R Michael Lehman |
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Michael Lehman North Central Agricultural Research Laboratory |
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Dr. Mike Lehman is a soil microbiologist with the ARS North Central Agricultural Research Laboratory in Brookings, South Dakota. Mike researches the interactions between soil microorganisms and agricultural management practices. The majority of the research is conducted on no-till cropping systems. His research evaluates the potential for cover cropping, crop rotation, and residue retention to influence soil microorganisms, their processes, and ultimately the services they provide in these systems. Two projects involve grassland systems and evaluate how grassland management (grazing, conversion to row cropping) influence microbially-mediated soil processes and the long-term soil health in these systems. Multiple analytical tools are used to assess microbial communities and their activities including biochemical, microscopic, molecular, and trace gas analytical techniques. Collaborative research projects have involved the role of ground beetle gut bacteria in mediating beetle fitness, and the potential for these gut bacteria to be vectors for antibiotic resistance genes.
Research Interests
- Documenting the role of soil microorganisms in the production and impact of annual cropping systems
- Developing, demonstrating, and evaluating assays that reflect meaningful influences of agricultural management practices on soil health.
- Translating soil microbial dynamics and processes into quantifiable benefits provided by improved crop production practices.
Production Systems Studied
- Annual grain cropping systems
- Grasslands
Laboratory and Field Expertise
- Bacterial characterization and quantification using PCR and qPCR methods.
- Conventional & molecular assessments of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi
- A range of microbial activity measures including respiration and exoenzymes
- Greenhouse gas measurements
Current Projects
- Evaluating performance of no-till cropping systems that incorporate crop rotation and cover crops
- Assessing impact of corn residue removal on soil properties and greenhouse gas fluxes
- Assessing the effects of cover cropping on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi
- Assessing changes in soil health as grasslands are converted to row cropping
Selected Publications
- Benitez SM, Taheri WI, &Lehman RM. 2016. Selection of fungi by candidate cover crops. Appl Soil Ecol 103:72-82.
- Lehman RM et al..2015. Understanding and enhancing soil health: The solution for reversing soil degradation. Sustainability 7(1): 988-1027.
- Lehman RM, Garland JL, &Osborne SL. 2013. Applying an oxygen-based respiratory assay to assess soil microbial responses to substrate and N availability. Appl Soil Ecol 64: 127– 134.
- Lehman RM, Taheri WI, Osborne SL, Buyer JS &Douds DD. 2012. Fall cover cropping can increase arbuscular mycorrhizae in soils supporting intensive agricultural production. Appl. Soil Ecol. 61: 300-304.
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