Brainard

Ph.D. Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA (Horticulture) 2002
M.A. Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, USA (Economics) 1993
B.A. Oberlin College, Oberlin, OH, USA (Economics & Third World Studies) 1987

Assistant Professor, Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA;
Aug 2007- present

Senior Research Associate, Department of Horticulture, Cornell University, Ithaca, USA;
2005-2007

Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA;
2002-2004

The overall goal of my research program is to improve the long-term profitability of vegetable production systems while enhancing environmental and human health. Vegetable producers face a growing array of economic and biological constraints including rising labor and energy costs, declining soil health, expansion of pest problems and an increased incidence of extreme weather events. To help alleviate these constraints, current research interests fall under two broad areas: 1) development of reduced-tillage, cover-crop intensive vegetable production systems and 2) weed ecology and management, with an emphasis on seed biology. I am currently exploring opportunities to introduce strip tillage systems in several vegetable crops with the objective of reducing energy costs and building soil health. I’m also involved in collaborative research aimed at integrating low-cost, nitrogen-fixing and nutrient scavenging cover crops into vegetable cropping systems using a variety of approaches including relay-intercropping, and optimization of multi-species mixtures. Since weeds often represent a formidable obstacle to adoption of sustainable production practices, much of my research has focused on development of weed management strategies for vegetable producers, emphasizing integration of multiple approaches including smother cropping, mechanical cultivation, crop rotation, and stale seed bed practices. I am particularly interested in the long term impact of management practices on weed population dynamics. Research in this area has focused on (i) evaluating the interactive effects of climate and weed management on seed production and fate, (ii) characterizing sources of intraspecific variation in weed seed characteristics and (iii) understanding the impact of soil fertility management on weed seed germination, weed seedbank dynamics and weed-crop competition.

Refereed Journal Publications

Kumar, V., D. C. Brainard and R. R. Bellinder. Suppression of Powell amaranth (Amaranthus powellii), shepherd’s-purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris), and corn chamomile (Anthemis arvensis) by buckwheat residues: Role of nitrogen and fungal pathogens. Weed Science. In press.
Kumar, V., R. R. Bellinder, D. C. Brainard, R. K. Malik and R. K. Gupta. Risks of herbicide-resistant rice in India: A review. Crop Protection. In press.
Brainard, D. C., A. DiTommaso and C.L. Mohler. 2007. Intraspecific variation in seed characteristics of Amaranthus powellii from habitats with contrasting crop rotation histories. Weed Science 55:218-226.
Rauch, R.J., R.R. Bellinder and D.C. Brainard. 2007. Using common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) control as a basis for reduction of fomesafen use in snap and dry beans. Weed Technology 21:621-628.
Rauch, R.J., R.R. Bellinder, D.C. Brainard, M. Lane and J.E. Thies. 2007. Dissipation of fomesafen in New York State soils and potential to cause carry-over injury to sweet corn. Weed Technology 21:206-212.
Brainard, D.C., A. DiTommaso and C.L. Mohler. 2006. Intraspecific variation in germination response to ammonium nitrate of Amaranthus powellii originating from organic versus conventional vegetable farms. Weed Science 54: 435-442.
Brainard, D.C., R.R. Bellinder and A. DiTommaso. 2005. Effects of canopy shade on the morphology, phenology, and seed characteristics of Powell amaranth. Weed Science 53:175-186.
DiTommaso, A., D.C. Brainard and B. Webster. 2005. Seed characteristics of the invasive alien vine Vincetoxicum rossicum are affected by site, harvest date, and storage duration. Canadian Journal of Botany 83: 102-110.
Brainard, D.C., R.R. Bellinder and A.J. Miller. 2004. Cultivation and interseeding for weed control in transplanted cabbage (Brassica oleracea). Weed Technology 18: 704-710.
Brainard, D.C. and R.R. Bellinder. 2004. Weed suppression in a broccoli-winter rye intercropping system. Weed Science 52: 281-290.
Brainard, D.C. and R.R. Bellinder. 2004. Asessing variability in Powell amaranth fecundity using a simulation model. Weed Research 44: 1-15.

Conference Abstracts:

Brainard, D.C., R. R. Bellinder, V. Kumar. 2007. Effects of floating row cover on weed emergence and stale seed bed performance. Proceedings of the annual meeting: Northeastern Weed Science Society 61:63.
Hotchkiss, E.E., A. DiTommaso, D.C. Brainard, and C.L. Mohler. 2007. Survival and performance of the invasive vine pale swallow-wort (Vincetoxicum rossicum) under two light environments and originating from seeds of different polyembryonic class. Weed Science Society of America Abstracts. No. 100. Weed Science Society of America, Lawrence, KS. (Feb. 2007).
Brainard, D.C. and A. DiTommaso. 2006. Comparison of growth and seed characteristics of one triazine resistant and 20 susceptible Powell amaranth populations. Weed Science Society of America Abstracts. No. 115 [CD-ROM Computer File]. Weed Science Society of America, Lawrence, KS. (Feb. 2006).
DiTommaso, A., M.E. Krasny and D.C. Brainard. 2005. Cornell Weed Watch: A new citizen science program on urban weeds. Weed Science Society of America Abstracts. No. 139 [CD-ROM Computer File]. Weed Science Society of America, Lawrence, KS. (Feb. 2005).
Brainard, D.C., A. DiTommaso and T.L. Setter. 2005. Effects of maternal drought and nitrogen stress on seed germination of two populations of Powell amaranth. Weed Science Society of America Abstracts. No. 179 [CD-ROM Computer File]. Weed Science Society of America, Lawrence, KS. (Feb. 2005).
Brainard, D.C., A. DiTommaso and C.L. Mohler. 2005. Ecotypic variation in seed characteristics of Powell amaranth from habitats with contrasting crop rotation histories. Proceedings of the Northeastern Weed Science Society 59: 142.
Brainard, D.C., A. DiTommaso and C.L. Mohler. 2004. Ecotypic variation in germination response of Powell amaranth seeds to ammonium nitrate. Proceedings of the Northeastern Weed Science Society 58: 165.
DiTommaso, A., B. Webster, D.C. Brainard and N. Hubert. 2003. Seed germination of Vincetoxicum rossicum from contrasting habitats. New England Invasive Plant Summit. 19-20 September. Framingham, MA. p. 16.
Brainard, D.C., and R.R. Bellinder. 2003. Assessing the influence of climate and competitive environment on Powell amaranth fecundity using a simulation model. Weed Science Society of America Abstracts 43: 74.
Brainard, D.C., and R.R. Bellinder. 2002. Influence of competitive environment on morphology, phenology and seed production of Powell amaranth (Amaranthus powellii) and hairy galinsoga (Galinsoga ciliata). Weed Science Society of America Abstracts 42: 45-46.
Brainard, D.C., and R.R. Bellinder. 2000. Combining cultivation and interseeded winter rye (Secale cereale) in transplanted fall broccoli to minimize yield loss and weed seed production. Weed Science Society of America Abstracts 41:105-106.