PhD Plant and Soil Science

Current research projects are concerned with the solution of horticultural and agronomic problems with special emphasis on environmental physiology, soil chemistry, pasture management, plant nutrition, and pest management. Areas of research include winter hardiness of fruits, and woody and herbaceous ornamentals; cultural and environmental interrelationships as they affect plant growth, crop adaptation, and variety; pasture production and marginal land utilization; crop establishment and soil productivity; mycorrhizal fungi; soil chemistry of the rhizosphere; redox reactions in soils; the behavior of heavy metals; compost and organic matter research; behavior of nitrogen in the soil; nutrient availability to plants; agricultural waste management; biological control of insects, disease, and weeds; integrated pest management for control of insects, diseases, and weeds.