MANHATTAN - Kansas State University researcher, Melanie Derby, has been selected by the National Science Foundation(NSF) to lead an interdisciplinary project studying methods for preserving soil moisture in areas of drought and warmer climates.
Melanie Derby is an associate professor in the Carl R. Ice College of Engineering at Kansas State University and will receive nearly $3 million from the NSF grant, as part of a $6 million cooperative award to study the potential for microbially active soil amendments to provide long-term solutions for conserving moisture and increasing nutrient availability for climate change-stressed crops.
This interdisciplinary project will last four years, with Derby at the helm, "Supporting rural livelihoods in the water-stressed Central High Plains: Microbial innovations for climate-resilient agriculture (MICRA)." Derby will work alongside teams from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Langston University.
K-State team members include Ganga Hettiarachchi, professor of agronomy; Gaurav Jha, associate professor of agronomy; Gabriel Sampson, associate professor of agricultural economics; Jonathan Aguilar, associate professor of biological and agricultural engineering; Ryan Hansen, associate professor of chemical engineering; and Debra Bolton, director of intercultural learning and academic success for the Office of the Vice President for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging.
The study will create fundamental knowledge to benefit rural communities and build future research capacity in the field while bringing together a team including engineers, mathematicians, soil and agricultural scientists, social scientists and agricultural economists.
"In the face of climate change in the Central High Plains, preservation of soil moisture under drought stress is a critical objective for both rainfed and irrigated conditions," Derby said. "Our team will determine if these microbially active soil amendments can be a long-term part of the solution to the challenges brought about by warmer climates."
The project is funded through the NSF's Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, or EPSCoR, which aims to build collaboration between similar jurisdictions with complementary expertise.
Sethuraman Panchanathan, NSF director, said the awards will strengthen community and regional efforts to understand the impacts of a changing climate and enhance the resilience of disproportionately affected communities.
"As evident from EPSCoR's impact, investing in research infrastructure is a powerful catalyst for strengthening our nation's security and competitiveness and fostering groundbreaking scientific advancements," Panchanathan said. "By addressing these critical challenges, and engaging with communities impacted by climate change, we have the potential to advance innovation and promote economic stability and recovery in EPSCoR jurisdictions and beyond."
Derby is the Dr. Charles E. Wilson chair in engineering and an associate professor in the Alan Levin Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering at K-State.