Tom Kaspar

Crop Production and Physiology

Tom Kaspar is a Plant Physiologist at the USDA-ARS National Soil Tilth Laboratory in Ames, IA. He also serves as a USDA Collaborator/Professor with the Agronomy Department at Iowa State University. Dr. Kaspar’s research program focuses mainly on crop and soil management to improve water quality and soil productivity. He has conducted field-scale research on root growth in response to soil temperature, tillage systems, and compaction; water infiltration as affected by wheel traffic compaction and tillage; stand establishment in no-till as affected by planter attachments; and spatial variability of corn and soybean yields in response to soil characteristics. His recent research has focused on the environmental benefits of small grain cover crops in corn-soybean rotations.

Education:

B.S. (Biology), 1976 , Iowa State University
M.S. (Crop Production and Physiology), 1979 , Iowa State University
Ph.D. (Crop Production and Physiology), 1982 , Iowa State University