Dr. Andrew Margenot

Researchers

Areas of Expertise:

Soil Conservation
Soil Fertility
Nutrient Cycling
Soil Health
Nutrient Loss Reduction
Carbon Sequestration

Associate Professor
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
217-300-7059
margenot@illinois.edu

Dr. Margenot took what he learned about soil fertility in East Africa and Latin America earning his PhD at the University of California Davis to the grain cropping systems of the U.S. Midwest, where he now works. Since 2017, he’s been investigating nutrient management and loss mitigation in Illinois corn-soybean systems.

He believes soybeans have the potential to lead the way in conservation across Illinois and the greater Corn/Soybean Belt cropping systems, specifically by serving as a leverage point for introducing conservation practices. It’s this belief that fuels his current work with ISA and Illinois farmers. He directs the Soils Lab at the University of Illinois where he leads a team of 40+ researchers, grad students, and technicians. In addition, Dr. Margenot serves as a technical lead on soil health methods for USDA NRCS and is associate director of the Agroecosystem Sustainability Center at University of Illinois.

Fun Facts!
In his spare time, Dr. Margenot unwinds in his 8,000+ square-foot vegetable garden where he loves growing different heirloom corn to experiment with different flavors of cornmeal. He even tills Drummer by hand and is in search of heirloom soybeans to plant. His 2023 highlight: becoming a dad and introducing his son to soil science early!

Research Projects

Which Practices Help Improve Soil Health and Water Quality While Also Giving Me the Ability To Take Advantage of Ecosystem Markets Like Carbon Credit Programs?Alison McKenney2024-11-05T10:17:15-06:00

Which Practices Help Improve Soil Health and Water Quality While Also Giving Me the Ability To Take Advantage of Ecosystem Markets Like Carbon Credit Programs?

This project is collecting soil health, water quality and climate footprint metrics across the state’s growing regions and cropping systems (soy-corn, double-crop wheat-soy with corn rotations). It will help inform practice-based recommendations that protect soil health and water quality, as well as provide insights farmers can use as they explore ecosystem credit programs.

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How Much Do Crop Residues Feed the Following Crop’s Nutritional Needs?Alison McKenney2024-11-05T10:12:44-06:00

How Much Do Crop Residues Feed the Following Crop’s Nutritional Needs?

Crop residue is a source of nutrients for the following season’s crop, but it has yet to be documented just how much of which nutrients the residue provides. This project aims to track the release of nitrogen (N), potassium (K) and sulfur (S) from corn, wheat and cereal rye residue for soybean uptake. It will also assess how tillage and biologicals that breakdown residue influence nutrients released from residue for soybean uptake.

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Researchers