Rate My Professor Lucas Nebert

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.