Natasha Djuric

Education

• 2021 Hon. BSc. Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto

Research Interests

I am broadly interested in ecology and plant diversity, and how they can be applied to make organic and conventional agriculture more sustainable and resource efficient. To this end, I am excited by the many lessons our dynamic ecosystems and fellow organisms have to teach us about resilience, niche partitioning, and multifunctionality. I have experience examining the influence of on-farm biodiversity in diversified vegetable and dairy farms through beetle banks and native meadows. I also have expertise in microplastic pollution in terrestrial systems, with a particular focus on soil microfiber contamination from sewage sludge and irrigation and how they affect crops.

My research at Cornell is situated within both the Weed Ecology and Management & Sustainable Cropping Systems Labs. I am currently leading a multi-institutional project investigating how to improve the yield and weed suppression of perennial grain cropping systems. Perennial grains more efficiently use water and nutrients, reduce soil erosion, and require less rounds of planting and tilling than annual grains. They can also be grown as diverse polycultures that provide forage and reduce pest pressure. However, perennials establish slower than annuals and divest more resources to plant organs besides the grain, leading to lower yields than annual grains and greater competition with weeds. Therefore, it is important to understand how perennial grains can be best maintained to diminish yield losses. Our work investigates how seeding rate of the perennial grain Kernza can be modified to maximize yields and improve weed suppression, which will promote their adoption and economic viability for farmers.

Long term, I aim to promote curiosity-driven, hands-on outdoor learning at an institutional level as a professor. I strongly believe developing an intuition for and connection with nature is a critical tool to addressing systemic issues in environmental and social inequality, while developing creative, well-rounded, and compassionate thinkers. I also strive to advance management practices in agricultural systems that promote resiliency and self-regulation through adopting ecological principles.

Research Affiliates

• The Hudson Valley Farm Hub
• The Land Institute
• USDA
• University of Minnesota

Publications

Scientific publications:

• Rochman, C.M., Grbic, J., Earn, A., Helm, P.A., Trice, M., Hasenmueller, E., Munno, K., De Frond, H., Djuric, N., Santoro, S., Kaura, A., Denton, D., Teh, S. (2021). Local monitoring should inform local solutions: morphological assemblages of microplastics are similar within a pathway, but relative total concentrations vary regionally. Environmental Science and Technology, 56(13), 9367-9378. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.2c00926
• Rochman, C. M., Brookson, C., Bikker, J., Djuric, N., Earn, A., Bucci, K., Athey, S., Huntington, A., McIlwraith, H., Munno, K., De Frond, H., Kolomijeca, A., Erdle, L., Grbic, J., … Hung, C. (2019). Rethinking microplastics as a diverse contaminant suite. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 38(4), 703–711. https://doi.org/10.1002/etc.4371 [300+ citations]

Popular media articles:

• Djuric, N. (2021, February 14). “Everything has unintended consequences”: UTEA hold webinar on the environmental cost of electronics. The Varsity.
• Djuric, N. (2020, October 6). Coming Together While Staying Apart: The 2020 Urban Litter Challenge. Rochman Lab Blog.   
• Djuric, N. (2020, September 27). Opinion: Fellow ecologists, we must align our research, personal goals with social progress. The Varsity.
• Djuric, N. (2018, July 20). The Little Scientist. Crested Butte News. "The Little Scientist" URL

More information

• LinkedIn
• Research Gate