Matt Ruark

Background

About Matt Ruark

What does it mean for an agricultural system to be sustainable?How efficient can we be with our nitrogen fertilizer?How should we manage our soils to be resilient to extremes in weather?Can measures of soil quality be used to guide agricultural management recommendations?These are just a few of the questions that I seek answers to as an Associate Professor and Extension Specialist of Soil Fertility and Nutrient Management. My Nutrient Cycling and Agroecosystems Laboratory (ruarklab.soils.wisc.edu) conducts research and outreach on nitrogen and phosphorus management in grain, dairy, vegetable, and biofuel production systems, as well as evaluating the impact of fertilizer, manure, and cover crop management on crop production, water quality, greenhouse gas emissions, and soil quality and health.My research is entirely field-based - meaning research is conducted in the field, either on farmer's fields or on agricultural experiment stations. Career statistics (as of 6/24/15):• 30 grants totaling $15.3 million. • 20 peer-reviewed publications, 3 in-review• 7 peer-reviewed Extension publications• 54 research presentations• 50 extension articles (white papers & newsletters)• 34 conference proceedings• 276 Extension presentationsI serve as:• Faculty Advisor to UW Discovery Farms• Advisor to the Wisconsin Agribusiness Association• Co-director of the Wisconsin Crop Management Conference• Executive committee member, Midwest Cover Crops Council• Associate Editor, Agronomy JournalI wear a lot of hats and run, what I feel is, a diverse research and extension program. There are a lot of great people to work with in Wisconsin to answer the pressing research questions and I certainly don't do it all alone. I've found the University of Wisconsin-Madison to be a fantastic place to work and the state of Wisconsin a great place to build a career and family.