Dr. Monika Toleikienė

ORCiD iD: 0000-0003-2176-4096
E-mail: monika.toleikiene@lammc.lt
Instituto al. 1, Akademija, LT-58344 Kėdainiai distr., Lithuania

Education 

2015–2019 PhD studies of Agronomy, LAMMC.

2013–2014 Master courses Physical Geography, Studies on Erasmus exchange programme, Lund University, Sweden. 

2012–2014 Environmental Research and Management Master's studies, Vilnius University. 

2008–2012 Ecology and Environmental Research Bachelor's studies, Klaipėda University. 

Academic degrees and pedagogical titles

2019 Doctor in Agronomy Science, dissertation topic “Efficiency of legume nitrogen use in organic plant-based agroecosystem”.

Research fields

• Legume’s productivity, usage, cultivar potential and introduction of new species under the climate change
• Nitrogen fixation and symbiosis of microorganisms with plants
• The use of organic farming technologies and organic fertilizers
• Soil biodiversity in an organic agroecosystem

Professional experience

Since 2021 Senior Researcher, Institute of Agriculture, LAMMC.

2020–2021 Researcher, Institute of Agriculture, LAMMC.

2015–2020 Junior Researcher, Institute of Agriculture, LAMMC.

Memberships and affiliations with professional organizations

• Member of the Lithuanian Society of Soil Scientists.
• Member of the International Legume Society (ILS).
• Member of the Young Academy of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences.
• Representative of the Office of the Young Academy of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences for the field of agronomic sciences.

In-service training

• December 4–17, 2021 International internship at the Vienna University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Austria. The purpose – the determination of solid organic matter particles in the soil after leguminous main crops and intercropping. Superviser Dr. Rebecca Hood-Nowotny.
• October 4 – November 9, 2017 International scientific internship in Aarhus University in Denmark. Scientific supervisor Prof. Jim Rasmussen. Theme “Investigation of legume nitrogen fixation and utilisation using labelled isotope method”.
• October 5 – November 21, 2017 International PhD course in Aarhus University “SOM and organically bounded nutrients”.

Other activities

• 2022–2023 Member of the organizing committee of the “European Grassland Federation international symposium”.

Involvement in programmes and projects

International

• 2022–2025 Horizon 2020 program project EJP SOIL internal program project “Optimizing roots for sustainable crop production in Europe - pure cultures and cover crops” (MaxRoot-C), coordinator of the Lithuanian part, senior researcher.
• 2022–2025 Horizon 2020 program project EJP SOIL internal program project “Are mixed species systems fostering belowground C inputs and C sequestration?” (MIXROOT-C), coordinator of the Lithuanian part, senior researcher.
• 2022–2025 Horizon 2020 program project EJP SOIL internal program project “Agroecological strategies for an efficient functioning of plant - soil biota interactions to increase SOC sequestration” (AGROECOseqC), senior researcher.
• 2018–2021 Horizon 2020 project “Fostering sustainable legume-based farming systems and agri-feed and food chains in the EU” (LEGVALUE, 727672 — LEGVALUE — H2020-SFS-2016-2017/H2020-SFS-2016-2). Period 2017–2021, junior researcher.
• 2015–2017 FP7 ERA-NET Plus: CORE Organic FertilCrop “Managing fertility building in organic cropping systems”.

National

• 2022–2025 Project of researcher teams funded by the Lithuanian Research Council “Optimization of legume nitrogen fixation and use in the organic farming ecosystem”, supervisor.
• 2018-2022 National high level R&D project (SMART) funded by the Lithuanian Research Council “Enhancement of the multifunctional properties of legumes in feed and food value chains” (SmartLegume), junior researcher.
• 2015–2017 National program “Soybean management technology”, supported by Lithuanian Ministry of Agriculture.

Awards

• 2022–2023 awarded by scholarship for young scientists of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences.
• 2021–2022 awarded by scholarship from the World Federation of Scientists.
• November 16, 2017 Award from Lithuanian Academy of Science for best report in international conference “Young scientist for advance of agriculture”. Toleikienė M., Kadžiulienė Ž., Šlepetys J., Šarūnaitė L. 2017. Investigating cultivars and inoculum for soybean production in Lithuania. Vilnius, Lithuania.

MAJOR RESEARCH OUTPUTS

Articles in journals indexed in Clarivate Analytics Web of Science database

1. Kaziūnienė J., Mažylytė R., Krasauskas A., Toleikienė M., Gegeckas A. 2022. Optimizing the growth conditions of the selected plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria Paenibacillus MVY-024 for industrial scale production. Biology, 11 (5): 745. IF – 5,168
2. Šarūnaitė L., Toleikienė M., Arlauskienė A., Razbadauskienė K., Deveikytė I., Supronienė S., Semaškienė R., Kadžiulienė Ž. 2022. Effects of pea (Pisum sativum L.) cultivars for mixed cropping with oats (Avena sativa L.) on yield and competition indices in an organic production system. Plants, 11 (21): 2936. IF – 4,658
3. Šidlauskaitė G., Kemešytė V., Toleikienė M., Kadžiulienė Ž. 2022. Plant diversity, functional group composition and legumes effects versus fertilisation on the yield and forage quality. Sustainability, 14 (3): 1182. IF – 3,889
4. Ayaz M., Stulpinaite U., Feiziene D., Tilvikiene V., Akthar K., Baltrėnaite-Gediene E., Striugas N., Rehmani U., Alam S., Iqbal R., Toleikiene M., Doyeni M. 2022. Pig manure digestate-derived biochar for soil management and crop cultivation in heavy metals contaminated soil. Soil Use and Management, 38 (2): 1307–1321. IF – 3,672
   
5. Iqbal R., Raza M. A. S., Rahman M. H., Hyder S., Israr M., Aslama M. U., Mustafa F., Shahzaman M., Ayaz M., Toleikiene M., Hashemig F., Khanh M. T., Aslamh M. M. 2022. Effect of partial rhizosphere drying on plant photosynthetic, antioxidative and water related indicators in cotton. Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis, 53 (16): 2125–2140. IF – 1,580 
6. Iqbal R., Habib-ur-Rahman M., Raza M. A. S., Waqas M., Ikram R. M., Ahmed M. Z., Toleikiene M., Ayaz M., Mustafa F., Ahmad S., Aslam M. U., Waqas M. M., Khan M. T., Aslam M. M., Haider I. 2021. Assessing the potential of partial root zone drying and mulching for improving the productivity of cotton under arid climate. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 28 (46): 66223–66241. IF – 5,190
7. Arlauskienė A., Gecaitė V., Toleikienė M., Šarūnaitė L., Kadžiulienė Ž. 2021. Soil nitrate nitrogen content and grain yields of organically grown cereals as affected by a strip tillage and forage legume intercropping. Plants, 10 (7): 1453. IF – 4,658

8. Arlauskienė A., Jablonskytė-Raščė D., Šarūnaitė L., Toleikienė M., Masilionytė L., Gecaitė V., Kadžiulienė Ž. 2021. Perennial forage legume cultivation and their above-ground mass management methods for weed suppression in arable organic cropping systems. Chemical and Biological Technologies in Agriculture, 8: 34. IF – 4,839

9. Iqbal R., Raza M. A. S., Rashid M. A., Toleikiene M., Ayaz M., Mustafa F., Ahmed M. Z., Hyder S., Rahman M. H., Ahmad S., Aslam M. U., Haider I. 2021. Partial root zone drying irrigation improves water use efficiency but compromise the yield and quality of cotton crop. Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis, 52 (13): 1558–1573. IF – 1,580
10. Toleikiene M., Zvirdauskiene R., Suproniene S., Arlauskiene A., Brophy C., Kadziuliene Z. 2021. Soil microbial functional diversity responds to plant-based organic fertlisers depending on the group of carbon sources. Polish Journal of Environmental Studies, 30 (3): 2755–2768. IF – 1,871

11. Suproniene S., Decorosi F., Pini F., Bellabarba A., Calamai L., Giovannetti L., Bussotti F., Kadziuliene Z., Razbadauskiene K., Toleikiene M., Viti C. 2021. Selection of Rhizobium strains for inoculation of Lithuanian Pisum sativum breeding lines. Symbiosis, 83: 193–208. IF – 3,109

12. Toleikiene M., Slepetys J., Sarunaite L., Lazauskas S., Deveikyte I., Kadziuliene Z. 2021. Soybean development and productivity in response to organic management above the Northern boundary of soybean distribution in Europe. Agronomy, 11 (2): 214. IF – 3,949

13. Šidlauskaitė G., Toleikienė M., Kadžiulienė Ž. 2021. Productivity potential of three tetraploid ryegrass cultivars and their mixture in new swards with clovers. Zemdirbyste-Agriculture, 108 (3): 241–246. IF – 1,281
14. Toleikienė M., Arlauskienė A., Šarūnaitė L., Šidlauskaitė G., Kadžiulienė Ž. 2020. The effect of plant-based organic fertilisers on the yield and nitrogen G. utilization of spring cereals in the organic cropping system. Zemdirbyste-Agriculture, 107 (1): 17–24. IF – 1,083
15. Toleikiene M., Arlauskiene A., Fliesbach A., Iqbal R., Sarunaite L., Kadziuliene Z. 2020. The decomposition of standardised organic materials in loam and clay loam arable soils during a non-vegetation period. Soil and Water Research, 15: 181–190. IF – 2,056
16. Toleikienė M., Brophy C., Arlauskienė A., Rasmussen J., Gecaitė V., Kadžiulienė Ž. 2019. The introduction of soybean in an organic crop rotation in the Nemoral zone: the impact on subsequent spring wheat productivity. Zemdirbyste-Agriculture, 106 (4): 321–328. IF – 0,833
17. Ignatavičius G., Toleikienė M. 2017. Optimisation of the conservation of rare and vulnerable plant species in the perspective of climate change in Lithuanian nature reserves. Archives of Environmental Protection, 43 (3): 61–73. IF – 0,708

Other peer-reviewed publications

1. Arlauskienė A., Šarūnaitė L., Razbadauskienė K., Toleikienė M., Kadžiulienė Ž., Arlauskas A. 2021. Diversification of crop rotation with field peas on nitrogen use efficiency for winter wheat yield. Agriculture & Food, 9: 172–180.
2. Iqbal R., Raza M. A. S., Valipour M., Saleem M. F., Zaheer M. S., Ahmad S., Toleikiene M., Haider I., Aslam M. U., Nazar M. A. 2020. Potential agricultural and environmental benefits of mulches – a review. Bulletin of the National Research Centre, 44: 75.

3. Iqbal R., Raza M. A. S., Toleikiene M., Ayaz M., Hashemi M., Habib-ur-Rahman M., Zaheer M. S., Ahmad S., Riaz U., Ali M., Aslam M. U., Haider I. 2020. Partial root-zone drying (PRD), its effects and agricultural significance: a review. Bulletin of the National Research Centre, 44: 159.

   Iqbal R., Raza M. A. S.,  Saleem M. F., Khan  I. H., Zaheer M. S., Ahmad S., Haider I., Aslam M. U., Toleikiene M. 2019. Foliar applied iron and zinc improves the growth, physiological and yield related traits of wheat under drought. International Journal of Biosciences, 14 (3): 376–387.

4. Arlauskiene A., Jablonskyte-Rasce D., Velykis A., Toleikiene M. Energetic evaluation of green manure preparation for organic farms. Engineering for rural development, p. 667–672.

Recommendations

1. Toleikienė M., Kadžiulienė Ž. 2022. Ekologiškai auginamų sojų veislių potencialas ir inokuliavimo mikroorganizmais svarba. Naujausios rekomendacijos žemės ir miškų ūkiui. Lietuvos agrarinių ir miškų mokslų centras. ISSN 2029-7548.
2. Toleikienė M., Kadžiulienė Ž., Arlauskienė A. 2020. Pupiniai augalai efektyvesniam azoto panaudojimui ekologinio augalininkystės ūkio sėjomainose. Naujausios rekomendacijos žemės ir miškų ūkiui. Lietuvos agrarinių ir miškų mokslų centras. ISSN 2029-7548, p. 8–10.
3. Arlauskienė A., Toleikienė M., Šarūnaitė L., Jablonskytė-Raščė D., Supronienė S., Kadžiulienė Ž. 2019. Augalinės kilmės organinių trąšų naudojimas ekologinėse agrosistemose. Naujausios rekomendacijos žemės ir miškų ūkiui. Lietuvos agrarinių ir miškų mokslų centras. ISSN 2029-7548, p. 32–34.

Popular press articles

1. Šarūnaitė L., Toleikienė M. 2022. Bolivinės balandos skinasi kelius į Lietuvą. Rasos, balandis: 13–15.
2. Šarūnaitė L., Toleikienė M. 2021. Bolivinių balandų auginimo ypatumai. Mano ūkis, 7: 18–20.
3. Toleikienė M., Kadžiulienė Ž. 2020. Kaupiama netradicinių pupinių augalų auginimo patirtis. Mano ūkis, 5: 36–38.
4. Toleikienė M., Kadžiulienė Ž. 2020. Azotas: kiek jo sukaupia ir kiek atiduoda pupiniai augalai. Mano ūkis, 4: 22–23.
5. Toleikienė M. 2019. Sugrįžta dar viduramžiais auginti lęšiai. Kaimo laikraštis, 50: 10.
6. Toleikienė M. 2019. Pamėkime valgomuosius lęšius. Rasos, 22: 10–11.
7. Toleikienė M., Arlauskienė A., Kadžiulienė Ž. 2019. Ankštiniai augalai: panaudoti galime dar įvairiau. Rasos, 16: 13–15.
8. Toleikienė M., Arlauskienė A., Kadžiulienė Ž. 2019. Ankštiniai augalai: panaudoti galime dar įvairiau. Ūkininko patarėjas, 93: 8–9.
9. Toleikienė M., Kadžiulienė Ž., Šarūnaitė L. 2019. Sojos, lęšiai, avinžirniai - jau ir Lietuvos mokslininkų akiratyje. Mano ūkis, 1: 42–45.
10. Kadžiulienė Ž., Toleikienė M., Deveikytė I., Šlepetys J. 2018. Ko reikia sėkmingam sojų auginimui? Mano ūkis, 8: 45–47.
11. Kadžiulienė Ž., Deveikytė I., Toleikienė M., Šlepetys J. 2017. Sojų auginimo agrotechnologiniai tyrimai. Ūkininko patarėjas. Spec. leid. AgroVizija 2017. Kaunas, p. 38.