Research Project: Development of Enhanced Tools and Management Strategies to Support Sustainable Agricultural Systems and Water Quality

Location: Grassland Soil and Water Research Laboratory

Publications (Clicking on the reprint icon will take you to the publication reprint.)

An innovative UAV-based approach for estimating crop stand counts amidst weed infestation - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Baath, G.S., Bawa, A., Sapkota, B., Flynn, K.C., Sakar, S., Smith, D.R. 2025. An innovative UAV-based approach for estimating crop stand counts amidst weed infestation. Smart Agricultural Technology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atech.2025.101030.

Reducing national water degradation: development and application of a manureshed-identification framework - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Hague, M., Ansar, A., Veith, T.L., White, M.J., Costello, C., Spiegal, S.A., Kleinman, P.J., Arnold, J.G. 2025. Reducing national water degradation: development and application of a manureshed-identification framework. Agricultural Systems. 227. Article 104349. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104349.

Quantifying the impact of climate change and land use change on surface-subsurface nutrient dynamics in a Chesapeake Bay watershed system - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Tuladhar, A., Bailey, R.T., Abbas, S.A., Shanmugam, M.S., Arnold, J.G., White, M.J. 2025. Quantifying the impact of climate change and land use change on surface-subsurface nutrient dynamics in a Chesapeake Bay watershed system. Journal of Environmental Management. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2025.125101.

Estimation of groundwater storage loss using surface–subsurface hydrologic modeling in an irrigated agricultural region - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Abbas, S.A., Bailey, R.T., White, J.T., Arnold, J.G., White, M.J. 2025. Estimation of groundwater storage loss using surface–subsurface hydrologic modeling in an irrigated agricultural region. Scientific Reports. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-92987-6.

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for precision agriculture information gathering to advance crop monitoring and management - (Proceedings)
Flynn, K.C., Hassan Krishmurthy, C., Sapkota, B., Baath, G. 2025. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for precision agriculture information gathering to advance crop monitoring and management. International Symposium on Collaborative Informatics. 2025:K3-1 - K3-7.

Assessing the use of alternative soil data in hydrological and water quality modeling with SWAT+: SSURGO and POLARIS at subbasin and field scales - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Nao-Yarasca, E., Osorio Leyton, J., White, M.J., Gao, J., Arnold, J.G. 2025. Assessing the use of alternative soil data in hydrological and water quality modeling with SWAT+: SSURGO and POLARIS at subbasin and field scales. Water Research. https://doi.org/10.3390/w17050670.

Assessing selenium fate and transport in a semi-arid river basin with and without human influence - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Bailey, R.T., Abbas, S.A., Arnold, J.G., White, M.J. 2025. Assessing selenium fate and transport in a semi-arid river basin with and without human influence. Water Research. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2025.123335.

Inter-comparison of soybean models for the simulation of evapotranspiration in a humid continental climate - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Figueiredo Moura da Silva, Kothari, K., Pattey, E., Battisti, R., Boote, K.J., Archontoulis, S.V., Cuadra, S.V., Faye, B., Grant, B., Hoogenboom, G., Jing, Q., Marin, F.R., Nendel, C., Qian, B., Smith, W., Srivastava, A., Thorp, K.R., Vieira, N.A., Salmeron, M. 2025. Inter-comparison of soybean models for the simulation of evapotranspiration in a humid continental climate. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology. 365.110463. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2025.110463.

Soil test phosphorus predicts field-level, but not sub-field level corn yield response - (Peer Reviewed Journal)

Digital mapping of agricultural soils texture of the Brazilian Cerrado biome - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Pelegrino, M.H., Guilherme, L.R., Adhikari, K., Poppiel, R.R., Dematte, J.M., Curi, N., De Menezesa, M.D. 2025. Digital mapping of agricultural soils texture of the Brazilian Cerrado biome. Geoderma Regional. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geodrs.2025.e00922.

Leveraging spectral neighborhood information for corn yield prediction with spatial-lagged machine learning modeling: Can neighborhood information outperform vegetation indices? - (Peer Reviewed Journal)

Plant production forecasting; current state and opportunities for advancing grazing land management - (Proceedings)
Schantz, M.C., Hardegree, S.P. 2025. Plant production forecasting; current state and opportunities for advancing grazing land management. International Rangeland Congress. pp. 603-610.

Modeling agro-hydrological surface-subsurface processes in a semi-arid, intensively irrigated river basin - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Abbas, S.A., Bailey, R.T., Arnold, J.G., White, M.J., Mirchi, A. 2025. Modeling agro-hydrological surface-subsurface processes in a semi-arid, intensively irrigated river basin. Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies. 57:102188. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejrh.2025.102188.

Hyperspectral reflectance and machine learning for multi-site monitoring of cotton growth - (Database / Dataset)
Flynn, K.C., Witt, T.W., Baath, G.S., Chinmayi, H.K., Smith, D.R., Gowda, P.H., Ashworth, A.J. 2024. Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) biophysical, biochemical, and hyperspectral data from LTAR USDA-ARS stations. Ag Data Commons. https://doi.org/10.15482/USDA.ADC/27765477.v1.

Laser penetration and intensity LiDAR-based plant height and LAI estimations of corn - (Abstract Only)

Quantifying the role of calibration strategies on surface-subsurface hydrologic model performance - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Abbas, S.A., Bailey, R.T., White, J.T., Arnold, J.G., White, M.J. 2024. Quantifying the role of calibration strategies on surface-subsurface hydrologic model performance. Hydrological Processes. https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.15298.

River corridor beads are important areas of floodplain-groundwater exchange within the Colorado River headwaters watershed - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Schulz, E.Y., Morrison, R.R., Bailey, R.T., Arnold, J.G., White, M.J. 2024. River corridor beads are important areas of floodplain-groundwater exchange within the Colorado River headwaters watershed. Hydrological Processes. https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.15282.

Effectiveness of satellite based digital terrain model for estimating crop height from UAV based imagery - (Abstract Only)

Hyperspectral reflectance and machine learning for multi-site monitoring of cotton growth - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Flynn, K.C., Witt, T.W., Baath, G., H.K., C., Smith, D.R., Gowda, P.H., Ashworth, A.J. 2024. Hyperspectral reflectance and machine learning for multi-site monitoring of cotton growth. Smart Agricultural Technology. 9(2024). 100536. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atech.2024.100536.

Calibration guide for watershed modeling with distributed groundwater modeling: Application for the SWAT+ model - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Abbas, S.A., Bailey, R.T., Almahawis, M.K., White, J.T., Arnold, J.G., White, M.J. 2024. Calibration guide for watershed modeling with distributed groundwater modeling: Application for the SWAT+ model. Hydrological Sciences Journal. https://doi.org/10.1080/02626667.2024.2393414.

Investigating the impact of irrigation practices on hydrologic fluxes in a highly managed river basin - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Almahawis, M.K., Bailey, R.T., Abbas, S.A., Arnold, J.G., White, M.J. 2024. Investigating the impact of irrigation practices on hydrologic fluxes in a highly managed river basin. Agricultural Water Management. 301. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2024.108954.

Great Basin ALMANAC - (Database / Dataset)
Schantz, M.C., Williams, A.S., Kiniry, J.R. 2024. Great Basin ALMANAC. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.11263241.

Eastern gamagrass responds inconsistently to nitrogen application in long-established stands and within diverse ecotypes - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Kiniry, J.R., Williams, A.S., Jacot, J., Kim, S., Schantz, M.C. 2024. Eastern gamagrass responds inconsistently to nitrogen application in long-established stands and within diverse ecotypes. Agronomy. 14. Article 907. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14050907.

Eastern gamagrass model simulation parameters for diverse ecotypes: Leaf area index, light extinction coefficient, and radiation use efficiency - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Kiniry, J.R., Williams, A.S., Jacot, J., Avila, A. 2024. Eastern gamagrass model simulation parameters for diverse ecotypes: Leaf area index, light extinction coefficient, and radiation use efficiency. Agronomy. 14(3). Article 441. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14030441.

Forage yield and nutritive value of summer legumes as affected by row spacing and harvest timing - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Baath, G.S., Sarkar, S., Sapkota, B., Flynn, K.C., Northup, B.K., Gowda, P.H. 2023. Forage yield and nutritive value of summer legumes as affected by row spacing and harvest timing. Farming System. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.farsys.2023.100069.

A framework for parameter estimation, sensitivity analysis, and uncertainty analysis for holistic hydrologic modeling using SWAT+ - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Abbas, S.A., Bailey, R.T., White, J.T., Arnold, J.G., White, M.J., Cerkasova, N., Gao, J. 2024. A framework for parameter estimation, sensitivity analysis, and uncertainty analysis for holistic hydrologic modeling using SWAT+. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences. 28:21-48. https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-21-2024.

Assessing the impact of groundwater saturation excess runoff on hydrologic features and processes in a watershed modeling setting - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Abbas, S.A., Bailey, R.T., Arnold, J.G., White, M.J. 2023. Assessing the impact of groundwater saturation excess runoff on hydrologic features and processes in a watershed modeling setting. Earth and Space Science Open Archive. https://doi.org/10.22541/essoar.170016466.67156311.

Machine learning algorithms improve MODIS GPP estimates in United States croplands - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Menefee, D.S., Lee, T.O., Flynn, K.C., Chen, J., Abraha, M., Baker, J.M., Suyker, A. 2023. Machine learning algorithms improve MODIS GPP estimates in United States croplands. Frontiers in Remote Sensing. 4. Article 1240895. https://doi.org/10.3389/frsen.2023.1240895.

Hyperspectral reflectance and machine learning to monitor legumes for feed quality - (Abstract Only)

Diverse eastern gamagrass ecotypes: General characteristics, ploidy levels, and biogeography - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Kiniry, J.R., Williams, A.S., Jacot, J., Mcbryde, G., Shadow, A., Brakie, M., Burson, B., Jessup, R., Cordsiemon, R., Kim, S., Avila, A., Elias, S. 2023. Diverse eastern gamagrass ecotypes: General characteristics, ploidy levels, and biogeography. Crop Science. https://doi.org/10.1002/csc2.21103.

Hyperspectral reflectance and machine learning to monitor legume biomass and nitrogen accumulation - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Flynn, K.C., Baath, G., Lee, T.O., Gowda, P.H., Northup, B.K. 2023. Hyperspectral reflectance and machine learning to monitor legume biomass and nitrogen accumulation. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture. 211. Article 107991. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compag.2023.107991.

Field scale SWAT+ modeling of corn and soybean yields for the contiguous United States: National agroecosystem model development - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Cerkasova, N., White, M.J., Arnold, J.G., Bieger, K., Allen, P., Gao, J., Gambone, M.A., Meki, M., Kiniry, J.R., Gassman, P. 2023. Field scale SWAT+ modeling of corn and soybean yields for the contiguous United States: National agroecosystem model development. Agricultural Systems. 210. Article 103695. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2023.103695.

Cooling effects of increased green fodder area on native grassland in the northeastern Tibetan Plateau - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Liu, W., Zhou, Y., Dong, J., Zhang, G., Yang, T., You, N., Flynn, K.C., Wagle, P., Yang, H. 2023. Cooling effects of increased green fodder area on native grassland in the northeastern Tibetan Plateau. Environmental Research Letters. 18(6). Article 064006. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/acc9d3.

Plant parameterization and APEXgraze model calibration and validation for U.S. land resource region H grazing lands - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Meki, M.N., Osorio-Leyton, J., Steglich, E.M., Kiniry, J.R., Propato, M., Winchell, M., Rathjens, H., Angerer, J.P., Norfleet, L.M. 2023. Plant parameterization and APEXgraze model calibration and validation for U.S. land resource region H grazing lands. Agricultural Systems. 207. Article 103631. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2023.103631.

Tropical tree simulation with a process-based, daily timestep simulation model (ALMANAC): Description of model adaptation and examples with coffee and cocoa simulations - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Kiniry, J.R., Fernandes, J., Aziz, F., Jacot, J., Williams, A.S., Meki, M., Osorio, J., Baez-Gonzalez, A., Johnson, M. 2023. Tropical tree simulation with a process-based, daily timestep simulation model (ALMANAC): Description of model adaptation and examples with coffee and cocoa simulations. Agronomy. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13020580.

An approach for prioritizing natural infrastructure practices to mitigate flood and nitrate risks in the Mississippi-Atchafalaya River Basin - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Schilling, K.E., Mount, J., Suttles, K., Mclellan, E., Gassman, P.W., White, M.J., Arnold, J.G. 2023. An approach for prioritizing natural infrastructure practices to mitigate flood and nitrate risks in the Mississippi-Atchafalaya River Basin. Land. 12:276. https://doi.org/10.3390/land12020276.

Assessment of aggregate stability methodologies for calcareous silty soils in Idaho's Magic Valley - (Abstract Only)
Schott, L.R., Yost, J.L., Kruger, K., Leytem, A.B., Dungan, R.S. 2023. Assessment of aggregate stability methodologies for calcareous silty soils in Idaho's Magic Valley [abstract]. American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers International (ASABE). Paper No. 23040.

Assessment of infiltration methodologies for calcareous silty soils in Idaho's Magic Valley - (Abstract Only)
Schott, L.R., Yost, J.L., Kruger, K., Leytem, A.B., Dungan, R.S. 2023. Assessment of infiltration methodologies for calcareous silty soils in Idaho's Magic Valley [abstract]. American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers International (ASABE). Paper No. 23039.

Augmenting the national agroecosystem model with physically based spatially distributed groundwater modeling - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Bailey, R.T., Abbas, S., Arnold, J.G., White, M.J., Gao, J., Cerkasova, N. 2023. Augmenting the national agroecosystem model with physically based spatially distributed groundwater modeling. Environmental Modelling & Software. 160:105589.

Effects of two categorically differing emergent wetland plants on evapotranspiration - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Kiniry, J.R., Williams, A.S., Reisner, L., Hatfield, J.L., Kim, S. 2023. Effects of two categorically differing emergent wetland plants on evapotranspiration. Agrosystems, Geosciences & Environment. 6(1). Article e20331. https://doi.org/10.1002/agg2.20331.

Edaphic controls of soil organic carbon in tropical agricultural landscapes - (Peer Reviewed Journal)

Peanut seed germination detection based on unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and deep learning - (Abstract Only)
Ma, S., Zhou, Y., Flynn, K.C., Aakur, S. 2023. Peanut seed germination detection based on unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and deep learning [abstract], Washington, DC, October 11-13, 2022.

Detecting frequent harvest of alfalfa with spatio-temporal fused data - (Abstract Only)

Unraveling the effects of management and climate on carbon fluxes of U.S. croplands using the USDA Long-Term Agroecosystem (LTAR) network - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Menefee, D.S., Scott, R.L., Abraha, M., Alfieri, J.G., Baker, J.M., Browning, D.M., Chen, J., Gonet, J.M., Johnson, J.M., Miller, G.R., Nifong, R.L., Robertson, P., Russel, E.R., Saliendra, N.Z., Schreiner-Mcgraw, A.P., Suyker, A., Wagle, P., Wente, C.D., White Jr, P.M., Smith, D.R. 2022. Unraveling the effects of management and climate on carbon fluxes of U.S. croplands using the USDA Long-Term Agroecosystem (LTAR) network. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology. 326. Article 109154. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2022.109154.

Clean Water Act at 50: Celebrating the golden anniversary of the blue policy - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Smith, D.R. 2022. Clean Water Act at 50: Celebrating the golden anniversary of the blue policy. Journal of Environmental Quality. 51(5):775-779. https://doi.org/10.1002/jeq2.20407.

Using UAS-multispectral images to predict cord yield under different planting dates - (Abstract Only)
Sapkota, B., Sarkar, S., Baath, G.S., Flynn, K.C., Smith, D.R. 2022. Using UAS-multispectral images to predict cord yield under different planting dates. ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting Abstracts [abstract], Baltimore, MD, November 6-9, 2022.

Evaluation of cotton emergence using multi-band spectral imagery for organic production systems - (Abstract Only)
Sarkar, S., Baath, G.S., Arun, B., Sapkota, B., Flynn, K.C., Smith, D.R. 2022. Evaluation of cotton emergence using multi-band spectral imagery for organic production systems. ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting Abstracts. Baltimore, MD, November 6-9, 2022.

Modeling the distribution of wild cotton Gossypium aridum in Mexico using flowering growing degree days and annual available soil water - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Baez-Gonzalez, A.D., Melgoza-Castillo, A., Royo-Marquez, M.H., Kiniry, J.R., Meki, M.N. 2022. Modeling the distribution of wild cotton Gossypium aridum in Mexico using flowering growing degree days and annual available soil water. Sustainability. 14(11). Article 6383. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14116383.

Simulation of pesticide and metabolite concentrations using SWAT+ landscape routing and conditional management applications - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Rathjens, H., Kiesel, J., Miguez, M.B., Winchell, M., Arnold, J.G., Sur, R. 2022. Simulation of pesticide and metabolite concentrations using SWAT+ landscape routing and conditional management applications. Water. 14. Article 1332. https://doi.org/10.3390/w14091332.

Integrated assessment of nitrogen runoff to the Gulf of Mexico - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Xu, Y., Elbakidze, L., Yen, H., Arnold, J.G., Gassman, P.W., Hubbart, J., Strager, M.P. 2021. Integrated assessment of nitrogen runoff to the Gulf of Mexico. Resource and Energy Economics. 67. Article 101279. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.reseneeco.2021.101279.

A hydropedological approach to simulate streamflow and soil water contents with SWAT+ - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
van Tol, J., Bieger, K., Arnold, J.G. 2021. A hydropedological approach to simulate streamflow and soil water contents with SWAT+. Hydrological Processes. 35(6). Article e14242. https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.14242.