Pursuing greater efficiency of agronomic inputs into crop production systems of Arizona.

Jeffrey Silvertooth received a Ph.D. in Soil Science (Soil Fertility) at Oklahoma State University in 1986. He also has a Master's degree in Agronomy, which he also received from Oklahoma State University. He earned his Bachelor's degree in Agronomy from Kansas State University. Here at the University of Arizona, he teaches a courses in the Management of Arid Lands and Salt Affected Soils, Introduction to Soil Science, and Soil Fertility (SWES Dept.), Crop Science and Production (PLS Dept.), along with a Soil, Water and Environmental Sciences modular course and freshman colloquium. His research interests are directed towards the development of crop production management strategies (primarily irrigated cotton, cantaloupes, and chilies (green, red, and jalapenos)) that optimize the soil-plant system agronomically and economically, with full consideration of the short- and long-term impact of inputs environmentally. A study of the soil-plant relationships regarding nutrients essential to cotton, cantaloupes, and chiles is an important part of the program as well as the management of salinity and sodicity in agricultural soils. The overall goal, by interacting with other programs, is to reduce the level of inputs such as irrigation water, fertilizers, and pesticides and maintain profitability and sustainability in both the short- and long-term agricultural production systems in the desert Southwest. Dr. Silvertooth has received several awards and recognitions including the Ag-100 Award for Excellence in Agricultural Research and Extension, 1996 and the Arizona Farm Bureau Environmental Protection and Technology Award, 1995, and he became a Fellow in the American Society of Agronomy in 2010.
The research program is directed towards the development of crop production management strategies (primarily irrigated cotton and cantaloupes) that optimize the soil-plant system agronomically and economically, with full consideration of the short- and long-term impact of inputs environmentally. A study of the soil-plant relationships regarding nurtrients essential to cotton and cantaloupes is an important part of the program. Salinity and sodicity management in agricultural soils is an important part of the program. The overall goal, by interacting with other programs, is to reduce the level of inputs such as pesticides, fertilizers, and irrigation water, and maintain profitability and sustainability in both the short- and long-term agricultural production systems in the desert Southwest