Dr. Christian Nansen's website
Assistant Professor in Grain Entomology
Texas A&M, Dept Entomol (75%)
Texas Tech, Plant Soil Science  (25%)
Email: cnansen@ag.tamu.edu
phone: 806-746-6101
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Updated: Jan 08, 2008
The difference between the possible and the impossible is that the impossible takes a bit longer to accomplish - (Rephrased quote from Fridtjof Nansen, a Norwegian UN Peace Diplomat,  scientist,  explorer and Noble Peace Prize Laureate).
The research context I am working in
You could call Texas High Plains the “Agricultural Las Vegas” as it represents an extraordinary agricultural paradox – it is one of the areas in the World with the most intensive agricultural practices, but at the same time, it is an area where access to surface water is limited. Without the Ogallala Aquifer (agriculturehttp://www.hpwd.com/the_ogallala.asp) and millions of gallons of water being used every year for irrigation, this area would likely be uncultivated grass prairie. Limited water availability was one of the main reasons why Texas High Plains  were among the last parts of the Midwest to be inhabited by European settlers. Due to the intensive use of irrigation, Ogallala is not recharghed (from rainfall) with the same rate as water is pumped up, so underground water levels are declining steadily. While cotton is the dominant crop, corn (maize), wheat, sorghum, and peanuts are very important as well, and add to that a fastly growing diary industry and that in a few years Texas will be one of leaders in biofuel production! It is within this regional context that I am developing a research program, that: 1) addresses the research identified by growers and their associations within the region but at the same time is relevant to agricultural systems worldwide, 2) is applied and focuses on development of practical recommendations but at the same time encompasses more experimental research that is needed to outline both advantages and limitations of such recommendations, and 3) reflects my international experience and interest in collaborating with fellow researchers worldwide.
Research Goals
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