School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences College of Science

Higher-Education

• PhD, Geosciences, 2013
• MS, Environmental Science, 2008

Research Overview

I am a broadly -trained ecologist with expertise in plant-soil-microbe interactions, soil health, and nutrient management. I am generally interested in understanding the relationship between soil processes and the health and sustainability of managed and natural ecosystems. Much of my work focuses on the ecology and management of weeds and invasive plants

Publications

• Qulina Rai and Robin Choudhury and Pushpa Soti and Alexis Racelis."Rhizobial adhesives enhance nodule formation and activity in sunn hemp", Submitted, Frontiers in Agronomy, https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.09.27.461990v1.full.pdf+html
• E Holland and Vanessa Thomas and Pushpa Soti."Low soil nitrogen and moisture limit the expansion of the invasive grass, Megathyrsus maximus (Guinea grass) in semi-arid soils", 2022, September, Published, 204, Journal of Arid Environments, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0140196322000830
• V Chaudhary and E Holland and Suw Charman-Anderson and Aidee Guzman and Lukas Bell-Dereske and Tanya Cheeke and Adriana Corrales and Jessica Duchicela and Cameron Egan and Manju Gupta and S Hannula and Rachel Hestrin and Shabana Hoosein and Amit Kumar and Genet Mhretu and Lena Neuenkamp and Pushpa Soti and Yichun Nie and Thorunn Helgason."What are mycorrhizal traits?", 2022, July (3rd Quarter/Summer), Published, 7, 37, Trends in Ecology & Evolution, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0169534722000866
• Pushpa Soti and Rupesh Ram Kariyat Ramachandr and Alexis Racelis."Effective farm management promotes native AMF and benefit organic farming systems", Submitted, Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment Daniela Barrera and Juan Luera and Kaitlynn Lavalle and Pushpa Soti."Influence of Microbial Priming and Seeding Depth on Germination and Growth of Native Wildflowers", 2021, Published, Ecological Processes
• Kaitlynn Lavallee and Pushpa Soti and Pulahinge Hansapani Rodrigo and Rupesh Ram Kariyat Ramachandr and Alexis Racelis."Pre-Sowing Treatments Improve Germinability of South Texas Native Plant Seeds", 2021, November, Published, 11, 10, 2545, Plants
• Pushpa Soti and Vanessa Thomas."Review of the Invasive Forage Grass, Guinea Grass (Megathyrsus maximus): Ecology and Potential Impacts in Arid and Semi-Arid Regions ", Published, Weed Research
• Paula Luera and Kimberly Wahl-Villarreal and Bradley Christoffersen and Abeny Treviño and Pushpa Soti and Christopher Gabler."Effects of Scarification, Phytohormones, Soil Type, and Warming on the Germination and/or Seedling Performance of Three Tamaulipan Thornscrub Forest Species", 2021, August, Published, 8, 10, 1489, Plants, https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/8/1489
• E Holland and Vanessa Thomas and Pushpa Soti."Low soil nitrogen and moisture limit the expansion of invasive grass, Megathyrsus maximus (Guinea grass) in semi-arid soils", Published, Journal of Arid Environments
• Habraham Lopez and Pushpa Soti and Ganpati Jagdale and Parwinder Grewal and Alexis Racelis."Weeds as Hosts of Plant Parasitic Nematodes in Subtropical Agriculture Systems", 2021, June, Published, Subtropical Agriculture and Environments
• Lili Martinez and Pushpa Soti and Jasleen Kaur and Alexis Racelis and Rupesh Ram Kariyat Ramachandr."Impact of Cover Crops on Insect Community Dynamics in Organic Farming", 2020, Published, 6, 10, 209, Agriculture
• Jasleen Kaur and Jesus Chavana and Pushpa Soti and Alexis Racelis and Rupesh Ram Kariyat Ramachandr."Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) influences growth and insect community dynamics in Sorghum-sudangrass (Sorghum x drummondii)", 2020, Published, 1--15, Arthropod-Plant Interactions
• Pushpa Soti and Matthew Purcell and Krish Jayachandran."Soil Biotic and Abiotic Conditions Negate Invasive Species Performance in Native Habitat", 2020, April (2nd Quarter/Spring), Published, Ecological Processes
• Pushpa Soti and Alexis Racelis."Cover crops for weed suppression in semiarid subtropical Texas", 2020, February, Published, Organic Agriculture
• Pushpa Soti and John Goolsby and Alexis Racelis."Agricultural and Environmental Weeds of South Texas and their Management", 2020, January (1st Quarter/Winter), Published, Subtropical Agriculture and Environments
• Pushpa Soti and Matthew Purcell and Krish Jayachandran."Data on foliar nutrient concentration of invasive plants in the recipient habitat and their native habitat", 2019, Published, Data in Brief
• Stephanie Kasper and Bradley Christoffersen and Pushpa Soti and Alexis Racelis."Abiotic and biotic limitations to nodulation by leguminous cover crops in South Texas", 2019, September, Published, 209, 9, Agriculture
• Pushpa Soti and Alexis Racelis."Laboratory Evaluation of Efficacy of Entomopathogenic Nematodes on Texas Leaf-cutting Ants, Atta texana", 2018, Published, 3, 43, 635-637, SOUTHWESTERN ENTOMOLOGIST
• Pushpa Soti and Krish Jayachandran."Effect of exotic invasive old world climbing fern (lygodium microphyllum) on soil properties", 2016, Published, 4, 16, 930-940, JOURNAL OF SOIL SCIENCE AND PLANT NUTRITION
• Pushpa Soti and Savannah Rugg and Alexis Racelis."Potential of Cover Crops in Promoting Mycorrhizal Diversity and Soil Quality in Organic Farms", 2016, Published, Journal of Agricultural Science
• Pushpa Soti and Krish Jayachandran and Suzanne Koptur and John Volin."Effect of soil pH on growth, nutrient uptake, and mycorrhizal colonization in exotic invasive Lygodium microphyllum", 2015, Published, 7, 216, 989-998, PLANT ECOLOGY
• Pushpa Soti and Angie Fleurissaint and Stewart Reed and Krish Jayachandran."Effects of Control Release Fertilizers on Nutrient Leaching, Palm Growth and Production Cost", 2015, Published, 4, 5, 1135-1145, AGRICULTURE-BASEL
• Daria Boglaienko and Pushpa Soti and Kateel Shetty and Krish Jayachandran."Buckwheat as a Cover Crop in Florida: Mycorrhizal Status and Soil Analysis", 2014, Published, Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems
• Pushpa Soti and Krish Jayachandran and Matthew Purcell and John Volin and Kaoru Kitajima."Mycorrhizal symbiosis and Lygodium microphyllum Invasion in South Florida-a biogeographic comparison", 2014, Published, 2, 62, 81-90, SYMBIOSIS
• Pushpa Soti and John Volin."Does water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) compensate for simulated defoliation? Implications for effective biocontrol", 2010, Published, 1, 54, 35-40, BIOLOGICAL CONTROL

Selected Grants and FellowShips

• Alexis Racelis ,Pushpa Soti. Building Agriculture Science Education (BASEII) for Hispanic Students through Florida-Texas-New Mexico Consortium. , Florida International University/ USDA, $300,000.00, August 2021 - August 2025
• Alexis Racelis ,Rupesh Ram Kariyat Ramachandr ,Bradley Christoffersen ,Pushpa Soti ,Liu Xiangping. Subtropical Soil Health Demonstration: On-Farm Trials of Cover Crops for Conservation Innovation in arid farms of south Texas, United States Department of Agriculture - Natural Resource Conservation Service, $1,899,545.00, April 2021 - May 2025
• Pushpa Soti ,Alexis Racelis. Intersections among soil health, soil moisture and weed management in water limited farms of south Texas, USDA-NRCS, $175,000.00, August 2022 - August 2024
• Pushpa Soti ,Lauren Hale. Incorporating Native Plants in Insectary Strips to Promote Insect Diversity and Below Ground Beneficial Microbes, Southern SARE, $20,000.00, December 2018 - December 2022
• Pushpa Soti ,Rupesh Kariyat. Cover Crops For Soil Health: Demonstration of On-Farm Trial, Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF), $20,000.00, March 2020 - April 2021
• Pushpa Soti. Comparing the ecosystem services provided by mixed or single species cover crops in subtropical United States, USDA-NIFA, $152,000.00, January 2017 - February 2020
• Pushpa Soti ,Kateel Shetty ,Stephany Alvarez-Ventura. Integrating technology in classroom to field studies, Florida International University, $62,000.00, April 2015 - May 2015

Selected Presentations

• Sofia Ayala ,Vanessa Thomas ,Grace Nelson ,Daphne Zapsas ,Pushpa Soti ,Teresa Feria Arroyo. "Environmental Variables Regulate the Patterns of Root Colonization Fungal Endophytes in Guinea Grass (Megathyrsus Maximus)", Subtropical Agriculture & Environments Society 77th Annual Meeting (SAES), UTRGV, Brownsville, Texas, 2023, February
• Pushpa Soti ,Orlando Garcia. "Soil nematode community composition under Amaranthus palmeri and Parthenium hysterophorus, and their influence on the weeds’ growth​", Ecological Society of America Annaul Meeting, Montreal, Canada, 2022, August
• Sofia Ayala ,Grace Nelson ,Pushpa Soti. "Environmental variables regulate the patterns of root colonization by fungal endophytes in Guinea grass (Megathyrsus maximus)", UTRGV High Scholar Symposium, UTRGV-COS, 2022, July
• Edoardo Herebia ,Juan Gonzalez ,Chu-Lin Cheng ,Sarah Fearnley Hardage ,Pushpa Soti. "Anthropogenically induced sinuosity changes on the channel of the lower Rio Grande", The Geological Society of America, South-Central Section Annual Meeting, Geological Society of America (GSA), South-Central Section, Online - McAllen, Texas, 2022, March
• Daphne Zapsas ,Manish Gautam ,Adegboyega Fajemisin ,Daisy Delgado ,Satinderpal Kaur ,Pushpa Soti ,Rupesh Kariyat ,Bradley Christoffersen ,Xianping Liu ,Alexis Racelis. "Subtropical Soil Health Demonstration: On- Farm Trials of Cover Crops for Conservation Innovation in Arid Farms of South Texas", Texas Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association, TOFGA, Austin, TX, 2022, January
• Pushpa Soti ,Vanessa Thomas ,Pen Holland. "“Low soil nitrogen and moisture limit the expansion of exotic invasive grass, Megathyrsus maximus (Guinea grass)", Ecological Society of America (ESA) Annual Meeting, Ecological Society of America, Virtual, 2021, August
• Orlando Garcia ,Andrea Mota ,Pushpa Soti. "Characterization of Soil Nematode Community as Influenced by Weedy Plants and Environmental Variables", Subtropical Agriculture and Environments Society Annual Meeting, Subtropical Agriculture and Environments Society, 2021, February
• Vanessa Thomas ,Kristine Lowe ,Erin Schuenzel ,Mirayda Torres-Avila ,Pushpa Soti. "Rhizosphere microbiome and potential of range expansion of exotic invasive guinea grass, Panicum maximum in the Lower Rio Grande Valley", Subtropical Agriculture and Environments Society Annual Meeting, Subtropical Agriculture and Environments Society, Online, 2021, February
• Mandip Tamang ,Pushpa Soti ,Nirakar Sahoo. "Unravelling the role of PGPR "Pseudomonas fluoroscens" in semi arid soils of the Rio Grande Valley", Subtropical Agriculture and Environments Society Annual Meeting, Subtropical Agriculture and Environments Society, 2021, February
• Orlando Garcia ,Andrea Mota ,Pushpa Soti. "Characterization of Soil Nematode Community as Influenced by Weedy Plants and Environmental Variables", College of Sciences Annual Research Conference, 2020
• Mandip Tamang ,Pushpa Soti. "Unravelling the role of PGPR "Pseudomonas fluoroscens" in semi arid soils of the Rio Grande Valley", College of Sciences Annual Research Conference, UTRGV, 2020
• Pushpa Soti ,Alexis Racelis. "Challanges of cover cropping in the semi-arid subtropics", Soil Health: The Foundation for Regenerative Agriculture, Soil Health Institute, Online, 2020, July
• Mandip Tamang ,Justin Lerma ,Andrea Mota ,Orlando Garcia ,Nirakar Sahoo ,Pushpa Soti. "Belowground Biotic and Abiotic Heterogenity and Above Growth in Agricultural Fields", 2020 Canadian Botanical Association Virtual Meeting, Canadian Botanical Association, Virtual, 2020, June
• Vanessa Thomas ,Pushpa Soti. "Rhizosphere microbiome and potential range expansion of exotic invasive guinea grass, Megathyrsus maximus in the Lower Rio Grande Valley", 2020 Canadian Botanical Association Virtual Meeting, Canadian Botanical Association, Virtual, 2020, June
• Justin Lerma ,Mandip Tamang ,Orlando Garcia ,Andra Mota ,Pushpa Soti. "Do Aboveground Crop Patches Indicate Belowground Microbial Hotspots? ", National Council on Undergraduate Research (NCUR), NCUR, Montana , 2020, March
• Qulina Rai ,Pushpa Soti ,Alexis Racelis. "Using different adhesives to inoculate Sunn hemp for enhancing nodule formation", 74th Subtropical Agriculture and Environments Society Meeting, Subtropical Agriculture and Environments, Weslaco, TX, 2020, February
• Pushpa Soti ,Alexis Racelis. "Spatial Variability in the Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Spore Distribution in Agricultural Fields​", ASA-CSSA-SSSA International Annual Meeting, American Society of Agronomy, the Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America , San Antonio, 2019, November
• Orlando Garcia ,Habraham Lopez ,Alexis Racelis ,Pushpa Soti. "Analyzing the Weed-Soil Microbiome in Subtropical Organic Vegetable Farms​", ASA-CSSA -SSSA International Annual Meeting, The American Society of Agronomy, the Crop Science Society of America, and the Soil Science Society of America, San Antonio, 2019, November
• Andrea Mota ,Orlando Garcia ,Pushpa Soti. "Influence of an Invasive African Grass, Pennisetum Ciliare, on Soil Nematode Community​​ ​", Symposium for Undergraduate Research Exploration 2019, UT Austin, Austin, 2019, November
• Andrea Mota ,Orlando Garcia ,Pushpa Soti. "Influence of an Invasive African Grass, Pennisetum Ciliare, on Soil Nematode Community​​ ​", Symposium for Undergraduate Research Exploration, 2019, UT Austin, Austin, 2019, November
• Lili Martinez ,Alexis Racelis ,Pushpa Soti ,Rupesh Kariyat. "Effects of cover crops on insect community dynamics in organic farming", 2019 College of Sciences Annual Research Conference, University of Texas, Rio Grande Valley, Edinburg, 2019, March
• Jasleen Kaur ,Alexis Racelis ,Pushpa Soti ,Jesus Chavana ,Rupesh Ram Kariyat Ramachandr. "Beneficial microbes enhance growth and defense against insect herbivores in Sudan grass (Sorghum drummondii", Subtropical Agriculture and Environments Society 73rd Annual Meeting, Subtropical Agriculture and Environments Society, Weslaco, TX, 2019, February
• Lili Martinez ,Pushpa Soti ,Alexis Racelis ,Rupesh Ram Kariyat Ramachandr. "Using cover crops to attract beneficial insects and reduce herbivory in cash crops", Subtropical Agriculture and Environments Society 73rd Annual Meeting, Subtropical Agriculture and Environments Society, Weslaco, TX, 2019, February
• Stephanie Kasper ,Bradley Christoffersen ,Pushpa Soti ,Alexis Racelis. "Maximizing Legume Efficiency in South Texas​", Texas Organic Farmers and Gardners Association Annual Conference, Texas Organic Farmers and Gardners Association , Corpus Christi, 2019, February
• Pushpa Soti ,Alexis Racelis. "Using mycorrhizal fungi to improve soil health and increase yield in organic vegetable farms ", Texas Organic Farmers and Growers Association Conference, Corpus Christie, 2019, February
• Pushpa Soti ,Stephanie Kasper ,Habraham Lopez ,Alexis Racelis. "Challenges of Cover Cropping in Semi-Arid Subtropics", Soils Across Latitudes, Soil Science Society of America, San Diego, CA, 2019, January
• Pushpa Soti ,Suzanne El-Haj ,Alexis Racelis. "Evaluation of Potential Benefits of Mycorrhizal Fungi in Improving the Quality and Yield of Commercial Aloe Plants", Soils Across Latitudes, Soil Science Society of America, San Diego, CA, 2019, January
• Stephanie Kasper ,Habraham Lopez ,Pushpa Soti ,Alexis Racelis. "Investigating Controls over Nodulation and Nitrogen Fixation in Leguminous Cover Crops in Subtropical South Texas", Soils Across Latitudes, Soil Science Society of America, San Diego, CA, 2019, January
• HAbraham Lopez ,Stephanie Kasper ,Pushpa Soti ,Alexis Racelis. "Managing Plant Parasitic Nematodes through Cover Cropping and Improved Soil Biodiversity.", Soils Across Latitudes , Soil Science Society of America, San Diego, CA, 2019, January
• Rupesh Ram Kariyat Ramachandr ,Pushpa Soti ,Alexis Racelis. "Cover cropping for attracting pests and predators in subtropical organic vegetable farms.", Annual Meeting of Texas Organic Farmers and Gardners Association (TOFGA), Texas Organic Farmers and Gardners Association (TOFGA), Georgetown, 2018, February
• Pushpa Soti ,Alexis Racelis. "Comparing the Ecosystems Services Provided By Mixed or Single Species Cover Crops in Subtropical United States.", Managing Gloabl Resources For A Secure Future, ASA, CSSA and SSSA, Tampa, FL, 2016, October
• Pushpa Soti ,Alexis Racelis. "Using Mycorrhizal Fungi to Improve Soil Health and Increase Yield in Organic Vegetable Farms.", Managing Gloabl Resources For A Secure Future, ASA, CSSA and SSSA , Tampa, FL, 2016, October
• Eric Cantu ,Pushpa Soti ,Alexis Racelis. "Assessment of Soil Quality Under Different Farming Conditions in Subtropical United States", Managing Global Resources For A Secure Future, ASA, CSSA and SSSA , Tampa, FL, 2016, October

Present Courses

• BIOL 3409 01 - Ecology
• BIOL 6285 06 - Graduate Research
• BIOL 6385 10 - Graduate Research
• BIOL 4199 05 - Independent Research
• BIOL 7300 03 - Thesis I
• BIOL 7301 08 - Thesis II