Bhupinder S Farmaha | Clemson University (original) (raw)

Papers by Bhupinder S Farmaha

ACS agricultural science & technology, Aug 1, 2022

ACS Agricultural Science & Technology

Proceedings of the Indian National Science Academy. Part A, Physical Sciences, Jul 24, 2023

$Research paper thumbnail of Soil phosphorus balance in Minnesota soils and its effects on soil test phosphorus and soil phosphorus fractions$

Soil Science Society of America Journal

HortTechnology

Anaerobic soil disinfestation (ASD) is a preplant pest management technique that involves amendin... more Anaerobic soil disinfestation (ASD) is a preplant pest management technique that involves amending the soil with a labile carbon source, irrigating the soil to stimulate decomposition, and then covering the soil with polyethylene film (polyfilm) to limit gas exchange. During the ASD process, soil microorganisms shift from aerobic to anaerobic metabolism and release phytotoxic byproducts such as organic acids and gases. Although it has been shown that these phytotoxic by-products have a negative impact on weed survival, questions remain about whether commercial-level weed control can be achieved using ASD alone or in combination with other chemicals. Greenhouse and field studies were conducted to evaluate ASD with mustard (Brassica sp.) meal, molasses, and herbicide applications for yellow nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus) control in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum). The treatments in these studies included factorial of two carbon sources [mustard meal + molasses (MMM) or no carbon amendmen...

Land-Grant Press by Clemson Extension, 2020

Cover cropping is a sustainable conservation practice that can play a major role in enhancing the... more Cover cropping is a sustainable conservation practice that can play a major role in enhancing the health of agroecosystems. Cover crops provide the following benefits: reduced soil erosion, enhanced soil fertility, reduced nutrient runoff, suppression of weeds, reduction in the incidence of diseases and insects, and improved biodiversity and wildlife. Cover crops can suppress weed populations due their fast emergence and rapid canopy development that shades out the soil which reduces emergence of small seeded annual weeds. Cover crop residue retention in the crop rotation can also conserve soil water and improve nutrient cycling. Cover crops can absorb and retain excess plant nutrients (i.e., reducing nutrient runoff) making it available in the soil for later in the crop production cycle. In this article, the influence of cover crops on suppressing weeds and strategies for better weed management and benefits of cover crops on nutrient management are discussed

Agrosystems, Geosciences & Environment

Agricultural & Environmental Letters

Sorghum is a drought-tolerant crop suitable for growing in the southeastern US. Although it can s... more Sorghum is a drought-tolerant crop suitable for growing in the southeastern US. Although it can survive well under adverse conditions, nitrogen (N) insufficiency and water stress can reduce sorghum grain yield. This extension article summarizes how we could mitigate the negative impacts of water stress and N insufficiency with supplemental irrigation (SI) and N fertilization

Frontiers in Environmental Science

Nitrogen (N) fertilizer recommendations based on yield goals are common and do not consider varia... more Nitrogen (N) fertilizer recommendations based on yield goals are common and do not consider variability in soil N supply between fields. Nitrogen transformations in soils are dynamic and may vary widely among different soils, climates, cropping systems, and management practices, making it difficult to provide general N recommendation rates for a region, state, or even a county. To optimize N fertilization rates for corn (Zea mays L.), eight field trials were conducted on different fields at the Edisto Research and Education Center of Clemson University in 2018–2021. The soils varied in pH, inorganic N, management practices (irrigate, dryland, cover, and no-cover crop), and climatic conditions (temperature and precipitation). Six nitrogen fertilizer rate treatments were used during 2018 and 2019, eight in 2020, and five in 2021 trials. Test sites were different in each year except in 2021 in which trials were conducted on the same site but were differentiated by multi-species and no-...

ISU General Staff Papers, 2020

Cover crops are becoming more accepted as a viable best management practice because of their abil... more Cover crops are becoming more accepted as a viable best management practice because of their ability to provide important environmental and soil health benefits. Because of these benefits, many land managers are strongly encouraging the use of cover crops. Additionally, there is limited information on farmers perceptions of the benefits and challenges of implementing cover crops. Many farmers state that they do not have enough money or time to implement cover crops. In an attempt to gather more data about the adoption rate and perceptions of cover crops in South Carolina, a survey was sent to 3000 row crop farmers across the state. Farmers were asked whether they implement cover crops and their perceptions of the benefits and challenges associated with implementation. Furthermore, questions were asked regarding the impact of row cropping on their environment to gauge farmer s education level on environmental impacts. Responses showed many people are implementing cover crops; however, there are still differences in perceptions about benefits and challenges between those who are adopting cover crops and those who are not. This research assesses these differences and aims to provide a baseline for focusing cover crop programs to tackle these certain challenges and promote the benefits.

Soil sampling plays a major role by assisting in developing management zones and prescription map... more Soil sampling plays a major role by assisting in developing management zones and prescription maps in precision agriculture. Integrating soil sampling into precision agriculture ultimately increases the accuracy of necessary inputs (primarily fertilizers and lime to adjust pH). Grid and Zone sampling are the two main soil sampling strategies used to determine where to collect samples. These sampling strategies result in the same number of core samples per unit area, but differ in sampling location. This article will assist row crop, specialty crop, and vegetable producers, turfgrass managers, and foresters in identifying the best soil sampling strategy for their needs. General guidelines for physically collecting samples, and when to sample are also reviewed

Agricultural sciences, 2021

Runoff is an important component of the water balance of agricultural fields. Accurate measuremen... more Runoff is an important component of the water balance of agricultural fields. Accurate measurement or estimation of agricultural runoff is important due to its potential impact on water quantity and quality. Since runoff from agricultural fields is sporadic and is often associated with irrigation and/or intense rainfall events, manually measuring runoff and collecting water samples for water quality analysis during runoff events is inconvenient and impractical. In the fall of 2017, a field site was selected at the Clemson University Edisto Research and Education Center with the objective of developing, constructing, and testing an Internet of things (IoT) flume system to automatically measure runoff and collect water samples. In 2018, an automatic IoT system was developed and installed consisting of six stainless steel H-flumes (22.9-cm), which measured runoff from six adjacent research plots under two different cultural regimes (cover crop and no cover crop). An electronic eTape se...

Method of application of the slowly-mobile nutrients phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) in conserva... more Method of application of the slowly-mobile nutrients phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) in conservation tillage systems were little mixing of the soil occurs, is an important management decision as placement can influence the availability to these nutrients to the crop. The objectives of this study were to determine the effect of no-till, strip-till, and P and K rate and placement on soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] root distribution, shoot growth and nutrient accumulation, seed yield and seed composition; and to quantify treatment effects on the distribution of P, K, and water in the soil. A three-year field experiment was conducted in Champaign, Illinois on Flanagan silt loam and Drummer silty clay loam soils with tillage and fertilizer placement as the main (whole) plot: no-till broadcast (NTBC), no-till deep band (NTDB), and strip-till deep band (STDB) with deep banding at 15 cm. The split-plot consisted of four P application rates (0, 12, 24, 36 kg P ha-1 yr-1) and the split-split plot consisted of four K application rates (0, 42, 84, 168 kg K ha-1 yr-1). Vegetative samples were taken throughout the growing season to measure various growth components. Roots and soil P, K, and water were measured periodically during the season at in-row (IR) and between-rows (BR) positions. Seed yield and yield components were measured at harvest and seed was analyzed for oil, protein, P and K concentration. Seed yield for STDB was 3.06 Mg ha-1 and 10 % greater than NTBC and 7 % greater than NTDB. At the same time, NTDB produced a small but significant 0.1 Mg ha-1 (4%) greater yield than NTBC. Initial soil P levels were marginal for soybean production and P fertilization in the no-till systems increased yields. However, STDB produced consistently higher yields than the no-till systems and showed no response to P fertilization. Soils had adequate starting K fertility and additional K produced no yield increase. Deep banding increased P and K test level beneath the row and lowered soil surface test-values ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Completing my dissertation is a major achievement in my academic career and with immense pleasure I would like to acknowledge the people who helped me achieve this feat. First and foremost, I would like to show my gratitude to Babaji, the unseen, supreme power that scripted my destiny and gave me enough strength and support to walk the road to my destination and meet each of the person who helped me along my journey. He sent me an Angel in the form of June O. Luna (Angie), who gave me a source of immense motivation and encouragement to dare to dream for a Doctorate, prepare for GRE and move to USA and adapt to a new culture and environment. Through her discussions and thoughts she also inspired me to work towards becoming a good human being. I am heartily thankful to my supervisor, Dr. Fabián Fernández for his constant support, supervision and encouragement. From the very beginning when he gave me an opportunity to switch into a new field, of which I did not have much knowledge, to the very end of critical analysis of my thesis draft, he has been constantly working on me to enhance my understanding of the subject, develop writing skills and data interpretation. This thesis would not have been possible without the quality and critical input of all my committee members, Drs. Emerson Nafziger, Germán A. Bollero and Timothy R. Ellsworth. In particular Dr. Emerson Nafziger, with his extensive experience in this field played a role of second mentor to me time and again during the course of my thesis. I am also thankful to Dr. Germán A. Bollero, for his valuable advice in selection of my courses and development of statistical skills. I would also like to extend my gratitude to Dr. Richard Mulvaney and Dr. Saeed Khan for imparting and discussing the basic concepts on soil fertility. v A special word of thanks to my colleagues-Bill, Kristin, and Cheri. They always provided a healthy, cooperative and active lab environment and were great help in collection of data. Kristin often went out of the way to help me with my work. The unconditional assistance and friendship provided by Bill has meant more to me than I could ever express. I would also like to acknowledge the help of all my undergraduate students who helped me in different aspects of my work; collection of samples on field

Agricultural Sciences, 2021

Active soil moisture monitoring is an important consideration in irrigation water management. A p... more Active soil moisture monitoring is an important consideration in irrigation water management. A permanent and readily accessible record of changes in soil moisture can be used to improve future water management decisionmaking. Similarly, accessing stored soil moisture data in near-real-time is also essential for making timely farming and management decisions, such as where, when, and how much irrigation to apply. Access to reliable communication systems and delivery of real-time data can be affected by its availability near production fields. Therefore, soil moisture monitoring systems with realtime data functionality that can meet the needs of farmers at an affordable cost are currently needed. The objective of the study was to develop and fieldtest affordable cell-phone-based Internet of things (IoT) systems for soil moisture monitoring. These IoT systems were designed using low-cost hardware components and open-source software to transmit soil moisture data from the Watermark 200SS or ECH 2 O EC-5 sensors. These monitoring systems utilized either Particle Electron or Particle Proton Arduino-compatible devices for data communication. The IoT soil moisture monitoring systems have been deployed and operated successfully over the last three years in South Carolina.

Open Journal of Soil Science, 2020

Soil temperature controls gaseous nitrogen losses through nitrous oxide (N 2 O) and ammonia (NH 3... more Soil temperature controls gaseous nitrogen losses through nitrous oxide (N 2 O) and ammonia (NH 3) fluxes. Eight surface soils from agricultural fields across the United States were incubated at 10˚C, 20˚C, and 30˚C, and N 2 O and NH 3 flux were measured twice a week for 91 and 47 d, respectively. Changes in cumulative N 2 O and NH 3 flux and net N mineralization at three temperatures were fitted to calculate Q 10 using the Arrhenius equation. For the majority of soils, Q 10 values for the N 2 O loss ranged between 0.23 and 2.14, except for Blackville, North Carolina (11.4) and Jackson, Tennessee (10.1). For NH 3 flux, Q 10 values ranged from 0.63 (Frenchville, Maine) to 1.24 (North Bend, Nebraska). Net soil N mineralization-Q 10 ranged from 0.96 to 1.00. Distribution of soil organic carbon and total soil N can explain the variability of Q 10 for N 2 O loss. Understanding the Q 10 variability of soil N dynamics will help us to predict the N loss.

European Journal of Soil Science, 2019

Agricultural Water Management, 2018

Irrigation exhibits large variation across producer fields, even within same region and year. A k... more Irrigation exhibits large variation across producer fields, even within same region and year. A knowledge gap exists relative to factors that explain this variation, in part due to lack of availability of high-quality irrigation data from multiple field-years. This study assessed sources of variation in irrigation using a large database collected during 9 years (2005-2013) from ca. 1400 maize and soybean producer fields in Nebraska, central USA (total of 12,750 field-year observations). The study area is representative of ca. 4.5 million ha of irrigated land sown with maize and soybean. Influence of biophysical (weather, soil, and crop type) and behavioral (producer skills, risk aversion) factors on irrigation was investigated. Field irrigation distributions showed a substantial number of fields received irrigation amounts that were well above average irrigation for same region-year. Variation in irrigation across fields, within the same region, was as large as year-to-year variation. Seasonal water deficit (defined as total reference evapotranspiration minus precipitation), soil available water holding capacity, and crop type explained about half of observed variation in field irrigation, indicating that producers adjusted irrigation depending upon siteyear variation in these parameters. However, half of the variation in irrigation remained unexplained, indicating that producer behavior and skills play also an important role. There was evidence of a "neighbor" effect as fields that received large irrigation were surrounded by other fields with similarly large irrigation. Likewise, fields with above-or below-average irrigation in one year remained consistently above and below regional average irrigation, respectively, in other years despite similarity in weather and soil among fields. These findings indicate that irrigation decisions are influenced by both biophysical and behavioral factors, making predictions of field and regional irrigation extremely difficult. This study highlights the value of collecting on-farm irrigation data to understand producer decision-making and find opportunities to improve current water management in irrigated crop systems.