Alvin J.M. Smucker |
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Michigan State University College of Agriculture and Natural Resources Crop and Soil Sciences ProfessorAppointed: 1971 |
Mailing AddressDepartment of Crop and Soil Sciences Michigan State University Bogue Street East Lansing, Michigan 48824-1325United States | Contact Information |
Qualifications
Ph.D., Michigan State University, Soil Physics, 1971.
M.S., Michigan State University, Soil Science, 1969.
B.A., Goshen College, Biology, 1965.
Expertise and Research Interests
Current research emphasizes C sequestration in soils, with a focus on plant root carbon and soil organic matter contributions to soil aggregation processes and function. Belowground soil C foodwebs and root system C interactions which affect the formation and function of soil aggregates in agroecosystem production systems.
Subsurface water retention technology (SWRT) is being patented by MSU and licensed to manufacturers for production of polyethylene film installation machines. This technology increases water use efficiency from 50 to 2000% while reducing nutrient and pesticide losses to groundwaters.
Image processing of plant root systems is on line at:
www.rootimage.msu.edu
Image processing of soil pore geometries and connectivities are being developed to better understand the C sequestration and bioremediation of soil contaminates.
Active research programs include soil water, nutrient and gas fluxes, plant root responses to stratifications of water, nutrients, gases, and pesticides within the soil, plantroot modeling, root growth, development, function and turnover (death) responses to soil environments, carbon allocations to the root systems and the efficient use of carbon by plant root systems and carbon utilization during root absorption processes.
Subsurface water retention technology (SWRT) is being patented by MSU and licensed to manufacturers for production of polyethylene film installation machines. This technology increases water use efficiency from 50 to 2000% while reducing nutrient and pesticide losses to groundwaters.
Image processing of plant root systems is on line at:
www.rootimage.msu.edu
Image processing of soil pore geometries and connectivities are being developed to better understand the C sequestration and bioremediation of soil contaminates.
Active research programs include soil water, nutrient and gas fluxes, plant root responses to stratifications of water, nutrients, gases, and pesticides within the soil, plantroot modeling, root growth, development, function and turnover (death) responses to soil environments, carbon allocations to the root systems and the efficient use of carbon by plant root systems and carbon utilization during root absorption processes.
Other Expertise
Academic Experience:
Expert witness for soil plant relationships
Expert witness in plant-soil-environment responses.
Editor/reviewer of journal publications and research proposals;
Grant proposal director, chairman church and community boards;
Consultant to secondary and primary education of the sciences;
Consultant to industry, courts, Argentina, Peru, Brazil, Nigeria, Austria, Australia, Switzerland, Germany, England, India and Taiwan;
Fellow, American Society of Agronomy, 1989;
Fellow, Soil Science Society of America, 1989;
Distinguished McMaster Research Fellow (Australia), 1987-88;
Business Experience:
Consultant to Bartz Technology (California) and Agriculex (Canada)
Expert witness for soil plant relationships
Expert witness in plant-soil-environment responses.
Editor/reviewer of journal publications and research proposals;
Grant proposal director, chairman church and community boards;
Consultant to secondary and primary education of the sciences;
Consultant to industry, courts, Argentina, Peru, Brazil, Nigeria, Austria, Australia, Switzerland, Germany, England, India and Taiwan;
Fellow, American Society of Agronomy, 1989;
Fellow, Soil Science Society of America, 1989;
Distinguished McMaster Research Fellow (Australia), 1987-88;
Business Experience:
Consultant to Bartz Technology (California) and Agriculex (Canada)
Future Research
SWRT applications for water retention and world food production.
Industrial Relevance
Subsoil water retention technology (SWRT) in sandy soils removes the competition of cellulosic biomass for biofuels from current agricultural lands used for food production.
SWRT modifications of marginal soils can produce adequate quantities of switchgrass and other plant cellulose within a 40 mile radius of moderate sized biorefineries.
SWRT modifications of marginal soils can produce adequate quantities of switchgrass and other plant cellulose within a 40 mile radius of moderate sized biorefineries.
Keywords
COS Keywords:
Agriculture, Agronomy, Biotechnology, Crop Science, Forensic Science, Image Processing, Plant Sciences, Separation Process, Soil Sciences, Sustainable Agriculture.Additional Terms:
Agroecosystem, Agronomy, Biotechnology, Forensic Science, Groundwater Quality, Image Processing of Root's, Mineral-organic Elutriation, Plant Stress, Plant-soil Interaction, Rhizosphere Dynamics, Root-soil Dynamics, Separation Sciences, Soil Science, Soil Water Decontamination, Sustainable Agriculture.Languages
(Reading, Writing, Speaking)
Spanish: (Fluent, Functional, Functional)
French: (Functional, None, None)
Portuguese: (Basic, None, None)
Memberships
American Association for the Advancement of Science
American Geophysical Union
American Society of Agronomy
American Soil Science Society
International Society of Root Research
International Society of Soil Science
Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society
Honors and Awards
2001 Sigma Xi Senior Scientists Research Award,
MSU Chapter of Sigma Xi,
Michigan State University,
Research in plant and soil carbon
Fellow,
American Association for the Advancement of Science,
Plant root research
Fellow,
American Society of Agronomy,
Soil and plant interactions
Fellow,
Crop Science Society of America,
Plant root contributions to crop productivity
Fellow,
Soil Science Society of America,
S,
Soil physical and biophysical research
Visiting Chair Professor,
Scottish Agricultural College,
Plant root and soil research
Distinguished Faculty,
Michigan State University
Previous Positions
1983 Professor of Soil Biophysics,
Michigan State University
1980-1987, University of Wisconsin and Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) (Australia), Sabbatical Leaves
1977-1983, Michigan State University, Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, Associate Professor
1971-1977, Michigan State University, Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, Assistant Professor
Patents
Subsurface water retention technology (SWRT),
Patent Number: Applied,
2008,
Institution,
United States of America.
Improved fluidic apparatus and method,
Patent Number: ID97-075/97-080,
2001,
,
United States.
Method and Apparatus for Isolation of Trace Materials from a Heterogenous Sample,
Patent Number: 6164456,
,
Institution-owned,
United States.
Hydropneumatic Elutriator Root Separation System, U.S. Patent No. 4,478,710, 1984, institution-owned
Hydropneumatic Elutriator Root Separation System, Canada Pat. No. 1,207,473, 1986, institution-owned
Funding Received
- United States Department of Agriculture (USDA): CASMGS, $129,000, March 1, 2002 to 2004.
- Michigan State University: MSU - WATER, $86,000, March 1, 2000 to 2004.
- United States Department of Agriculture (USDA): Transport and survival of E. coli within soil aggregates, $205,907, 2008 to 2010.
- Bouyoucos Conference Award: Synchrotron Conference, $27,600, 2007 to 2009.
- Michigan State: Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometer, $178,000, 2005 to 2009.
- Alexander von Humboldt Foundation: Alexander von Humboldt Research Award, $82,000, 2004 to 2006.
- United States Department of Agriculture (USDA): MSU Water Sciences Doctoral Fellowships, $207,000, 1999 to 2003.
Publications
- S.N. Kravchenko, A.J.M. Smucker, M. Rivers., Limitations in determining of multifractal spectra from pore/solid soil aggregate images., Vadose Zone Journal, 8, 1-8, 2009
- S. Peth, R. Horn, F. Beckmann, T. Donath, A.J.M. Smucker, The Interior of Soil Aggregates investigated by Synchrotron-Radiation-based Microtomography, Developments in X-ray Tomography VI, 70781H-70712., 2009
- A.J.M. Smucker, J.A. Siegel, Separation and concentration of trace evidence from soils using a hydropneumatic elutriation trace evidence concentrator (TEC)., Criminal and Environmental Soil Forensics ISBN: 978-1-4020-9203-9, 2009
- S. Peth, R. Horn, F. Beckman, T. Donath, J.Fischer, A.J.M. Smucker, Three-Dimensional Quantification of Intra-Aggregate Pore-Space Features using Synchrotron-Radiation-Based Microtomography, Soil Sci Soc Am J, 72, 897-907, 2008
- X. Peng, A.J.M. Smucker, R. Horn, Pore-shrinkage dependency of inorganic and organic soils on wetting and drying cycles, Soil Sci. Soc. of Amer, 71, 1095-1104, 2007
- E.J. Park, W.J. Sul, A.J.M. Smucker, Glucose additions to aggregates subjected to drying and wetting cycles promote carbon sequestration and aggregate stability, Soil Biol. and Biochem, 39, 2758-2768, 2007
- A.J.M. Smucker, E.J. Park, J. Dorner, R. Horn, Soil micropore contributions to soluble carbon flux rates and microbial community responses within macro-aggregates., Vadose Zone Journal, 6, 282-290, 2007
- A.J.M. Smucker, J. Hopmans, Soil biophysical contributions to hydrological processes in the vadose zone, Vadose Zone Journal, 6, 267-268, 2007
- X. Peng, R. Horn, S. Peth, A.J.M. Smucker, Quantification of soil shrinkage in 2D by digital image processing of soil surface., Soil Tillage Res., 91, 173-18-, 2006
- L. Pietola, A.J.M. Smucker, Elimination of non-root residue by image analysis of very fine roots., Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, 53, 92-97, 2006
- S. Peth, F. Beckman, T. Donath, J. Fischer, A.J.M. Smucker, R. Horn, Pore space analysis of soil aggregates investigated by microtomography using synchrotron radiation., European Geophysical Union Proceedings, 2006
- A.J.M. Smucker, E.J. Park, Soil Biophysical Responses by Macroaggregates to Tillage of Two Soil Types, Adv. in GeoEcology, 38, 455-460, 2006
- A.N. Kravchenko, G.P. Robertson, S.S. Snapp, A.J.M. Smucker, Using Information about Spatial Variability to Improve Estimates of Total Soil Carbon., Agron. J., 98, 823-829, 2006
- A. Gerakis, D.P. Rasse, Y. Kavdir, A.J.M. Smucker, Simulation of leaching losses in the nitrogen cycle., Comm. in Soil Science and Plant Analyses, 13, 1-25, 2006
- F. Mueller, A.J.M. Smucker, R. Horn, From micro pores to ecosystems - ecological gradients as components of environmental analysis and management., Proc. of ISTRO, 17, 1640-1641, 2006
- E.J. Park, A.J.M. Smucker, Saturated hydraulic conductivity and porosity within macroaggregates modified by tillage, Soil Sci. Soc. Amer. J, 69, 38-45, 2005
- R. Horn, A.J.M. Smucker, Structure formation and its consequences for gas and water transport in unsaturated arable and forest soils., Soil Tillage Research, 82, 5-14, 2005
- E.J. Park, A.J.M. Smucker, Soil polar tensile strength and surface erosivities of soil aggregates from conventional and no-till agroecosystems., Soil. Sci. Soc. Amer. J., 69, 1912-1921, 2005
- Y. Kavdir, D.P. Rasse, A..J.M. Smucker, Specific contributions of decaying alfalfa roots to nitrate leaching in a Kalamazoo loam soil., Agri. Ecosystem and Environ, 109, 97-106, 2005
- C.B. Blackwood, C.J. Dell, E.A. Paul, A.J.M. Smucker, Eubacterial community response to position within soil macroaggregates and soil management., Soil Biol. Biochem. J., 37, 28-50, 2005
- Y. Kavdir, A.J.M. Smucker, Soil aggregate sequestration of cover crop root and shoot derived soil nitrogen, Plant and Soil, 272, 263-276, 2005
- E.J. Park, A.J.M. Smucker, Dynamics of carbon sequestered in concentric layers of soil macroaggregates, Korean J. Ecology, 28, 181-188, 2005
- B.J. Atwell, I.R.P. Fillery, K.J. McInnes, A.J.M. Smucker, The fate of carbon and fertiliser nitrogen when dryland wheat is grown in monoliths of duplex soil, Plant and Soil, 241, 259-269, 2002
- A.J. Erickson, R.S. Ramsewak, A.J.M. Smucker, M.G. Nair, NItrificaion inhibitors from roots of Leucaena leucocephala, Journal of Agric. Food and Chem 48:6174-6177, 48, 6174-6177, 2000
- D.P. Rasse, A.J.M. Smucker, Alfalfa root and shoot mulching effects on soil hydraulic properties and aggregation, Soil Science Society of America Journal, 63:, 725-731, 2000
- P.B. Albee, G.C. Stockman, A.J.M. Smucker, 2000, Extraction of pores from microtomographic reconstructions of intact soil aggregates, Mathematics and Computer Sci. Div., Argonne National Lab, ANL/MCS-P790-0100, 2000
- D.P. Rasse, J.T. Ritchie, W.R. Peterson, J.Wei, A.J.M. Smucker, Rye cover crop and N fertilization effects on nitrate leaching in inbred maize fields, Journal of Environmental Quality, 29, 298-304, 2000
- D.P. Rasse, Alfalfa root and shoot mulching effects on soil hydraulic properties and aggregation, Soil Science Society of America Journal, 64(725), 731, 2000
- F.K. Akinnifesi, A.J.M. Smucker, B.T. Kang, G. Schroth, Belowground dynamics in agroforestry systems, Annals of Arid Zone, 38, 239-273, 1999
- H.P. Collins, E.T. Elliott, K Paustain, L.G. Bundy, W.A. Dick, D.R. Huggins, A.J.M. Smucker, E.A. Paul, Soil carbon pools and fluxes in long-term corn belt agroecosystems, Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 32, 157-168, 1999
- D.P. Rasse, A.J.M. Smucker, O. Schabenberger, Modifications of soil nitrogen pools and fluxes in response to alfalfa root systems and shoot mulch, Agronomy Journal, 91, 471-477, 1999
- D.P. Rasse, A.J.M. Smucker, Root recolonization of previous root channels in corn and alfalfa rotations, Plant and Soil, 204, 203-212, 1999
- D.P. Rasse, A.J.M. Smucker, Tillage effects on soil nitrogen and plant biomass in a corn-alfalfa rotation, Journal of Environmental Quality, 28, 873-880, 1999
- Santos D, Murphy S L, Taubner H, Smucker A J, Horn R, Uniform separation of concentric surface layers from soil aggregates, Soil Science Society of America Journal, 61(3), 720-724, 1997
- Smucker A J, Srivastava A K, Adams M W, Knezek B D, Secondary tillage and traffic compaction modifications of the growth and production of dry edible beans and soybeans, Applied Engineering in Agriculture, 7(2), 149-152, 1991
- Santos, D., S.L.S. Murphy, H. Taubner, A.J.M. Smucker, R. Horn., Uniform separation of concentric surface, Soil Science Society of America Journal, 60, 720-724, 1997
- Aiken, R.M. and A.J.M. Smucker. 1996. Root System Regulation of Whole Plant Growth. Annu. Rev. Phytopath. 34:325-347
- Pietola, L. A.J.M. Smucker. 1995. Fine root dynamics for alfalfa and following a late invasion by weeds. Agron. J. 87:1161-1169
- Murphy, S.L. and A.J.M. Smucker. 1995. Evaluation of video image analysis and line-intercept methods for measuring root systems of alfalfa and ryegrass. Agron. J. 87: 865-868
- Smucker, A.J.M., B.G. Ellis, and B.T. Kang. 1995. Root, nutrient and water dynamics in alley cropping on an Alfisol in a forest savanna transition zone. In: Kang, B.T., A.O. Osiname, and A. Larbi (eds). Alley Farming Research and Development, Proc. of anInternational Conf. on Alley Farming. Ibadan, Nigeria. pp. 103-121
- Smucker, A.J.M. and R.M. Aiken. 1992 Dynamic Root responses to water deficits. Soil Science 154:281-289
- Smucker, AJM, A Nunez-Barrios and JT Ritchie. 1991. Root dynamics in drying soil environments. Belowground Ecology 2:4-5
- Smucker, AJM. 1990. Quantification of root dynamcis in agroecological systems. In: VS Goel and JM Norman (eds) Instrumentation for Studying Vegetation Canopies for Remote Sensing in Optical and Thermal Infrared Regions. Remote Sensing Reviews 5:237-248
- Smucker, AJM and Erickson, AE. 1989. Tillage and Compactive Modifications of Gaseous Flow and Soil Aeration. (WE Larson et al eds). In: Mechanics and Related Processes in Structured Agricultural Soils. Kluwer Academic Publishers, pp 205-221
- Smucker, AJM, Ferguson, JC, DeBruyn, WP, Belford, RK and Ritchie, JT. 1987. Image analysis of video-recorded root systems. HM Taylor (ed). ASA Special Publication No 50 pp 67-80. Minirhizotron Observation Tubes: Methods and Applications for Measuring Root Dynamics
- Smucker, A.J.M., D. Santos, Y. Kavdir., Concentric layering of carbon, nitrogen and clay within soil aggregates, Third Eastern Canada Soil Structure Workshop Proceedings, 129-140
Profile Details
Last Updated: 1/13/2009
COS Expertise ID #260617
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