Cover Story

Roberta Gentile, a plant science graduate student, was awarded a $20,000 C. Fred Bentley Fellowship in Forage Crops to fund the field research required for her thesis. Beginning in January 2001, Gentile will spend a year in Uruguay carrying out her investigations with the Instituto Nacional de Inversigaciķn Agropecuria (INIA) research station. She will be working with University of Manitoba graduate Daniel Martino, who is employed with the INIA.

The fellowship encourages applied research on the use of forage crops in developing countries, with a goal of making land more sustainable and profi table for farmers. The funding will cover Gentilešs travel and living expenses, as well as her research expenses. The INIA will provide land to her for experimentation as well as research equipment.

Gentilešs project will focus on the rotational benefi ts of including forages in cropping systems to improve the physical properties of the soil and soil structure. The results of her research will be aimed at helping farmers in Uruguay and around the world.

Martin Entz, plant science, is Gentile's thesis advisor and an expert in several areas of cropping systems research. As part of his research, he leads the Glenlea Long- Term Crop Rotation Study that involves testing different farming methods through a series of crop rotations. This 12- year project began in 1992, and examines the impact of fertilization, spraying and the lack of fertilzation and spraying on crop yields, soil health and a number of other variables. The long- term fi ndings of this study will provide important information to farmers on sustainable farming methods.