Capacity-Building Grants for Faculty Mentors
Capacity-Building Grant: Jennifer Winther
Over the last 20 years awareness has increased concerning of the importance of microbes to plant and soil health. Soil microbes influence many properties of soil including mineral nutrient content and water retention. In addition, soil microbes impact plants by facilitating nutrient and water acquisition, regulating root and shoot growth, and controlling pathogens. GVSU’s SAP is committed to sustainable agriculture, agriculture that is focused on practices that are ecologically, socially, and economically beneficial. A keystone feature of a sustainable agricultural system is healthy soil with beneficial microbes that decrease inputs, increase productivity, and benefit the ecosystem. We plan to characterize the microbial community in three heavily utilized areas of the SAP (two hoop houses and the south field). This research will establish a baseline for future studies to investigate the impact of various sustainable management practices and aid the study of the complex dynamics between plants, soil, and microbes. This research will establish a resource for current and future students to access and utilize for their own scholarship. Undergraduate students interested in this project should contact me at [email protected].
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