Natasha Rayne

Assistant Professor
UW Madison Soil Fertility Extension Specialist

 nrayne@wisc.edu | 608.262.6677 | Google Scholar | LinkedIn

Hi, I am Natasha Rayne. I graduated with a BS in Agronomy from the Anton de Kom University of Suriname. Following graduation, I worked in agriculture in various capacities, including as a Project Coordinator at an NGO working with subsistence farmers. Following this, I pursued and earned my master’s degree in Plant and Soil Science, followed by my Ph.D. in Soil Science at Oklahoma State University. After earning my Ph.D., I joined the faculty at UW River Falls (UWRF), where I taught various soils courses, including Introduction to Soil Science, Soil Fertility, and Soil Microbiology, and supervised many research projects. In January 2024, I joined the Soil & Environmental Science Department at UW Madison, where my research focuses on manure and nutrient availability in cropping systems, crop canopy sensors and variable rate technology, and nitrogen management in small grains and forages.

My research focuses on three areas:
1. Manure and nutrient availability in cropping systems.
2. Crop canopy sensors and variable rate technology. 
3. Nitrogen management in small grains and forages

Michael Moul

Soil Technician

mmoul@wisc.edu

Soil Technician for Rayne-Lab in the CALS/SOIL Science department.  Graduate of Ripon College, majoring in Biology with minors in Chemistry and Economics.  After graduating from Ripon College, he obtained a secondary bachelor’s degree in Health & Wellness administration from Purdue Global.   His interest in soil began at a young age, as he grew up working on his father’s small cattle/cash cropping farm in Wisconsin, to which he still has an active role in managing.  He hopes to build and contribute to the knowledge of soil and its properties in his time with the lab.   In his free time, he trains and participates in varies running adventures such as marathons and obstacle course events.