Source: PRAIRIE VIEW A&M UNIVERSITY submitted to
AN INTEGRATED APPROACH TO STUDY AND DISSEMINATE THE IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON AGRICULTURE AND WATER QUALITY
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
COMPLETE
Funding Source
OTHER GRANTS
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1018084
Grant No.
2019-38821-29058
Cumulative Award Amt.
$595,751.00
Proposal No.
2018-04859
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Jan 1, 2019
Project End Date
Dec 31, 2023
Grant Year
2019
Program Code
[EQ]- Research Project
Project Director
Ray, R.
Recipient Organization
PRAIRIE VIEW A&M UNIVERSITY
P.O. Box 519, MS 2001
PRAIRIE VIEW,TX 77446
Performing Department
CARC
Non Technical Summary
Climate change and variability have significant impacts on natural resources, environment, and agriculture. According to the National Climate Assessment (NCA), climate change will continue to have a significant impact on natural resources, agricultural production and the environment over the next few decades and beyond. The latest prediction of climate change for the US was summarized in the 3rd NCA Report identified the following key issues for the Great Plains: (i) rising temperatures are leading to increased demand for water and energy which will constrain development and stress natural resources, (ii) changes to crop growth cycles due to climate change have already been observed; as the trends continue, they will require new agriculture/livestock management practices, (iii) communities which are most vulnerable to climate extremes will be stressed even further by more frequent extreme events occurring within an already highly variable climate system, and (iv) existing adaptation and planning efforts are inadequate to respond to these projected impacts. The potential impact of short-term and long-term climate variability on temperature and precipitation pose a great challenge to agricultural productions and soil and water quality. Climate change impact on agriculture needs to be addressed to help farmers and ranchers adapt to them and also take the necessary measures to mitigate their effects. However, little is known about the potential impact of climate change on the sustainability of Texas agriculture. These relationships and interactions between climate, crop production and water quality are complex and challenging. In addition, climate change has a significant impact on Plant Hardiness Zone (PHZ), which will further impact plant/cropping systems, crop yields, and soil and water quality. Researchers have found PHZ are expected to change as climate zones shift northward in the coming century. These potential climate changes can alter agricultural practices, e.g., locations of farms or crops, irrigation methods and nutrient management or expect lower crop yield. Therefore, these issues need study using integrated field research and numerical modeling approaches.This Integrated Project is aimed to study the potential impact of climate change on crop water requirement, crop yield and soil and water quality. This project presents a creative approach to solving scientific problems and addresses specific objectives: (i) generate projected daily climate forcing data using combined global circulation models (GCMs) & downscaling model for three time periods; 2030s, 2055s & 2090s and develop plant hardiness zone map (PHZM) for those three time periods; (ii) develop a well-equipped farm testbed at the college's demonstration farm to enhance extension and outreach activities and strengthen research capacity in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences (NRES); (iii) quantify the impact of climate change on crop water requirement, crop nutrient and soil and water quality for three major crops of Texas (cotton, corn and sorghum) at Brazos River Basin (BRB); (iv) evaluate different adaptation measures and relative change in crop water requirement, crop yield and soil and water quality with and without adaptation approach and educate and train limited resource, socially disadvantaged farmers, ranchers and other stakeholders on outcomes of the project.This project deals with one of the most critical science issues and one of the most valuable natural resources which are climate change and water, respectively. This project will have a significant impact on the understanding of climate change impact on soil and water quality and agriculture, especially for limited resource farmers/ranchers and underserved populations.
Animal Health Component
50%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
20%
Applied
50%
Developmental
30%
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
1020199206120%
1110210205050%
1320430207030%
Knowledge Area
102 - Soil, Plant, Water, Nutrient Relationships; 111 - Conservation and Efficient Use of Water; 132 - Weather and Climate;

Subject Of Investigation
0430 - Climate; 0210 - Water resources; 0199 - Soil and land, general;

Field Of Science
2070 - Meteorology and climatology; 2050 - Hydrology; 2061 - Pedology;
Goals / Objectives
The primary goal of this initiative is to use an integrated approach that combines field experiments, historical data analysis, and numerical modeling to develop, test, demonstrate, and disseminate optimum water and nitrogen management practices to the stakeholders that would optimize crop yield and minimize contamination to the environment (soil and water) under changing climate and variable.Four research and extension objectives proposed to achieve this goal are to:.generate projected daily climate forcing data using combined global circulation models (GCMs) & downscaling model for three time periods; 2030s, 2055s & 2090s and develop plant hardiness zone map (PHZM) for those three time periodsdevelop a well-equipped farm testbed at the college's demonstration farm to enhance extension and outreach activities and strengthen research capacity in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences (NRES)quantify the impact of climate change on crop water requirement, crop nutrient and soil and water quality for three major crops of Texas (cotton, corn and sorghum) at Brazos River Basin (BRB)evaluate different adaptation measures and relative change in crop water requirement, crop yield and soil and water quality with and without adaptation approach and educate and train limited resource, socially disadvantaged farmers, ranchers and other stakeholders on outcomes of the project
Project Methods
The research approaches and activities are detailed below with respect to their corresponding four objectives and fifteen tasks.Objective ITask 1: Database developmentThe historical datasets for water quantity, climatic data and water quality will be collected and analyzed. The hydrological and water quality parameters will be collected from databases of different federal and state agencies, i.e., USGS, NOAA, USDA-NRCS, TCEQ, and TWDB.Task 2: Climatic data projection and analysisThe South Central Climate Science Center (SCCSC) has generated three climate variables (Tmax, Tmin and Precipitation) using three GCMs (CCSM4, MIROC5, and MPI_ESM_LR) and one downscaling method (equidistant quantile mapping [EDQM]) under three emission scenarios (Representative Concentration Pathways [RCP]s 8.5, 4.5 and 2.6). We proposed to generate daily climate variables using same GCMs and three scenarios used by SCCSC, but different downscaling (Long Ashton Research Station Stochastic Weather Generator [LARS-WG]) method. The DAYMET version-3 daily 1-km grid data from 1981 to 2010 will be used as a historical daily climate data for downscaling GCMs monthly climate data to these grids (size = 1/10o) using statistical downscaling model, LARS-WG, within the selected basin. Then, climate data for three future periods, i.e. the 2020s (2011-2030), 2055s (2046-2065) and 2090s (2080-2099), will be generated using outputs of selected GCMs under three emission scenarios. We will use current and projected climate variables (2020s) from three GCMs, three scenarios and two downscaling methods in hydrological model.Task 3: Develop Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM)Based on minimum temperature range, USDA has classified the US into 26 plant hardiness zones. A similar approach will be used to develop PHZM for the proposed basin. For the current climate period (1981-2010), DAYMET data will be used. The temperature averaging periods will be chosen for 1981-2010 (historical), and for the 2020s, 2055s and 2090s (future projection periods).Task 4: Outreach and demonstration activities at the selected counties using PHZMThe PHZM will be used at each training and demonstration workshops during the project period.Objective IITask 1: Develop farm testbed and plant crop in rotationThe field experiments will be conducted on the PVAMU research farm located in the northwest part of the Greater Houston Metropolitan Area. A split-plot block design will be used in this experiment with 27 plots (3 irrigation levels x 3 N management treatments x 3 replications). Each plot will be 1.8 m wide by 18.2 m long. The plots will be cultivated with one of the selected crops in rotation and irrigated with a drip irrigation system. Soil moisture (top 50-cm) will be monitored with soil moisture (SM) sensors installed at 10-cm depth increments. An eddy covariance flux tower was installed to monitor weather parameters and hydrologic parameters.Task 2: Soil and water sampling and lab analysisSoil solution samples within (top 30 cm) and below the root zone (50-cm depth) will be collected using suction cup. Soil samples will be analyzed for orgnic carbon, nitrate and pH at Core Laboratory. The automated soil CO2 flux chambers will be installed for continuous monitoring of soil CO2 flux. Also, surface runoff and groundwater will be collected for surface and groundwater water quality analysis.Task 3: Nutrient and irrigation managementIrrigation will be scheduled at the root zone (top 30 cm). During the irrigation events, the rate will be adjusted for each irrigation level to provide the required amount of water to refill the soil in the root zone to its target level. Based on the initial soil quality and nutrient analysis the rate of nutrient will be determined.Task 4: Plant harvesting and crop yieldMeasurements will be conducted during the growing season from planting to harvest. Destructive methods will be used to obtain leaf area and above ground biomass by sampling 1-m of the row from the central rows of the plots approximately 3-times during one growing season. The samples will be separated into stems, leaves, ears, and husks; oven dried (at 70 °C) to constant weight and weighed. Plant height of 3-plants will also be measured at the same time of each periodical plant material sampling. During the final harvest, plants will be separated into different parts to the samplings during the growing season and then dried.Task 5: Model simulation at field scaleThe measured field data will be used to calibrate, validate cropping system model (CSM) and also for the series of sensitivity analyses. Next, the generated future long-term weather data will be used to assess their impact on crop yield and crop water use efficiency.Objective IIITask 1: Calibrate & validate hydrologic and crop modelsAnnAGNPS and/or Regional Hydro-Ecologic Simulation System (RHESSys) will be used for hydrologic and soil and water quality simulation at basin and field scales. Also, the decision support system for agro-technology transfer (DSSAT)-CSM model will be used to simulate crop yield and nutrient management. Models will be calibrated and validated using a series of sensitivity analyses and applied to predict impacts of climate change scenarios on the major hydrological cycle components at the basin scale for crop water requirement, crop yield and soil and water quality. The DSSAT-CSM model will be used starting at seedbed preparation and continues until final harvest. AnnAGNPS will use crop simulated transpiration and soil evaporation as output from DSSAT-CSM and rainfall from the Objective I.Task 2: Model simulation for three major crops: Cotton, Corn & SorghumAnnGNPS and DSSAT-CSM models will be used to estimate daily irrigation/crop water requirements and identify the surface water quality using three selected crops as landuse types at the basin scale. With the help of CEP agents, the pocket area of selected crops will be identified to calibrate the model. Models will be calibrated at a sub-basin scale where the majority of landuse type would be one of the selected crops.Objective IVTask 1: Evaluate adaptation measures at farm testbedThe CSM which incorporates the effect of environmental variables and management practices will also be used to model crop yield and evaluate the performance of different adaptation strategies. This study will generate a series of maps depicting the relative change in irrigation water requirements and crop yields for the selected three crops.Task 2: Apply the field/testbed approach to the basin scaleThe adaptation measures will be transferred to the basin scale to evaluate the potential changes using proposed models and projected climatic data.Task 3: Evaluate relative changes in crop water requirement, soil and water quality with & without adaptation and projected climate dataThe relative changes in crop water requirement, crop yield and soil and water quality with and without adaptation using projected climatic data will be evaluated. Watershed and crop system models will be used to evaluate relative changes.Task 4: Outreach activitiesA series of meetings will be conducted with Farm Bureau, major land owners and small farmers. Workshops will be organized through extension services two times a year at PVAMU and at the selected counties to disseminate project activities to limited resource farmers/ranchers, students, researchers, and other stakeholders. There will be demonstrations and hands-on activities during field demonstration days. There will also be coordination meeting/activities with state and federal agencies. The schedule of the meetings will be decided in the first coordination meeting. Results of the project will be published in extension bulletins, booklets and peer reviewed journals. The literature will also be made available to the public through CAHS's extension service offices. The material will also be made available on the websites of the CAHS.

Progress 01/01/19 to 12/31/23

Outputs
Target Audience:During this period, we reached out to students, researchers, extension agents, and state/federal agencies through virtual workshops, meetings, training and presentations. Changes/Problems:Changes: This project provided tremendous opportunities for students, young researchers, and other stakeholders to learn and grow in investigating the impact of climate change on agriculture and water quality. In addition, students had experiential learning opportunities to learn how to install various sensors, collect data, and analyze. This project brought changes in the skills and knowledge of students, young researchers, and farmers about climate change and it's impact on livelihoods. Problems: It is well known that all of us are affected by different waves of COVID-19. Even in Jan 2022, we had a large breakout of COVID-19. As a result, we may have limited opportunities to work with students, other researchers, and create face-to-face training and workshops. We have tried our best to withstand COVID-19 or other weather-related challenges. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Two postdoctoral researchers, and 13 graduate students were trained in installing automated soil CO2 sensors and taking measurements using those sensors at the field scale. Three undergraduate students were trained to measure CH4 and CO2 using a Tracegas analyzer. Students took soil and water samples from the field and analyzed the soil and water physical and chemical properties. The students were trained to install suction cups and able to collect water samples for water quality studies on the research farm. Students have developed the skill of using soil moisture sensors to monitor soil health. Students were trained to develop research plots and plant sorghum, corn and cotton on the PVAMU research farm. Students also had opportunities to assist in downloading soil carbon and soil moisture on the research farm and climatic data across Texas. In addition, students had opportunities to present their research findings at local and regional conferences. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We made 13 presentations at seven national and international conferences through poster and oral presentations. Students also had opportunities to present some of the results at research symposiums. More than four articles out of the project have been published in a peer-reviewed journal. Two manuscripts are under review, whereas one manuscript is ready for submission in a peer-reviewed journal. However, because of the ongoing pandemic, we could not disseminate our results to the farmers and ranchers (face-to-face) as we originally planned. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Goal 1: Generating projected daily climate forcing data using Global Circulation Model simulations and statistical downscaling techniques. The change in climate is projected until 2099. To address this goal, different gridded precipitation datasets were evaluated to develop reliable climate information and characterize the historical climate at the Bosque watershed of the Brazos River Basin. Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) was developed for 2055s & 2090s. Goal 2: We have developed a research testbed on Prairie View A&M University's (PVAMU) research farm. We developed twenty-seven plots around the existing eddy covariance (EC) flux tower to monitor actual carbon emission and/or uptake. We planted corn, however, we could not accomplish anything due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which started at the beginning of 2020. On the other hand, we successfully planted sorghum, corn and cotton in 2021, 2022, and 2023 respectively. A study on carbon emission and/or uptake at different years and seasons was made. Different nutrient and irrigation rates were implemented to evaluate the effect on soil carbon, soil health, crop yield, and biomass. Goal 3: The Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model has been set up and calibrated at one of the Bosque watersheds of the Brazos River Basin. The SWAT model was used to evaluate the gridded precipitation datasets in the Bosque watershed of the Brazos River Basin. The SWAT model was also used to evaluate the change in different hydrological signatures and water balance components under historical and future climate change scenarios. The SWAT model was applied to assess water quality and nutrient dynamics under changing climate conditions. Goal 4: We are developing optimal climate adaptation measures for crop water requirement, crop yield, and soil and water quality and training underserved undergraduate and graduate students. Training on water harvesting strategies for optimal benefits of climate change adaptation was given to development agents from various Texas counties. The training was helpful for farmers, ranchers, and other stakeholders to increase resilience to climate change effects.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Under Review Year Published: 2024 Citation: Gebrekidan Worku Tefera, Ram, L. Ray. Surface water quality under climate change scenarios in the Bosque watershed, Central Texas of United States. Journal of Ecohydrology and Hydrobiology
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Other Year Published: 2024 Citation: Gebrekidan Worku Tefera, Ram, L. Ray.Geographic Analysis of Plant Hardiness Zones under Climate Change Scenarios in the South-central region of the United States.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Gebrekidan Tefera, and Ram Ray. Simulating the Impact of Future Climate Change Scenarios on Surface Water Quality in the Bosque Watershed, Central Texas, USA. AGU Fall Meeting 2023, San Francisco, USA. December 11-15, 2023.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: An Experimental Approach to Investigate the Relationships between Soil and Atmospheric Carbon and Hydrologic Fluxes. 2023 ASA, CSSA, SSSA International Annual Meeting. October 29-November 1, 2023. https://scisoc.confex.com/scisoc/2023am/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/151049
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Tefera, G. W and Ray, R.L. Changes in hydrological extremes under future climate change scenarios in the Bosque watershed, North-Central Texas. Conference on Water, Climate, and Food Security for Students and Early Career Scientists, Prairie View A&M University. March 8-10, 2023.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Reggie O. Jackson and Ray, R.L. Increasing Applications of Fertilizer Effect on Water Quality Within and Below the Root Zone. Conference on Water, Climate, and Food Security for Students and Early Career Scientists, Prairie View A&M University. March 8-10, 2023.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Ram Ray and Gebrekidan Tefera. Investigating the Changes in Hydroclimatic Extremes under Climate Change in Central Texas, USA. AGU Fall Meeting 2023, San Francisco, USA. December 11-15, 2023.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Gebrekidan Worku Tefera, Ram, L. Ray and Adrienne M. Wootten, 2024. Evaluation of statistical downscaling techniques and projection of climate extremes in central Texas, USA. Journal of Weather and Climate Extremes, 43, 1000637. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wace.2023.100637
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Gebrekidan Worku Tefera and Ram L. Ray, 2023. Hydrology and hydrological extremes under climate change scenarios in the Bosque watershed, North Central Texas, USA. Journal of Environmental Science and Pollution Research, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-023-27477-1
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Ram L. Ray, Rajendra P. Sishodia and Gebrekidan W. Tefera, 2022. Evaluation of Gridded Precipitation Data for Hydrologic Modeling in North-Central Texas. Remote Sens. 2022, 14, 3860. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs14163860


Progress 01/01/22 to 12/31/22

Outputs
Target Audience:During this period, we reached out to students, researchers, and state/federal agencies through virtual workshops, meetings, and presentations. Changes/Problems:It is well known that all of us are affected by different waves of COVID-19. Even in Jan 2022, we had a large breakout of COVID-19. As a result, we may have limited opportunities to work with students, other researchers, and create face-to-face training and workshops. We will try our best to withstand COVID-19 or other challenges. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Two postdoctoral researchers and six graduate students were trained in installing automated soil CO2 sensors and taking measurements using those sensors at the field scale. Three undergraduate students were trained to measure CH4 and CO2 using a Tracegas analyzer. Students took soil and water samples from the field and analyzed the soil and water physical and chemical properties. The students were trained and able to collect water samples for water quality studies. Students were trained to install suction cups at all plots on the research farm. Students were trained to develop research plots and plant sorghum and corn on the PVAMU research farm. Students also had opportunities to assist in downloading climatic data across Texas. In addition, students will have opportunities to present their research findings at local and regional conferences. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We presented our results at six national and international conferences through poster and oral presentations and peer-reviewed publications. Students also had opportunities to present some of the results at research symposiums. One article has been published in a peer-reviewed journal. One manuscript is under review, whereas one manuscript is ready for submission in a peer-reviewed journal. However, because of the ongoing pandemic, we could not disseminate our results to the farmers and ranchers (face-to-face) as we originally planned. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We have completed planting two major crops, corn and sorghum, grown in Texas. We plan to grow cotton next season, most likely in Spring 2023. The soil moisture sensors and CO2 sensors will be re-installed to monitor soil moisture, temperature, conductivity, and carbon emission. In addition, soil suction cups will be re-installed shortly on the research farm. We will set up a hydrologic model at Sorghum, Corn and Cotton dominated catchments of the Brazos watershed. We also plan to develop the plant hardiness zone maps next year. We will quantify the impact of climate change on crop water requirements for cotton this year. Next year, the impact of climate change scenarios and climate extreme events on different crops will be evaluated. The response of cotton to different Irrigation and fertilizer application rates will be studied next spring season (2023). Since the impact of COVID-19 has been reduced recently, we plan to organize workshops and farm demonstrations to enhance extension and outreach activities this year.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Goal 1: Generating projected daily climate forcing data using Global Circulation Model simulations and statistical downscaling techniques. The change in climate is projected until 2099. To address this goal, different gridded precipitation datasets were evaluated to develop reliable climate information and characterize the historical climate at the Bosque watershed of the Brazos River Basin. Goal 2: We have developed a research testbed on Prairie View A&M University's (PVAMU) research farm. We developed twenty-seven plots around the existing eddy covariance (EC) flux tower to monitor actual carbon emission and/or uptake. We planted corn; however, we could not accomplish anything due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which started at the beginning of 2020. On the other hand, we successfully planted sorghum and corn in 2021 and 2022, respectively. Goal 3: The Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model has been set up and calibrated at one of the Bosque watersheds of the Brazos River Basin. The SWAT model was used to evaluate the gridded precipitation datasets in the Bosque watershed of the Brazos River Basin. The SWAT model was also used to evaluate the change in different hydrological signatures and water balance components under historical and future climate change scenarios. The application of the SWAT model for water quality, crop water requirement, and crop nutrient assessment under changing climate conditions is still to accomplish. Goal 4: We are developing optimal climate adaptation measures for crop water requirement, crop yield, and soil and water quality and training underserved undergraduate and graduate students. However, we still need to work to accomplish this goal.

Publications

  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Jackson*, R., Ray, R.L., Carson, L., Woldesenbet, S., Ampim, P., and Risch, E. Effects of Increasing Applications of Fertilizer on Water Quality Within and Below the Root Zone of Sorghum Grown in Southeast Texas. Association of 1890 Research Directors (ARD) Research Symposium, April 2 - 5, 2022, Atlanta, GA.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Jackson*, D., Tefera, G., Ray, R.L., and Risch, E. An Experimental Approach to Understanding the Relationships between Carbon and Water Fluxes. Association of 1890 Research Directors (ARD) Research Symposium, April 2 - 5, 2022, Atlanta, GA.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2022 Citation: Ray, R.L., and Tefera, GW. Hydrological processes and hydrological extremes under climate change scenarios in the North-Central Texas, USA. 4th Euro-Mediterranean Conference For Environmental Integration, November 1-4, 2022, Sousse, Tunisia.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2022 Citation: Tefera, GW and Ray, R.L. Statistical downscaling techniques and projection of future climate extremes in the Texas environment. 4th Euro-Mediterranean Conference For Environmental Integration, November 1-4, 2022, Sousse, Tunisia.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Ray, R.L., Sishodia, R., and Tefera, GW. 2022. Evaluation of gridded precipitation datasets through hydrologic modeling in North-Central Texas. Remote Sensing 14(16), 3860.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Under Review Year Published: 2022 Citation: Tefera, G.W., Ray R.L., and Wootten, A.M. In review. Evaluation of statistical downscaling techniques and climate change scenarios in the Texas environment. J. of Meteorological Applications
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Under Review Year Published: 2022 Citation: Tefera, G.W., and Ray R.L.Hydrology and hydrological extremes under climate change scenarios in the Bosque watershed, North-Central, Texas, USA. J. of Environmental Science and Pollution Research
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Tefera, G.W. Ray, R.L., and Taddele, Y.D. Evaluating the impact of statistical bias correction on precipitation extreme indices in the Jemma sub-basin of Blue Nile Basin. Fall Meeting, American Geophysical Union, Chicago, IL, December 12-16, 2022.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Ray, R.L., and Tefera, G.W. Evaluation of statistical downscaling techniques and climate change scenarios: a case study from Texas, USA, American Geophysical Union, Chicago, IL, December 12-16, 2022


Progress 01/01/21 to 12/31/21

Outputs
Target Audience:We reached out to students, researchers, and state/federal agencies through virtual workshops, meetings, and presentations during this period. Changes/Problems:It is well known that all of us are affected by different waves of COVID-19. Even in Jan 2022, we had a large breakout of COVID-19. As a result, we may have limited opportunities to work with students, other researchers, and create face-to-face training and workshops. We will try our best to withstand COVID-19 or other challenges. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?One postdoctoral researcher and three graduate students were trained on installing automated soil CO2 sensors and taking measurements using those sensors at the field scale. Three undergraduate students were trained to measure CH4 and CO2 using a Tracegas analyzer. The postdoctoral researcher and students took soil samples from the field and analyzed the soil's physical and chemical properties. The students were trained and able to collect water samples for water quality studies. Soil suction cups were also installed with the students at all plots on the research farm. Students were trained to develop research plots and plant sorghum on the PVAMU research farm. Students also had opportunities to assist in downloading climatic data across Texas. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We have presented our results at two different national and international conferences through oral presentations and publication. Students also had opportunities to present some of the results at research symposiums. Two manuscripts are ready for publication in peer-reviewed journals. However, because of the ongoing pandemic, we could not disseminate our results to the farmers and ranchers as we originally planned. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Currently, we have planted corn on the research farm this spring season. The soil moisture sensors, soil CO2 sensors to monitor carbon, and soil suction cups will be installed shortly on the research farm. We will set up a hydrologic model at Sorghum, Corn and Cotton dominated catchments of the Brazos watershed. We also plan to develop the plant hardiness zone maps next year. We will quantify the impact of climate change on crop water requirements for corn and sorghum this year. Under this, the impact of climate change scenarios and climate extreme events on different crops will be evaluated. The response of corn to different Irrigation and fertilizer application rates will be studied this spring season. We also plan to organize a workshop and farm demonstration to enhance extension and outreach activities this year.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Goal 1: Generating projected daily climate forcing data using Global Circulation Model simulations and statistical downscaling techniques is completed. The change in climate and climate extreme events are projected in the future. To address this goal, different gridded precipitation datasets were evaluated to develop reliable climate information and characterize the historical climate in the Bosque watershed of the Brazos River Basin. Goal 3: The Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model has been set up and calibrated at one of the Bosque watersheds of the Brazos River Basin. The SWAT model was used to evaluate the gridded precipitation datasets in the Bosque watershed of the Brazos River Basin. The SWAT model was also used to evaluate the change in different hydrological signatures and water balance components under historical and future climate change scenarios. The application of the SWAT model for water quality, crop water requirement, and crop nutrient assessment under changing climate conditions is still to accomplish. Goal 4: We are developing optimal climate adaptation measures for crop water requirement, crop yield, and soil and water quality and training underserved undergraduate and graduate students.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Submitted Year Published: 2022 Citation: Ray, R.L., Sishodia, R., and Tefera, GW. Evaluation of gridded precipitation datasets through hydrologic modeling in North-Central Texas.
  • Type: Book Chapters Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Ray, R.L., Sishodia, R., and Olutimehin, T. 2022. Rainwater harvesting for sustainable water resources management under climate change. In Q. Tang and G. Leng (eds.), Climate Risk and Sustainable Water Management (pp. 374-400). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.


Progress 01/01/20 to 12/31/20

Outputs
Target Audience:During this period, we reached to students, and researchers, and state/federal agencies through virtual workshops, meetings, and presentations. Changes/Problems:It is well known that all of us got severely impacted by COVID-19 in 2020. Even now, in March 2021, we still have to maintain social distancing, and we have limited opportunities to work with students and other researchers face-to-face. In addition, the project's postdoctoral researcher left us because he got a better opportunity elsewhere. On the other hand, we could not recruit another postdoctoral researcher because of the ongoing pandemic. However, we are trying our best to get everything on track and accomplish the proposed research goals as soon as possible. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?One postdoctoral researcher and three graduate students were trained on how to install methane sensors, automated soil CO2 sensors, and how to take measurements using those sensors at the field scale. Students were also trained to develop research plots, and plant corn on the PVAMU research farms. Students also had opportunities to assist in downloading climatic data across Texas. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We have presented our results at two different national and international conferences through oral presentations, and publication. Students also had opportunities to present some of the results at research symposiums. However, we could not disseminate our results to the farmers and ranchers as we originally planned because of the ongoing pandemic. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Next, we plan to plant either Sorghum or Corn on the research testbed by summer and install soil moisture sensors, water quality monitoring instruments, soil CO2 sensors to monitor carbon, water quality, soil moisture, and other parameters. We will set up a hydrologic model at several cropland-dominated catchments of the Brazos watershed. We also plan to develop the plant hardiness zone maps next year. We also plan to quantify the impact of climate change on crop water requirements either for Sorghum or Corn next year. If we get rid of this pandemic, we also plan to organize a workshop and farm demonstration to enhance extension and outreach activities next year.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Goal 1: Generating projected daily climate forcing data using a global circulation model is completed. Goal 2: We have developed a research testbed on Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) research farm. We developed twenty-seven plots around the existing eddy covariance (EC) flux tower so that we can monitor actual carbon emission and/or uptake from plants. We planted corn, however, we could not accomplish anything due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic which was started at the beginning of 2020. Goal 3: The Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model has been set up and calibrated at one of the catchments of the Brazos River Basin. It is still under process. Goal 4: is still to accomplish.

Publications

  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2020 Citation: Sishodia, R., Ray, R.L., He, Y., Fares, A., Awal, R., and Ampim, P. Effects of climate change on surface water flows and crop water requirements in North-Central Texas. Fall Virtual Meeting, American Geophysical Union, December 1-17, 2020.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Sishodia, R., Ray, R.L., and Singh, S. 2020. Applications of remote sensing in precision agriculture: A review. Remote Sensing 12(19), 3136. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs12193136
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2020 Citation: Sishodia, R.P., Ray, R.L., and Ayanbanjo, O. Evaluating SMAP satellite CO2 using Eddy Covariance Flux Tower Measurements. AmeriFlux Annual Virtual Meeting, October 6 - 8, 2020.


Progress 01/01/19 to 12/31/19

Outputs
Target Audience:During this period, we reached to students, researchers and limited resources farmers and growers. We also reached state and federal agencies through coordinating meetings and workshops and let them know about our ongoing project and potential benefits after the completion. In addition, we also reached to county agents and extension specialist to inform them about our ongoing project. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Three graduate students were trained on how to install soil moisture sensors, soil CO2 sensors and how to take measurements using those sensors at the field scale. Students were also trained to develop research testbed on PVAMU research farm. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Currently, since the plots were not planted with the proposed crops, actual results were not disseminated, but students had presented the results from the EC flux tower and demonstration to various research symposiums. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Next, we plan to plant either Sorghum or Corn on the research testbed by summer and install soil moisture sensors, water quality monitoring instrument,soil CO2 sensors to monitor carbon, water quality, soil moisture and other parameters. We are working on to set up the crop and hydrologic models at Brazos watershed. We also plan to develop the plant hardiness zone maps next year. We also plan to quantify the impact of climate change on crop water requirements either for Sorghum or Corn next year. We also plan to organize a workshop and farm demonstration to enhance extension and outreach activities next year.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Goal 1: Generating projected daily climate forcing data using a global circulation model is in progress Goal 2: We have identified and developed research testbed on Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) research farm. We developed twenty seven plots around the existing eddy covariance (EC) flux tower so that we can monitor actual carbon emission and/or uptake from plants. Goals 3 and 4 still to accomplish.

Publications