Biography
Dr. Samira Islas-Valdez serves as a Postdoctoral Scholar and Lecturer in the Department of Agricultural Sciences at Texas State University. Before her current role, she completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Colorado State University, where her research focused on isolating phosphate- and zinc-solubilizing microbes and evaluating synthetic root exudates to improve phosphorus solubilization in phosphorus-deficient soils. Dr. Islas-Valdez earned her PhD in Agricultural Chemistry from the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (Spain). During her doctoral studies, she employed spectroscopic and fractionation techniques to characterize micronutrient complexes used as fertilizers to correct iron and manganese deficiencies in crops grown in hydroponic systems and calcareous soils.
Research Interests
Dr. Samira Islas-Valdez's research seeks to enhance soil health and crop productivity by investigating how soil amendments and biofertilizers influence plant nutrition, soil fertility, root exudates, and microbial soil communities—thereby establishing them as reliable, sustainable alternatives to traditional chemical fertilizers. Additionally, her research interests include exploring the potential of biofertilizers as biological control agents against plant diseases, including oak wilt.