Pioneering Soil Health Research Earns Prestigious Award
In 2019, Dr. Joji Muramoto became the first Cooperative Extension Specialist in the University of California (UC) system dedicated to organic agriculture. Muramoto, will be honored by the Agricultural Sustainability Institute (ASI) at UC Davis with the 2025 Eric Bradford and Charlie Rominger Agricultural Sustainability Leadership Award for his contributions to organic agriculture research.
Dr. Muramoto and Dr. Carol Shennan at UC Santa Cruz have made significant advancements in strawberry research, particularly in developing alternatives to methyl bromide for commercial strawberry production.
Their work on anaerobic soil disinfestation (ASD), a method to control soil pathogens and nematodes without fumigation, has been widely adopted by both organic and conventional strawberry growers in California.
Growing up in suburban Tokyo, Japan, Dr. Muramoto was inspired by organic farmers who emphasized the importance of soil. “Organic farmers there told me repeatedly, ‘Soil is the foundation of farming.’ That’s when I got interested in soil science,” Muramoto recalls.
Muramoto career has been driven by a passion for helping farmers achieve sustainability: “My passion is to help organic and conventional farmers make their farms more sustainable: ecologically sound, economically viable, and socially just.”
Since 1996, Dr. Muramoto has focused on enhancing soil health and promoting sustainable organic agriculture in California. His research has been supported by the Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF) since 1997, with additional grants in 2003 and 2010, leading to over $5 million in funding from state and federal agencies.
Despite organic agriculture being the fastest-growing sector in the U.S. food market, it receives less than 2% of USDA’s research funding. The USDA’s research agencies have also faced budget cuts and staffing reductions.
Agricultural research is crucial for food security, safety, environmental sustainability, and economic vitality. Continued advocacy for organic agriculture research funding is essential to support scientists like Dr. Muramoto in developing sustainable solutions for all farmers.