Degrees

• B.S., Agriculture, University of British Columbia, 1982
• M.S., Soil Science, University of British Columbia, 1986
• Ph.D., Soil Science, University of Alberta, 1993

Research Interests

• Biochemical and molecular approaches to characterize microbial community structure and function in soil systems.
• Mechanisms of carbon sequestration in natural and agro-ecosystems.
• Mycorrhizal function in natural and agro-ecosystems.

Courses Taught

• Soils 460/860, Soil Microbiology

Major Project Activities

• Community Structure and Functional Diversity of Soil Microbial Communities in Natural and Agro-ecosystems
• Genomics of Nitrous Oxide Flux Associated with Carbon Sequestration (pending)
• Long-term Forest Establishment on Prairie Soils: Effects on Soil Microbiological, Mineralogical, Physical and Chemical Properties.
• Role of Nutrient Dynamics in Soil Microbial Diversity and Early Season Corn Growth
• Complex Lipid Biomarkers for Improved Quantification of Vesicular Mycorrhizal Fungi in Soil Systems
• Accumulation of Microbial Biomass in Aging Golf Greens and its Relationship to Soil Organic Matter and Green Management

Selected Publications

• Tian, H., R.A. Drijber, X.L. Li., D.N. Miller, B.J. Wienhold. 2013. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi differ in their ability to regulate the expression of phosphate transporters in maize (Zea mays L.). Mycorrhiza In Press.

• Tian, H., R.A. Drijber, J.L. Zhang, X.L. Li. 2013. Impact of long-term nitrogen fertilization and rotation with soybean on the diversity and phosphorus metabolism of indigenous arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi within the roots of maize (Zea mays L.). Agriculture Ecosystems & Environment 164:53-61.

• Wingeyer, A.B., D. Walters, R. Drijber, D.C. Olk, T. Arkebauer, S. Verma, D. Wedin, C. Francis. 2012. Fall conservation deep tillage stabilizes maize residues into soil organic matter. Soil Science Society of America Journal 76:2154–2163.

• Wortman, S. E., C. A. Francis, M. L. Bernards, R. A. Drijber, and J. L. Lindquist. 2012. Optimizing cover crop benefits with diverse mixtures and an alternative termination method. Agronomy J. 104:1425-1435.

• Isobe, K., Maruyama, K., Nagai, S., Higo, M., Maekawa, T., Mizonobe, G., Drijber, R.A., Ishii, R. 2011. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal community structure in soybean roots: Comparison between Kanagawa and Hokkaido, Japan. Advances in Microbiology 1:13-22.

• Tian, H., Drijber, R.A., Niu, X.S., Zhang, J.L., Li, X.L. 2011. Spatio-temporal dynamics of an indigenous arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal community in an intensively managed maize agroecosystem in north China. Applied Soil Ecology 47:141-152.
   
• Haddix, M.L., Plante, A.F., Conant, R.T., Paul, E.A., Six, J., Steinweg, M.J., Magrini-Bair, K., Drijber, R.A., Morris, S.J. 2011. The role of soil characteristics on temperature sensitivity of soil organic matter. Soil Science Society of America Journal 75:56-68.

• Okalebo, J., Yuen, G.Y., Drijber, R.A., Blankenship, E., Eken, C., Lindquist, J. 2011. Biological suppression of velvetleaf (Abuliton theophrasti) in an Eastern Nebraska soil. Weed Science 59:155-161.

• Liang, Z, Drijber, R.A., Lee, D.J., Dwiekat, I.M., Harris, S.D., Wedin, D.A. 2008. A DGGE-cloning method to characterize arbuscular mycorrhizal community structure in soil. Soil Biology & Biochemistry 40:956-966.
   
• Conant, R.T., Drijber, R.A., Haddix, M.L., Parton, W.J., Paul, E.A., Plante, A.F., Six, J., Steinweg, J.M. 2008. Sensitivity of organic matter decomposition to warming varies with its quality. Global Change Biology 14:868-877.
   
• Wortmann, C.S., Quincke, J.A., Drijber, R.A., Mamo, M., Franti, T.. 2008. Soil microbial change and recovery after one-time tillage of continuous no-till. Agronomy Journal 100:1681-1686.
   
• Frey, S,D., Drijber, R., Smith, H., Melillo, J. 2008. Microbial biomass, functional capacity, and community structure after 12 years of soil warming. Soil Biology & Biochemistry 40:2904-2907.
   
• Grigera, M.S., Drijber, R.A., Wienhold, B.J. 2007. Redistribution of crop residues during row cultivation creates a biologically enhanced environment for soil microorganisms. Soil and Tillage Research 94:550-554.
   
• Grigera, M.S., Drijber, R.A., Wienhold, B.J. 2007. Increased abundance of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in soil coincides with the reproductive stages of maize. Soil Biology & Biochemistry 39:1401-1409.
   
• Grigera, M.S., Drijber, R.A., Shores-Morrow, R.H., Wienhold, B.J. 2007. Distribution of the arbuscular mycorrhizal biomarker C16:1cis11 among neutral, glyco and phospholipids extracted from soil during the reproductive growth of corn. Soil Biology & Biochemistry 39:1589-1596.
   
• Garcia, J.P., Wortmann, C.S., Mamo, M., Drijber, R., Tarkalson, D. 2007. One-time tillage of no-till: effects on nutrients, mycorrhizae, and phoshorus uptake. Agronomy Journal 99:1093-1103
   
• Quincke, J.A., Wortmann, C.S., Mamo, M., Franti, T., Drijber, R.A. 2007. Occasional tillage of no-till systems: carbon dioxide flux and changes in total and labile soil organic carbon. Agronomy Journal 99:1158-1168.
   
• Quincke, J.A., Wortmann, C.S., Mamo, M., Franti, T., Drijber, R.A., Garcia, J.P. 2007. One-time tillage of no-till systems: soil physical properties, phosphorus runoff, and crop yield. Agronomy Journal 99:1104-1110.
   
• Bradley, K., Drijber, R.A., Knops, J. 2006. Increased N availability in grassland soils modifies their microbial communities and decreases the abundance of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Soil Biology & Biochemistry 38:1583-1595.
   
• Grigera, M.S., Drijber, R.A., Eskridge, K.M., Wienhold, B.J. 2006. Soil microbial biomass response to physicochemical properties that define apparent electrical conductivity classification. Soil Science Society of America Journal 70: 1480-1488.
   
• Kerek, M., Drijber, R.A., Powers, W.L., Shearman, R.C., Gaussoin, R.E. and Streich, A.M. 2002. Accumulation of microbial biomass within particulate organic matter of aging golf greens. Agronomy Journal 94:455-461.
   
• Kerek, M., Drijber, R.A., Gaussoin, R.E. 2003. Labile soil organic matter as a potential nitrogen source in golf greens. Soil Biology & Biochemistry 35:1643-1649.
   
• Johnson, C.K., Wienhold, B.J., Doran, J.W., Drijber, R.A., Wright, S.F. 2004. Linking microbial-scale findings to farm-scale outcomes. Precision Agriculture 5:311-327.
   
• Drijber, R.A., Doran, J.W., Parkhurst, A.M., Lyon, D.J. 2000. Changes in soil microbial community structure with tillage under long-term wheat-fallow management. Soil Biology & Biochemistry 32:1419-1430.