Work interests and expertise:

Dr. Oster's research interests include: environmental impacts of irrigated agriculture, soil, water, and crop management to minimize environmental impacts, use of saline/sodic drainage waters for irrigation of tree and forage crops, water quality impacts on soil and crop productivity, salinity and sodicity impacts on infiltration and soil tilth, irrigation system profitability, saline and sodic soil reclamation.

Dr. Oster's extension interests are: water quality effects on soils and plants, physical and chemical methods to improve management of irrigation water, providing advice to UC Farm Advisors and private consultants, writing and distributing SLPHYCHM notes which provide information about the physics and chemistry of soils, and using the Internet as a communication and educational tool to expand impacts of UC Cooperative Extension.

Methods of doing the work:

As an Extension Specialist my primary role is extending information to clientele based on the past and current research work conducted primarily by others. Where there are gaps in available research information, I work with AES and ARS researchers to fill them and, in several instances, I have taken a lead role in conducting the applied research. The clientele include researchers, farmers, golf course superintendents, farm advisors, consultants, and staffs of state and federal agencies.

My expertise is soil chemistry and physics. The application of this expertise to irrigated agriculture in California usually requires consideration of other agricultural specialties. Thus, the application usually involves working with a team to properly address specific problems, to write the appropriate manuals, papers, and reports, or to give the appropriate training course.

Other recommended sites:

U.S. Salinity Lab at UC Riverside:http://www.ars.usda.gov/main/site_main.htm?modecode=53-10-20-00

Mailing address: