Jeffrey C. Silvertooth

Professor, Extension Specialist – Environmental Science - Soil, Water and Environmental Science, The School of Plant Sciences
(520) 621-7145

Educational Background

  • December 1986. Ph.D. in Soil Science (Soil Fertility), Oklahoma State University. Dissertation Title: Methodology of total nitrogen determination in plant materials and the distribution of fertilizer nitrogen-15 in winter wheat.
  • December 1982. M.S. degree in Agronomy (Soil Fertility), Oklahoma State University. Thesis title: Effects of iron fertilizers on soybeans.
  • December 1976. B.S. degree in Agriculture (Agronomy), Kansas State University.

Research Interests

  • Jeffrey Silvertooth received a Ph.D. in Soil Science (Soil Fertility) at Oklahoma State University in 1986. He also has a Master's degree in Agronomy, which he also received from Oklahoma State University. He earned his Bachelor's degree in Agronomy from Kansas State University. Here at the University of Arizona, he teaches a courses in the Management of Arid Lands and Salt Affected Soils, Introduction to Soil Science, and Soil Fertility (SWES Dept.), Crop Science and Production (PLS Dept.), along with a Soil, Water and Environmental Sciences modular course and freshman colloquium. His research interests are directed towards the development of crop production management strategies (primarily irrigated cotton, cantaloupes, and chilies (green, red, and jalapenos)) that optimize the soil-plant system agronomically and economically, with full consideration of the short- and long-term impact of inputs environmentally. A study of the soil-plant relationships regarding nutrients essential to cotton, cantaloupes, and chiles is an important part of the program as well as the management of salinity and sodicity in agricultural soils. The overall goal, by interacting with other programs, is to reduce the level of inputs such as irrigation water, fertilizers, and pesticides and maintain profitability and sustainability in both the short- and long-term agricultural production systems in the desert Southwest. Dr. Silvertooth has received several awards and recognitions including the Ag-100 Award for Excellence in Agricultural Research and Extension, 1996 and the Arizona Farm Bureau Environmental Protection and Technology Award, 1995, and he became a Fellow in the American Society of Agronomy in 2010.
  • The research program is directed towards the development of crop production management strategies (primarily irrigated cotton and cantaloupes) that optimize the soil-plant system agronomically and economically, with full consideration of the short- and long-term impact of inputs environmentally. A study of the soil-plant relationships regarding nurtrients essential to cotton and cantaloupes is an important part of the program. Salinity and sodicity management in agricultural soils is an important part of the program. The overall goal, by interacting with other programs, is to reduce the level of inputs such as pesticides, fertilizers, and irrigation water, and maintain profitability and sustainability in both the short- and long-term agricultural production systems in the desert Southwest

Selected Publications

Westerman, R.L., J.C. Silvertooth, H.J. Barreto, and D.L. Minter. 1984. Phosphorus and potassium effects on yield and nutrient uptake in arrowleaf clover. Soil Sci. Soc. of Am. J. 48:1292-1296.
Inskeep, W.P. and J.C. Silvertooth. 1988. Inhibition of hydroxyapatite precipitation in the presence of fulvic, humic, and tannic acids. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 52:941-946.
Silvertooth, J.C. and R.L. Westerman. 1988. Digestion of plant materials for the determination of total N to include nitrate. Agron. J. 80(5):733-736.
Inskeep, W.P. and J.C. Silvertooth. 1988. Kinetics of hydroxyapatite precipitation at pH 7.4 and 8.4. Geochim Cosmochim. Acta 52, 1883-1893.
Silvertooth, J.C., J.E. Watson, J.E. Malcuit, and T.A. Doerge. 1991. Solute movement in an irrigated cotton production system. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 56:548-555.
Watson, T.F. and J.C. Silvertooth. 1992. Seasonal dynamics of sweetpotato whitefly. Southwest Entomologist Journal 17(2):149-167.
Unruh, B.L., J.C. Silvertooth, and D.M. Hendricks. 1994. Potassium fertility status of several Sonoran desert soils. Soil Sci. 158(6):435-441.
Sanchez, C.A. and J.C. Silvertooth. 1996. Managing saline and sodic soils for producing horticultural crops. HortTech 6(2):99-107.
Unruh, B.L. and J.C. Silvertooth. 1996. Comparisons between an Upland and a Pima cotton cultivar: II. Nutrient uptake and partitioning. Agron. J. 88:589-595.
Unruh, B.L. and J.C. Silvertooth. 1996. Comparisons between an Upland and a Pima cotton cultivar: I. Growth and yield. Agron. J. 88:583-589.
Unruh, B.L. and J.C. Silvertooth. 1997. Date of planting and irrigation termination effects on yield of Upland and Pima cotton. J. Prod. Agric. 10(1):74-79.
Steger, A., J.C. Silvertooth, and P.W. Brown. 1998. Upland cotton growth and yield response timing the initial post-plant irrigation. Agron. J. 90: 455-461.
Norton, E.R. and J.C. Silvertooth. 1998. Field testing and validation of modeled soil solute movement in an irrigated cotton system. Agron. J. 90:623-630.
Silvertooth, J.C., J.C. Navarro, E.R. Norton, and C.A. Sanchez. 2001. Evaluation of a nitrogen-15 microplot design in a furrow irrigated row crop system. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 65:247-250.
Tronstad, R., J.C. Silvertooth, and Steve Husman. 2003. Irrigation termination: an economic analysis of yield, quality, and market factors. J. Cotton Sci. 7:86-94.
Norton, E.R. and J.C. Silvertooth. 2007. Evaluation of Added Nitrogen Interaction Effects on Recovery Efficiency in Irrigated Cotton. Soil Science. 172(12):983-991
Norton, E.R. and J.C. Silvertooth. 2008. Nitrogen Volatilization from Arizona Irrigation Waters. Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis. 39(15/16):2378-2397.
Silvertooth, J.C. 1991. Fertilizer use in cotton production worldwide. In W. Wichmann (ed.) International Fertilizer Use Review. International Fertilizer Industry Association. Paris, France. p. 457-471.
Silvertooth, J.C., K.L. Edmiston, W.H. McCarty, and D.R. Krieg. 1999. Production practices. In Cotton (a monograph), C.W. Smith and J.T. Cothren, Eds. John Wiley & Sons. New York, NY. p. 451-488.

Teaching Responsibilities

  • Jacobsen, J.S. and J.C. Silvertooth. 1983. Soil fertility and management laboratory manual. Agron. 4234. Oklahoma State University. (60 pages).
  • Silvertooth, J.C. 1993/1999. Management of arid lands and salt affected soils - notes and reference manual. SWES 401/501. University of Arizona. (220 pages).
  • Silvertooth, J.C. 1998. Crop science and production - notes and reference manual. PLS 306. University of Arizona. (328 pages).