Departmental Research
Plant and Soil Science is home to a wide variety of research interests. Faculty work in diverse areas ranging from soil science to genetics, data analysis to watershed pollutants. Students are encouraged to join our faculty-scholars who are engaged in research pertinent to today's agricultural and environmental issues.
Interested in learning more regarding research? Contact us! pss@uvm.edu
Areas of Research
Agroecology Livelihoods Collaborative
The Agroecology and Livelihoods Collaborative (ALC) is a community of practice in the Departmnet of Plant and Soil Science, which utilizes an approach grounded in agroecology, participatory action research (PAR) and transdisciplinarity. Its goal is to better understand and seek solutions to the issues facing our food systems.
Crop Breeding, Genetics
The von Wettberg Lab is a group of evolutionary ecologists who use tools from population genetics, agronomy, conservation biology and field ecology to study how population bottlenecks affect genetic diversity and stress tolerance in wild relatives of crops and in endangered species.
Entomology
The Entomology Research Laboratory is committed to the development of effective biological control agents for forest, greenhouse and vegetable insect pest management.
Horticultural Research and Education
The UVM Horticulture Research and Education Center (HREC), also known as the “Hort Farm,” is the primary field laboratory site for applied teaching, research, and outreach activities on agronomic and horticultural crops, used for agricultural research and instruction of UVM classes.
Insect Agroecology and Evolution
The Insect Agroecology and Evolultion Lab focues on how humans have influenced insect pest evolution, genetics, and ecology by selecting particular strains of crop plants, cultivating crops, and moving them around the world. We research how these human-mediated historical ecological, evolutionary, and genetic changes have facilitated insect pest outbreaks in agricultural systems.
Land Use and Watershed Management
The Hurley Lab investigates mechanisms influencing sediment and nutrient retention and greenhouse gas emissions utlizing stormwater bioretention cells.
Northwest Crops and Soils Program
The Northwest Crops and Soils Program (NWCS) aims to provide the best and most relevant cropping information, both research-based and experiential, delivered in the most practical and understandable ways to Vermont farmers.
Social Ecological Gaming and Simulation
The SEGS Lab (Social Ecological Gaming and Simulation Lab) examines population dynamics within pest-crop agroecosystems, including the potential effects of climate change.
Soil Ecology Biological Indicators
The SEBIL Lab (Soil Biological Indicators Lab) developes biological indicators for environmental monitoring of agricultural, forest, and wetland soils.
People Who Do:
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Fortino Acosta
Climate resilient and biodiverse cities, interdisciplinary...
Samantha Alger
Pollinator Ecology, Habitat Restoration and Conservation,...
Juan Alvez
Pasture Program Technical Coordinator, Sustainable...
Colin Anderson
Agroecology Transformations, Governance of Food Systems,...
David S. Barrington
Plant Systematics and Evolution
Eric Bishop von Wettberg
Genetics, Genomics, Domestication, Crop Breeding, Evolution...
Sid Bosworth
Agronomy, Forages, Pasture Management
Terence Bradshaw
Tree Fruit & Viticulture Specialist; Horticulture;...
Yolanda Fanslow Chen
Insect Ecology, Population Genetics, Agroecology,...
Heather Darby
Soil quality and nutrient management, Grain production,...
Joshua Faulkner
Agriculture and Natural Resources, Water management in...
Cheryl Frank Sullivan
Entomology, Integrated Pest Management, Biological Control,...
Josef Görres
Soil Physical Properties, Soil Fauna, Ecological Management...
Ann Hazelrigg
Plant Pathology, Integrated Pest Management, Pesticide...
Stephanie E. Hurley
Landscape Design & Planning; Ecological Design; Green...
Vic Izzo
Evolutionary Ecology, Entomology, Sustainable Pest...
Scott Lewins
Entomology, Biological Control, Insect Agroecology,...
V. Ernesto Méndez
Agroecology; Food Security and Sovereignty; Rural...
Scott C. Merrill
Systems ecology, Integrated Pest Management (IPM), social-...
Emerita Professor Deborah Neher
Soil Ecology, biological indicators of soil, plant-soil...
Bruce L. Parker
Entomology, Forest Pest Management, International...
Leonard Perry
Ornamental Horticulture, Floriculture, Herbaceous Perennials...
Margaret Skinner
Integrated Pest Management, Biological Control, Saffron...
Mark Starrett
Horticulture, Plant Propagation, Woody Ornamentals
...Annie S. White
Ecological Landscape Design, Agroecological Design, Native...