As an assistant professor in the Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture (PSLA) with a 70 percent extension appointment, Rosa Raudales focuses on applied research that meets the needs of Connecticut greenhouse growers.
Raudales’s studies center on water quality for irrigation purposes and the various strategies to manage microbes and unwanted chemicals within irrigation systems.
“Water quality is an important issue for farmers, as well as for continued sustainability,” Raudales explains. “Greenhouse production is about getting the most yield with the fewest resources possible.”
Her first step was to conduct a survey to determine the needs of local growers. Most indicated that they do not test their water on a regular basis; rather, they start monitoring if they discover a problem. One pressing issue is the clogging of irrigation systems.
