I serve as a Professor and Soil Fertility Specialist with the Texas Cooperative Extension. In addition, I serve as the state Water Quality Coordinator for Extension. My primary areas of focus include soil fertility management, watershed and water resource management, domestic and irrigation water quality, and disturbed and contaminated land reclamation.
A significant part of my research and educational programming focuses on efficient use of nitrogen and phosphorus in crop production systems. I have worked extensively on nitrogen management in cotton and forage grasses, and with phosphorus management in corn, cotton and grain sorghum. I also have conducted worked to determine effective methods for beneficial use of composts, animal manures and municipal biosolids. In addition, I have considerable experience working with disturbed and contaminated soils, including salts, heavy metals and hydrocarbons.
Another major part of my program involves coordination of the Southern Region Water Quality Project which is a collaborative effort among 13 states in the southern U.S. ( http://srwqis.tamu.edu). The project links and enhances access to the research, education and extension resources of the Land Grant University system. I also devote time to the development of resources and to providing technical assistance to agriculture, business and homeowners regarding water quality for domestic and irrigation uses.