Michelle M Leinfelder-Miles

Michelle is the Delta Crops Resource Management Advisor serving San Joaquin, Sacramento, Yolo, Solano, and Contra Costa counties. Her educational background includes a B.S. in Crop Science and Management from U.C. Davis, and a M.S. and Ph.D. in Horticulture from Cornell University. At Cornell, her research focused on soil management in apple orchards. Michelle has also done research in Spain, Chile, and New Zealand studying olives, wine grapes, and kiwifruit, respectively. In her role as Delta farm advisor, she conducts a research and extension program that addresses agronomic crop production and water and soil resource management. Specific interests include variety evaluations in grain corn, dry beans, small grains, and rice; nitrogen management; cover cropping and soil health; and soil salinity management in Delta cropping systems.

As County Director, Michelle oversees UC Cooperative Extension programming in San Joaquin County. Local programs deliver robust, science-based information in plant and animal agriculture, natural resource management and the Delta, community nutrition and health, youth development, gardening and horticulture, and food preservation. Through science and service, Cooperative Extension partners with communities to address local needs.

Bibliography

• Rosenberg, S., A.C.M. Gaudin, T.L.D. Fenster, W. Brim-DeForest, B. Linquist, M.M. Leinfelder-Miles, L. Espino, K. Al-Khatib, and C.M. Pittelkow (2025). "Benefits and tradeoffs of diversifying rice-based cropping systems: impacts on soil health, productivity, and agroecosystem multifunctionality." Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 391.
• Inci, D., M.M. Leinfelder-Miles, and K. Al-Khatib (2025). "Management of common cattail (Typha latifolia) with florpyrauxifen-benzyl in rice fields." Weed Technology 39(1): 1-8.
• Santiago, S.T., N. Clark, M. Leinfelder-Miles, S. Light, K. Mathesius, R. Wilson, S. Parikh, M. Savidge, and D. Geisseler (2025). "Nitrogen mineralization from soil organic matter under field conditions in California soils." Soil Science Society of America Journal 89(2)
• Linquist, B., K. Al-Khatib, W. Brim-DeForest, M.B. Espe, L. Espino, M. Leinfelder-Miles, and J.R. Stogsdill (2025). "Predictors of high rice yields in a high-yielding environment: Lessons from a yield contest." Field Crops Research 322(1)
• Mitchell, J.P., L.E. Jackson, D.C. Reicosky, A. Kassam, A. Shrestha, R. Harben, E.M. Miyao, K.M. Scow, G. Sposito, D. Beck, T. Friedrich, A.S. Mitchell, R. Schmidt, S. Park, B. Park, P. Foster, P. Muller, A. Brait, T. Willey, M. Bottens, C. Crum, D. Giacomazzi, T. Barcellos, M.V. Crowell, R. Roy, H. Ferris, J.L. Chiartas, E. Brennan, A. Gaudin, J. Diener, J. Diener, L. Asgill, E.A. Kueneman, J. Fisher, M. Bartz, R.A. Peiretti, R. Derpsch, J. Landers, B.J. Aegerter, M. Leinfelder-Miles, S.E. Light, J. McPee, R.B. Ferraz Branco (2025). "The key role of local and global farmer networks in the development of conservation agriculture in California." Journal of Environmental Quality
• Gelardi, D.L., P.A. Lazicki, D. Rath, M. Leinfelder-Miles, K.M. Scow, D.J. Geisseler, and S. J. Parikh (2025). "Three-year field trials with seven biochars reveal minor changes in soil chemical properties but no impact on crop yield." Field Crops Research 325
• Kanter, J., M. Leinfelder-Miles, N. Clark, M. Lundy, V. Koundinya, R. Long, S. Light, W. Brim-DeForest, B. Linquist, D. Putnam, R. Hutmacher, and C. Pitterlkow (2024). "Setting research and extension priorities for agronomic crops production in California." California Agriculture 78(2)
• Rudnick, J., S.D.S. Khalsa, M. Lubell, M. Leinfelder-Miles, K. Gould, P.H. Brown (2023). "Understanding barriers to adoption of sustainable nitrogen management practices in California." Journal of Soil and Water Conservation 78(3): 1-17.
• Rosenberg, S., A. Crump, W. Brim-DeForest, B. Linquist, L. Espino, K. Al-Khatib, M.M. Leinfelder-Miles, C.M. Pittelkow (2022). "Crop rotations in California rice systems: assessment of barriers and opportunities." Frontiers in Agronomy 4: Article 806572.
• Kanter, J., N. Clark, M.E. Lundy, V. Koundinya, M. Leinfelder-Miles, R. Long, S. Light, W. Brim-DeForest, B. Linquist, D. Putnam, R.B. Hutmacher, and C. Pittelkow (2021). "Top management challenges and concerns for agronomic crop production in California: Identifying critical issues for extension through needs assessment." Agronomy Journal
• Becker, T., T. Nelsen, M. Leinfelder-Miles, and M. Lundy (2020). "Differentiating between nitrogen and water deficiency in irrigated maize using a UAV-based multi-spectral camera." Agronomy 10: 1671-1692.
• Durand, J.R., F. Bombardelli, W.E. Fleenor, Y. Henneberry, J. Herman, C. Jeffres, M. Leinfelder–Miles, J.R. Lund, R. Lusardi, A.D. Manfree, J. Medellín–Azuara, B. Milligan, and P.B. Moyle (2020). "Drought and the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, 2012-2016: environmental review and lessons lessons." San Francisco Estuary and Watershed Sciences 18(2): 1-26.
• R.F., Long; Leinfelder-Miles, M., et al. (2019). Garbanzo production in California. University of California, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources. ANR Publication 8634, 18. January 2019.
• Geisseler, D., K. Miller, M. Leinfelder-Miles, and R. Wilson (2019). "Use of soil protein pools as indicators of soil nitrogen mineralization potential." Soil Science Society of America Journal
• Medellín-Azuara, J., Paw U, K.T., Jin, Y. Jankowski, J., Bell, A.M., Kent, E., Clay, J., Wong, A., Alexander, N., Santos, N., Badillo, J., Hart, Q., Leinfelder-Miles, M.,  Lund, J.R., Anderson, A., Anderson, M., Chen, Y., Edgar, D., Eching, S., Freiberg, S., Gong, R., Guzmán, A., Howes, D., Johnson, L., Kadir, T., Lambert, J.J., Liang, L., Little, C., Melton, F., Metz, M., Morandé, J.A., Orang, M., Pyles, R.D., Post, K., Roosevelt, C., Sarreshteh, S., Snyder, R.L.,  Trezza, R., Temegsen, B., and Viers, J.H. (2018). A Comparative Study for Estimating Crop Evapotranspiration in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Davis, CA, Center for Watershed Sciences, UC Davis. 1-88. March 2018. https://watershed.ucdavis.edu/project/delta-et
• Miller, K., B.J. Aegerter, N.E. Clark, M. Leinfelder-Miles, E.M. Miyao, R. Smith, R. Wilson, and D. Geisseler (2018). "Relationship between soil properties and nitrogen mineralization in undisturbed soil cores from California agroecosystems." Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis
• Espe, M.B., J.E. Hill, M. Leinfelder-Miles, L.A. Espino, R. Mutters, D. Mackill, C. van Kessel, B.A. Linquist (2018). "Rice yield improvements through plant breeding are offset by inherent yield declines over time." Field Crops Research 222: 59-65.
• Espe, M.B.; Hill, J.E., et al. (2017). "Point stresses during reproductive stage rather than warming seasonal temperature determines yield in temperate rice." Global Change Biology
• Leinfelder, M. M.; Merwin, I. A., et al. (2012). "Soil health indicators, apple tree growth, and carbon sequestration differ among orchard groundcover management systems." Acta Horticulturae 938: 333-340.
• Leinfelder, Michelle M.; Merwin, I. (2007). "Management strategies for apple replant disease." New York Fruit Quarterly Spring 2006: 4.
• Leinfelder, M. M.; Merwin, I. A. (2006). "Rootstock selection, preplant soil treatments, and tree planting positions as factors in managing apple replant disease." Hortscience 41(2): 394-401.
• Fazio, G.; Robinson, T., et al. (2005). "Traits of the next wave of Geneva® apple rootstocks." The Compact Fruit Tree 38: 5.