By Chinmayee Priyadarshini
PhD student Chinmayee Priyadarshini has been working on the Impacts of Agricultural Systems on the Dynamics And Functions of Soil and Tomato-Associated Microbiome and Productivity project with Dr. Ye Xia and Dr. Rattan Lal for the National Institute of Food and Agriculture. She spent the early months of Fall 2024, analyzing GHG emissions from the fusarium infected tomato field at Waterman Agricultural and Natural Resources Laboratory. She and Research Technician Alex Jones captured the GHG emissions through a photoacoustic infrared spectroscopy (PAS) analyzer, measurements that were further validated by gas chromatography conducted in collaboration with the Sustainable Agroecosystems Lab at Ohio State. Apart from capturing GHGs, it was a whole new experience working with tomato plants and soils affected by soil borne diseases and high weed infestation. She will be continuing the gas analysis for off-season in late March of 2025 as well.