Soil Health and Crop Management in Conservation Agriculture

Sushil Thapa joined the University of Central Missouri in August 2020 and became an Assistant Professor. Previously, he worked at the Texas A&M University. Over the years, he received several academic awards and scholarships, including two prestigious awards in Texas A&M—the “Award of Excellence” and the “Special Achievement Award for Research Collaboration”. In 2013, he was selected for the “Future Leader Fellowship Program” by the Association for International Agriculture and Rural Development (AIARD), Washington, USA. He earned his Ph.D. in Systems Agriculture/Agronomy from West Texas A&M University in Texas and his M.Sc. in Agro Ecology from Wageningen University in the Netherlands. His teaching and research interests are focused on cropping systems, whole-plant physiology, soil nutrient management, soil-plant-water-environment interaction, biotic and abiotic stress management in field and forage crops, and precision agriculture and remote sensing. He has published more than 75 publications in the form of journal articles, book chapters, extension materials, and scientific abstracts, including more than 20 peer-reviewed journal articles as the first author.

Ghulam Abbas Shah received his Ph.D. from Wageningen University, the Netherlands. Currently, he is working as an assistant professor in the Department of Agronomy at PMAS-Arid Agriculture University, Pakistan. His research focuses on plant nutrient management, agro-nanotechnology, and the development of slow-release fertilisers aiming to improve nutrient efficiency and reducing environmental impact. His expertise extends to exploring the role of nanomaterials in enhancing nutrient delivery and crop production, as well as quantifying the toxic effects of various nanoparticles including plastics on the soil-plant interface. In addition, he is involved in nano-biochar application, composting, and organic waste management, all of which contribute to improved soil health and crop productivity. To date, he has published 44 impact factor articles (total impact factor = 193.2) and 5 non-impact factor publications. The findings of his research contribute directly to improving agricultural efficiency while minimising ecological footprints, aligning with global sustainability goals. He has contributed 28 abstracts, 6 poster presentations, and 13 oral presentations. He has led one project as PI and collaborated on three as Co-PI, with two proposals recently shortlisted for national funding. Additionally, he is a recipient of the "Overseas MS leading to PhD scholarship" awarded by HEC Pakistan in collaboration with NUFFIC, the Netherlands.

Qingwu Xue received his Ph.D. in agricultural meteorology from the University of Nebraska in 1999, his M.Sc. in agriculture from West Texas A&M University in 1994, and his B.Sc. in biology from Shaanxi Normal University in 1984. Currently, he is a professor at the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Texas A&M University, USA. He is an expert in crop stress physiology. His research has been focused on improving yield, water use, WUE, and stress resistance/tolerance in major crops in the Texas High Plains.