Agriculture in the United States is currently facing major challenges. Amid abundant yields, many family farmers are going bankrupt. Fertilizers that were once cheap have become more expensive. Pesticides that were once effective are failing to overcome pests that have developed resistance. Soil erosion threatens long term productivity in many areas. Public concern over contamination of water and food by agricultural chemicals is increasing.

In developing countries, soil erosion, deforestation, desertification, loss of genetic diversity, pesticide poisoning, poverty, malnutrition, and hunger remain major problems, despite the efforts of numerous agricultural development programs.

To address these challenges, the University of Maine, through various degree programs, has offered a comprehensive  research focus in Sustainable Agriculture since 1988, emphasizing:

• increasing farm economic resilience and profitability by decreasing the costs of crop and livestock production;
• building soil tilth and fertility through efficient use of crop rotations, multiple cropping systems, animal manures, and recycled waste products;
• protecting water quality, worker health, and food safety;
• managing pests with multi-faceted, ecologically sound strategies that have minimal reliance on synthetic, broad-spectrum pesticides;
• creating strong rural communities that can be sustained through years of fluctuating crop prices and unpredictable weather.

Graduate students performing research in Sustainable Agriculture at the University of Maine can earn one of the following degrees, depending on their specific interests:

Doctor of Philosophy
Biological Sciences
Ecology and Environmental Sciences
Plant Science

Master of Science
Botany and Plant Pathology
Ecology and Environmental Sciences
Entomology
Plant, Soil and Environmental Sciences
Resource Economics and Policy
 
Course work is drawn from the offerings of many departments. Research activities are conducted at University of Maine research farms in Stillwater, Monmouth, Jonesboro or Presque Isle, and on working farms. 

For more information about graduate research in Sustainable Agriculture at the University of Maine and the availability of financial assistance, prospective students should contact faculty members who might supervise their studies. General information about the program can be obtained from:

Dr. Eric Gallandt
School of Food and Agriculture
5722 Deering Hall
Orono, ME. 04469-5722
(207) 581-2913

Graduate Faculty

Frank Drummond, Ph.D. (Rhode Island, 1986), School of Biology and Ecology. Blueberry insect pest management, pollination.

Susan Erich, Ph.D. (Cornell, 1984), School of Food and Agriculture. Plant-soil interactions, nutrient availability from alternative fertilizer materials.

Eric R. Gallandt, Ph.D. (Wisconsin-Madison, 1994), School of Food and Agriculture. Sustainable agriculture, cropping systems, and weed ecology and management.

Eleanor Groden, Ph.D. (Michigan State, 1989), School of Biology and Ecology. Biological control of insect pests, population ecology, insect pathology.

Mark Hutton, Ph.D. (New Hampshire, 1988), School of Food and Agriculture. Vegetable production, season extension technologies, disease and insect management, vegetable genetics and varietal evaluation.

John Jemison, Ph.D. (Pennsylvania State, 1991). University of Maine Cooperative Extension; Cooperating Associate Professor in the School of Food and Agriculture. Water quality, soil nutrient dynamics, nutrient management.

Tsutomu Ohno, Ph.D. (Cornell, 1983), School of Food and Agriculture. Soil Chemistry, nutrient availability from alternative fertilizer materials.

Gregory Porter, Ph.D. (Pennsylvania State, 1985), School of Food and Agriculture. Potato cropping systems, crop physiology, soil fertility management, weed-crop interactions.

Marianne Sarrantonio, Ph.D. (Cornell, 1987), School of Food and Agriculture. Cropping systems, cover crops, nitrogen transformations, organic soil amendments.

Lois Stack, Ph.D. (Wisconsin-Madison, 1984), University of Maine Cooperative Extension. Ornamental plant culture, production, and evaluation.