By Andi Anderson
A Michigan State University researcher has been recognized with one of the highest honors in his field. Bruno Basso, a leading expert in sustainable agriculture and precision agriculture systems, received the Soil Science Research Award from the Soil Science Society of America (SSSA). The award was presented on November 10 at the SSSA’s CANVAS conference in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Basso serves as a John A. Hannah Distinguished Professor in MSU’s departments of Earth and Environmental Sciences, and Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences. He is also affiliated with the W.K. Kellogg Biological Station, with additional support from MSU AgBioResearch.
The award acknowledges outstanding scientific contributions, including exceptional research creativity, strong reasoning ability, technical skill, originality, and overall significance to soil science.
“It’s an honor to receive this award from the SSSA, as I’ve dedicated my career to soil science and better understanding how we can improve soil health long term,” Basso said. “Soil is life, and we need to continue to improve its health. Healthy soils are an essential component of all environments, especially in agriculture. As growers and ranchers are tasked with producing more food on less land, it’s paramount that we’re good stewards of soil and view it as a precious, finite commodity.”
Basso’s work spans many areas, including drone and satellite monitoring of crop and soil health. His team uses sensors to measure plant nutrients, temperature, and size.
These tools support his Systems Approach to Land Use Sustainability program, which models crop, nutrient, soil, and water conditions over several years under different management strategies and climate scenarios.
Growers use these models to determine how to apply fertilizer more efficiently, helping them save money and protect the environment. Basso has also developed innovative tools such as yield stability zones, allowing farmers to understand differences in soil health across their fields without costly sampling.
His recent research focuses on improving carbon credit accuracy. By modeling soil carbon changes across 46 million hectares of cropland, his work helps strengthen trust in carbon markets and encourages regenerative agriculture.
“All of my work is geared toward ensuring that we’re using the most efficient practices possible in agriculture to promote sustainability, making farmers sensitive to proper long-term decisions versus short-terms goals,” Basso said. “But there must be recognition that farmers will only adopt new strategies if they make sense economically. We’re showing that we accomplish both goals, and that’s exciting for the future of agriculture.”
Photo Credit: gettyimages-fotokostic
Categories: Michigan, Sustainable Agriculture