Dr. Sieg Snapp
BIOGRAPHY
Dr. Snapp is the Associate Director of the Center for Global Change and Earth Observations and is both a Professor in the Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences and Chair of specializations in Ecological Food and Farming Systems (EFFS) and Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems. She has edited two books and published more than a 100 journal articles and extension bulletins on sustainable intensification, agricultural systems, and participatory action research. Her research interests include international agricultural system design for a changing climate and understanding factors driving soil processes in tropical Africa. She has pioneered improved soil management, including multipurpose crops with integrated nutrient management. Dr. Snapp is possibly best known for being the ‘mother’ of the mother and baby trial design, as a means to support participatory research, communication and innovation.
Visit her page on the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources Website.
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Dr. Snapp's research focuses on understanding the principles of resilient cropping system design and biologically-based soil management. This includes investigating the multi-functional role of accessory crops such as cover crops in mediating nutrient efficiency, soil function and healthy crop roots. A particular area of interest is the feedback loops in nitrogen and phosphorus availability mediated by plants and associated microbes. Predicting nutrient availability and tradeoffs between mineralization and assimilation processes are important questions her research group and collaborators address in organic and sustainable production systems.
CURRENT PROJECTS
- PI for Malawi project on Africa RISING, sustainable intensification on-farm experimentation and modeling, IITA/USAID, Feed the Future ($5.5 million, 2011-2016).
- Co-PI and Michigan leader for a multistate conservation tillage zonal soil management project. USDA-AFRI. ($0.65 million for MSU; 2011-2016)
- Co-PI, National Science Foundation-funded KBS-LTER Long-term ecological research site at WK Kellogg Biological Station; Lead the Agroecology committee and Coordinate the Living Field Laboratory trial (2006-current)