Linda Kinkel

Professor
Department of Plant Pathology

PhD, Plant Pathology, University of Wisconsin Madison, 1988

kinkel@umn.edu
plpa.cfans.umn.edu/people/faculty/linda-kinkel 

Research Interests

Ecology and evolutionary biology of plant-associated microbes; dynamics of microbial species interactions, including antagonistic and resource competition, among endophytic and soil populations in native prairie and agricultural habitats; use of microbial inoculants, soil management, and ecological and evolutionary principles to enhance crop productivity.

Bio

Linda Kinkel and her research team seek to understand the factors that mediate the functional capacities of soil and endophytic microbiomes to enhance plant health and productivity. Research in the Kinkel lab integrates diverse cultural and ‘omics approaches in field, greenhouse, and laboratory experiments to elucidate the ecological and evolutionary drivers of microbial functional capacities in soil and plants. Kinkel also leads the international Agricultural Microbiomes Research Coordination Network, which seeks to stimulate the development and engagement of a global community of researchers to advance the capacity of microbiome research to address significant challenges in agriculture.