Kurt Spokas

Kurt Spokas
Adjunct Assistant Professor
Research Leader, USDA-ARS
[email protected]
612-626-2834
S531 Soil Science Building
Kurt's Google Scholar Profile
Education
  • BS, Lewis University - 1992
  • MS, Northern Illinois University - 1998
  • PhD, University of Minnesota - 2005

Areas of Interest

Biogeochemistry, Contaminant Hydrology and Water Quality, Soil Physics

Research

My major areas of research within the USDA-ARS are as follows: The impact of management practices (particularly herbicides, fungicides and biochar additions) on the cycling of carbon, nitrogen, and other greenhouse gases in agricultural systems.  This includes the study of the transport and surface exchange of greenhouse gases (nitrous oxide, carbon dioxide, methane) and the impacts of seasonal cycling on their transport.

I am also examining ways that farming practices can improve water quality with a particular emphasis on the transport and fate of the new strobilurin fungicides in the soil system.

Select Publications

  • Spokas, K., King,  J., Wang, D., and Papiernik, S. 2007.  Effects of soil fumigants on methanotrophic activity. Atmospheric Environment 41, 8150–8162.
  • McGiffen, M., Spokas, K., Forcella, F., Archer, D., Poppe, S., and  Figueroa, R. 2007. Emergence Prediction of Common Groundsel (Senecio vulgaris). Weed Science. 56:58-65.
  • Schutte, B.J., Regnier, E.E. Harrison, S.K., Spokas, K., and Forcella, F. 2007.  A Hydrothermal Seedling Emergence Model for Giant Ragweed (Ambrosia trifida). Weed Science 56, 555-560.
  • La Scala Jr., N., Afonso, L., Spokas ,K.,  Denizart, B., Archer, D.W., and Reicosky, D.C. 2007. Short-term temporal changes of soil carbon losses after tillage described by a first-order decay model. Soil & Tillage Research. 99:108-118.
  • Martinson, K., Durgan, D., Forcella, F.,  Wiersma, J., Spokas, K., and Archer,D. 2007. An Emergence Model for Wild Oat (Avena fatua). Weed Science 55, 584 – 591.
  • Spokas, K., Forcella, F., Archer, D., and Reicosky, D. 2007. SeedChaser: Vertical soil tillage distribution model. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture 57: 62–73.
  • Weyers, S.L., Schomberg, H.H., Hendrix, P.F., Spokas, K., and Endale, D.M. 2007. Construction of an electrical device for sampling earthworm populations in the field. Applied Engineering in Agriculture. 24(3):391-397.
  • Sakaliene, O., Papiernik, S.K., Koskinen, W.C., and Spokas, K.A. 2007. Sorption and predicted mobility of herbicides in Baltic soils. Journal of Environmental Science and Health part B. 42: 641-647.
  • Forcella, F., Spokas, K., Gesch, R., Isbell, T., and Archer, D. 2007. Swathing and windrowing as harvest aids for cuphea. Agronomy Journal 99: 415-418.