Xia Zhu-Barker

Position title: Assistant Professor, Soil Science

Email: zhubarker@wisc.edu

Research Summary

I study how soil biogeochemical processes shape the sustainability of agroecosystems, with a focus on carbon and nitrogen cycling, water movement, nutrient use efficiency, food production and quality, and the fate of pollutants. My research integrates stable isotope techniques, molecular tools, and quantitative approaches to explore soil–plant–microbe interactions and evaluate land management impacts. I currently lead projects on soil health in diverse cropping systems, nutrient dynamics in dairy and feedlot operations, trace gas emissions, and carbon storage in soils. My goal is to support sustainable food, energy, and water systems by connecting biogeochemical understanding with agronomic, environmental, and social insights—particularly in the context of Wisconsin’s dairy agroecosystems and their responses to a changing climate.

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