GRIFFIN, Georgia – The Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program (SSARE) has announced the funded projects for the 2020 Graduate Student Grants program.
The Graduate Student Grant program is one of the only sustainable agriculture research funding opportunities for master’s and PhD students enrolled at accredited institutions in the southern region. In 2020, the SSARE Administrative Council funded 16 projects totaling $236,875.
These projects include:
GS20-219 Translating Grazing: Calculating Nitrogen Credits from Cool-Season Integrated Crop Livestock Systems, University of Florida, $16,493, researcher: Marcelo Wallau, mwallau@ufl.edu student: Kacey Aukema, kdaukema@ufl.edu
GS20-220 Novel Bio Sensor Derived from Cotton Biomass to Monitor Real-Time Soil Moisture and Nitrate, Tuskegee University, $16,500, researcher: Byungjin Min, bmin@tuskegee.edu, student: Naresh Shahi, nshahi1164@tuskegee.edu
GS20-221 Assessing anaerobic soil disinfestation for improving weed and soilborne disease management in high-tunnel and open-field salad green production, University of Florida, $16,499, researcher: Xin Zhao, zxin@ufl.edu, student: Isaac Vincent, ivincent@ufl.edu
GS20-222 Agroecological intensification of warm-season pastures for improved productivity and quality and ecosystem services, University of Florida, $16,173, researcher: Chris Wilson, cwilson@ufl.edu, student: Hannah Rusch, hrusch@ufl.edu
GS20-223 Intercropping for pest control in organic kale in Northern Florida, Florida State University, $16,279, researcher: Nora Underwood, nunderwood@bio.fsu.edu, student: Penelope Ales, pales@bio.fsu.edu
GS20-224 Determining how the ubiquitous fungi Mortierella regulates belowground N dynamics under different crop rotation systems, University of Florida, $16,144, researcher: Hui-ling-Liao, sunny.liao@ufl.edu, Student: Kaile Zhang, kaile.zhang@ufl.edu
GS20-225 Deploying oak mulch to contain and suppress HLB disease in citrus, University of Florida, $12,347, researcher: Lorenzo Rossi, l.rossi@ufl.edu, student: Lukas Hallman, lukashallman@ufl.edu
GS20-226 Comparing the effects of forage mix and nutrient management on soil greenhouse gas flux in semi-arid improved pastures, Texas Tech University, $16,450, researcher: Lindsey Slaughter, lindsey.slaughter@ttu.edu, student: Billi Peterman, billi-jean.peterman@ttu.edu
GS20-227 Texas Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) Phenotypic Attribute Correlations to Collection Site Environment Characteristics, Tarleton State University, $11,889, researcher: James Muir, j-muir@tamu.edu, Student: Kimberlee Howell, Kimberlee.howell@go.tarletong.edu
GS20-228 Sustainable Management of Phytophthora Cinnamomi and Ambrosia Beetles Under Stress Conditions, Tennessee State University, $16,335, Researcher: Fulya Baysal-Gurel, fbaysalg@tnstate.edu, student: Krishna Neupane, kneupane@tnstate.edu
GS20-229 Cannabis sativa L. as a feed source in backyard rabbit production, Tarleton State University, $16,419, researcher: William Smith, wbsmith@tarleton.edu, student: Kristen Jacobsen, sw_jacobsen@tarleton.edu
GS20-230 Investigating social networks for cooperative management potential in agriculture, North Carolina State University, $8,984, researcher: Jason Delborne, jadelbor@ncsu.edu, student: Dalton George, drgeorg2@ncsu.edu
GS20-231 Evaluating Local Food Hubs as Alternative Food Systems to Preserve Specialty Crop Producers and Build Resilient Communities in North Central Florida, University of Florida, $14,028, researcher: Johnathan Watson, jaw7385@ufl.edu , student: Bhagatveer Sangha, bssangha21@uf.edu
GS20-232 Assessing suitable production techniques for ramps in Appalachia, Virginia Tech, $14,660, researcher: John Munsell, jfmunsel@vt.edu, student: Pabitra Aryal, apabitra@vt.edu
GS20-233 Effect of Ground Cover Management on Predators and Predation of Halymorpha halys in Georgia Peach Orchards, University of Georgia, $16,111, researcher: Brett Blaauw, bblaauw@uga.edu, student: Daniel O’Connell, dgo17742@uga.edu
GS20-234 Development of push-pull system for ambrosia beetles, vectors of laurel wilt disease in Florida avocado, University of Florida, $11,564, researcher: Xavier Martini, xmartini@ufl.edu, student: Derrick Conover, dconover13@uf.edu
Published by the Southern Region of the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program. Funded by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), Southern SARE operates under cooperative agreements with the University of Georgia, Fort Valley State University, and the Kerr Center for Sustainable Agriculture to offer competitive grants to advance sustainable agriculture in America’s Southern region. This material is based upon work that is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, through Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education. USDA is an equal opportunity employer and service provider. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.