Amy Greenberg Defends M.S. Thesis
Amy Greenberg successfully defended her plant sciences M.S. thesis, Potassium Fertilization and Its Impact on Yield, Nutritive Value, Root Reserves, and Winter Hardiness of Alfalfa, on May 5, 2021 at North Dakota State University. She was advised by Dr. Marisol Berti.
Amy Greenberg successfully defended her plant sciences M.S. thesis, Potassium Fertilization and Its Impact on Yield, Nutritive Value, Root Reserves, and Winter Hardiness of Alfalfa, on May 5, 2021 at North Dakota State University. She was advised by Dr. Marisol Berti, professor and leader of the forages and biomass crop production program.
Potassium (K) is an important nutrient to help alfalfa store starch and protein in the taproot prior to dormancy, making the plant more winter hardy. Greenberg applied K fertilizer to alfalfa at different rates and times and measured how the forage yield, quality, and winter survival was impacted. The alfalfa that received K fertilizer had higher total seasonal forage yield, however, the forage quality was more fibrous and less digestible for livestock, and there was no increase in plant population or amount of starch and protein that was stored in the taproots.
Greenberg is from Eagan, Minn., and earned her Bachelor of Science degree in animal sciences at NDSU. She was excited to pursue her graduate degree with Dr. Berti because, "She works with diverse crops and there’s opportunity to be involved with all research projects, which I knew would maximize my learning experience in graduate school."
She praises the Department of Plant Sciences for “providing classes that incorporate different crop systems, climates, and technologies that are seen across the state in order to gain new perspectives on problem solving within crop production.” She also mentions the conservation agriculture programs in Plant Sciences and Soil Science that offer the opportunity to be involved with NDSU Extension.
Greenberg was an active member of the Plant Sciences Graduate Student Association during her graduate studies.
Her graduate committee members were Berti, Dr. David Franzen, Dr. Caley Gasch, and Dr. Qi Zhang.
Author: Kamie Beeson, kamie.a.beeson@ndsu.edu
Editor: Karen Hertsgaard, karen.hertsgaard@ndsu.edu
