Miguel S. Castillo
Background
I am originally from Loja, Ecuador. I received my B.S. (2006) in Agricultural Science and Production from Zamorano University in Honduras, C.A. During my undergraduate program I conducted research under the supervision of Dr. Miguel Velez. We evaluated responses of Brachiaria hybrid grasses (Mulato I and II) inoculated with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and Trichoderma harzianum. Then, as part of a short-term scholar program I conducted research at the Everglades Research and Education Center of the University of Florida (UF) with Dr. Alan Wright, looking at soil phosphorus pools and availability in Histosols of sugarcane and pasturelands. After graduating from Zamorano, I was accepted in the Agronomy Department at UF to continue my graduate education. I received my MS. (2009) and Ph.D. (2013) degress in Agronomy with a minor in Soil and Water Science under the supervision of Dr. Lynn E. Sollenberger. Our research has focused on the use of grassland plants as bioenergy crops, alternative sources of nutrients for forage production, and strategies to include legumes in low-input forage-livestock systems in Florida.
Contact: mcastillo@ufl.edu