FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Robert Rosene, a graduate student in agricultural economics and agribusiness in the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences, successfully defended his thesis titled "Producer Preferences for Alternative Irrigation Practices in the Arkansas Delta."

Under the guidance of his advisor, Kent Kovacs, he assessed relationships between peer networks and the continued use of and intensity of use of different alternative irrigation practices and technologies in the Arkansas Delta. With the growing concern of groundwater availability in the state, it is becoming essential to adopt conservation-minded and more efficient irrigation systems. Understanding how irrigation technologies are disseminated amongst producers through peer networks can help policymakers and extension services more appropriately encourage adoption of these technologies.

Rosene is originally from Bourbonnais, Illinois, and a graduate of Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois. His parents, Dale and Judy Rosene, still live in Bourbonnais and his sister, Elizabeth, is studying chemical engineering at Purdue University. Upon graduation, Robert will be employed at H.C. Schmieding Produce LLC in Springdale as a data analyst. His responsibilities will include developing pricing models, data management, and analysis of logistics and on-farm production trends.