Director, Farming Systems Trial

Email: saurav.das@rodaleinstitute.org
Phone (office): 610-683-1407
Address: 611 Siegfriedale Rd, Kutztown, PA 19530

Dr. Saurav Das has recently joined the Rodale Institute as the Director of the Farming Systems Trial in Kutztown, PA. With a strong background in soil science, Dr. Das brings extensive expertise in soil health, the biogeochemistry of carbon and nitrogen, sustainable agriculture, and environmental microbiology. His career includes roles as a Research Assistant Professor and Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln, Nebraska where he led major projects on benchmarking soil health measurement and monitoring, as well as carbon and nitrogen dynamics in relation to different land use and management practices. Dr. Das is also passionate about integrating data science with soil science, emphasizing the importance of data in decision-making for adopting sustainable practices and policy making. He is dedicated to advancing research in sustainable farming systems and is eager to contribute to the innovative work at Rodale Institute.

Select Publications

  • Das, S., Hird, A., Maharjan, B., Stephenson, M., & Kariyawasam, L. (2024). Reference site selection based on state-and-transition models for soil health gap evaluation within cropland reference ecological units. Soil Security, 16, 100142. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soisec.2024.100142
  • Das, S., Mohapatra, A., Sahu, K., Panday, D., Ghimire, D., & Maharjan, B. (2024). Nitrogen dynamics as a function of soil types, compaction, and moisture. PLOS ONE, 19(4), e0301296. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0301296
  • Maharjan, B., Das, S., Thapa, V. R., & Acharya, B. S. (2024). Soil health cycle. Agrosystems, Geosciences & Environment, 7(2), e20504. https://doi.org/10.1002/agg2.20504
  • Panday, D., Bhusal, N., Das, S., & Ghalehgolabbehbahani, A. (2024). Rooted in Nature: The Rise, Challenges, and Potential of Organic Farming and Fertilizers in Agroecosystems. Sustainability, 16(4), 1530. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16041530
  • Das, S., Ray, M. K., Panday, D., & Mishra, P. K. (2023). Role of biotechnology in creating sustainable agriculture. PLOS Sustainability and Transformation, 2(7), e0000069. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pstr.0000069
  • Das, S., Liptzin, D., & Maharjan, B. (2023). Long-term manure application improves soil health and stabilizes carbon in continuous maize production system. Geoderma, 430, 116338. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2023.116338
  • Das, S., & Maharjan, B. (2022). Cropland Reference Ecological Unit: A land classification unit for comparative soil studies. Ecological Indicators, 144, 109468. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2022.109468
  • Das, S., Berns, K., McDonald, M., Ghimire, D., & Maharjan, B. (2022). Soil health, cover crop, and fertility management: Nebraska producers’ perspectives on challenges and adoption. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation, 77(2), 126-134. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2489/jswc.2022.00058
  • Maharjan, B., Das, S., Nielsen, R., & Hergert, G. W. (2021). Maize yields from manure and mineral fertilizers in the 100-year-old Knorr–Holden Plot. Agronomy Journal, 113(6), 5383-5397. https://doi.org/10.1002/agj2.20713
  • Maharjan, B., Das, S., & Acharya, B. S. (2020). Soil Health Gap: A concept to establish a benchmark for soil health management. Global Ecology and Conservation, 23, e01116. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2020.e01116

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