Quirine Ketterings
Professor of Nutrient Management in Agricultural Systems, Animal Science

Quirine initiated and leads the Cornell Nutrient Management Spear Program (NMSP), the applied research and extension program in nutrient management of field crops of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences.
Research Focus
Improve understanding of nutrient dynamics and risk for runoff and leaching losses from inorganic and organic amendments as affected by soil type, hydrology, time and rate of application, and the use of specific soil and fertilizer amendments.
Outreach and Extension Focus
Improve grower and agricultural industry awareness of crop nutrient needs, crop quality, management of organic amendments, environmentally sound nutrient management practices, and overall soil fertility management in New York State, and provide methods and tools to integrate and apply accumulated knowledge about crop nutrient guidelines to optimize crop yield while minimizing risk to the environment.
Teaching Focus
Prepare Cornell undergraduate and graduate students for careers in agriculture focusing on increasing farm income while protecting the environment (ANSC4120/6120: Whole Farm Nutrient Management) and instill upon Cornell graduate students with a major or minor in soil science the skills, attitude and enthusiasm needed to conduct sound science using interdisciplinary and integrated approaches to address environmental issues related to soil science and nutrient management.
Education
- Doctorate in Environmental Sciences
Ohio State University - 1999 - Master of Science in Soil and Water Management
Wageningen University, Netherlands - 1992 - Bachelor of Science in Tropical Agriculture
International Agricultural College (Larenstein), Netherlands - 1990
Recent Research
- Olivo, A.J., O.F. Godber, K. Workman, K.J. Czymmek, K.F. Reed, D.V. Nydam, and Q.M. Ketterings (2024). Doing GOOD: Defining a green operational outcomes domain for nitrogen use in New York corn silage production. Field Crops Research 321, 109676. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fcr.2024.109676
- Raj, C., D. Chakraborty, D.B. Watts, T. Horvath, Q.M. Ketterings, D. Blersch, A.A. Tomasek, B.O. Cordoba, R. Prasad (2024). Impact of broiler litter and swine liquid manure on nutrient loss in runoff from three consecutive one acre-inch rainfall events. Heliyon 10(22): e40062. https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/16/21/4081
- Srinivasagan, S.N., M. Marcaida III, S. Sunoj, D.R. Kindred, L.J. Thompson, and Q.M. Ketterings (2024). Exploring the use of high-resolution satellite images to estimate corn silage yield within field. Remote Sensing. https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/16/21/4081
- Olivo, A., L. Klaiber, K. Workman, and Q.M. Ketterings (2024). Characterization of phosphorus balances in corn silage fields from eight New York dairies. Agronomy Journal. https://doi.org/10.1002/agj2.21710
- Olivo, A., K. Workman, and Q.M. Ketterings (2024). Enhancing nitrogen management in corn silage: insights from field-level nutrient use indicators. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems. Climate-Smart Food Systems. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sustainable-food-systems/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2024.1385745/full
- Olivo, A., O.F. Godber, K.F. Reed, D.V. Nydam, M.A. Wattiaux, and Q.M. Ketterings (2024). Greenhouse gas emissions and nutrient use efficiency assessment of six New York organic dairies. Journal of Dairy Science. https://www.journalofdairyscience.org/article/S0022-0302(24)00982-2/fulltext
- Burlewski, N., S.N. Srinivasagan, Q.M. Ketterings and J. van Aardt (2024). Spatial and spectral dependencies of maize yield estimation using remote sensing. Sensors. https://doi.org/10.3390/s24123958
- Godber, O.F., K. Workman, K. Reed, and Q.M. Ketterings (2024). New York state, regional and county level nitrogen and phosphorus balances for harvested cropland. Frontiers in Sustainability. Circular Economy. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sustainability/articles/10.3389/frsus.2024.1352296/full
- Jatana, B., R. Prasad, A. Tomasek, T. Horvath, and Q.M. Ketterings (2024). Impact of manure type and rate on soil loss and nutrient mobilization in runoff and infiltrate. Water, Air, and Soil Pollution. 235:403. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-024-07089-2.
- Sunoj, S., B. Polson, I. Vaish, M. Marcaida III, L. Longchamps, J. van Aardt, and Q.M. Ketterings (2024). Corn grain and silage yield class prediction for zone delineation using high-resolution satellite imagery. Agricultural Systems 104009. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2024.104009
Awards & Honors
- 2024 Innovator in Agriculture - New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, Women in Agriculture, State Fair of New York
- 2021 Cornell College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Faculty Excellence in Undergraduate Research Mentoring
- 2021 NACAA Distinguished Service Award - National Association of County Agricultural Agents, New York
- 2018 Northeast Region Certified Crop Advisor Appreciation Award
- 2017 Carl Sprengel Agronomic Research Award
- 2016 Cornell College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Award for Outstanding Accomplishments in Extension/Outreach
- 2015 Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) Fellow
- 2014 Agronomy Society of America (ASA) Fellow
- 2012 Cornell College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Award for Outstanding Accomplishments in Applied Research
- 2011 Extension Industry Award - Northeastern Branch of Agronomy Society of America, Crop Science Society of America, Soil Science Society of America (NEBCSA)
- 2009 Project Leader of the Year - Awarded by the farmer board of the New York Farm Viability Institute (NYFVI).
- 2008 Research Award - Northeastern Branch of Agronomy Society of America, Crop Science Society of America, Soil Science Society of America (NBCSA)
- 2006 Northeast Region Certified Crop Adviser (NRCCA) President’s Award for Outstanding Service
- 2002 Merit Award for “Outstanding Effort in Promoting the Conservation of Natural Resources in New York” - Soil and Water Conservation Society, Empire State Chapter
- 2002 Special Achievement Award to the entire Cropware Team for “Developing a Computer Software Program to Balance Nutrient Management Budgets and Conserve Natural Resources” - Soil and Water Conservation Society, Empire State Chapter
Courses Taught
- ANSC 4120/6120: Whole Farm Nutrient Management
- AGSCI 4960: Internship in Agricultural Sciences
- ANSC 6940: Special Topics in Animal Science (Certified Crop Advisor exam preparation course)
Contact Information
323 Morrison Hall
Ithaca, NY 14853
qmk2 [at] cornell.edu
Additional Links
Quirine in the news

News
- Animal Science
- Agriculture
- Field Crops

News
- Cornell Cooperative Extension
- Animal Science
- Environment