Theses and Dissertations, 2022–2023

February 8, 2024

For more than 30 years, ASA, CSSA, and SSSA have published thesis and dissertation titles of graduates in the agronomic, crop, soil, and related environmental science disciplines. This
year, we received 90 submissions from 52 universities. Congratulations to all of our master’s and Ph.D. graduates. We encourage you to take full advantage of membership in the Societies as you pursue your professional careers. Your hard work, dedication, and perseverance has paid off, and an exciting career in our sciences now begins. ASA, CSSA, and SSSA are here for you every step of the way!

Name	Institution	Graduation	Advisers	Thesis/Dissertation Title
Doctorate Degrees in Agronomic Science Fields
ASA Agronomic Production Systems Section
Bhattarai, Dwarika	South Dakota State Univ.	05/05/2023	D. Clay	Building No-Tillage Maize Nitrogen Recommendation Algorithm that Considers Improvements in Soil Health.
Delaquis, Amy	Univ. of Manitoba	01/02/2023	Y. Lawley, D. Flaten, J. Wiersma	Agronomic Practices to Minimize Lodging Risk while Maximizing Yield and Protein Potential of Spring Wheat in the Canadian Prairie.
Flusche Ogden, Grace	Oklahoma State Univ.	12/05/2023	J. Warren, B. Haggard	Tillage System Impact on Soil Health and Weed Management.
Jernigan, Ashley B.	Cornell Univ.	26/05/2023	K. Wickings	Elucidating the Role of Soil Microarthropods in Cropping System Management.
McConnell, Curt Andrew	Pennsylvania State Univ.	07/05/2023	A. Kemanian, J. Kaye, K. Freeman	Phosphorus Dynamics Across a Changing Agroecosystem Landscape.
Menalled, Uriel Danilo	Cornell Univ.	27/05/2023	M. Ryan, A. DiTommaso, R. Smith	Ecological Weed Management for Field Crop Production.
Nguyen, Huong	Iowa State Univ.	17/12/2022	M. Liebman	Weed Community and Waterhemp Population Dynamics in Simple Versus Diverse Cropping Systems Suitable for the Midwestern United States.
Nguyen, Huong	Iowa State Univ.	17/12/2022	M. Liebman, M. Gleason	Population Dynamics of Common Waterhemp (Amaranthus tuberculatus): A Periodic Matrix Model Example.
ASA Climatology and Modeling Section
Gupta, Rishabh	Univ. of Illinois	19/12/2022	R. Bhattarai	Modeling the Impact of Cereal Rye as a Winter Cover Crop on Water and Nitrogen Cycling in the Corn-Soybean System.
ASA Global Agronomy Section
Law, Eugene	Cornell Univ.	31/08/2022	A. DiTomma so, M. Ryan	Assessing the Sustainability of Intermediate Wheatgrass as a Perennial Grain and Forage Crop.
Doctorate Degrees in Crop Science Fields
CSSA Crop Breeding Genetics & Cytology (C-1)
Choquette, Nicole	North Carolina State Univ.	20/02/2023	J. Holland, R. Rellán Álvarez	New Approaches for Rapid Adaptation of Tropical Maize to Temperate Environments.
Glenn, Priscilla Denise	Univ. of California-Davis	19/09/2022	J. Dubcovsky	Identification, Characterization, and Deployment of an FT-A2 Allele for Increased Grain Number and of its Interactor bZIPC1 in Wheat (Triticum L.).
Khound, Rituraj	Univ. of Nebraska-Lincoln	15/12/2022	D. Santra	Developing Breeding Tools for Genetic Improvement of Proso Millet (Panicum miliaceum L.).
Tilhou, Neal	Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison	22/07/2022	M. Casler	The Improvement of Yield Limiting Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) Traits Through Genomic Prediction and Selection.
CSSA Crop Ecology, Management & Quality (C-3)
Winans, Eric Thomas	Univ. of Illinois	08/08/2022	F. Below	Innovations in Agronomic Management to Improve Maize Productivity.
CSSA Turfgrass Science (C-5)
Carr, Tyler	Univ. of Tennessee-Knoxville	20/05/2023	J. Sorochan	Methods to Hasten Zoysiagrass Establishment from Sprigs.
Dant, Lukas A	Clemson Univ.	22/12/2022	L. McCarty, B. Martin	Etiology and Epidemiology of Mini-Ring in Ultradwarf Bermudagrass Putting Greens.
Powlen, Jada	Purdue Univ.	06/05/2023	C. Bigelow	An Integrated Cultural Management Approach for Brown Patch Disease Suppression in Tall Fescue Lawns.
Rossi, Stephanie	Rutgers Univ.	19/12/2022	B. Huang	Biochemical Mechanisms Regulating Heat-induced Leaf Senescence and Heat Tolerance in Agrostis Species.
CSSA Forage & Grazing Lands (C-6)
Garzon, Jaime Eduardo	Univ. of Florida	12/12/2022	J. Vendramini	Ecosystem Services Provided by Two Warm‐Season Legumes in South Florida.
CSSA Genomics, Molecular Genetics & Biotechnology (C-7)
Hyden, Brennan Logan	Cornell Univ.	07/02/2023	L. Smart	Elucidating the Mechanisms of Sex Determination and Sex Dimorphism in Bioenergy Shrub Willow (Salix).
Morales, Karina	Texas A&M Univ.	17/12/2022	M. Thomson	Blooming Diversity: Leveraging Genome Editing for Novel Diversity in Days to Flowering in Rice (Oryza sativa).
Tibbs‐Cortes, Laura E.	Iowa State Univ.	27/09/2022	J. Yu	Discovering Genetic and Environmental Determinants of Nutritional and Agronomic Traits in Maize.
Doctorate Degrees in Soil Science Fields
SSSA Forest, Range & Wildland Soils
Gross, Cole	Univ. of Alberta	22/08/2022	S. Chang, E. Bork	Agroforestry and Biochar for Climate Change Mitigation: Carbon Storage, Soil Carbon Cycling, and Greenhouse Gas Emissions.
Nelson, Shannon Valerie	Brigham Young Univ.	23/06/2023	B. Hopkins	Superabsorbent Polymer Use in Rangeland Restoration.
SSSA Nutrient Management & Soil & Plant Analysis
Jalpa, Laura	Univ. of Florida	05/08/2022	R. Mylavarapu	Recovery Efficiency and Response to Control Release N Sources in Drip‐irrigated Tomatoes.
Thapa, Resham	Univ. of Wyoming	19/05/2023	P. Stahl	Use of Pyrolyzed Coal as a Soil Amendment: Effects on Plant Growth, Crop Yield, and Soil Health.
SSSA Pedology
Oyebiyi, Oluwatoyosi Oyetola	Obafemi Awolowo Univ.	26/05/2023	A. A. Amusan	Assessing the Contributions of Organic Matter, Clay and Sesquioxides to Cation Exchange Capacity of Soils in Southwestern Nigeria.
SSSA Soil & Water Management & Conservation
Ellafi, Murad	Cranfield Univ.	09/03/2023	R. Simmons, L. Deeks	The Application of Artificial Neural Networks in the Design of Drainage Systems in Data-Poor Areas.
Fiola, Jaclyn	Virginia Tech	16/12/2022	R. Stewart, G. Evanylo	Vineyard Soil Matters: Exploring the Influence of Soil Chemical and Physical Properties on Eastern U.S. Grape Production.
SSSA Soil Biology & Biochemistry
Naasko, Katherine	Washington State Univ.	16/12/2022	H. Tao, J. Reganold	Deep Soil Microbial Ecology: Relationships Between Biotic and Abiotic Properties in Arid and Semi‐Arid Soil Profiles.
Zeba, Nayela	Univ. of Wisconsin‐Madison	14/05/2023	T. Whitman	The Other Dark Matter: Pyrogenic Organic Matter Cycling by Post‐Fire Soil Microbes.
Zhang, Kaile	Univ. of Florida	09/08/2022	H. Liao, G. Maltais‐Landry	Long‐Term Impacts of Sod‐Based Rotation on Belowground Communities, Biologically‐Mediated Nutrient Cycling, and Crop Productivity.
SSSA Soil Fertility & Plant Nutrition
Brooks, Keren Ruth	Virginia Tech	16/12/2022	M. Reiter	Nitrogen and Sulfur Management in Soybean and Edamame Production in the Mid‐Atlantic Coastal Plains.
Bumguardner, Amee	Texas Tech Univ.	17/12/2022	K. Lewis	Optimizing Fertilizer Management and Irrigation in Cotton Cropping Systems.
Dutter, Cole	Iowa State Univ.	30/07/2022	M. McDaniel	The Spatial and Temporal Effects of Prairie Strip Restoration on Soil Health.
Islam, Md Mahmudul	Hokkaido Univ.	26/09/2022	K. Iwabuchi	Synthesis of Biochar‐Based Slow‐Release Fertilizer From Nutrient‐Rich Organic Waste.
Ma, Persephone	Univ. of Minnesota‐Twin Cities	01/11/2022	C. Rosen	Sewage Sludge Incinerator Ash as a Phosphorus Source for Corn and Soybeans.
Ogunleye, Anuoluwapo Motunrayo	Univ. of Nevada	10/12/2022	J. Solomon	The Evaluation of Annual Cover Cropping Systems Influence on Forage Productivity and Short‐Term Soil Health Impact.
Richmond, Tyler Lawrence	Mississippi State Univ.	09/09/2022	B. Golden, M. Cox, J. Bond	Soybean Potassium Utilization During Reproductive Growth Stages in Response to Potassium Timing, Potassium Rate, Herbicide Injury, and Desiccation.
SSSA Soil Physics and Hydrology
Moonilall, Nall Inshan	Ohio State Univ.	18/12/2022	R. Lal	Impact of Topsoil Depth and Amendment Application on Soil Health and Agronomic Productivity in Central Ohio.
Pesch, Charles	Aalborg Univ.	13/09/2022	P. Moldrup, L. Wollesen de Jonge	Physical Behavior of Greenlandic Rock Flour, Soils and Rock Flour Amended Soils.
Thao, Touyee	Univ. of California-Merced	12/05/2023	T. Ghezzehei	Impact of Locally-Sourced Biochar Amendments on Soil Hydrology and Ecosystem Services.
Zhang, Xiaowei	Univ. of Guelph	21/02/2023	P. Voroney	Soil Particle Size Analysis: Validation of Stokes’ Law.
SSSA Soils & Environmental Quality
Acharya, Pramod	New Mexico State Univ.	12/05/2023	R. Ghimire	Linking Soil Health With Crop Production, Soil Carbon Sequestration, and Other Ecosystem Services.
Al-Awwal, Nasruddeen	Univ. of Missouri	17/12/2022	S. Anderson	Adsorption of Fluorescent Labeled E. Coli in Selected Vegetative Buffer System.
Nichols, Patrick Keith	Univ. of California-Davis	15/06/2023	K. Steenwerth, P. H. Brown, D. Smart	Orchard Floor Management: Improved Practices for Nitrogen Retention.
Souza Krupek, Fernanda	Univ. of Nebraska-Lincoln	20/05/2023	A. Basche	Experimentation on Nebraska Farms for Sustaining Soil Health Management.
No Section or Division Specified
Jacobs, Alayna A.	Univ. of Kentucky	15/12/2022	R. McCulley	Manipulating Species Diversity: Environmental Impacts in Row Crop, Livestock, and Grassland Agroecosystems.
Moore, Elizabeth Ann	Univ. of Wyoming	16/12/2022	U. Norton	Cover Crops for Semi-Arid Crop Production.
Nieto, Luciana	Kansas State Univ.	12/05/2023	I. Ciampitti	Use of Remote Sensing Approaches for Agricultural Applications.
Raman, Rahul	Texas A&M Univ. College Station	11/05/2023	N. Rajan	Investigation of Winter Wheat Leaf Rust Disease and Soil Background Effects on Vegetation Indices Estimated Using Proximal and Unmanned Aerial System Based Remote Sensing Data.
Thiessen Martens, Joanne	Univ. of Manitoba	30/07/2022	F. Zvomuya, K. Schneider	Optimizing the Use of Struvite Fertilizer as a Phosphorus Source in Canadian Prairie Organic Cropping Systems.
Master’s Degrees in Agronomic Science Fields
ASA Agronomic Production Systems Section
Cannon, Brenna	Oklahoma State Univ.	12/05/2023	J. Warren	Optimizing Management of Irrigated Cotton in a Degree Day Limited Environment.
Waldrep, Katelin	Mississippi State Univ.	12/05/2023	M. L. Tagert	Managing Iron Deficiency Chlorosis (IDC) in Soybean Through a Cropping System Approach.
ASA Environmental Quality Section
Davis, Payton	Clemson Univ.	12/05/2023	D. Park	Winter Cover Crop Performance in the Southern Piedmont Region of South Carolina.
Sinha, Namita	Mississippi State Univ.	09/08/2022	S. G. Shanmugam, W. Kingery, J. Rushing	Effect of Cover Crops, Grazing, and Tillage Practices on Soil Microbial Community Composition, Function, and Soil Health in East.
ASA Global Agronomy Section
Poudel, Sadikshya	Washington State Univ.	15/05/2023	R. B. Rangappa, K. R. Reddy	Physiological and Yield Responses of Soybean Cultivars to Heat and Drought Stresses.
ASA Land Management and Conservation Section
Espinoza, Natalia Belen	Univ. of Georgia	05/05/2023	D. Franklin	Interaction of Filth Flies and Epigeal Arthropods with Soil Nitrogen and Gas Emissions in Grazing Systems under Three Fertilization Legacies: Low Fertilization, Broiler Litter, and Mineral Fertilization.
Master’s Degrees in Crop Science Fields
CSSA Crop Ecology, Management & Quality (C-3)
Keadle, Stefanie Brooke	Univ. of Tennessee	20/05/2023	V. Sykes	Agronomic and Economic Comparison of Potential Winter Oilseed Species and Varieties for Tennessee.
CSSA Turfgrass Science (C-5)
Vukovic, Vera	Purdue Univ.	14/05/2023	A. Patton	Annual Bluegrass (Poa annua L.) Ecology and Herbicide Resistance.
CSSA Forage & Grazing Lands (C-6)
Munkaila, Mohammed	Univ. of Wyoming	13/05/2023	A. Islam	Yield, Quality, and Economic Returns of Alfalfa-Grass Mixtures Planted at Different Configurations Under Full and Deficit Irrigations.
CSSA Genomics, Molecular Genetics & Biotechnology (C-7)
Skillin, Paul Holden	Oregon State Univ.	15/06/2023	K. Vining	A Transcriptome Analysis of Gene Expression Related to CBGA:THCA Ratios in Cannabis sativa L.
Master’s Degrees in Soil Science Fields
SSSA Soil Biology & Biochemistry
Fehr, Paige	Univ. of Saskatchewan	23/06/2023	M. Arcand	Impacts of Short-Term Cover Cropping on Soil Microbial Communities and Biogeochemical Functions in Prairie Canada.
SSSA Nutrient Management & Soil & Plant Analysis
Ogilvie, Cheyne Alexandra	Univ. of Saskatchewan	25/12/2022	R. Farrell	Evaluating the Nitrous Oxide Mitigation Potential of Enhanced Efficiency Nitrogen Fertilizer Products in a Saskatchewan Irrigated Cereal Production System.
Sherif, Faisal Fetih	Michigan State Univ.	06/01/2023	J. Miesel, R. Smith, B. Teppen	Developing Spectral Libraries Using Mid Infrared Spectroscopy to Determine Key Soil Properties and Soil Health.
SSSA Pedology
Klepitsch, Garrett Drew	Univ. of Wisconsin-Stevens Point	21/06/2023	B. Scharenbroch, R. Michitsch, K. Herrman	Efficacy of Texture Stratification with Mid-Infrared Spectroscopy to Predict Soil Organic Matter and Organic Carbon Across Wisconsin Soils.
SSSA Soil & Water Management & Conservation
Addo-Chidie, Jude	Lincoln Univ.	01/07/2022	T. Hurisso	Assessing Winter Cover Crops Suitability for Soil Health Improvement and Weed Suppression in Central Missouri.
Crane, Walker	Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison	14/05/2023	F. Arriaga, A. Thompson	Optimizing Cover Crop and Manure Management Practices for Corn Silage Systems to Reduce Water Quality Impacts.
Mendoza-Martinez, Violeta	Colorado State Univ.	26/06/2023	M. Schipanski, J. Prenni, K. Wrighton	The Effects of Irrigation Retirement on Soil Carbon Dynamics of a Continuous Maize Agroecosystem.
McIlquham, Molly	Washington State Univ.	28/07/2022	D. Griffin LaHue	Calibrating Soil Health Metrics for Washington State’s Primary Wine Grape Growing Region.
SSSA Soil Chemistry
Montgomery, Ashleigh	Univ. of Tennessee-Knoxville	25/07/2022	S. Jagadamma, E. Herndon	Manganese Geochemistry and Plant Availability in Response to Agricultural Practices.
SSSA Soil Fertility & Plant Nutrition
Fawibe, Kehinde Oluwaseyi	Chiba Univ.	30/09/2022	M. M. Yashima, K. Sakamoto, T. Terumasa	Effect of Elevated CO₂ on Decomposition Rate of Rice Straw and Soil Fertility.
Saibou, Aminou	Univ. of Connecticut	11/11/2022	H. Tao, J. Inguagiato, J. D. Lubell-Brand	Winter and Spring Canola Response to Phosphorus and Zinc Starter Fertilization in Eastern Washington and Eastern Connecticut.
Valcin, Berson J.	Tuskegee Univ.	13/12/2022	K. Kpomblekou-A	Effect of Fagopyrum esculentum on Solubilization of Phosphorus in a Low Reactive Phosphate Rock.
SSSA Soils & Environmental Quality
Galland, Patrick David	Iowa State Univ.	25/12/2022	S. Fei	The Effects of Perennial Groundcover on Soil-Water and Nutrient Dynamics.
Schauer, Monica	Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison	31/12/2022	M. Ruark	Managing the Nitrogen Trade-offs of Winter Rye as a Cover Crop.
Tietz, Paul I.	Univ. of Idaho	16/12/2022	D. Strawn	Use of Hyperspectral Remote Sensing to Predict Forest Soil Phosphorus and Wildfire Ash Metal Content.
SSSA Wetland Soils
Kim, Jordan	Univ. of Maryland	20/12/2022	M. C. Rabenhorst	Distribution and Variability of Carbon Stocks in Mid-Atlantic Tidal Marsh Soils.
No Section or Division Specified
Potter, Lee	Louisiana State Univ.	01/12/2022	Y. Xu	Environmental Controls on Carbon Biogeochemistry in Aquatic Systems.

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