Under the supervision of Professor Philippe Seguin and Tanya Copley, PhD, CEROM, Ximena is studying the threat that herbicide-resistant weeds pose in Canada and abroad.
"In collaboration with Université de Laval, UQAM, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), and the Centre de recherche sur les grains (CEROM), we are evaluating the impact of intercropping cover crops at reducing herbicide usage in the traditional Quebec crop rotation like corn, soybean, and wheat," she explains. Cover crops are non-harvested plants grown to protect the soil from erosion and weeds, among other things. "During my PhD, I will assess their influence on the main crop yield, seed quality, microbiome diversity, and root health."
Ximena is looking forward to a career focused on supporting sustainable agriculture and food security, and believes that the tools and experience she's gained at McGill will help her get there.
"Professors in the Plant Science Department are actively involved in finding solutions to problems of national and global relevance."
Ximena originates from Bogotá, Colombia and holds an MSc Plant Sciences, McGill University, and BSc Biology, Universidad Militar Nueva Granada, Bogotá, Colombia.