Lucas Maia

Lucas Maia grew up in Southeast Brazil and received his B.S. in Agronomy from the Federal University of Uberlandia, Brazil in 2014, and M.S. in environmental horticulture from the University of Florida in 2019. Lucas is a 1^st year Ph.D. student currently studying under Dr. William Johnson. His research focuses on the long-term effects of cover crop use on soil microbial activity and soil residual herbicide degradation. Lucas’s research include field, laboratory, and greenhouse work in order to evaluate β-glucosidase and dehydrogenase activities, persistence of several soil residual herbicides, and the fate of these chemicals when applied to cover crops managed under different termination strategies. Lucas’s anticipated graduation date is May 2024, at which point he hopes to take a job as a field scientist in the Research and Development sector of a major agricultural chemical company.