Nithya Rajan

Professional Summary

Specialty

Crop Physiology / Agroecology

Research

Research at the Rajan Lab centers around the theme of climate smart farming.

Increasing resilience and adaptive capacity of agricultural production systems under the realm of climate change requires promotion of efficient and sustainable farming systems and practices. Perpetuation of current farming practices can make agricultural landscapes extremely vulnerable to soil erosion, nutrient losses, increased greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, decreased carbon sequestration and ground water depletion. To meet these challenges, comprehensive knowledge of the functioning of agricultural systems is essential. We need to redesign and develop novel cropping system practices to accomplish the goals of profitability, environmental and ecological sustainability, and food, fiber, and energy security.

To develop climate smart farming practices, we use a number of tools including soil, plant and atmospheric measurements, novel traits such as biological nitrification inhibition (BNI), cover cropping and organic farming strategies and remote sensing including sensors for mapping root growth and UAV-based sensors for assessing crop stress and spatial variability.

Support Staff and Students

Nash Campbell | Chirstopher Gome | Giordano Fontana | Lithma Kariyawasam Hetti Gamage | Jennifer MacMillan | Noriki Miyanaka | Dinesh Phuyal | Pramod Pokhrel | Chiranjibi Poudyal | Musfiq-Us-Salehin | Rajan Shrestha | Kasun Pathirage | Parijinder Sidhu | Jeffrey Siegfried | William Wheeler | Merlin Yerra

Lab Costs

Sample analysis cost: $14/sample for soil organic carbon and total nitrogen.