Associate Researcher
Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems

Ph.D., M.S., B.A., Tokyo University of Agriculture
Tokyo, Japan

Sustainable Nutrient/Soil-borne Management in Organic Systems

My current research focuses on developing sustainable fertility and soil-borne disease management strategies in organic (and conventional) strawberries and vegetables in California. Agroecological principles are used in my research to assess and improve sustainability of agricultural production systems and food systems. Research projects include optimizing anaerobic soil disinfestation (ASD) as an alternative to methyl bromide fumigation, developing N fertility management strategies for organic strawberries and organic broccoli, maintaining agroecosystem health in an organic strawberry-vegetable rotation system (Elkhorn project), nitrogen cycling at conventional and organic strawberry fields in California and in Nanjing, China, and comparison of nitrate content in leafy vegetables from organic and conventional farms in California (Nitrate in leafy vegetables).

• Publications
• Research

Research interests: sustainable agriculture, indicators of sustainability, agroecology, agroecosystems, systems approach, nutrient cycling, soil quality, food quality, soil testing and plant analysis, organic farming, nitrate in leafy vegetables, Japanese agriculture.

Contact Joji Muramoto by email: joji@ucsc.edu