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Agronomy society honors Jha with early career award
Prakash Jha (Photo By: Agricultural Communications)
08/17/2026
By: Meg Henderson
Prakash Kumar Jha, an assistant professor in Mississippi State's Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, was honored with the Soil and Water Management and Conservation Division Young Scholar Award from the Soil Science Society of America, or SSSA.
The annual award spotlights the work of SSSA early-career scientists who have made exceptional contributions to soil and water management and conservation scholarship within seven years of completing their doctoral program.
Jha, also a scientist in the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, specializes in decision support systems, using remote sensing and crop simulation modeling to help growers make critical decisions in managing their crops. He has extensive international experience, conducting research in countries such as Kenya, Ghana, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Guatemala and Honduras.
As a graduate student, Jha joined the tri-society, which includes SSSA, the American Society of Agronomy (ASA), and the Crop Science Society of America (CSSA). Now a 12-year member, he has served in various capacities and is currently chair of modeling application in field research. He credits the society, with its strong international partnerships, for opening doors to research projects around the globe.
"The society has been instrumental in my professional development and research career, providing opportunities to collaborate with peers not only in the U.S. but also outstanding scientists globally," he said. "It has given me opportunities to publish my research, present at conferences and participate in leadership programs."
Jha, who will receive the award in November at the tri-society's Canvas conference in Portland, Oregon, credits the accolade largely to the support system around him.
"This award reflects not only my individual efforts but also the collective efforts from my students, collaborators, mentors and colleagues at Mississippi State and around the world," he said. "Mississippi State offers an exceptional environment for interdisciplinary agricultural research, and our culture of close collaboration among faculty, producers and growers helps us build a platform to launch our research into the global arena."
For more information on the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences in MSU's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, visit www.pss.msstate.edu. For more on the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, visit www.mafes.msstate.edu.
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