Julia Barra Netto-Ferreira

Assistant Professor of Agronomy and Agroecosystem Health & Research Director of the Analytical Laboratory and Maine Soil Testing Service

Degree: B.Sc., Agronomy, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 2017.

M.Sc., Agronomy – Soil Science, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro,  Brazil, 2020.

Ph.D., Soil, Water, and Ecosystem Sciences, University of Florida, 2025.

Phone: (207) 581-2821

Email: julia.barra@maine.edu

Location:  415 Deering Hall

 

Professional interests:  Regenerative agriculture, soil health management, sustainable & ecological intensification, sustainable cropping systems, crop diversification,  nutrient management, agroecosystem management.

Teaching:

Research: My work focuses on management strategies that integrate soil health, nutrient management, and regenerative agriculture to support sustainable agroecosystems. My research evaluates how conservation practices such as sustainable intensification, crop diversification, cover crops, and reduced disturbance influence soil health and production across diverse systems. I have experience assessing how these management strategies affect soil health indicators and linking those indicators to management and production outcomes. I am particularly interested in applied and systems-level approaches that connect land management decisions to outcomes relevant to farmers and the communities we serve.

Recent publications:

Google scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=i5Kcgg0AAAAJ&view_op=list_works&sortby=pubdate

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julia-bnf/

ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Julia-Barra-Netto-Ferreira

 

  1. Netto-Ferreira JB, Wilson CH, Zhang K, Maltais-Landry G. Sustainable intensification with winter crops stimulates soil nitrogen availability and microbially-mediated N cycling but does not result in substantial benefits to subsequent corn. Biology and Fertility of Soils, 2025.
  2. Borghi EJA; Chales AS; Netto-Ferreira JB; Silva MLS; Guilherme LRG; Antonio JRA; Ferreira ACM; Gomes FTL; Dias OBS. Simultaneous biofortification with selenium and zinc: ionic interaction and its effects on rice production. Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis, 2025.
  3. Gabetto FP, Tenelli S, Netto-Ferreira JB , Gonzaga LC, Isidório MAS, & Carvalho JLN. Exploring the potential of sugarcane straw biochar: Insights into N2O emissions and microbial functional genes. Biomass and Bioenergy, 2025.
  4. Sousa, EB; Netto-Ferreira, JB; Barra, CM; Alves, BJR; Lã, O. R. ; Junior, JGR Sustainable wet method for determination of total organic carbon in soils using potassium permanganate as a substitute for potassium dichromate. Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, 2025.
  5. Nepal J, Xin X, Maltais-Landry G, Netto-Ferreira JB; Wright D, and He Z. Water Dispersible Carbon Nanomaterials Reduced Nutrient Leaching Potential in Sandy Soils: A Column Leaching Study. Science of the Total Environment, 2024.
  6. Netto-Ferreira JB, Leitão D, Griffin W, Sharma L, Maltais-Landry G. The response of a sorghum sudangrass cover crop to residual nitrogen and its relationship with spectral sensors. Agrosystems, Geosciences & Environment, 2024.
  7. Cipriano PE, Borghi EJA, Chales AS, Netto-Ferreira JB, Trevizam AR, Silva MLS, Guilherme LRG. Sulfur And Nitrogen Interaction Affects Onion Yield and Post-Harvest Quality. Journal of Plant Nutrition, 2024.
  8. Assis ES; Borghi EJA; Chales AS; Netto-Ferreira JB; Silva MLS; Trevizam AR. Nitrogen and Sulfur Interaction Affects Strawberry Production and Quality. Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis, 2024.
  9. Netto-Ferreira JB, Gabetto FP, Muniz AC, Dias RC, Maltais-Landry G, Zonta E. Granulation of fertilizers is more efficient in reducing potassium leaching losses than combining biosolids with inorganic sources. Revista Brasileira de Ciência do Solo, 2024.
  10. Gabetto FP, Tenelli S, Netto-Ferreira JB, Gonzaga LC, Isidoro MAS, Carvalho JLN. Exploring the potential of sugarcane straw biochar: Insights into N2O emissions and microbial functional genes. Biomass and Energy, 2024.
  11. Netto-Ferreira JB, Gabetto FP, Muniz AC, Dias RC, Sobrinho NMBA, Zonta E. Combining biosolid and mineral sources of phosphorus and potassium in organomineral fertilizers influences the dynamics and efficiency of nutrient release. Environmental geochemistry and health, 2023.