake Mowrer
Katie Lewis
Bruce Kirksey
Emi Kimura