Rate My Professor Lucas Nebert

Lucas Nebert serves as Assistant Professor of Practice and statewide extension specialist for organic seed and planting stock in the Department of Horticulture, College of Agricultural Sciences at Oregon State University, a position he began in fall 2024. He earned a doctorate in Environmental Science, Studies and Policy from the University of Oregon, a master's degree in Soil Quality from Wageningen University in the Netherlands, and a bachelor's degree from Willamette University. Prior to his current role, Nebert worked with the OSU Dry Farming Program since 2018 and has led the program since 2022. He also manages Dream Seed Farm, LLC, a small organic farm in Corvallis, Oregon. His career includes affiliations with the OSU Extension Service, Small Farms Program, and Center for Small Farms and Community Food Systems.

Nebert's research focuses on soil and plant microbiomes, including earthworm-microbe interactions and seed-associated bacteria and fungi, as well as dry farming, organic agriculture, climate-adaptive production strategies, field crops, vegetables and specialty seeds, soil health, plant diseases, and water management and conservation. Key publications include 'Association of earthworm-denitrifier interactions with increased emission of nitrous oxide from soil mesocosms amended with crop residue' (2011, Applied and Environmental Microbiology), 'Influence of organic plant breeding on the rhizosphere microbiome of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)' (2023, Frontiers in Plant Science), 'On Germs and Germination: Uncovering the Hidden Ecology of Seedborne Bacteria and Fungi in Open-Pollinated Maize' (2018), and 'Evaluating Management Practices for Controlling Blossom-end Rot and Other Blemishes in Dry-farmed Tomato' (2025, HortTechnology). He received the Julia and Rocky Dixon Graduate Student Innovation Award from the University of Oregon in 2015 and the Dan Kimble First Year Teaching Award in Biology from Willamette University. Through extension work, Nebert supports producers statewide with demonstrations such as climate-adaptive dry-farmed melons and reduced tillage sweet corn, contributing to sustainable and resilient agricultural practices in Oregon.