First and foremost, I would like to thank God for the opportunity He has given me to pursue my master's degree. I believe that He is the source of all blessings and I would not be where I am today without Him. Also, to all of the people who made me who I am today, thank you! It is impossible to mention each one of you, but know that I am forever grateful to all of you. With deep gratitude, I would like to thank my advisor, Dr. Baraem (Pam) Ismail, who always gave me tremendous support, continual guidance, and encouragement both in my academic journey and career path. This journey would not be possible without you! I would also like to thank Dr. George Annor, for being a tremendous mentor and friend who took a significant amount of time from his schedule to help me. Many thanks to Dr. Tonya Schoenfuss, my co-advisor, and to Dr. James Anderson, the final member of my thesis committee, for their support of my work. With a thankful heart, I would like to thank Forever Green Initiative, Minnesota Department of Agriculture, and The Land Institute for funding this project. Also to all plant agronomists who helped in providing the samples used in this project and work alongside with us, Xiaofei Zhang, Lee DeHaan, and Dr. Don Wyse. I would also like to thank research groups under the supervision of Dr. Senay Simsek, Dr. Jae-Bom Ohm, and Kristin Whitney at North Dakota State University, for their help and assistance with my research. Further, I would like to thank my research family at the Ismail Research Laboratory for their continuous support and assistance. I especially thank Chathurada and Catrin for their willingness to help and lend me their expertise. To Amy, my sister from another mother and father, for being a good friend who always listen to my ups and downs.
