Carrie Ortel, a doctoral candidate in the U of A's Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences, has been named recipient of the Nelson Yield-Limiting Factors Graduate Student Scholarship awarded by the American Society of Agronomy.

Ortel, a post-doctoral fellow, is working on her Ph.D. in crop, soil and environmental sciences with a focus on soil fertility. Her research evaluates late season potassium applications to Arkansas soybean, exploring ways to maximize yield and profit potential for producers.

According to data by Arkansas Farm Bureau, soybeans and soybean products are Arkansas's largest agricultural exports. Arkansas ranks 10th in the nation in soybean production, producing more than 150 million bushels annually, valued at more than $1.5 billion.

Ortel's adviser is Trenton Roberts, associate professor of soil fertility/soil testing in the Department of Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences.

"Carrie epitomizes the hard work, dedication and passion for agriculture that every adviser hopes for in a graduate student," Roberts said. "Having graduate students like Carrie is great not only for the University of Arkansas, but for the farmers and agricultural industry across the state."

Ortel has placed first in oral presentation competitions at two different national professional meetings, and she serves as vice president of the CSES Graduate Student Club.

She earned  her bachelor's degree from Virginia Tech University and master's degree from the U of A, and worked as an extension agent in North Carolina.

The scholarship was established to encourage students to pursue research and careers in support of the diagnosis yield-limiting factors in agronomy. Its focus is on leadership and accomplishments, and on nominee's long-term personal goals to research and develop improved diagnostic techniques and solutions to yield-limiting factors in agronomy. It is provided through the Agronomic Science Foundation by the Werner L. Nelson Fund.

The American Society of Agronomy is a group of professional experts who help feed and sustain the world every day.

About the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences: Bumpers College provides life-changing opportunities to position and prepare graduates who will be leaders in the businesses associated with foods, family, the environment, agriculture, sustainability and human quality of life; and who will be first-choice candidates of employers looking for leaders, innovators, policy makers and entrepreneurs. The college is named for Dale Bumpers, former Arkansas governor and longtime U.S. senator who made the state prominent in national and international agriculture. For more information about Bumpers College, visit our website, and follow us on Twitter at @BumpersCollege and Instagram at BumpersCollege.

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $2.2 billion to Arkansas' economy through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the top 3% of U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research News.