Alison Nelson, Ph.D. candidate at University of Alberta

I am a pure-blooded prairie girl, born and raised in Manitoba. Both my maternal and paternal grandparents have been involved in farming. My parents are University of Manitoba "Aggie" alumni, and both work in the agriculture sector. My father is a farmer at heart, and has grand plans for his small farm when he retires. I lived in the farming community of Portage la Prairie until my family moved to Winnipeg in 1993.

I hold a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture (Agronomy) and a Master of Science (Agronomy) from the University of Manitoba. I believe that organic agricultural systems more closely approximate natural systems than conventional agriculture does. Research into organic agriculture may provide the information needed to reduce the negative impact of farming on the natural world.

My two-year M.Sc. project (under the supervision of Dr. Jane Froese) was completed in May 2005. The project examined how crop rotations (that include cereals, forages and row crops) influence soil erosion risk across different ecozones in Canada. Funding for this project was provided by the on-farm research component of the NSERC Strategic Grant. Some publications stemming from this project can be found on the Graduate Students page.

In September 2005, I started a Ph.D. project at the University of Alberta in Edmonton under the supervision of Dr. Dean Spaner. The objective of this study is to determine how organic and conventional cropping systems can be managed to improve wheat grain nutrient quality. It is believed that wheat nutrient quality could be improved through increased soil biological activity. We will be looking at two major management practices that are known to affect soil biological activity: increased plant diversity and wheat variety selection. I am hopeful that this research will point to ways we can create more nutritious, environmentally-friendly food grains.

Currently, I am the graduate student representative on the OACC advisory board.

Contact Information
Alison Nelson
11154 78th Ave
Edmonton, AB T6G 0M6
email: agnelson@ualberta.ca

Advisor: Dr. Dean Spaner, University of Alberta

This project is funded through the on-farm research component of the NSERC Strategic Grant