Gary Feng's research while affiliated with Agricultural Research Service and other places
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Publications (86)
Various soil indicators can be chosen for soil health assessment. The important indicators representing overall soil health need to be carefully selected to reduce the cost and time involved in sampling and testing, which can be achieved by establishing a minimum data set (MDS). The objective of this paper was to identify the indicators
that are i...
Remote sensing monitoring of crop growth began from airborne photography to assist in crop pest management and has evolved into monitoring from satellites, manned aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and ground-based systems for crop production process modeling, optimization, and control. In recent years, for crop growth remote sensing monito...
Root growth and development of maize (Zea mays L.) is an important process in determining grain yield. The effects of combined fulvic acid (FA, potassium humate as FA source) and super absorbent polymer (SAP) uses on maize root growth and yield were studied. A 2×3 factorial field experiment was applied by combining two SAP doses (0, 45 kg ha-1) and...
The improvement of soil water and nutrient availability through soil management practices are crucial in promoting crop growth and obtaining high water-fertilizer productivity under limited irrigation. In this study, a 2×4 fully randomized factorial design with two drip-irrigation regimes and four biochar rates was performed during maize crop growi...
With escalating fertilizer prices, interest in using poultry litter as a source of plant nutrients has increased. However, the rapid decomposition of litter, particularly in the hot and humid southern US, makes poultry litter vulnerable in losing its nutrients. Biochar and lignite have been proposed to mitigate nutrients, particularly N, from loss....
Estimation of hydrological processes and water quality is central to water resource management, clean water supply, environmental protection, and ecological services [...]
Climate change could add a variety of uncertainties to hydrological processes and water resources. Very limited efforts have been devoted to applying the US-EPA (Environmental Protection Agency)’s Hydrologic and Water Quality System (HAWQS) model for predicting climate change impacts on hydrological processes at the basin scale. Here, we applied th...
A 3-year field experiment was conducted to determine the impact of corn residue-derived biochar on soil organic matter (SOM), soil nutrients, corn yield and partial factor productivity of synthetic fertilizer in Hetao Irrigation District, Inner Mongolia of China. Three rates of biochar, 15 (B15), 30 (B30) and 45 (B45) t ha −1 , and a non-biochar co...
Soil health assessment tools are needed to quantify effectiveness of various agricultural practices toward meeting sustainable development goals. Although several soil health tools have been developed and tested through global soil management research, ease of use and site-specific accuracy for farmers and agronomists needs to be optimized. This co...
Measuring and assessing soil properties is critical for understanding how changes in agronomic practices affect the capability of soil to support cropping systems. A field study was conducted on a Marietta silt loam soil at the Plant Science Center at Mississippi State University to determine the effects of pelleted biosolids (PBS) relative to poul...
Climate change led to increased temperature and variable rainfall, which may pose great threats to both agricultural productions and environmental impacts. In this study, we aim to explore how changing climate and its extremes in the 20th and 21st-century influence system water use efficiency (sWUE) of a corn-soybean cropping rotation in a humid su...
Soil salinization is a vital factor limiting crop yield in dryland oasis cropland. A film‐mulched drip irrigation and subsurface pipe drainage (MDI−SPD) system has been proved to be highly efficient system to mitigate salination globally. However, soil salt balance in time and spatial dimension are unclear in this system. a MDI‐SPD experiment was c...
Exporting excess mineral nutrients from soils that receive repeated poultry litter (PL) applications may be enhanced by rotating crops and fertilizers that increase crop yield. This study determined the magnitude of yield enhancement and mineral nutrient removal at harvest by cotton–corn–soybean rotation systems and by PL‐synthetic fertilizer rotat...
Eucalyptus is one of the fastest growing hardwoods for bioenergy production. Currently, few modeling tools exist to simultaneously estimate soil hydrological processes, nitrogen (N) uptake, and biomass production in a eucalyptus plantation. In this study, a STELLA (Structural Thinking and Experiential Learning Laboratory with Animation)-based model...
Mississippi Embayment (ME) is one of the fastest groundwater depletion regions around the world, while the impacts of climate change on groundwater resources in the region are complex and basically unknown. Using the U.S. Geological Survey's Mississippi Embayment Regional Aquifer Study (MERAS) model, such a challenge was addressed through the base,...
Research question
Soil organic matter (SOM) addition has been shown to be effective for improving physicochemical and hydrological properties, but its effectiveness may be improved if amended with certain agro-industrial byproducts with cations and high carbon.
Purpose
This study was conducted to determine the quantitative effect of poultry litter...
Few studies were conducted to ascertain poultry litter (PL) and its residual influence on soil physical and hydrological properties. A field study was conducted on a sandy loam soil for 8 yr in corn ( Zea mays L.), cotton ( Gossypium hirsutum L.), and soybean [ Glycine max (L.) Merr.] rotations at Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment St...
Groundwater resource overdraft is a serious water resource concern worldwide. Although afforestation has been recognized for conserving water resource, improving water quality and mitigating river flood, its role on groundwater resource is not fully investigated. Here we applied the US geological Survey’s MERAS (Mississippi Embayment Regional Aquif...
Increasing soil organic matter (SOM) is one purpose of applying manures to soils, but soil‐applied manures decompose and disappear in a short time leaving very little trace as SOM. The objective of this study was to test and identify agricultural and industrial products and byproducts (PBP) that reduce the speed of manure decomposition and, potenti...
Asymmetric warming was bound to have a major impact on terrestrial ecosystems in arid regions during global warming. Further study was necessary to reveal the spatiotemporal patterns of asymmetric warming in Xinjiang; this study analyzed the climate and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) data (2000–2020). The change trends of the day and...
Applying poultry litter (PL) to meet a crop's P need is the most recommended poultry litter (PL) management practice but may not be the most ideal. In this study, alternative management strategies that included the rotations of crops and fertilizers were tested. Cotton, corn, and soybean were grown in rotation and fertilized with five fertility tre...
Soil nitrogen dynamics is affected by the interaction of cover crops and rainfall amount and distribution in rainfed agricultural production systems. There is a lack of understanding on soil nitrogen losses from cover crop-based based cropping systems receiving different rainfall amounts. A simulation model, RZWQM2 (Root Zone Water Quality Model),...
Variations in long-term precipitation trends due to climate forcings have been observed in many parts of the world, exacerbating hydrological uncertainties to predicting droughts, floods, water resource availability, and ecosystem services. The Lower Mississippi River Alluvial Valley (LMRAV) is an important economic region of the midsouth USA, whic...
Biochar is known to improve soil physical properties, but its role in influencing soil erosion and nutrient losses, as well as biochar itself loss is poorly understood. The objectives of this study were to determine the magnitude of soil, biochar and nitrogen losses in runoff and quantify the degree of sediment enrichment with biochar and nitrogen...
Biochar is widely used as a soil amendment to challenge climate change through restraining greenhouse gas production and increasing soil C sink in cropland soils, yet its effect was not studied well under drip irrigation with mulch. A two-year field experiment was conducted to investigate the impact of corn straw-derived biochar amendments on green...
Rainfall is a major source of water for rainfed corn-soybean systems in the Mid-South USA; therefore, minimizing water loss is key to improved crop productivity. Quantifying water conservation and grain yield improvements when using cover crops in no-till systems is difficult due to complex interactive effects of diverse soil types, various weather...
Upland soils marginal in organic matter, low in soil quality, vulnerable to water and nutrient losses. This study was conducted to determine whether the integration of winter cover crops and soil amendments into no-till cropping systems improve upland soil quality. The effects of winter cover crops (WCCs), broiler litter (BL) and flue gas desulfuri...
The impact of cover crop (CC) on soil water balance and agricultural production is closely related to rainfall amount, duration, and distribution in rainfed cropping systems. This study used the RZWQM2 model calibrated and validated with 4‐yr field measurements to predict the impact of planting a winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) CC in a no‐till...
Since the Industrial Revolution, human activity has greatly altered the Earth's reactive nitrogen (N) cycle, leading to widespread N pollution that can have adverse effects on human health, ecological functions, and biodiversity. Quantifying the net anthropogenic nitrogen input (NANI) has proven to be a powerful method of evaluating the extent of h...
Nitrogen (N) is one of the most important inputs in crop production system. Concerns on excess N application have increasing due to the high cost of fertilizers and environmental pollution in cotton fields. Currently, the most common methods for obtaining information on N needs of cotton are labor-intensive, time-consuming, expensive, inaccurate. I...
Forest ecosystems in an ecotone and their dynamics to climate change are growing ecological and environmental concerns. Phenology is one of the most critical biological indicators of climate change impacts on forest dynamics. In this study, we estimated and visualized the spatiotemporal patterns of forest phenology from 2001 to 2017 in the Qinling...
Keeping soil healthy as a medium that can supply adequate nutrients for plant growth is essential for sustainable agriculture. Large amounts of poultry litter are generated on commercial poultry farms in the southeastern United States. While applying poultry litter generally enhances soil nutrients and crop productivity, few studies have investigat...
Whether poultry litter (PL) increases concentration of selected mineral elements in corn ( Zea mays L.) grain has not been well investigated. The objective of this study was to determine whether fertilizing corn with PL enriches the grain and other plant parts with selected mineral elements. Corn was grown in the field in northern Mississippi with...
A field study was conducted on upland soils for six years to determine interactive effects of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cover crop, organic and inorganic soil amendments on grain yields and nutrient utilizations in a no-till corn (Zea mays)-soybean (Glycine max) rotation. Experimental design was a split-plot arrangement with four replicat...
Core Ideas
Applying poultry litter to the top of cover crop residue increased lint yield in drier years.
This practice enhanced cotton lint yield, soil C, and soil health.
This practice reduced NO 3 –N and water‐soluble P by 49 and 22% in 5‐cm soil depth, a zone of plant–soil–water interactions.
The influence of poultry litter (PL) and cover crops...
Incorporating cover crops into row crop production systems can affect soil water dynamics and crop production. However, the effect of this practice has not been well investigated in the northeast Mississippi USA. We calibrated and validated the cropping system model (Root Zone Water Quality Model, RZWQM2) using 4-yr (2014–2017) field data in the hu...
Groundwater storage and level have declined rapidly in the Big Sunflower River Watershed (BSRW) of Mississippi Delta in recent years. Farmers in this region are beginning to save groundwater resources by increasing surface water usage for agricultural irrigation. In this study, we estimated the weekly amount of surface water available in ponds and...
Chlorination is an effective method to control biofilm formation in enclosed pipelines. To date, very little is known about how to control biofilms at the mesoscale in complex pipelines through chlorination. In this study, the dynamic of microbial communities was examined under different residual chlorine concentrations on the biofilms attached to...
Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley (LMAV) is the largest floodplain and one of the most productive agricultural regions in the United States. Irrigation is widely used in this region to improve crop production and resource use efficiency due to a mismatch between crop water requirements and precipitation timing and quantity during the growing season...
The groundwater level in the Big Sunflower River Watershed (BSRW) in the U.S. has declined significantly in the past 30 years. Therefore, it is imperative to assess surface water resources (SWR) availability in BSRW to mitigate groundwater use for irrigation. This research applied the coupled Soil and Water Assessment Tool–Modular Groundwater Flow...
The response of soil chemical, physical, and biological properties to subsurface band and surface broadcast applications of pelletized poultry litter (PPL) to row crops has not been well documented in Mississippi agroecosystems. This study was conducted in a no-till system on Caledonia silt loam and in a conventional tillage system on Marietta loam...
BACKROUND Mississippi Blackland Prairie, located in the northeast Mississippi state of the United States, covers approximately 14% (25.4 × 10 4 ha) of the state total crop land (Fig. 1A). Soybean and corn area accounts for 11% and 35% of the Mississippi's total crop land. Mean annual precipitation from 1937-2017 was ~1,400 mm, approximately 60% of...
The Yellow River Basin has been affected by global climate change. Studying the spatial–temporal variability of the hydrothermal climate conditions in the Yellow River Basin is of vital importance for the development of technologies and policies related to ecological, environmental, and agricultural adaptation in this region. This study selected te...
Assessment of surface water quality in the Mississippi Delta is essential to quantify the eutrophication of the Gulf of Mexico. This study estimated the characteristics and variations of surface water quality at three study sites in the Big Sunflower River Watershed (BSRW) within the Mississippi Delta using Kruskal-Wallis, Dunn, Mann-Kendall, and P...
Core Ideas
A low to moderate N rate is a best management practice after cessation of pelletized poultry litter.
This best management practice optimized leaf area, N removal, and lint yield, while reducing input costs.
This best management practice reduced soil nitrate levels in the top 30 cm after harvest by approximately 61%.
Nitrogen carryover f...
Rainfall is a major dynamic source of soil erosion and nutrient loss on slopes. Soil and water conservation practices and agricultural activities can change the soil surface morphology and thus affect erosion and nutrient losses. This study focused on the effects of several typical soil and water conservation practices and agricultural land, for th...
Agricultural ponds are an important alternative source of water for crop irrigation to conserve surface and ground water resources. In recent years more such ponds have been constructed in Mississippi and around the world. There is currently, however, a lack of a tool to simultaneously estimate crop irrigation demand and pond water availability. In...
A vast amount of future climate scenario datasets, created by climate models such as general circulation models (GCMs), have been used in conjunction with watershed models to project future climate variability impact on hydrological processes and water quality. However, these low spatial-temporal resolution datasets are often difficult to downscale...
Crop production as a function of water use or water applied, called the crop water production function (CWPF), is a useful tool for irrigation planning, design and management. However, these functions are not only crop and variety specific they also vary with soil types and climatic conditions (locations). Derivation of multi-year average CWPFs thr...
Temperatures over the past three decades have exhibited an asymmetric warming pattern between night and day throughout the Tibetan Plateau. However, the implications of such diurnally heterogeneous warming on vegetation growth is still poorly understood. In this paper, we evaluate how vegetation growth has responded to daytime and night-time warmin...
Core Ideas
We investigated the characteristics of rainwater deficit using 122 years' weather data.
We determined irrigation demand for soybean, corn, and cotton in the previous 122 years.
We estimated the water requirements of soybean, corn, and cotton in east‐central Mississippi.
We developed a soil water and irrigation management model with STELL...
The Mississippi Delta is an important agricultural area, producing 67% of the soybean, corn, and cotton grown in the state of Mississippi. Because irrigation can stabilize and increase crop yields and economic returns, approximately 80% of the water withdrawn from the alluvial aquifer is used for irrigation. This region is experiencing severe decli...
Characterization of stream flow is essential to water resource management, water supply planning, environmental protection, and ecological restoration; while air temperature variation due to climate change can exacerbate stream flow and add instability to the flow. In this study, the wavelet analysis technique was employed to identify temporal tren...
Floods are of great concern as the global climate changes, and investigations of flood water infiltration and groundwater recharge are important for water resource management worldwide, especially under conditions of global climate changes. However, information on the relationship between the flood water and groundwater recharge is limited. The obj...
Substantial amount of applied nutrients can be leached in low organic matter soils. The objective of this study was to determine if the leaching losses of nutrients could be reduced by increasing soil organic matter. In an undisturbed soil column study, fresh and composted broiler litter in the presence or absence of flue gas desulfurization (FGD)...
It is often necessary to find a simpler method in different climatic regions to calculate reference
crop evapotranspiration (ETo) since the application of the FAO-56 Penman-Monteith method is often restricted due to the unavailability of a comprehensive weather dataset. Seven ETo methods, namely the standard FAO-56Penman-Monteith, the FAO-24 Radiat...
Jussiaea repens (L.) leaf ethanol extract (LEE) and its major phyto-compound (MPC) have effects against larvae and adults of dengue, malarial, and filarial vectors. Total larval death rates were recorded from LEE and MPC has significant larval killing activity with LC50/LC90 values of Ae. albopictus, An. stephensi, and Cx. quinquefasciatus that wer...
With increased interest to conserve groundwater resources without reducing crop yield potential, more on-farm water storage ponds have been constructed in recent years in USA and around the world. However, the hydrological processes, water budget, and environmental benefits and consequences of these ponds have not yet been fully quantified. This st...
The inability to incorporate broiler litter (BL) into permanent hayfields and pastures leads to nutrient accumulation near the soil surface and increases the potential transport of nutrients in runoff. This study was conducted on Marietta silt loam soil to determine the effect of flue gas desulfurization (FGD) gypsum and lignite on P, N, C, and mic...
Knowledge of soybean yield constraints under rainfed conditions on major soil types in East Central Mississippi would assist growers in the region to effectively utilize the benefits of water/irrigation management. The objectives of this study were to use the Agricultural Policy/Environmental eXtender (APEX) agro-ecosystem model to simulate rainfed...
Soybean is generally grown under rainfed conditions in a humid region, Mississippi, USA. In order to determine how much maximum yield could be increased by irrigation, it is crucial to investigate the yield potential (Yp) without any drought stress and yield gap (Yg, between Yp and rainfed yield (Yw)). Further, it is also important to determine the...
Alternative management of broiler chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus ) litter in cotton ( Gossypium hirsutum L.) production is needed to enhance soil fertility, crop nutrient utilization, and lint yield. This 4‐yr study compared the growth, lint yield, and soil quality in cotton production systems fertilized with pelletized poultry litter (PPL) subs...
Although more on-farm storage ponds have been constructed in recent years to mitigate groundwater resources depletion in Mississippi, little effort has been devoted to estimating the ratio of on-farm water storage pond size to irrigated crop land based on pond metrics and its hydrogeological conditions. In this study, two simulation scenarios were...
Core Ideas
The Tarim Basin is a major source of windblown dust in Asia and China.
No studies have previously documented wind erosion from cropland in Tarim Basin.
Wind erosion was measured from an irrigated cotton field and red date orchard.
Wind erosion from cropland is lower than from China's deserts.
Management practices must be developed to con...
The ecology in the Tarim River Basin is influenced by inundation of its floodplain. To date, however, there is limited information about the infiltration properties of floodplain soils that are inundated by this river. The aim of this study was to investigate steady-infiltration rates of these soils under four different hydraulic heads (5, 10, 20,...
Trend analysis and estimation of monthly and annual precipitation, reference evapotranspiration ETo, and rainfall deficit are essential for water-resources management and cropping-system design. Rainfall, ETo, and water-deficit patterns and trends at Macon in eastern Mississippi for a 120-yr period (1894-2014) were analyzed for annual, seasonal, an...
Knowledge of the fate of manure N is important to effectively manage it and minimize its environmental impact. The system model RZWQM2 was calibrated and evaluated using 3 yr of data to simulate the mineralization and fate of fall- and spring-applied poultry litter N. Litter (18 Mg ha-1) and, for comparison, NH4NO3 (202 kg N ha-1) were applied in f...
Groundwater is an important factor that needs to be considered when evaluating the water balance of the soil-plant-atmosphere system and the sustainable development of arid oases. However, the impact of shallow groundwater on the root zone water balance and cotton growth is not fully understood. In this study, we have first analyzed the influence o...
Water scarcity is the most critical constraint for sustainable cotton production in Xinjiang Province, northwest China. Drip irrigation under mulch is a major water-saving irrigation method that has been widely practiced for cotton production in Xinjiang. The performance of such an irrigation system should be evaluated for proper design and managem...