Publications

Peer-reviewed Journal Articles (* graduate student, ** corresponding author) (total articles: 137, book chapters: 14, Conference abstracts >180)

2026

1.            Sun, S…R.Ghimire… J. Chen. 2026. Global hotspots of particulate organic carbon losses under climate change. Nature Communications.

2.            Aryal. D., A. Singh, and R. Ghimire. Soil carbon, nitrogen, and greenhouse gas emissions under occasional tillage into long-term no-tillage systems in semi-arid drylands. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation.

3.            Sapkota, S.* R. Ghimire**, P. Bista, S. Angadi. 2026. Circular grass buffer strips reduce soil greenhouse gas emissions in water-limited agroecosystems. Journal of Environmental Management. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.129287.

4.            Madhuwanthi, P.*, R. Ghimire**S. Sapkota, S. Norris-Paris, and A. Ulery.  2026. Contrasting effects of biochar and compost on greenhouse gas emissions and the global warming potential of semi-arid cropping systems. Scientific Reports. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-42554-412.

5.            Sapkota, S., J.P. Frene, N. Kumar, P. Adhikari, S. Adhikari, R. Ghimire**. 2026. Microbial community responses to feedstock type and modifications determine soil organic carbon sequestration and crop yield in biochar-amended arid soils. Frontiers in Soil Science, 1669356. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsoil.2026.1669356.

6.            Yin, H., P. Bista, R. Ghimire, H. Yang, K.C. Carroll. 2026. Unraveling soil moisture dynamics with dual-scale interpretable machine learning: cover cropping and irrigation insights in semi-arid agriculture. Vedos Zone Journal, https://doi.org/10.1002/vzj2.70077.

7.            Arije, D., P. Bista, S. Gautam, C. Steele, U. Mishra, and R. Ghimire. Enhancing Soil Carbon Storage in Water-Limited Environments with Multispecies Cover Cropping: Insights from DayCent® Model Simulation. Field Crops Research.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fcr.2026.110384.

8.            Zhang, J., Y. Zhu, M. Ahmed, R. Ghimire, O.J. Idowu, S. Norris-Parish, E.E. Sparks, S. Adhikari, J. Lamba, J. Tumuluru, D. Whitelock, L. Zeng. Role and potential of biochar in promoting cotton yield in the arid New Mexico of the United States Cotton Belt. Agronomy, https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy16030346.

9.            Panta, S., P. Bista, S.V. Angadi, R. Ghimire. 2026. Soil health and water function indicators respond to organic amendments in a semi-arid environment. Sustainability, https://doi.org/10.3390/su18031369 (Invited featured article).

10.        Frene, J.P., P. Acharya, M. Thompson, A. Adhikari, and R. Ghimire**. 2026. Mulching promotes soil health and carbon sequestration in arid urban landscapes. Urban Ecosystem, 29, 37. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11252-026-01904-w.

11.        Adebayo, O.*, T. Noble Strohm, V. Acosta-Martinez, S.J. Fonte, M. Schipanski, M. Mikha, P. Bista, S.V. Angadi, and R. Ghimire**. 2026. Linking biological and organic matter indicators of soil health with soil water functions in semi-arid compost-amended and intensified cropping systems. Geoderma, 466, 117692, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2026.117692.

12.        Sharma, B.*, J.P. Frene, V. Acosta-Martinez, X. Li, and R. Ghimire**. 2026. Microbial community responses to alternative management regulate soil organic carbon storage in agroecosystems facing irrigation retirement. Agriculture, Ecosystems, Environment https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2025.110098.

13.        Acharya, P.*, D. Aryal, R. Ghimire**, M. Marsalis, O.J. Idowu. 2026. Land use-driven shifts in labile carbon fractions regulated total profile sequestration of soil organic and inorganic carbon in arid environments. International Soil and Water Conservation Research. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iswcr.2025.12.001.

2025

14.        Sapkota, S.,  B. Sharma, and R. Ghimire**. 2025. Enhancing carbon stability in biochar-amended arid soils: insights from a long-term soil incubation study. Carbon Management. https://doi.org/10.1080/17583004.2025.2602999.

15.        Frene, J.P., N. Kasera, D. Jaisi, S. Sapkota, D. O’Connell, S. Higgins, S. Adhikari, and R. Ghimire**. 2025. Enhancing soil health and phosphorus use efficiency with modified biochar amendment. Science of the Total Environments, 180794, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.180794

16.        Noble Strohm*, T., S. Fonte, R. Ghimire, M. Mikha, O. Adebayo, P. Bista, V. Acosta-Martinez, S. Angadi, M. Schipanski. 2025. Soil health indicators for water-limited regions: Evaluating relative sensitivity to compost and cropping intensification. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224561.2025.2477320

17.         Acharya, P., A. Ogunleye, M. Marsalis, J. Bell and R. Ghimire**. 2025. Enhancing forage production and quality under resource-limited conditions by alfalfa-bermudagrass interseeding. Agronomy Journal. https://doi.org/10.1002/agj2.70174.

18.        Adebayo, O.*, V.R. Thapa, A. Ulery, and M. Schipanski, R. Ghimire**. 2025. Optimizing the inorganic nitrogen extraction method to evaluate alternative cropping strategies. Agronomy Journal. https://doi.org/10.1002/agj2.70120.

19.        Morales-Ruiz, D.E., G. Villanueva-López, F. Casanova-Lugo, J.A. Venegas-Venegas, R. Pinto-Ruiz, F. Guevara-Hernández, M. Reyes-Sosa, P. Martínez-Zurimendi, R. Ghimire, D.R. Aryal. 2025. Silvopastoral systems reduce soil CO2 emissions, enhance carbon stocks, and regulate the micro-environment in tropical grazing lands, Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 393, 109844. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2025.109844.

20.        Sharma, B*., R. Ghimire**, S. Sapkota, P. Shrestha, C. Brewer, and S. Adhikari. 2025. Nitrous oxide mitigation potential of biochar derived from agricultural and forest biomass: effects of feedstock composition and pyrolysis temperature. Journal of Environmental Quality. https://doi.org/10.1002/jeq2.70054.  

21.        Singh, A., D.R. Aryal, M. Omer, A.D. Adhikari, O.J. Idowu, R. Herema, R. Ghimire**. 2025. Soil carbon sequestration and biological health under pecan orchards of varying ages. Soil Science Society of America Journal. https://doi.org/10.1002/saj2.70089.

22.        Bista, P., S. Shakya, P. Acharya, and R. Ghimire. 2025. Evaluating machine learning models for greenhouse gas emissions prediction in diversified semi-arid cropping systems. Soil Science Society of America Journal. https://doi.org/10.1002/saj2.70057.

23.        Adebayo, O.*, A. Singh, P. Bista, S. Angadi, and R. Ghimire**. 2025. Compost addition improves soil water storage and crop water productivity in a cover crop-integrated sorghum production system under limited irrigation management. Irrigation Science. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00271-025-01011-2.

24.        Sapkota, S.*, R. Ghimire**, C Brewer, S. Fernando. 2025. Contrasting effects of plant and animal residue biochars on soil health, carbon stability, and crop yield. Journal of Soils and Sediments. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-025-03968-1.

25.        Liu, R., U.M. Sainju, R. Ghimire, H. Cheng, F. Guan, Y. Liu, C. Yang, F. Zhao, and J. Wang. 2025. Mechanisms of cover crop-derived carbon sequestration in winter wheat fields: Insights from 13C labeling. Soil and Tillage Research, 248, 106462. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2025.106462. 

26.        Singh, A., P. Bista, S.K. Deb, and R. Ghimire**. 2025. Simulating cover crops' impacts on soil water and nitrogen dynamics and silage yield in the semi-arid Southwestern United States. Agricultural Water Management. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2024.109246.

27.        Frene, J.P.*, R. Ghimire**, S. Sapkota, and S. Angadi. 2025. Evaluating the potential of circular grass buffer strips to promote fungal community and soil health in water-limited agroecosystems. Soil Ecology Letters. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42832-024-0265-z.

2024

28.        Ghimire, R.**, D.R. Aryal, S. Buffasso, N. Hanan, O. Burney, H. Geli, O.J. Idowu, B. Hurd, L. Prihodko. 2024. Carbon sequestration in arid and semi-arid lands: Insights from New Mexico, USA. Agrosystems, Geosciences, and Environment. https://doi.org/10.1002/agg2.70019.

29.        Badrari, H.*, R. Ghimire**, D.R. Aryal, A.O. Mesbah. 2024. Soil profile organic, inorganic, and labile C and soil health responses after nine years of alternative tillage management. Soil Use and Management. https://doi.org/10.1111/sum.13129.

30.        Arije, D.*, R. Ghimire**, P. Bista, S. Angadi, and C. Gard. 2024. Recovery of soil organic carbon in semi-arid drylands with perennial grass sequence. Journal of Arid Environments. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaridenv.2024.105263.

31.        Dhakal, M., G. Zinati, M. Fulcher, D. Fornara, E. Martani, J.B. Contina, P. Hinson, R. Afshar, R. Ghimire, 2024. Challenges and emerging opportunities for weed management in organic agriculture. Advances in Agronomy, 184, 125-172. https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.agron.2023.11.002.

32.        Acharya P.*, R. Ghimire**, M.K. Shukla, and O.J. Idowu. 2024. Soil aggregates and associated carbon and nitrogen sequestration in cover cropping systems. Catena, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2024.108264.

33.        Sapkota, S.*, R. Ghimire**, and S.V. Angadi. 2024. Regulation of surface and sub-surface soil organic carbon sequestration with circular buffer strips of perennial grasses in center pivot irrigated cropping systems. Applied Soil Ecology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsoil.2024.105551.

34.        Sapkota, S.*, R. Ghimire**, P. Bista, D. Hartmann, T. Rahman, S. Adhikari. 2024. Greenhouse gas mitigation and soil carbon stabilization potential of forest biochar varied with biochar type and characteristics. Science of the Total Environment. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.172942.

35.        Bista, D.*, S. Sapkota, R. Acharya, P. Acharya, and R. Ghimire**. 2024. Energy and carbon footprint of cover cropping in a semi-arid irrigated agriculture. Heliyon. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e27904.

36.        Sapkota, S.*, R. Ghimire**, S. Angadi, B. Schutte, and O.J. Idowu. 2024. Soil aggregates and associated carbon and nitrogen storage in circular grass buffer integrated cropping systems. Journal of Soils and Sediments. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-024-03721-0.

37.        Singh, A.P.*, R. Ghimire**, and P. Acharya*. 2024. Soil profile carbon sequestration and nutrient responses varied with cover crops in irrigated forage rotations under a semi-arid environment. Soil and Tillage Research. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2024.106020.

38.        Aryal, D.R., B.H.J. De Jong, S. Sánchez-Silva, A. Haas-Ek, L. Esparza-Olguin, S. Ochoa-Gaona, R. Ghimire, D.E. Morales Ruiz. 2024. Biomass recovery along a tropical forest succession: trends on tree diversity, wood traits, and stand structure. Forest Ecology and Management. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2024.121709.

39.        Bista, P., V.R. Thapa, S.J. DelGrosso, M. Hartman, and R. Ghimire. 2024. Simulating greenhouse gas emissions under cover crops in a semi-arid region. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10705-023-10335-4.

40.        Paye, W.S.*, L.M. Lauriault, P. Acharya*, and R. Ghimire**. 2024. Soil carbon and nitrogen responses to forage cropping systems following irrigation retirement. Agronomy Journal https://doi.org/10.1002/agj2.21523.

41.        Acharya P.*, R. Ghimire**, and V. Acosta-Martinez. 2024. Cover crop-mediated soil carbon storage in a semi-arid irrigated cropping system. Agriculture, Ecosystem, and Environment, 361, 108813. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2023.108813.

42.        Adhikari, A.D.*, P. Shrestha, R. Ghimire**, Z. Liu, D. Pollock, P. Acharya, and D.R. Aryal. 2024. Cover crop residue quality regulates litter decomposition dynamics and soil carbon mineralization kinetics in semi-arid cropping systems. Applied Soil Ecology https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsoil.2023.105160.

2023

43.        Gautam, S., U. Mishra, C. Scown, and R. Ghimire. 2023. Increased drought and extreme events over the continental United States under high emission scenario. Scientific Reports. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-48650-z.

44.        Gyawali A.J., H.L. Neely, J. Foster, C. Neely, K. Lewis, G. Bodine, J. Pintar, R. Ghimire, P. Bekewe, A.P. Smith. 2023. Assessing soil health in a thermic region of the southern great plains, using the Soil Management Assessment Framework (SMAF). Soil Security. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soisec.2023.100115.

45.        Oguneleye, A.*, V.R. Thapa*, R. Ghimire**, V. Acosta-Martinez and D.R. Aryal. 2023. Microbial community response to cover cropping varied with time after termination. Agricultural and Environmental Letters. https://doi.org/10.1002/ael2.20118.

46.        López-Hernández, J.C., D.R. Aryal, G. Villanueva-López, R. Pinto-Ruiz, M.B. Reyes-Sosa, A. López-Hernández, F. Casanova-Lugo, J.A. Venegas-Venegas, F.J. Medina-Jonapa, F. Guevara-Hernández, and R. Ghimire. 2023. Carbon storage and sequestration rates in Leucaena leucocephala- based silvopasture in Southern Mexico. Agroforestry Systems. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-023-00922-3.

47.        Lara-Pérez, L.A., G. Villanueva-López, I. Oros-Ortega, D.R. Aryal, F. Casanova-Lugo, R. Ghimire. 2023. Seasonal variation of arthropods diversity in agroforestry systems in the humid tropics of Mexico. Arthropod-Plant Interactions. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11829-023-10001-0

48.        Acosta-Martinez, V., J. Cotton, L.C. Slaughter, R. Ghimire, W. Roper. 2023. Soil health assessment to evaluate conservation practices in semi-arid cotton systems at the producer site scale. Soil Systems. https://doi.org/10.3390/soilsystems7030072.

49.        Thapa, V.R.*, R. Ghimire**, K.P. Adhikari, and S. Lamichhane. 2023. Soil organic carbon sequestration in arid and semi-arid regions by conservation systems: a review. Journal of Arid Environments, 217, 105028. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaridenv.2023.105028.

50.        Liu, Y., L. Rui, R. Ghimire, N. Zhang, S. Zhou, F. Zhao, J. Wang. 2023. Linking soil phosphorus fractions to associated microbial functional profiles under crop rotation on the Loess Plateau of China. Soil and Tillage Research, 233, 105809. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2023.105809.

51.        Bista, P., M. Eisa, D. Ragauskaitė, S. Sapkota, J. Baltrusaitis, and R. Ghimire**. 2023. Effect of urea-calcium sulfate cocrystal N-fertilizer on sorghum productivity and soil N2O emissions. Sustainability, 15, 8010. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15108010.

52.        Nilahyane, A.,* R. Ghimire**, B.S. Acharya, M. Schipanski, C. West, and A. Obour. 2023. Overcoming agricultural sustainability challenges in water-limited environments through soil health and water conservation: insights from the Ogallala Aquifer Region, USA. International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability. https://doi.org/10.1080/14735903.2023.2211484.

53.        Paye, W.S.*, Thapa, V.R.*, R. Ghimire**. 2023. Limited effects of occasional tillage on the dry aggregate size distribution and soil carbon and nitrogen fractions in semi-arid drylands. International Soil and Water Conservation Research. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iswcr.2023.04.005.

54.        Acharya, P.*, R. Ghimire**, M.A. Marsalis, E.A. Lehnhoff. 2023. Cover crops forage potential and subsequent forage sorghum yield and quality in water-limited environments. Agronomy Journal. https://doi.org/10.1002/agj2.21334.

55.        Ghimire, R. **, V.R. Thapa*, V. Acosta-Martinez, M. Schipanski, S.J. Fonte, P. Bista,  M.K. Shukla, S.V. Angadi, M.M. Mikha, L.C. Slaughter, O. Adebayo, and T. Noble Strohm. 2023. Soil health assessment and management framework for water-limited environments: an overview of studies from the Great Plains, USA. Soil Systems, 7, 22 (Invited featured article). https://doi.org/10.3390/soilsystems7010022.

56.        Zhang, N., U.M. Sainju, F. Zhao, R. Ghimire, C. Ren, and J. Wang. 2023. Mulching decreased the abundance of microbial functional genes in phosphorus cycling under maize. Applied Soil Ecology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsoil.2023.104833.

57.        Sapkota, S.*, R. Ghimire**, S. Angadi, D. VanLeeuwen, P. Singh*, O.J. Idowu. 2023. Soil health responses to circular grass buffer strips in center-pivot irrigated agriculture. Soil Science Society of America Journal (Featured Article, highest cited certificate 2024). https://doi.org/10.1002/saj2.20495.

58.        Omer, M., O.J. Idowu, N. Pietrasiak, D. VanLeeuwen; A.L. Ulery; A.J. Dominguez; R. Ghimire, and M. Marsalis. 2023. Agricultural practices influence biological soil quality indicators in an irrigated semiarid agroecosystem. Pedobiologia. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pedobi.2022.150862.

59.        Thapa, V.R.*, R. Ghimire**, W.S. Paye, D. VanLeeuwen. 2023. Soil organic carbon and nitrogen respond to occasional tillage in a continuous no-tillage system. Soil and Tillage Research. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2022.105619.

2022

60.        Ghimire, R.**, D. Clay, S. Thapa, and B. Hurd. 2022. More carbon per drop to enhance soil carbon sequestration in water-limited environments. Carbon Management. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17583004.2022.2117082.

61.        Acharya, P.*, R. Ghimire**, Paye, W.S.*, A. Ganguli, and S.J. DelGrosso. 2022. Net greenhouse gas balance with cover crops in semi-arid irrigated cropping systems. Scientific Reports, 12, 12386. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-16719-w.

62.        Paye, W.S.*, P. Acharya, R. Ghimire**. 2022. Water productivity of forage sorghum in response to winter cover crops in semiarid irrigated conditions. Field Crops Research, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fcr.2022.108552.

63.        Zhang, S., J. Wang, U.M. Sainju, and R. Ghimire. 2022. Soil water storage, winter wheat yield, and water-use efficiency with cover crops and nitrogen fertilization. Agronomy Journal, https://doi.org/10.1002/agj2.21028.

64.        Acharya, P.*, R. Ghimire**, V. Thapa, Y. Cho, and U.M. Sainju. 2022. Soil profile carbon, nitrogen, and crop yields affected by cover crops in semiarid regions. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10705-022-10198-1.

65.        Paye, W.S.*, R. Ghimire**, P. Acharya, A. Nilahyane, and A. Mesbah. 2022. Cover crop water use and corn silage production in semiarid irrigated conditions. Agricultural Water Management. 260:107275, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2021.107275.

66.        Thapa V.R.*, R. Ghimire**, D. VanLeeuwen, V. Acosta-Martinez, and M.K. Shukla. 2022. Response of soil organic matter to cover cropping in water-limited environments. Geoderma, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2021.115497.

67.  Sainju, U.M., S. Dangi, D. Liptzin, and R. Ghimire. 2022. Relationship between soil organic matter, soil properties, and dryland crop yields. Agronomy Journal. DOI: 10.1002/agj2.20938.