Rupinder Saini, Ph.D.

Background

Dr. Rupinder Saini completed her master’s degree in Weed Science from Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, India. She earned her Ph.D. in Weed Science from The University of Adelaide, Australia, where her research focused on clethodim resistance in annual ryegrass and its management in broadleaf crops. She was awarded the prestigious Dean’s Commendation for Doctoral Thesis Excellence in 2016. Prior to joining Texas Tech University, she was a John Allwright Fellow at The University of Adelaide and served as a Research Associate in the Department of Agronomy at Punjab Agricultural University, India.

Research Interests

Dr. Rupinder Saini is an Associate Professor in the Department of Plant and Soil Science. Her research focuses on integrated weed management, combining weed biology and ecology with practical strategies to support sustainable and productive agricultural systems. She works on agronomic crops such as cotton, sorghum, and corn, as well as specialty crops including vegetables, industrial hemp, and guayule, and her research also covers organic systems. Her work emphasizes sustainable practices, herbicide efficacy, and real-world solutions that help growers maintain healthy, high-yielding crops. Additionally, she studies soil-herbicide interactions, evaluating the effects of herbicides on soil microbial communities to better understand their impact on soil health and agroecosystem sustainability.

Dr. Saini is also dedicated to teaching and mentoring undergraduate and graduate students. She is passionate about connecting research with practice and preparing the next generation of agricultural scientists to address modern farming challenges through innovative and sustainable approaches.