Sustainability Leadership Fellow Cohort: 2021-2022

Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture

Research Summary: Colorado peaches receive the highest price per lb in the country due to their high quality production. However, as demand grows, available orchard land is restricted due to climactic and resource restrictions. Therefore, my research is focused on improving the sustainability of Western Colorado peach orchard management and design. The goal of my program is to determine optimal management strategies that improve resource and input efficiency for peach production, while maximizing fruit quality. Ultimately, the research will outline ideal practices to best utilize solar radiation, water, land, and inputs efficiently to produce more “crop per drop” on less land.