Iowa State University
Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering


Position: Half time MS or Ph.D Graduate Research Assistantship in
Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering

Emphasis: crop modeling, soybean composition, yield forecasting, web-based
information delivery

Dates: July 1, 2004 or until filled

Description: The Crop Modeling Laboratory at Iowa State University has
developed the framework of a web-based soybean decision support system
called WebGro (http://webgro.ae.iastate.edu). The system provides a simple
interface to let producers and crop consultants run the CROPGRO-Soybean
crop growth model for their fields. The candidate will develop new modules
to help users forecast soybean yield and composition during the season.
He/she will also work on a multi-disciplinary project that includes
agronomists, chemical engineers and agricultural and biosystems engineers
to create a new metabolic flux module within the CROPGRO-Soybean model to
simulate carbon and nitrogen partitioning into protein, oil, and starch for
developing soybean seeds. This will lead to the development of a system to
help producers target gene selection to optimize yield and composition of
soybean plants.

Salary: Full tuition and fees plus $16,032/year (MS student) or
$16,632/year (Ph.D Student)

Desired Skills: Background and knowledge of plant physiology, crop growth
modeling, FORTRAN programming, mass balances, math (through differential
equations), computer modeling, web-based programming (ASP, scripting, etc),
soil and water engineering.

Contact:
To apply for this position, send a detailed resume (pdf or hard copy) and a
cover letter indicating your career goals and your experience and technical
skills related to this area of research area to:

Dr. Bill Batchelor
Professor
Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering
219b Davidson Hall
Iowa State University
Ames, IA 50011
Ph 515-294-9906
Fax 515-294-2552
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