Sustainability Leadership Fellow Cohort: 2016-2017

Ph.D. Student, Department of Soil and Crop Sciences

Research Summary: I study the social and ecological dimensions of cropping system intensification in semi-arid regions, which is the practice of reducing periods in a crop rotation when a crop is not being grown. Intensification is a practice that has the potential to prevent soil erosion, build soil health, reduce chemical inputs, grow more food, and boost farmer incomes and rural economies. I am conducting interviews with farmers to examine the socioeconomic and political barriers preventing adoption of intensified crop rotations, and taking soil samples to assess the effects of intensification on soil physical and biological properties related to resilience to drought.