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Rangarajan, Anusuya
Cornell Academic Staff
Cornell Faculty Member
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Positions
- Extension Associate Sr, Horticulture (HORT), College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS)
- Academic Director, Horticulture (HORT), College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS)
It is my personal philosophy that a publicly funded, applied research and extension programs focused on sustainability of vegetable production systems must be designed to address constraints that exist regardless of farm size, approach and scale. The problem-solving approach must balance economic and environmental challenges to production with safety and quality of vegetables for society at large. Within this governing philosophy, the main thrusts of my research and extension program include directing the Cornell Small Farms Program, conducting research and outreach on organic nutrient sources, soil quality, new crops, food safety, and reduced tillage and other alternative practices for vegetable production, and developing educational materials and leadership training programs for growers.
Research Areas
- adult and extension education
- biological control
- community development
- compost
- crop management or crop science
- disease control
- entrepreneurship
- environmental sciences
- food system and/or policy
- fruit and vegetable production
- horticultural sciences
- integrated crop management
- nutrient management
- organic agriculture
- risk analysis and assessment
- small business
- soil health
- sustainable agriculture
- sustainable development
- value-added agriculture
- vegetables
- water resource management
- Affiliations
- Extension
- Research
- Publications
- Teaching
- Service
- Background
- Other
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Affiliations
member of graduate field
Extension
has primary specialization area
Research
research overview
- Applied research program focused on sustainability of vegetable production systems, designed to address constraints that exist regardless of farm size, approach and scale. Current focus is on reduced tillage systems for vegetables and vegetable transplant production.
research activities
principal investigator on
- 2011 NESARE NY OUTREACH PROGRAM: IMPROVING FARM ENERGY SUSTAINABILITY IN NEW YORK awarded by NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE-USDA 2011 - 2012
- ADVANCING ADOPTION OF REDUCED TILLAGE SYSTEMS IN CONVENTIONAL AND ORGANIC VEGETABLE PRODUCTION IN NY awarded by AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERV, USDA 2009 - 2012
- ENHANCING BEGINNING FARMER SUCCESS THROUGH VIBRANT SUPPORT NETWORKS IN THE NORTHEAST awarded by NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE-USDA 2009 - 2012
- REDUCING CLIMATIC AND DISEASE RISKS THROUGH MINIMUM TILLAGE SYSTEMS FOR VEGETABLES awarded by NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE-USDA 2010 - 2013
- USDA BEGINNING FARMER PROJECT MATCHING awarded by NYS DEPT OF AG & MARKETS 2009 - 2011
area(s) of concentration/expertise
- Adult and Extension Education
- Horticultural Physiology, Urban Horticulture
- Nutrient Management - Agric Systems
- Nutrition
- Physiology, Biochemistry and Genetics of Fruits & Vegetables
- Produce Food Safety
- Soil Fertility Management/Soil Biogeochemistry
- Sustainable Agriculture
- Sustainable Hort Crop & Soil Mgmt.
- Vegetable Crop Physiology
- Vegetable Crops - Extension/Research
keywords
- organic
- reduced tillage
- soil fertility
- sustainable
- vegetable
submitted impact statement
- Supporting Small Farms in New York
- Supporting Small Farms in New York
- Supporting Small Farms in New York
- New York Organic Dairy Initiative
- Good agricultural practices to improve the safety of fruits and vegetables
- Good Agricultural Practices to Improve Food Safety of Fruits and Vegetables
- Good Agricultural Practices to Improve Food Safety of Fruits and Vegetables
- Enhancing organic agriculture research and extension in the Northeast U.S.
- Enhancing organic agriculture research and extension in the Northeast U.S.
- Enhancing organic agriculture research and extension in the Northeast
- Building successful new farm enterprises
Publications
individual publications
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academic article
- Organic amendments to transplant media influence plant growth and rhizosphere bacterial communities. . Applied Soil Ecology. 48:94-101. 2011
- Production Costs of Organic Vegetable Farms: Two Case Studies from Pennsylvania. HortTechnology. 19:193-199. 2009
- Rye Mulch Management Affects Short-term Indicators of Soil Quality in the Transition to Conservation Tillage for Cabbage. HortScience. 43:862-867. 2008
- Impacts of organic transplant media on plant growth and root rhizosphere bacterial communities. HortScience. 42:867. 2007
- Overcoming Compaction Limitations on Cabbage Growth and Yield in the Transition to Conservation Tillage. HortScience. 42:1690-1694. 2007
- Small Farm Clusters and Pathways to Rural Community Sustainability. Community Development. 38:8-22. 2007
- Compost for Nitrogen Fertility Management of Bell Pepper in a Drip-Irrigated Plasticulture System. HortScience. 40:577-581. 2005
- Time of Interseeding of Lana Vetch and Winter Rye Cover Strips Determines Competitive Impact on Pumpkins Grown Using Organic Practices. HortScience. 40:1716-1722. 2005
- Moderate defoliation and plant population losses do not reduce yield or quality of Butternut squash. HortTechnology. 13:463-468. 2003
- Focusing food safety training based on current grower practices and farm scale. HortTechnology. 12:126-131. 2002
- In-row spacing and cultivar affects ear yield and quality of early planted sweet corn. HortTechnology. 12:410-415. 2002
- Vigor or Rigor? The competing goals of variety trials. HortTechnology. 12:562-566. 2002
- Mulch color affects radicchio quality and yield. HortScience. 36:1240-1243. 2001
- Leptine Glycoalkaloids reduce feeding by Colorado Potato Beetle in diploid Solanum sp. Hybrids. Journal of American Society of Horticultural Science. 123:683-693. 2000
- Vernalization Strategies to Enhance Production of Annual Globe Artichoke. HortTechnology. 10:585-588. 2000
- Iron bioavailability from Amaranthus species: 1-In Vitro estimation of genetic variation. Journal Science of Food and Agriculture. 78:267-273. 1998
- Iron bioavailability from Amaranthus species: 2-Evaluation using hemoglobin repletion in anemic rats. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture. 78:274-280. 1998
- Exposure with far red radiation for control of oedema on 'Yale' ivy geranium. HortScience. 29:38-40. 1994
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article
- Cornell Small Farms Update April 2009 2009
- Cornell Small Farms Update August 2009 2009
- Cornell Small Farms Update December 2009 2009
- Cornell Small Farms Update February 2009 2009
- Cornell Small Farms Update January 2009 2009
- Cornell Small Farms Update July 2009 2009
- Cornell Small Farms Update June 2009 2009
- Cornell Small Farms Update March 2009 2009
- Cornell Small Farms Update May 2009 2009
- Cornell Small Farms Update November 2009 2009
- Cornell Small Farms Update October 2009 2009
- Cornell Small Farms Update September 2009 2009
- Small Farm Quarterly Fall 2009 2009
- Small Farm Quarterly Spring 2009 2009
- Small Farm Quarterly Summer 2009 2009
- Small Farm Quarterly Winter 2009 2009
- NY Sustainable Ag Quarterly Fall 2008 2008
- Organic Dairy Initiative Update 2008
- SARE Farmer Grant Profiles: How NY Farmers Use SARE Grants to Test New Ideas 2008
- Small Farm Quarterly Fall 2008 2008
- Small Farm Quarterly Spring 2008 2008
- Small Farm Quarterly Summer 2008 2008
- Small Farm Quarterly Winter 2008 2008
- Small Farms Update April 2008 2008
- Small Farms Update August 2008 2008
- Small Farms Update December 2008 2008
- Small Farms Update February 2008 2008
- Small Farms Update January 2008 2008
- Small Farms Update July 2008 2008
- Small Farms Update June 2008 2008
- Small Farms Update March 2008 2008
- Small Farms Update May 2008 2008
- Small Farms Update November 2008 2008
- Small Farms Update October 2008 2008
- Small Farms Update September 2008 2008
- Organic Agriculture Grows at Cornell 2007
- Small Farm Quarterly Update-Fall 2007 2007
- Small Farm Quarterly Update-Spring 2007 2007
- Small Farm Quarterly Update-Summer 2007 2007
- Small Farm Quarterly Update-Winter 2007 2007
- Small Farm Quarterly Update-Fall 2006 2006
- Small Farm Quarterly Update-Spring 2006 2006
- Small Farm Quarterly Update-Summer 2006 2006
- Small Farm Quarterly Update-Winter 2006 2006
- Cultivating Cabbage. American Vegetable Grower. :18-19. 2004
- In cooperation with Country Folks. Small Farm Quarterly Summer/Fall. . 2004
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booksection
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chapter
- Crop Rotation Effects on Soil Fertility and Plant Nutrition. Chapter in “Organic Crop Rotation: A Planning Manual. 2007
- Crop Rotation Effects on Soil Fertility and Plant Nutrition. Chapter In Crop Rotation on Organic Farms: A Planning Manual. 2004
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conference paper
- Media for Organic Transplant Production. 2009 MidAtlantic Fruit and Vegtable Convention. 14-15. 2009
- Reduced Tillage Research Update: Cornell and Grower Trials. NY Vegetable Growers Association. 116-118. 2009
- Reduced Tillage for Organic Vegetable Production. 2009 MidAtlantic Fruit and Vegtable Convention. 19-22. 2009
- Biodegradable Mulches: How Well do They Work? . Proceedings of the New England Vegetable and Berry Conference. 236-237. 2007
- Dealing with Bugs You Can't See: Microbial Food Safety Risks. Proceedings of the MidAtlantic Fruit and Vegetable Convention. 2-3. 2007
- Organic Agriculture Grows at Cornell. 1-5. 2007
- Reduced Tillage and Soil Health. Proceedings of the MidAtlantic Fruit and Vegetable Convention. 159-160. 2007
- Reduced Tillage in Vegetable Systems. NY Fruit and Vegetable Expo. 74-76. 2007
- Reduced Tillage in Vegetable Systems. NY Fruit and Vegetable Expo. 74-76. 2007
- Trends in IPM in the USA and Asia for vegetable production. XVI International Plant Protection Conference. 680-681. 2007
- Guide to Starting a Farm in NY. New Jersey Vegetable Growers Conference Proceedings. 67-71. 2006
- Reduced Tillage for Vegetables. Empire State Fruit and Vegetable Expo Proceedings. 115-117. 2006
- The Small Farms Industry Clusters (SFIC) project. Proceedings of the Fourth National Small Farms Conference. 167-170. 2006
- Enhancing Consistency of Organic Potting Media. New England Vegetable and Berry Growers Conference Proceedings. 177-178. 2005
- Facilitating Farmer-to-Farmer Learning: New Roles for Extension. Proceedings of the National Small Farms Conference. 2005
- Reduced Tillage for Vegetable Crops. Proceedings of the New York Fruit and Vegetable Expo. 169-170. 2005
- Reducing Tillage in Vegetable Crops. New England Vegetable and Berry Growers Conference Proceedings. 164-165. 2005
- Small Farms Industry Clusters (SFIC) Project. Proceedings of the National Small Farms Conference. 167-170. 2005
- The Northeast Organic Network. Proceedings of the National Small Farms Conference. 2005
- Bacterial communities in potting mix amendments and the rhizospheres of organic tomato starts: effects on seedling vigor and yield. 13th Annual United States Composting Council Conference Proceedings. 2004
- Exemplary Organic Farms: Findings from the NEON Focal Farm Study. Proceedings for the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture Annual Meeting. 130-132. 2004
- Impacts of Soil Quality on Disease and Insect Resistance in Plants. Organic Vegetable Production. Proceedings.NRAES-165. 113-119. 2004
- Influence of Soil Quality on Plant Health. NRAES Publication. 113-119. 2004
- Producing Chinese Cabbage. New York Fruit and Vegetable Expo Proceedings. 52-55. 2004
- Producing Specialty Melons. New York Fruit and Vegetable Expo Proceedings. 62-68. 2004
- Tools For Success: A Grower Self Assessment Tool and Farm Worker Training Video for Food Safety. NY Fruit and Vegetable Expo Proceedings. 21-22. 2004
- Tools for Success: A Grower Self Assessment Tool and Farm Worker Training Video. 2004 Empire State Fruit and Vegetable Expo and Ontario-New York International Cabbage Conference Proceedings. 2004
- Enhancing Organic Research: Update from the Northeast Organic Network. New England Vegetable and Berry Growers Conference Proceedings. 2003
- Growing Heirloom Tomatoes. New York Vegetable Growers Conference Proceedings. 217-219. 2003
- Mulches for the Future. Proceedings of Mid-Atlantic Vegetable Growers Conference. 10-11. 2003
- Optimizing Sweet Corn Quality. Proceedings Volume 1: Mid-Atlantic Vegetable Growers Conference. 29-30. 2003
- Organic Research and Extension in the Northeast. Proceedings of Mid-Atlantic Vegetable Growers Conference. 76-77. 2003
- Factors Influencing Food Safety on the Farm. Proceedings for the Ontario Horticultural Crops Conference. 112-114. 2002
- Food Safety in the Cabbage Industry. Proceedings for the NYS Vegetable Conference. 49-51. 2002
- New research in Organic Agriculture: New York and U.S. Efforts. Proceedings for the Ontario Horticultural Crops Conference. 91-94. 2002
- Stand establishment in reduced tillage pumpkins. Proceedings for the NYS Vegetable Conference. 190-191. 2002
- The Soup and Salad Bowl: Specialty Crops Revisited. Proceedings for the NYS Vegetable Conference. 59-63. 2002
- Artichoke Production in the Northeast. Proceedings for the NYS Vegetable Conference. 175-176. 2001
- Growing Artichokes in the Northeast. Proceedings of the New Jersey Annual Vegetable Meeting. 111-112. 2001
- Growing Radicchio. Proceedings of the New Jersey Annual Vegetable Meeting. 113. 2001
- Microbial Food Safety is Post Harvest Quality. Proceedings of the New Jersey Annual Vegetable Meeting. 25. 2001
- Plant Populations for Early Planted Sweet Corn. Proceedings for the NYS Vegetable Conference. 80. 2001
- Sweet corn spacing to optimize early corn yield and quality. Proceedings of the New Jersey Annual Vegetable Meeting. 37. 2001
- Compost Rules! Maximizing the Benefits of Compost in Vegetable Systems. Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture Proceedings. 15. 2000
- Compost for Nutrients and Disease Suppression in Vegetable Production. New Jersey Vegetable Growers Meeting Proceedings. 18-19. 2000
- Effect of Compost on Beet Quality. NYS Vegetable Conference Proceedings. 51-52. 2000
- Minimizing Microbial Contamination Risks in the Field: A Common Sense Approach. International Cabbage Conference. 9-10. 2000
- Optimizing Quality of Early Sweet Corn. NYS Vegetable Conference Proceedings. 114-117. 2000
- Spacing and Defoliation Effects on Winter Squash Yield. NYS Vegetable Conference Proceedings. 90. 2000
- Compost for nutrients and other benefits. Pennsylvania Vegetable Conference Proceedings. 72. 1999
- Postharvest Physiology 101. NYS Vegetable Conference Proceedings. 93-94. 1999
- Compost for nutrients and other benefits. Proceedings of the NYS Vegetable Conference. 134-135. 1998
- Exploring the potential to enhance dietary iron from green leafy vegetables. Proceedings of the International Conference on Agricultural Production and Nutrition. 121-130. 1997
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document part
- Reducing tillage in an organic vegetable system: In-row weed control and fertility management. 480. 2010
- Reducing tillage in an organic vegetable system: In-row weed control and fertility management. . 10. 2010
- Impacts of organic transplant media on plant growth and root rhizosphere bacterial communities. 867. 2007
- Overcoming compaction limitations on cabbage growth and yield in the transition to reduced tillage. 873. 2007
- Penetration Resistance in Zone Tillage Systems for Vegetable Cultivation in NY 2006
- Organic Vegetable Crop Rotation: Expert Management 2003
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manual
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report
- Organic Agriculture at Cornell: Summary of Research and Extension Projects 2008 2009
- Enhancing the Viability of New York's Small Farms. 31. 2008
- Key Opportunities and Strategic Investments to Enhance Small Farm Viability in New York 2007
- Cornell Small Farm Research and Educational Resources 2006
- Small Farms Program 2000-2006 Report 2006
- Farm Ecosystem and Management Factors Contributing to Pest Suppression on Organic and Conventional Farms 2005
- Evaluation of pepper cultivars for tolerance to Phytophthora capsici and impact of Messenger on tolerance and yield. 69-74. 2002
- Evaluation of two commercially available composts for managing Phytophthora fruit rot of pumpkins. 18-24. 2002
- Impact of composts on soilborne disease incidence in organic cropping systems. 104-125. 2001
- Impact of disease suppressive composts on organic vegetable quality, composition, and yield. 21-25. 2001
- Long Island Vegetable Variety and Cultural Practices Results 2001
- Effects of In-Row Spacing and Nitrogen Fertility on Early Sweet Corn Quality and Yield. 1-4. 2000
- Food Safety Begins on the Farm: A Grower’s Guide 2000
- Impact of Composts on Soil Borne Disease Incidence in Organic Cropping Systems 2000
- Impacts of in-row spacing and nitrogen fertility on early sweet corn quality and yield 1999
- New York Vegetable Variety and Cultural Practices Results 1999
- Cornell Vegetable Variety Trials and Cultural Practice Report 1998
- Enhancing earliness of pepper with Row Covers and Water Tubes. 9-13. 1998
- New York Vegetable Variety and Cultural Practices Results 1998
- Evaluating the Impact of Compost Amendments on Soil Microbial Activity and Nutrient Availability in Beets 1997
- Impact of composts on disease incidence in vegetable systems. 31-36. 1997
- Cornell Vegetable Variety Trials and Cultural Practice Report 1996
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review
-
translation
- 2010 Production Guide for Organic Lettuce 2010
- 2010 Production Guide for Organic Potatoes 2010
- 2009 Production Guide for Organic Beans for Processing 2009
- 2009 Production Guide for Organic Carrots for Processing 2009
- 2009 Production Guide for Organic Cole Crops 2009
- 2009 Production Guide for Organic Cucumbers and Squash for Processing 2009
- 2009 Production Guide for Organic Peas for Processing 2009
- 2010 Production Guide for Organic Spinach 2009
- Dairy Sanitation Video 2008
- Organic Crops for Organic Dairies 2008
- Reduced tillage vegetable systems 2006
- Crop Rotation Planning 2005
- Organic Hoophouse Fertility Challenges 2005
- Food Safety Begins on the Farm: A Grower Self Assessment of Food Safety Risks 2003
- Food safety begins on the farm: A grower self-assessment of food safety risks 2003
- Reduzca la Contaminación Microbiana con Buenas Prácticas Agrícolas (Reduce Microbial Contamination with Good Agricultural Practices) 2001
- Fresh Now... From New York Farms 1999
- Impact of composts on disease incidence in vegetable systems 1997
presentations
- Building local food systems: The role of local farms, Speaker 2010
featured in archived article
- Cornell receives nearly $850,000 to improve specialty crops
- Course comparing Indian and U.S. agriculture helps make students and faculty 'globally relevant'
- Local foods: Good for your health and the economy, stresses state commissioner
- New free online videos help mentor new farmers
- New grant enhances program to help budding farmers
Teaching
teaching activities
- HORT-5900: Master of Professional Studies (Agriculture) Project - Spring 2013
- HORT-6970: Graduate Individual Study in Horticulture - Spring 2013
- HORT-8900: Thesis Research, Master of Science - Spring 2013
- HORT-2400: Exploring the Small Farm Dream - Fall 2012
- HORT-5900: Master of Professional Studies (Agriculture) Project - Fall 2012
- HORT-8900: Thesis Research, Master of Science - Fall 2012
- HORT-5900: Master of Professional Studies (Agriculture) Project - Spring 2012
- HORT-8900: Thesis Research, Master of Science - Spring 2012
- HORT-2400: Exploring the Small Farm Dream - Fall 2011
- HORT-5900: Master of Professional Studies (Agriculture) Project - Fall 2011
- HORT-8900: Thesis Research, Master of Science - Fall 2011
Service
outreach overview
- My current extension program targets four audiences: fresh market vegetable growers, organic farmers, small farmers, and agricultural service providers. Activities include applied research (on-farm and on-station) on specific problems faced by these groups, presentation at workshops, facilitating discussion on with ‘hot button’ issues, information dissemination, consulting for problem solving and leadership development. Venues include newsletter articles, on-farm workshops, annual conferences, training programs and videoconferencing. I have successfully secured competitive funding for my extension activities, include $1.2 Million USDA IFAFS grant for organic vegetable research and extension. Impacts include increased visibility of Cornell organic research and education efforts and increase in number of vegetable farmers applying reduced tillage and other sustainable practices. As director of the Cornell Small Farm Program, I have focused on expanding resources and information for small farms through the website and Small Farm Quarterly (27,000 family readership). I have added 3 additional staff members to the Small Farm Program through competitive grants. I also have organized and provided professional development opportunities to agricultural service providers on facilitating groups, leading farmer to farmer discussion groups, organic agriculture and general vegetable production. One of my new research interests is on the development of agricultural business clusters as a strategy for extension education. Past success includes the design and development of the “Food Safety Begins on the Farm” program, including grower self assessments and publications to help growers reduce food safety risk on their farms. Indicators of my program success include farmer feedback and surveys, requests for information, invitations for presentations, publication in journals, meeting evaluations and individual consultations.
service to the profession
- USDA Small Farm Program Northeast Regional Liaison 2005 -
- Cornell Small Farm Program Director 2004 -
- Farmer's Market Nutrition Program CALS Liaison 2004 -
- Small Farms Program Work Team Co-chair 2004 -
- Managing Wastes Program Work Team Member 2001 -
- Organic Production and Marketing Program Work Team Co-Chair 2001 -
- Soil Health Program Work Team Member 2001 -
- Farm-to-School:Improving Small Farm Viability and School Meals.IFAFS, Advisory Committee Member 2000 -
- Food Safety Begins on the Farm. National Good Agricultural Practices program. FDA/USDA Member 1999 -
- Agriculture and Food Systems In-Service Planning Committee Member 1997 -
- Lake Plains Fresh Market Vegetable Program Advisory Committee Member 1997 -
- Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York Member 1997 -
- Vegetable Statewide Program Committee/Program Work Team Member 1997 -
- American Society for Horticultural Science Member 1996 -
- New York State Vegetable Growers Association Member 1996 -
- American Society for Horticultural Science Member 1989 -
- American Society for Plasticulture Board of Directors 2004 - 2006
- Capital District Advisory Committee Committee Member - 1998
reviewer or editor for
Background
education and training
- Ph.D. in Horticulture, Michigan State University 1995
- M.S. in Horticulture, University of Wisconsin 1989
- Michigan State University 1986
awards and honors
- Member, USDA Beginning Farmer and Rancher Advisory Committee, 2012
- Best Publication- Guide to Farming in NY, 2008
- Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Award for Extension/Outreach, 2005
- Finalist, USDA Secretary’s Honor Award, 2003
- New York Association of County Agriculture Agents Outstanding New Publication Award, for “Food safety Begins on the Farm, A Grower’s Guide”, 2001
- Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Award for Extension/Outreach, for the National Good Agricultural Practices Program, 2001
- American Society of Horticultural Science Outstanding Extension Educational Materials Award, for “Food Safety Begins on the Farm”, 2001
Other
college
- CALS
research keyword
- organic
- reduced tillage
- soil fertility
- sustainable
- vegetable
name prefix
- Dr.