Author: Kristen Trinh Major: Biological Engineering
Kristen Trinh presenting her research at a virtual conference!
Blurb: My name is Kristen Trinh, a senior Biological Engineering major from within the College of Engineering. I worked with Dr. Benjamin Runkle who is also from the Department of Biological Engineering for the grant period of Spring 2021 where we looked at estimating irrigation in Arkansas rice fields using a water balance. After graduation, I will be attending Duke University for my Master of Environmental Management with a focus on Energy and Environment.
Hello everyone, I’m Kristen Trinh, a senior Biological Engineering major. During the summer of 2020, right in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, I started working with Dr. Benjamin Runkle’s lab. This project was also done in conjunction with my Honors Thesis. Our goal was to estimate irrigation in rice fields using a water balance. Agricultural production is expected to increase as the population grows, increasing water usage, so it is becoming increasingly important to track our water usage to prevent overconsumption. For my research project, we used a water balance to estimate irrigation by studying the various inputs and outputs of water in a rice field.
This research was a challenge right off the bat. Because of the pandemic, I was not able to meet neither my mentor nor his research assistants in person. I had to jump into a new group of people who had known each other for years and learn how to perform research with them in this remote setting. Additionally, I did not have much previous experience in this research area, and I was working with data that was collected previously by other researchers. However, I was able to work alongside a post-doctoral fellow in Dr. Runkle’s lab to sift through the data. She helped collect some of the data, so she was able to guide me through understanding the data and applying it to my water balance.
Even with our combined knowledge, we ran into a lot of bumps along the way. The water balance was not behaving like we thought it would be. There was also a lot of uncertainty with the data, so we had to make a lot of assumptions. After more literature review and adjustments, we were able to produce results. The water balance is not perfect by any means, but it is a great start toward measuring irrigation. The water balance could be used by farmers to track how much irrigation they are using and see how the water distribution is affected in the field. They could then adjust their irrigation practices to be more efficient. Farmers could also use the water balance to compare irrigation methods to see what methods conserve water while maintaining yield. There are many real-world applications to this water balance, and its adaptability makes it a useful tool.
This Honors College Research Grant has allowed me to explore research in an area that was new and unfamiliar to me. Even though all of my work has been remote, I have still made the best out of the situation. I was able to present at two virtual conferences: the STEM Posters at the Capitol event and the University of Arkansas Undergraduate Research Week! Through this whole research experience, I learned about the difficulties of estimating irrigation and the challenges that farmers and scientists are facing together. I also learned how to effectively communicate my research findings and how to collaborate with many different researchers, which I will carry with me in my upcoming graduate program at Duke University. This research project has been the great foundation for the start of my research career, and I am excited to see where I can go next.