Salazar Lab
Welcome to Dr. Melba Salazar’s laboratory. Mission: To develop Decision Support Tools that address farmers’ and industry needs.
About US
DR. MELBA SALAZAR-GUTIERREZ (LEADER)
CROP PHYSIOLOGIST & CROP MODELER
Country of Origin: Colombia, South America
Dr. Melba Salazar-Gutierrez joined Auburn University in January 2021, in her previous position as Research Professor at Washington State University Dr. Salazar participated in the development and application of several crop simulation models to estimate the impact of climate variables in agricultural management on tree fruit, grapes, and other horticultural crops to create a strong foundation for decision making and stakeholder recommendations. Models for the cold hardiness of apples, cold hardiness of cherries, phenology of apples, phenology of grapes, a pollen tube growth model, and a model for the fruit diameter of apples, are already available to the public and published. These models have provided tools to the industry and farmers by identifying critical temperatures to manage agricultural practices and avoid the risk of crop loss. Her main goal at Auburn University is to develop tools and do research that addresses farmer and industry needs.
Dr. Salazar is very committed to graduate students, she has been a link in her previous positions with the Global Research and Engagement program to bring students from other countries particularly from Colombia as part of a grant effort. She also has established and maintained positive, respectful, and appropriate mentoring and collaborative relationships with international students and visiting scientists from a wide variety of cultures and backgrounds. In Auburn, she is a member of the Global Program Advisory Committee (GPAC).
Dr. Salazar’s Lab is recognized for its efforts to attract students from various genders, races, religious, and cultural backgrounds. Previously had students and interns from Ecuador, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Colombia, and currently, the lab is composed of students from Belize, the Philippines, Nepal, and Tanzania. Dr. Salazar actively promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion by fostering a welcoming environment, ensuring equal opportunities, and soliciting diverse perspectives through respectful listening and organizing inclusive activities. Respect and appreciation through regular acknowledgments to make people valued and appreciated is the core of the Salazar’s lab.
In sourcing grants, Dr. Salazar is responsible for stakeholder management of potential grant makers, who are beneficiaries of our research. Her outreach efforts include presentations to farmers and a variety of stakeholders.
Research
Teaching
Team
Contact
Auburn Univ, AL 36849
Research Focus
Dr. Salazar’s research program focuses on studying the whole plant physiology of fruit crops understanding the impact of agroclimatic factors, and the interaction with the plant, and soil. A key element of her program is the combination of physiological knowledge with modeling approaches for the development of decision support tools. Her research address the modeling of the crop physiological responses to environmental stress, climate variability, and climate change, as well as the evaluation of alternative management systems with agricultural infrastructure (protected cultivation,close-loop agriculture) for resilience against climate change designed to optimize and maximize plant productivity, fruit quality, and on-farm-efficiency for food supply while taking care of the environment in a sustainable manner.
Research Topics
Currently, the Laboratory study a broad range of topics (listed below) on fruit crops including but not limited to blueberries, strawberries, and peaches in conventional and alternative production systems (alternative containers, alternative hightunnels, alternative hydroponics conventional blueberries, conventional strawberries).
- Hydroponic Systems
- Photosynthetic characterization
- Dormancy and phenology
- Dry matter and distribution
- Plant disorders caused by environmental stress
- Physiological responses to climate variability
- Agricultural resilience
- Crop modeling
Trials and experimental plots are located at E.V. Smith Research Center, Chilton Regional & Extension Center, Paterson Greenhouse and Plant Science Research Center
Conventional & Alternative Production Systems
See the picture gallery below for both systems of blueberries and stawberries.
HORT News
Wright named ASHS Fellow
Amy Wright, professor of horticulture and associate dean for instruction, was named an American Society for Horticultural Science Fellow at the society’s annual conference Sept. 23-27. ASHS is globally recognized as one of the most respected and influential...
Ru wins ASHS Early Career Competition
Sushan Ru, assistant professor of horticulture, won first place in the Early Career Competition at the American Society for Horticultural Science Annual Conference Sept. 23-27. ASHS is globally recognized as one of the most respected and influential professional...
Finding frost-tolerant blueberries for Alabama growers
Alabama blueberry farmers could soon start growing more frost-tolerant cultivars thanks to recent research at Auburn University. Most Alabama growers are still heavily relying on the native species rabbiteye (Vaccinium virgatum Ait), while producers in neighboring...