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THE CROPS LAB | MANHATTAN, KANSAS

Cultivating Resilience in Our Production Systems

Meet our Team!

Dr. Rachel L. Veenstra Cott

Asst. Professor, Principal Investigator
B.S. Environmental Plant Science-Crop Science (Missouri State University)
Ph.D. Crop Production and Cropping Systems (Kansas State University)

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Rachel is originally from Hartville, Missouri, where she grew up on her family's cow-calf operation and fell in love with in production agriculture at a young age. When she learned you could major in "plants" in college, she dove right in (and never left).

 

Rachel joined the Kansas State University Agronomy department as a faculty member in 2022. Her appointment is teaching and research, and she loves both sides of her job. Known formerly as the "Tiller Queen" for her graduate work in low-density corn tillering physiology, she is continuing her research efforts in crop ecology with a particular interest in novel cropping system options for Kansas farmers.
 

email: rveenstra@ksu.edu

Yuri A. Bezerra Gross

M.S. Student
B.S. Agronomy (Federal University of Santa Maria, Brazil)

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Yuri is originally from Mato Grosso, a state in Brazil. He grew up on a farm family where agriculture was always present. At 17, he moved to southern Brazil to pursue a bachelor's degree in Agronomy. After graduating, he worked as a Research and Development Assistant for a seed company in Brazil. Looking for an opportunity abroad, Yuri moved to the United States to work at Kansas State University as a research intern. During this time, he worked on projects involving various crops, including soybean, corn, canola, and sorghum. In 2025, Yuri began his master's degree at K-State, focusing on crop systems, particularly studying relay intercropped wheat and soybean.

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email: yuribgross@ksu.edu

Quinten J. Bina

Undergraduate Student
B.S. Agronomy, in-progress (Kansas State University)

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Quinten is originally from Pilsen, Kansas, where he grew up on a family farm raising livestock and crops, including soybeans, wheat, corn, and forage. This early exposure to agronomy and animal science sparked a strong interest in crop production and sustainability. While earning a bachelor's degree in Agronomy at Kansas State University, Quinten gained hands-on experience through research, teaching, and collegiate competition teams. In 2026, Quinten will begin a master’s degree at K-State, focusing on cropping systems with interests in plant physiology, ecology, and production, with the goal of becoming a professor in agronomy.

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email: qjbina@ksu.edu

Dennis Boller

Research Technician
Professional Problem Solver

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Pedro Dan Edamatu de Carvalho

Visiting Scholar

Miguel Devetter

Visiting Scholar

Interested in joining our team?

Graduate Student, Intern, and Visiting Scholar Application

Starting Date: dependent on funding availability

+ info about K-State Graduate School here.

+ info about Agronomy graduate programs here.

+ info about K-State Visiting Scholar programs here.

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For additional information and consideration, please submit your CV/resume and complete the form below:

Thank you! We'll be in touch.

©2025 by Rachel L. Veenstra Cott, Ph.D.

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