September 20, 2024
NCR-SARE announces Graduate Student Grant Program recipients
The North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education, or NCR-SARE, program announced the selected projects for the 2024 Graduate Student Grant Program. A total of 22 graduate student projects were awarded more than $414,000 through this competitive program. NCR-SARE supports research addressing critical issues in sustainable agriculture.
The Graduate Student Grant Program is designed to empower students to engage in meaningful, innovative research that contributes to the advancement of sustainable farming practices. These projects cover a wide range of topics, from improving soil health to enhancing relationships between farmers and landowners.
The following projects were awarded to graduate students at Kansas State University:
Jessica Bezerra de Oliveira, agronomy, in collaboration with Chuck Rice was awarded $19,355 for the project titled "Estimating Soil Nitrogen Availability in Cropping Systems With and Without Cover Crops." Bezerra de Oliveira's project evaluates nitrogen mineralization potential and the relationship between temperature and moisture in agricultural systems, with and without cover crops. The goal is to optimize nitrogen use efficiency, reduce input costs, and enhance sustainability by minimizing nitrogen losses to the environment.
Endy Lopes Kailer, agronomy, along with Chuck Rice was awarded $19,965 for the project "Fungi Fueling Farms: Assessing the Influence of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi on Increasing Soil Health and Climate Resilience in Kansas." Lopes Kailer's project aims to create an extensive dataset on root and soil Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi, or AMF, from local farms and long-term field experiments in Kansas to offer valuable insights into the impact of cultivation practices on indigenous AMF populations in agricultural soils.
Vanessa Whalen, with the Urban Food Systems Initiative at K-State Olathe, with Eleni Pliakoni received $19,962 for the project "Knowing Growers: Understanding and Supporting Farmers Where They Are." Whalen's project examines how mental health providers and community support organizations develop strategies to more effectively address farmers' mental health challenges, utilizing data gathered directly from farmers.
Claire Wineman, agricultural communication and education, in collaboration with Nellie Hill was awarded $14,908 for the project "Creating a Framework to Facilitate Land Management Relationships Between Non-Operating Landowners and Beginning Producers." Wineman's project aims to create tools and educational materials to enhance the success and sustainability of land link programs by fostering innovative land access relationships between beginning producers and non-operator landowners.
"I want to extend my congratulations to our talented graduate students and their distinguished faculty mentors on receiving research grant awards," said Raj Khosla, department head of agronomy. "Graduate advising and mentoring is something that our faculty in agronomy take very seriously and it shows. These research grants are testament to their collaboration, mentorship, and academic excellence."
The NCR-SARE Graduate Student Grant Program plays a vital role in fostering the next generation of researchers who are tackling the complex challenges in sustainable agriculture. Congratulations to all the recipients for their innovative contributions!