Project Associates

Principal Investigators

• Dr. Jeff White - Dr. White will oversee project activities, the research associate, and lead efforts to characterize soil spatial variability using grid soil sampling, well cores, electromagnetic induction, aerial imagery, spatial statistics, and GIS. He will assist in interpretating TDR data, thermal, and color-infrared imagery, and in developing soil- and crop-informed nitrogen management recommendations. Dr. White will supervise the graduate student working to characterize relationships between soil electromagnetic induction, soil physical properties, water relations, crop growth, and groundwater nitrate.
• Dr. Randy Weisz - Dr. Weisz is the North Carolina Small Grains Extension Specialist. His primary role will be to supervise all aspects of the winter wheat nitrogen management and remote sensing program. He will supervise the graduate student working on developing relationships between nitrogen rates and spectral data in wheat. He will also provide guidance on geostatistical issues.
• Dr. Ron W. Heiniger - Dr. Heiniger will be responsible for conducting research using remotely sensed to calculate nitrogen rates for corn. He will supervise the graduate student working on developing the relationship between nitrogen rates and corn spectral. He will oversee the collection of thermal imagery and the research relating thermal-IR reflectance to plant-available water. In addition, he will work with the other project investigators to oversee project and the research associate directing the comparisons between nitrogen management systems.
• Dr. Carl R. Crozier - Dr. Crozier will share responsibility for interpreting soils information derived from grid soil sampling, well cores, TDR probes, and aerial imagery, and relating that information to crop growth and N status. He will help develop all extension activities, including field days, training programs, and web delivery.
• Dr. David A. Crouse - Dr. Crouse is the director of the NCSU College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Geographic Information Systems Education Laboratory located in the Department of Soil Science. He will share responsibility for course module development, industry and extension agent training, and web delivery. He is also responsible for the annual NC State University and Cooperative Extension Service Precision Agriculture Field Day, and will coordinate on-location expos and training programs. Dr. Crouse will also be responsible for spatial data management and development of GIS tools to analyze and demonstrate project outcomes.

Senior Associates

• Dr. D. Keith Cassel - Dr. Cassel will provide guidance in the area of soil physical properties, water relations, electromagnetic induction, and the interaction of these factors with crop growth and development.
• Dr. J. Wendell Gilliam - Dr. Gilliam's extensive experience in characterizing fertilizer-soil-groundwater dynamics in the Coastal Plain will be used to guide placement and management of sampling wells and controlled drainage. Dr. Gilliam will also assist in the interpretation of groundwater and soils data.
• Dr. Deanna L. Osmond - Dr. Osmond is Project Manager for the Neuse Crop Management Project, which seeks to educate producers about best management practices to increase profitability and improve environmental stewardship of the Neuse River watershed. She will provide the extension and research liaison between the proposed project and the Neuse Project. In addition, she will assist in utilizing data from the proposed project to validate and demonstrate the Nitrogen Loss Estimation Worksheet (NLEW) and the North Carolina Interagency Nutrient Management Planning Tool. She will also provide guidance on the development of soil- and crop-informed N management decision support systems.
• Dr. Bill Zanner - Dr. Zanner is Coordinator of the Neuse Crop Management Project. He will develop case studies based on the conventional and soil- and crop-informed management strategies proposed in this project. He will use these case studies to demonstrate N management and consequences during Extension activities, and help adapt them as teaching modules for classroom and internet delivery. Dr. Zanner will incorporate project data into training sessions to introduce extension agents, crop advisors, and producers to the North Carolina Interagency Nutrient Management Planning Tool software currently being developed by NCSU Soil Science Extension. He will also lend his expertise in soil geomorphology to the interpretation of well cores and ground truthing of remotely sensed soil information.