MSU researcher hired through Agricultural Resiliency Program working to improve water quality in Michigan
Print
EmailSubhasis Giri has joined the MSU Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering.
EAST LANSING, Mich. — Michigan’s proximity to the Great Lakes provides access to roughly 20% of the world’s surface fresh water. From agriculture to tourism, water is a key driver of the state’s economy and the well-being of its residents.
Protecting this resource from threats is of utmost importance. It has prompted Michigan State University, alongside statewide partners, to invest in bringing some of the leading water researchers to Michigan.
For Subhasis Giri, an assistant professor in the MSU Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, working for the university is the culmination of a lifelong goal.
“My long-term career goal is to be a professor in the area of water quality, while establishing a research group that can solve current and emerging issues,” he said. “MSU’s land-grant model of teaching, research and outreach provides the platform to achieve those objectives. Extension is very practical and helps our industries, and teaching allows me to translate my knowledge for other people who will help solve real-world problems.”
Giri’s position is one of six new faculty roles and two MSU Extension educators that will be hired through the Agricultural Resiliency Program, a partnership among MSU, the Michigan Plant Coalition, and the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.
The program began in 2024 and is geared toward addressing enduring plant agriculture challenges related to water and the effects of extreme weather. Research and outreach focuses on a variety of topics, including soil health, water quality and availability, and developing innovative long-term strategies in the face of severe events such as droughts and floods.
Giri, who obtained his doctorate from MSU, returned to the university after serving as an assistant research professor in the Center for Remote Sensing and Spatial Analysis at Rutgers University in New Jersey.
He specializes in hydrology and water quality, working to advance understanding of hydrological processes and the flow of water in natural and human systems. Using field studies and modeling, his research team seeks to protect soil, water and other natural resources for generations to come.
“The goal of the Agricultural Resiliency Program’s hiring initiative is to fill gaps in expertise at MSU, and Dr. Giri’s knowledge and experience with water quality research does just that,” said Bradley Marks, chair of the Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering. “He has significant expertise in developing tools that help monitor and improve water quality at various scales, and we’re thrilled that he will be applying that expertise to solve pressing and emerging water quality issues for Michigan agricultural stakeholders.”
While at Rutgers, Giri developed a resiliency-driven decision support tool known as NJ Watershed Adapt. The tool is used by watershed groups and policymakers to implement conservation practices that reduce pollution and improve water quality.
Giri said through collaborations with local farmers, watershed groups, county extension agents, municipalities and state agencies, the team has been able to improve water quality at the individual farm and watershed levels.
He believes the Agricultural Resiliency Program offers the foundation to expand these efforts in Michigan.
“We’re seeing increasing temperatures and changing precipitation patterns in Michigan, which result in longer growing seasons that lead to more crop water requirement,” Giri said. “Increasing temperatures also increase pests, diseases and weeds in various agricultural commodities. Furthermore, extreme precipitation events are leading to greater soil erosion and nutrient transport from agricultural fields into waterbodies, resulting into harmful algal blooms.
“The Agricultural Resiliency Program not only offers a platform to work with researchers from various departments, but it also encourages interaction among commodity groups in Michigan to tackle these challenges and create strategies toward long-term sustainability in Michigan agriculture.”
In March, the program announced new funding for four projects that begin in 2025. Giri received a three-year, $1.275 million award to explore answers to harmful algal growth in Michigan waterbodies.
Giri will partner with corn and soybean growers to generate tools that prevent nutrient loss and lessen the environmental consequences of harmful algal blooms. The project will include water quality monitoring, demonstration of nutrient-capturing technology, evaluating conservation practices for water quality and soil carbon sequestration, quantifying socioeconomic benefits of conservation practices, and development of a decision-support tool for farmers.
The direct collaboration with growers, Giri said, is what will lead to practical solutions.
“The success of the Agricultural Resiliency Program lies in the interaction of farmers and commodity groups with researchers who can find out their needs,” he said. “Based on their feedback, we should conduct research that can be developed into extension programs to deliver science-based recommendations.”
Michigan State University AgBioResearch scientists discover dynamic solutions for food systems and the environment. More than 300 MSU faculty conduct leading-edge research on a variety of topics, from health and agriculture to natural resources. Originally formed in 1888 as the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station, MSU AgBioResearch oversees numerous on-campus research facilities, as well as 15 outlying centers throughout Michigan. To learn more, visit agbioresearch.msu.edu.
