Research Soil Scientist
Biosketch & Contact Information: Gary Feng, Ph.D.
Research area & interest: soil physics; vadose zone hydrology; surface-vadose-ground water interactions; soil health assessment; crop growth simulation and yield prediction; carbon and nitrogen cycling; greenhouse gas emission; climate change impact; soil, water and nutrient management & conservation, and agroecosystem modeling.
Dr. Gary Feng holds a B.S. degree in soil chemistry, M.S. degree in soil physics, and a PhD degree in soil and water sciences. He is a Research Soil Scientist at USDA-ARS Sustainable Agriculture Research Unit, and an adjunct faculty at Mississippi State University. Prior to joining USDA-ARS, he worked at Oregon State University, University of California at Riverside, Washington State University, and Idaho State Department of Environmental Quality. Dr. Feng has a number of years of working experience in field, lab and modeling research on his Research area & interest list.
The technologies that he utilized are remote sensing, spectrometer, drone, robotics, veris, digital sensors and decision support systems. He organized 28 international workshops and symposiums in his research areas. Dr. Feng developed, modified, calibrated, evaluated, or applied 13 models such as crop growth, soil and water erosion, hydrology, nutrient cycle, agrometeorology and agroecosystem models.
Dr. Feng has been invited and gave 43 presentations at national and international research institutes and universities which sponsored most of his invited travels. He served on editorial board for Agronomy Journal, Soil Science Society of American Journal and Vadose Zone Journal, the panel manager for National Institute of Food and Agriculture, and a reviewer of 49 journals.
Dr. Feng was elected and served 8 leaders for American Society of Agronomy (ASA):
- Model Applications in Field Research Community,
- US-Sino Agriculture Research Forum,
- Soil-Plant-Water Relations Community,
- Soil and Water Management Professionals Community,
- Soil Health Community,
- Agroclimatology and Agronomic Modeling Community,
- Biochar: Agronomic and Environmental Uses Community,
- Climatology and Modeling Section,
- Commission Chair for International Union of Soil Sciences.
He received an ASA agricultural science award and a distinguished career achievement award.
Dr. Feng was named:
- Fellow of Soil Science Society of American, 2022.
- Fellow of the American Society of Agronomy, 2020.
He has led, collaborated, and participated in various interdisciplinary research projects at the location, national, and international levels. USDA-ARS headquarter awarded him an ARS competitive research associate position fund $140,000. The headquarter also awarded him an innovation fund to help advance his research goals, strengthen the importance of his science, and assist technology transfer of his innovative research. He was funded $300K by MSPB for improving soybean water use efficiency, and $250K by NASA to develop a digital twin infrastructure model for agricultural applications. Dr. Feng along with his colleagues conduct team-based research on appropriated projects “Closing the Yield Gap of Cotton, Corn, and Soybean in the Humid Southeast with More Sustainable Cropping Systems” and “Dynamic, Data-Driven, Sustainable, and Resilient Crop Production Systems for the U.S.”.
Media Report
- Poultry litter on soil physical properties – MSU Extension
- Poultry litter’s efficiency as fertilizer | The Western Producer Canada
- The surprising power of chicken manure – SSSA Science News
- Conserving water with cover crop in no‐till systems - CSA News
- Perspectives on future farming - CSA News
- Farm Ponds Conserve Groundwater – CompassLive
- An alternative to P-Based poultry litter - CSA News
- Afforestation impact on groundwater USDA FS
- Climate Assessment Tool in Watersheds – CompassLive
- A pond & irrigation model – MWRRI
Projects
Closing the Yield Gap of Cotton, Corn, and Soybean in the Humid Southeast with More Sustainable Cropping Systems In-House Appropriated (D) Accession Number:435782 
Improving Dryland Soybean Yield, Profit and Health of Dominant Soils Across Mississippi Reimbursable Cooperative Agreement (R) Accession Number:442030
Publications
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-(Peer Reviewed Journal)
Adeli, A., Brooks, J.P., Miles, D.M., Todd, M., Feng, G.G., Jenkins, J.N. 2022. Combined effects of organic amendments and fertilization on cotton growth and yield. Agronomy Journal. 2022;1-12. https://DOI.org/10.1002/agj2.21178. -(Peer Reviewed Journal)
Li, Y., Tewolde, H., Miles, D.M., Munyon, J.W., Brooks, J.P., Feng, G.G., Yang, M., Zhang, F. 2021. Decomposition of poultry litter organic matter may be slowed by co-applied industrial and agricultural byproducts. Journal of Environmental Quality. 50:364-374. DOI: 10.1002/jeq2.20189. -(Peer Reviewed Journal)
Adeli, A., Brooks, J.P., Feng, G.G., Mozaffari, M., Jenkins, J.N. 2021. Integration of pelleted biosolids with cover crops for improving soil properties. Soil Science. 44(18); 2677-2690. https://doi.org/10.1002/saj2.20341. -(Peer Reviewed Journal)
Tewolde, H., Buehring, N., Way, T.R., Feng, G.G., He, Z., Sistani, K.R., Jenkins, J.N. 2021. Yield and nutrient removal of cotton-corn-soybean rotation systems fertilized with poultry litter. Agronomy Journal. 113:5483-5498. https://doi.10.1002/agj2.20857. -(Peer Reviewed Journal)
Ouyang, Y., Feng, G.G., Renninger, H., Leininger, T., Parajuli, P., Grace, J. 2021. A STELLA-based model to simultaneously predict hydrological processes, N uptake and biomass production in a eucalypt plantation. Forests. 12:515. https://doi.org/10.3390/f12050515. -(Peer Reviewed Journal)
Heng, T., Feng, G.G., Ouyang, Y., He, X. 2020. The spatiotemporal patterns of climate asymmetric warming and vegetation activities in an arid and semiarid region. Climate. 8:145. https://doi.org/10.3390/cli8120145.
Franzluebbers, A.J., Wendroth, O., Creamer, N., Feng, G.G. 2020. Focusing the future of farming on agro-ecology. Agricultural and Environmental Letters. 5, Article 20034. -(Peer Reviewed Journal)
Ouyang, Y., Zhang, J., Feng, G.G., Wan, Y., Leininger, T.D. 2020. A century of precipitation trends in forest lands of the Lower Mississippi River Alluvial Valley. Scientific Reports. 10:12802. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-69508-8. -(Peer Reviewed Journal)
Yang, W., Feng, G.G., Miles, D.M., Gao, L., Jia, Y., Li, C., Qu, Z. 2020. Impact of biochar on greenhouse gas emissions and soil carbon sequestration in corn growth under drip irrigation with mulching. Science of the Total Environment. 729:138752. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.138752. -(Peer Reviewed Journal)
Adeli, A., Brooks, J.P., Read, J.J., Feng, G.G., Miles, D.M., Shankle, M.W., Barksdale, D.N., Jenkins, J.N. 2020. Management strategies on an Upland soil for improving soil properties. Soil Science. 51(3); 413-429. HTTPS://DOI.ORG/10.1080/00103624.2019.1709490. -(Peer Reviewed Journal)
Feng, G.G., Sui, R. 2020. Evaluation and calibration of soil moisture sensors in undisturbed soils of Mississippi. Transactions of the ASABE. 63(2):265-274. https://doi.org/10.13031/trans.13428. -(Peer Reviewed Journal)
Adeli, A., Brooks, J.P., Read, J.J., Feng, G.G., Miles, D.M., Shankle, M.W., Jenkins, J.N. 2019. Corn and soybean grain yield responses to soil amendments and cover crop in upland soils. Journal of Plant Nutrition. 42(19):2484-2497. https://doi.org/10.1080/01904167.2019.1655046. -(Peer Reviewed Journal)
Song, P., Feng, G.G., Brooks, J.P., Zhou, B., Zhou, H., Zhao, Z., Li, Y. 2019. Environmental risk of chlorine-controlled cloffing in drip irrigation system using reclaimed water: the perspective of soil health. Journal of Environmental Science and Technology. 232:1452-1464. https://doi.org/10.1080/08927014.2019.1600191. -(Peer Reviewed Journal)
Gao, F., Feng, G.G., Ouyang, Y., Jenkins, J.N., Lui, C. 2019. Simulating weekly available streamflow and pond water resources potential in Mississippi Delta. Water. 11:1271. https://doi.org/10.3390/w11061271. -(Peer Reviewed Journal)
Tewolde, H., Sistani, K.R., Feng, G.G., Menkir, A. 2019. Does fertilizing corn with poultry litter enrich the grain with mineral nutrients. Agronomy Journal. 111:1-3. https://doi.org/10.2134/agronj2019.02.0094. -(Peer Reviewed Journal)
Song, P., Zhou, B., Feng, G.G., Brooks, J.P., Zhou, H., Zhao, Z., Liu, Y., Li, Y. 2019. The influence of chlorination timing and concentration on microbial communities in labyrinth channels: implications for biofilm removal. BIOFOULING. 35:401-415. https://doi.org/10.1080/08927014.2019.1600191. -(Peer Reviewed Journal)
Yang, W., Feng, G.G., Adeli, A., Kersebaum, K.C., Jenkins, J.N., Li, P. 2019. Long-term effect of cover crop on rainwater balance components and use efficiency in the no-tilled and rainfed corn and soybean rotation system. Agricultural Water Management. 219:27-39. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2019.03.022. -(Peer Reviewed Journal)
Adeli, A., Brooks, J.P., Read, J.J., Shankle, M.W., Feng, G.G., Jenkins, J.N. 2019. Poultry litter and cover crop integration into no-till cotton on upland soil. Agronomy Journal. 111:2097-2107. https://doi.org/10.2134/agronj2018.05.0328. -(Peer Reviewed Journal)
Yang, W., Feng, G.G., Tewolde, H., Li, P. 2018. Soil carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas emission from spring- and fall-applied poultry litter in corn production as simulated with RZWQM2. Journal of Environmental Quality. 209:1285-1293. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.10.251. -(Peer Reviewed Journal)
Ouyang, Y., Feng, G.G., Parajuli, P., Leininger, T., Wan, Y., Jenkins, J.N. 2018. Assessment of surface water quality in the Big Sunflower River Watershed of Mississippi Delta using nonparametic analysis. Water, Air, and Soil Pollution. (2018)229:373. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-018-4022-8. -(Peer Reviewed Journal)
Read, J.J., Adeli, A., McCarty Jr, J.C., Feng, G.G. 2018. Cotton response to residual poultry litter: leaf area, nitrogen removal, and yield. Agronomy Journal. 110(6):2360-2368. https://doi.org/10.2134/agronj2018.05.0348. -(Peer Reviewed Journal)
Ouyang, Y., Parajuli, P.B., Feng, G.G., Leininger, T.D., Wan, Y., Dash, P. 2018. Application of Climate Assessment Tool (CAT) to estimate climate variability impacts on nutrient loading from local watersheds. Journal of Hydrology. 563:363-371. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2018.06.017.
Xua, H., Li, A., Feng, G.G., Li, Y., Qin, Y., Lei, G., Cui, Y. 2018. The effects of asymmetric diurnal warming on vegetation growth of the Tibetan Plateau over the past three decades. Sustainability. 10:1103-1116.
Ouyang, Y., Feng, G.G., Leininger, T., Read, J.J., Jenkins, J.N. 2018. Pond and irrigation model (PIM): a tool for simultaneously evaluating pond water availability and crop irrigation demand. Water Resources Management. 32(9):2969-2983. -(Peer Reviewed Journal)
Feng, G.G., Ouyang, Y., Adeli, A., Read, J.J., Jenkins, J.N. 2018. Rain water deficit and irrigation demand for row crops in Mississippi Blackland Prairie. Soil Science Society of America Journal. 82:423-435. https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj2017.06.0190.
Tang, Q., Feng, G.G., Fisher, D.K., Zhang, H., Ouyang, Y., Adeli, A., Jenkins, J.N. 2017. Rain water deficit and irrigation demand of major row crops in the Mississippi Delta. American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers. 61(3):927-935. -(Peer Reviewed Journal)
Feng, G.G. 2017. Flood effect on groundwater recharge on a typical silt loam soil. Water. 9:523.
Ouyang, Y., Parajuli, P., Li, Y., Leininger, T., Feng, G.G. 2017. Identify temporal trend of air temperature and its impact on forest stream flow in Lower Mississippi River Alluvial Valley using wavelet analysis. Journal of Hydrology. doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2017.05.014.
Gao, F., Feng, G.G., Ouyang, Y., Wang, H., Fisher, D.K., Adeli, A., Jenkins, J.N. 2017. Evaluation of reference crop evapotranspiration methods in arid, semi-arid and humid regions. Journal of the American Water Resources Association. doi:10.1111/1752-1688.12530. -(Peer Reviewed Journal)
Adeli, A., Read, J.J., Feng, G.G., Jenkins, J.N. 2017. Organic amendments and nutrient leaching in soil columns. Journal of Environmental Quality. 109:1294-1302. -(Peer Reviewed Journal)
Sharratt, B.S., Young, F.L., Feng, G.G. 2017. Sediment and PM10 flux from no-tillage cropping systems in the Pacific Northwest. Agronomy Journal. 109:1-9.
Pi, H., Sharratt, B.S., Feng, G.G., Lei, J. 2017. Evaluation of two empirical wind erosion models in arid and semi-arid regions of China and the USA. Environmental Modelling & Software. 91:28-46. -(Peer Reviewed Journal)
Adeli, A., Read, J.J., Brooks, J.P., Miles, D.M., Feng, G.G., Jenkins, J.N. 2017. Broiler litter x industrial by-products reduce nutrients and microbial losses in surface runoff when applied to forages. Journal of Environmental Quality. 46:339-347.
Feng, G.G., Cobb, S., Abdo, Z., Fisher, D.K., Ouyang, Y., Adeli, A., Jenkins, J.N. 2016. Trend analysis and forecast of precipitation, reference evapotranspiration and rainfall deficit in the Blackland Prairie of eastern Mississippi. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology. 55:1425-1439. -(Peer Reviewed Journal)
Zhang, B., Feng, G.G., Read, J.J., Kong, X., Ouyang, Y., Adeli, A., Jenkins, J.N. 2016. Simulating soybean productivity under rainfed conditions for major soil types using APEX model in East Central Mississippi. Agricultural Water Management. 177:379-391.
Zhang, B., Feng, G.G., Kong, X., Lal, R., Ouyang, Y., Adeli, A., Jenkins, J.N. 2016. Simulated yield potential by irrigation and yield gap of rainfed soybean using APEX model in a humid region. Field Crops Research. 177(2016):440-453.
Ouyang, Y., Feng, G.G., Read, J.J., Leininger, T., Jenkins, J.N. 2017. Estimating the ratio of pond size to irrigated soybeans land in Mississippi: A case study. Water Science and Technology. pp. 1639-1647. -(Peer Reviewed Journal)
Pi, H., Feng, G.G., Sharratt, B.S. 2014. Performance of the SWEEP model affected by estimates of threshold friction velocity. Transactions of the ASABE. 57:1675-1685. -(Peer Reviewed Journal)
Adeli, A., Mccarty Jr, J.C., Read, J.J., Willers, J.L., Jenkins, J.N., Feng, G.G. 2016. Subsurface banding, placement of pelletized poultry litter in cotton. Agronomy Journal. 108(4):1356-1366.
Li, X., Feng, G.G., Zhao, C., Shi, F. 2016. Soil infiltration characteristics in the Tarim River floodplain. Environmental Earth Sciences. (2016)75:782.
Zheng, Z., Feng, G.G., Sharratt, B.S., Li, X., Pi, H. 2016. Wind erosion of cropland in the northwestern Tarim Basin. Soil Science Society of America Journal. doi: 10.2136/sssaj2015.07.0259. -(Peer Reviewed Journal)
Feng, G.G., Tewolde, H., Ma, L., Adeli, A., Sistani, K.R., Jenkins, J.N. 2015. Simulating the fate of fall- and spring-applied poultry litter nitrogen in corn production. Soil Science Society of America Journal. 79:1804-1814. -(Peer Reviewed Journal)
Han, M., Zhao, C., Simunek, J., Feng, G.G. 2015. Evaluating the impact of groundwater on cotton growth and root zone water balance using Hydrus-ID coupled with a crop growth model. Agricultural Water Management. 160:64-75.
Zhang, W., Zhou, J., Feng, G.G., Weindorf, D.C., Hu, G., Sheng, J. 2015. Characteristics of water erosion and conservation practice in arid regions of Central Asia: Xinjiang Province, China as an example. International Soil and Water Conservation Research. 3:97-111. doi.org/10.1016/j.iswcr.2015.06.002.
Han, M., Zhao, C., Feng, G.G., Yan, Y., Sheng, Y. 2015. Evaluating the effects of mulch and irrigation amount on soil water distribution and root zone water balance using HYDRUS-2D. Water. 2015, 7, 2622-2670. doi:10.3390/w7062622.
Quyang, Y., Zhang, J., Li, Y., Parajuli, P., Feng, G.G. 2015. Impacts of rainfall and air temperature variations due to climate change upon hydrological characteristics: a case study. Journal of Water and Climate Change. p. 1-15. doi: 10.2166/wcc.2015.101.
Feng, G.G., Ouyang, Y., Read, J.J., Adeli, A., Reginelli, D., Jenkins, J.N. 2015. A farm pond water irrigation management system in Mid-South United States. American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers Conference.New Orleans, LA, July 26-29, 2015.
Han, M., Zhao, C., Feng, G.G., Shi, F. 2015. Bayesian inference of the groundwater depth threshold in a vegetation dynamic model: a case study, lower reach, Tarim River. International Union for Quaternary Research. doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2015.02.035.
Han, M., Zhao, C., Feng, G.G., Disse, M., Shi, F., Li, J. 2015. An eco-hydrological approach to predicting regional vegetation and groundwater response to ecological water convergence in dryland riparian ecosystems. International Union for Quaternary Research. p. 1-13. -(Peer Reviewed Journal)
Adeli, A., Read, J.J., McCarty Jr., J.C., Jenkins, J.N., Feng, G.G. 2015. Soybean yield and nutrient utilization following long-term pelletized broiler litter application to cotton. Agronomy Journal. 107:1128-1134.
Feng, G.G. 2015. Analysis and prediction of water deficit and irrigation requirement for soybean, corn and cotton in the state of Mississippi. [Meeting Abstract]. Mississippi Water Resources Conference, April 7-8, 2015, Hilton Jackson, Jackson, MS. -(Peer Reviewed Journal)
Li, X., Feng, G.G., Sharratt, B.S., Zheng, Z. 2015. Aerodynamic properties of agricultural and natural surfaces in northwestern Tarim Basin. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology. 204:37-45. DOI: org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2015.01.005. -(Peer Reviewed Journal)
Ouyang, Y., Cui, L., Feng, G.G., Read, J.J. 2015. Simulating phosphorus removal from a vertical-flow constructed wetland grown with C. alternifolius species. Ecological Engineering. 77:60-64. -(Peer Reviewed Journal)
Adeli, A., Sheng, J., Jenkins, J.N., Feng, G.G. 2015. Composting and gypsum amendment of broiler litter to reduce nutrient leaching loss. Journal of Environmental Quality. 44:676-683. -(Peer Reviewed Journal)
Pi, H., Sharratt, B.S., Feng, G., Zhang, X. 2014. Comparison of measured and simulated friction velocity and threshold friction velocity using SWEEP. Soil Science. 179:393-402. -(Peer Reviewed Journal)
Li, X., Feng, G.G., Sharratt, B.S., Zheng, Z., Pi, H., Gao, F. 2014. Soil wind erodibility based on dry aggregate-size distribution in the Tarim Basin. Soil Science Society of America Journal. 78:2009-2016. -(Peer Reviewed Journal)
Pi, H., Feng, G.G., Sharratt, B.S., Li, X., Zheng, Z. 2014. Validation of SWEEP for contrasting agricultural land use types in the Tarim Basin. Soil Science. 179:433-445.
Feng, G.G., Read, J.J., Ouyang, Y., Jenkins, J.N. 2014. Development of irrigation management practices for optimum yield and water use efficiency of soybean in east central Mississippi. Agronomy Abstracts. CD-ROM.
Feng, G.G., Tewolde, H., Ma, L., Sistani, K.R., Jenkins, J.N. 2014. Evaluation of RZWQ2 model and management of poultry litter as corn nitrogen source in the mid-southern United States. Agronomy Abstracts. CD-ROM. -(Peer Reviewed Journal)
Gao, F., Feng, G.G., Sharratt, B.S., Zhang, M. 2014. Tillage and straw management affect PM10 emission potential in subarctic Alaska. Soil and Tillage Research. 144:1-7.
Kong, X., Lal, R., Li, B., Liu, H., Li, K., Feng, G.G., Zhang, Q., Zhang, B. 2014. Fertilizer intensification and its impacts in China's HHH Plains. In: Sparks, D.L., editor. Advances in Agronomy Volume 25. Burlington, NJ: Academic Press. p. 135-169. -(Peer Reviewed Journal)
Li, X., Feng, G.G., Zhao, C., Zheng, Z. 2014. Fine-particle emission potential from overflowing areas of Tarim River in the Tarim Basin. Soil Science. 178:556-567.
Cottle, P., Mueller, D., Shin, D., Zhang, X., Feng, G.G., McKendry, I., Strawbridge, K. 2013. Studying Taklamakan aerosol properties with Lidar (STAPL). Proceedings of SPIE. 8894:88940X-1.
