John Idowu, Professor & Extension Agronomist, New Mexico State University

By Jeanette Torres, NM WRRI Program Specialist

John Idowu is a professor and extension agronomist at New Mexico State University (NMSU) working in both the Extension Plant Sciences Department and the Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences. He conducts research on crop production and soil health in New Mexico to address issues related to irrigated arid cropping systems. This research supports farmers, agriculture professionals, and stakeholders throughout the region. He also currently serves as a mentor to a PhD student, co-advisor to a master’s student, and provides support to undergraduate researchers during the school semester and summer.

Idowu has collaborated with the New Mexico Water Resources Research Institute (NM WRRI) in several different areas including grant funding opportunities, and providing input on Water Science and Management degree program student committees. He would like to strengthen his connection with NM WRRI by collaborating on research projects that address groundwater quality issues and their impact on soil and crop productivity. He would also like to develop more effective irrigation techniques for crop cultivation across the state.

Idowu earned a first-class honors BS in Soil Science from the University of Ife, Nigeria. He pursued his MS in Agronomy at the University of Gottingen, Germany, and later completed his PhD in Land Management at Cranfield University, England. According to Idowu, “My research interest was kindled during my undergraduate days. My advisor assigned me to a project that involved conducting a laboratory experiment . . . [in which] I collected and analyzed the data and wrote a research paper based on the results. I presented my experimental results in a departmental seminar during my senior year, and the data I collected became part of a peer-reviewed publication in which I am a co-author. The whole experience was a thrill, and I decided to pursue a research career by studying up to the doctorate level.”

Idowu’s current research focuses on a field project located at the Leyendecker Plant Science Research Center near Las Cruces, New Mexico. Ongoing experiments with various soil health practices and their effects on crop production have led to this area being designated as a long-term soil health research and demonstration site. This research is vital to New Mexico because it analyzes the connection between soil health and its water retention rate, which can prove useful due to the limited availability of water for irrigation. This field site is also being used to conduct soil health management training for farmers, extension educators, and other agriculture professionals.

According to Idowu, some of the major issues facing agricultural production in New Mexico are “recurrent droughts, decreasing irrigation water, and the quality of groundwater. . . All these factors are affecting the growth and yield of crops, which is why research that enhances crop productivity through improved soil moisture holding capacity is critical in our arid cropping systems.” Climatic variability is also causing uncertainty during cropping seasons, and Idowu stresses that further research in particularly arid zones is needed to address these concerns.

Idowu’s future water research will focus on enhancing the water retention of soils through improved soil health practices and developing better climate-resistant soil in New Mexico. He states that “water availability for crop production will become more problematic in the arid southwest, and therefore, research efforts must focus on how to manage available water more efficiently. Optimizing soil moisture-holding capacity is an important piece of the puzzle that will help address the dire water situation.” Expanding upon current outreach efforts to producers and stakeholders will be critical in finding a solution to increased water demand in the state.