M.Sc. Student, University of Saskatchewan
Supervisor: Dr. Kate Congreves
About Trang Phan
Trang Phan is a Vietnamese student who completed the Bachelor of Science in Agriculture (Honours) at the University of Saskatchewan in June 2019. During her undergraduate studies, she concentrated her focus on Plant Biology, Horticulture Science, and Soil Biogeochemistry. Trang wrote her undergraduate thesis on the influence of soil moisture on nitrous oxide isotopomers – supervised by Dr. Kate Congreves. The findings of her undergraduate research sparked her interest in soil greenhouse gas emissions, and therefore, she will continue to focus on this for her MSc research, with the goal of better understanding soil ecosystem services. Specifically, Trang will focus on measuring the agronomic and environmental outcomes of fall vs. spring-applied enhanced efficiency N-fertilizers (EENFs) in canola production. By establishing a plot-trial in the field (repeated over 3 years), she will measure crop yields and nutrient use efficiency, and N2O emissions at spring thaw and at fertilizer application. To complement her field research, she will conduct an incubation study to look at the N2O reduction potentials of EENFs vs. conventional fertilizers, and also how EEFNs influence N2O production pathways. Trang’s goal for this research is to put forward the reccomendations for which fertilizer is superior for field crop production that improves/maintains yields without compromising the environment. After the study, she hopes to pursue the career in Agricultural Science, especially in crop development and environment. Beside her academic goals, Trang is an active supporter of international efforts to stop animal abuse and end dog and cat meat industry in Asia.
Publications
Congreves, K.A., Phan, T., Farrell, R.E. (2019). A new look at an old concept: using 15N2O isotopomers to understand the relationship between soil moisture and N2O production pathways. Soil, 5: 265-274. https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-5-265-2019