Dennis A. Shannon

Biography

 Ph.D., Cornell University (Agronomy/Crop Science), currently a professor in the Auburn university. Prior research focused on alley cropping, an agroforestry system in which annual crops are grown between rows of closely-planted N-fixing trees that are pruned and the prunings applied to the soil as mulch. The goal was to sustain and increase maize yields through application of N-rich leaves as mulch. My research focused on management of the tree hedgerows to optimize maize yield and tree biomass production by controlling pruning regimes to minimize tree-crop competition.     

Research Interest

 focuses on medicinal crops as potential new cash crops for Alabama. The goal is to identify medicinal plant species that are adapted to Alabama with market potential and determine cropping practices and varieties that enhance the quantity and yield of bioactive compounds.