**W1188 Multi-State Research**

 

 

Four GPSR scientists participate in this multi-state project on
"Characterizing Mass and Energy Transport at Different Scales".

 

 

 

 

**Research Quality, Capacity and Unit's Leadership for the Systems
Research as a Whole:**

 

Under each CRIS project, we have primarily addressed the issues of
Research Quality and Capacity. To a lesser extent, we also addressed the
issue of the Unit's Leadership, to the extent that the leadership of a
team is reflected by the nature of the research problems it undertakes.
The research problems that would advance the scientific frontiers as
well as address important social needs, which are generally challenging
and difficult to solve, indicate leadership. However, "leadership" also
comprises leadership in strength and originality of program and
projects, publications, presentations, scientific meetings, visiting
scientists, post-doctorals, students, and national/international
activities. In this section, we present information related to these
issues, along with a summary of research quality and capacity, point by
point.

 

> 1.      The GPSR Unit has a focused, systems, team research and
> development program aimed at six related product goals, as given in
> our Mission Statement. As a result, the Unit team has produced and
> delivered several models and decision aids as listed under History,
> Accomplishments, and Current Status of the GPSR Unit. Most notably,
> the Unit has produced two major system products, RZWQM and GPFARM,
> that have a unique niche and are being extensively used.
>
>  
>
> 2.      The Unit has taken leadership in the interagency project
> (ARS-NRCS-USGS) for developing the Object Modeling System (OMS) that
> will be the platform for building all future GPSR and other ARS models
> from a library of standard modules. OMS is unanimously agreed upon as
> a way to do business, even though it is complex, challenging, and
> taking time to mature.
>
>  
>
> 3.      The Unit's current research projects are addressing problems
> that are on the forefronts of scientific challenges and are identified
> national and customers' needs. As a result, they have been rated "very
> good" to "excellent" by the external science quality review panels.
>
>  
>
> 4.      GPSR is a small unit, with six permanent research scientists
> (including one vacancy), one technology transfer coordinator, two IT
> specialists, three support scientists, four technicians, one program
> assistant and one clerk. However, the Unit leverages its limited
> resources by:
>
>  
>
> a.      Hiring post-doctoral scientists directly as much as possible,
> or working with post-doctorals through cooperative agreements with
> CSU; over the years the Unit has had relatively larger number of
> post-doctoral scientists (see item #10 below).
>
> b.      Hiring students directly or through cooperative agreements.
>
> c.      Cooperative field research and model evaluations/applications
> with CSU and other universities, other ARS Units (locally, regionally,
> and nationally), and other research modeling or DSS groups nationally
> and internationally. Four ARS collaborators provided us funds to help
> for this purpose. A list of our current collaborators is given in a
> chart in the History, Accomplishments, and Current State of the Unit.
>
> d.      Cooperative field research on several farmer fields for model
> testing and improvement.
>
>  
>
> 5.      Until November 2003, the Unit's space and facilities were
> somewhat limited. The Unit now has excellent office and lab
> facilities, and has room for expansion.
>
>  
>
> 6.      The Unit's publications in the last 10 years and last 5 years
> are summarized below:
>
>  
>
> [Last 10 years]{.underline}                  [Last 5
> years]{.underline}
>
>  

All Publications                                   
329                                    172

                  Peer-reviewed Journals                     
171                                      93

                  Books                                                
     7                                        4

> Invited Book Chapters                          
> 44                                      35
>
> Research Bulletins, Proceedings                        
>
>   and Other Research Reports          
> 107                                      40
>
>  
>
> 7.      Unit's major (not all inclusive) invited presentations of
> current SYs:
>
>  
>
> [Last 5 years]{.underline}

 

Total invited presentations                    24           

Invited presentations per                         4

                    Scientist

 

> 8.      The Unit has organized the following national/international
> scientific workshops and symposia:
>
>  
>
> •         A symposium of the Crop Science Society of America entitled
> "Understanding Development and Growth in Grasses: Role of the
> Phyllochron Concept", Cincinnati, Ohio, 1993.
>
> •         Chaired a 21 member Interagency Task Force of the Great
> Plains Agricultural Council, that organized a workshop on Computer
> Applications in Water Management, attended by more than 100
> professionals, and published its proceedings. Received a letter of
> commendation from the Council. 1995.
>
> •         National workshop of the biosystem simulation group, with
> the focus on modeling stress response of plants and management
> effects. 1996.
>
> •         Interagency (ARS-NRCS-USGS-German) international workshop on
> the development of a Modular Modeling Framework for agricultural,
> hydrologic, and environmental systems. Sept. 1997.
>
> •         Invited workshop on how to use the ARS Root Zone Water
> Quality Model at the Swiss Federal Institute for Environmental Science
> and Technology (EAWAG), Zurich, Switzerland, Sept. 1998.
>
> •         An international symposium on "Use of Agricultural System
> Models in Field Research, Technology Transfer, and Decision Support",
> 2000. ASA-SSSA-CSSA Meetings, Minneapolis, MN.
>
> •         An international symposium on "Quantifying management
> effects on soil properties and processes" at 2001 ASA-SSSA-CSSA
> Meetings, Charlotte, NC.
>
> •         A Special Session of the American Geophysical Union
> entitled, "Linking lateral hydrologic and geomorphic processes to
> space-time scaling behavior in the near-surface environment" San
> Francisco, 2003.
>
> •         A symposium of the Crop Science Society of America entitled
> "Opportunities for Linking Functional Genomics with Physiology for
> Global Change Research", Denver, Colorado, 2003.
>
> •         A special session of the American Society of Agronomy
> entitled "Sensitivity Analysis, Uncertainty Analysis, and Parameter
> Estimation for Agronomic Models", Seattle, Washington, 2004.
>
> •         On request from users, organized an international workshop
> on "Applications, enhancements, and collaborations of RZWQM and
> GPFARM", April 2004.
>
> •         Two international symposia for the 18^th^ World Soil Science
> Congress entitled "Synthesis, modeling, and applications of
> disciplinary soil science knowledge for soil-water-plant-environment
> systems" and "Land Use Modeling as a Tool to Combat Soil Degradation".
> Philadelphia, 2006.
>
>  
>
> 9.      To promote international collaboration in improvement and
> applications of agricultural system models, the Unit scientists were
> invited to select contributors and create/edit the following books or
> special issues:
>
>  
>
> •         Modeling Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics for Soil Management.
> Lewis Publishers/CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, 2001. 651 p.
>
> •         Agricultural System Models in Field Research and Technology
> Transfer. Lewis Publishers/CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL. 2002. 357 p.
>
> •         Quantifying Agricultural Management Effects on Soil
> Properties and Processes. Geoderma Special Issue, Elsevier Publishers,
> 2004. 248 p.
>
> •         Integration of Field Research with Agricultural System
> Models for Advancing Soil, Water, and Crop Management. Geoderma,
> Special Issue. In preparation.
>
>  
>
> 10.  Over the past 10+ years, the Unit had the following 22
> post-doctoral scientists, 44 visiting scientists and 17+ graduate
> students.
>
>  

•         Federal postdoctoral scientists, Institution of Graduation,
and years:

>  
>
> o                    \*Joe Benjamin, Iowa State University, 1991-1996
>
> o                    Rob Aiken, Michigan State University, 1992-1998
>
> o                    Bruce Wiley, Colorado State University, 1992-1994
>
> o                    Barry Baker, Colorado State University, 1992-1994
>
> o                    Romel Lapitan, Colorado State University,
> 1994-1996
>
> o                    \*Hamid Farahani, Colorado State University,
> 1994-1996
>
> o                    Howard Skinner, University of Missouri, 1996-1999
>
> o                    \*Liwang Ma, Louisiana State University,
> 1997-2002
>
> o                    Allan Andales, Iowa State University, 2001-2003;
> 2004-present
>
> o                    Joseph Kozak, Northwestern University,
> 2004-present
>
>                         \*Hired as ARS scientist

 

•         Postdoctoral scientists or Research Associates hired under a
Specific Cooperative Agreement with Colorado State University, but who
worked with the Unit:

>  
>
> o        Macmood Nachabe, Colorado State University, 1995, 1997-1998
>
> o        H. Ruan, University of Colorado, 1995-1999
>
> o        Lois Deer-Ascough, Purdue University, 1995-1998
>
> o        Jay Bai, Colorado State University, 1996-1998
>
> o        David Wagner, Colorado State University, 1997-1999
>
> o        Mei Yu, Colorado State University, 1998-1999
>
> o        Olaf David, Technical University Jena, Germany, 2000-present
>
> o        S.A. Saseendran, J.L.N. Technical University, Hydrabad,
> India, 2002-present
>
>  

•         Postdoctoral scientists hired under a SCA at Iowa State or at
NASA-Greenbelt, MD, who worked jointly between cooperators and the Unit,
with periodic visits to Fort Collins:

>  
>
> o                    Pyush Singh, Iowa State University, 1992-1994 (2+
> years)
>
> o                    Vijay Kumar, Iowa State University, 1994-1996
> (1.5 years)
>
> o                    Nandesh Mattakali, India, 1997 (1 year)
>
> o                    Allah Bakhsh, Iowa State University, 1998-2001
> (3+ years)
>
>  

•         International visitors, who spent from weeks to months with
us:

>  
>
> o                    Soren Hansen, Royal Vet. & Agric. University,
> Denmark, 1991 (6 months)
>
> o                    Qingli Ma, Zhejiang University, China, 1991-1994
> (3 years)
>
> o                    Rosario Cameria, Lisbon Technical University,
> 1993 (2 weeks), 1995 (2 months), 1996 (2 months), 1997 (2 months),
> 1999 (1 month)
>
> o                    Sue Walker, University of Pretoria, South Africa,
> 1993 (2 weeks)
>
> o                    Michael Kirby, ARC, United Kingdom, 1994, (1
> week)
>
> o                    Weixing, Cao, Nanjing Agric. Univ., China, 1995
> (1 week)
>
> o                    John Porter, Royal Vet. R. Agric. Univ., Denmark,
> 1997, (1 week)
>
> o                    Bridget Carrolle, ARS, Cambridge, England, 1998
> (1 week)
>
> o                    Moo-Eon Park, South Korea, 1998, (1 week)
>
> o                    Josef Eitinger, University of Vienna, Austria,
> 1999 (2 weeks)
>
> o                    Zdonele Zalud, Mendel University, Czech Republic,
> 1999, (6 weeks)
>
> o                    Xavier Bailleau, Farmer, France, 1999 (1 week)
>
> o                    Paulo Faria, Lisbon Technical University, 1999 (1
> month)
>
> o                    Tian Wong, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute
> of Plant Physiology, Shanghai, 2000 (2 weeks)
>
> o                    Svetlana Nikulina, Uzbekistan, 2001 (1 week)
>
> o                    Guoliang Zhang, Chinese Academy of Sciences,
> Institute of Geographic Sciences, Beijing, 2001 (2 weeks)
>
> o                    Qiang Yu, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute
> of Geographic Sciences, Beijing, 2001 (2 weeks), 2003 (6 months)
>
> o                    Chunsheng Hu, Chinese Academy of Sciences,
> Institute of Agric. Modernization, Shijiazhung, 2002 (3 months),
> 2003-2004 (3 months)
>
> o                    Casariego, H., INTA, Argentina 2003 (2 months)
>
> o                    Robert Zyskowski, Crop & Food Res., New Zealand,
> 2003 (1 week)
>
> o                    S. Chander, Indian Agricultural Res. Institute,
> New Delhi, June-August 2003 (3 months)
>
> o                    Tony Hernt, University of Guelph, Canada, 2003-4
> (2 weeks)
>
>  

•         National visitors, who spent a week to months with us.
Numerous shorter duration visitors are not listed:

>  
>
> o                    Wally Wilhelm, ARS, Lincoln, NE 1985 (1 yr.),
> 1986-2002 (1-2 weeks each year)
>
> o                    Steve Simmons, University of Minnesota, 1991, (2
> weeks)
>
> o                    Fran Pierce, Michigan State University, 1991, (6
> months)
>
> o                    Ron Rickman, ARS, Pendleton, OR, 1991, 1993,
> 1995, 1999 (5 weeks)
>
> o                    Betty Klepper, ARS, Pendleton, OR, 1991, 1993,
> 1995 (4 weeks)
>
> o                    Gerald Flerchinger, ARS, Boise, ID, 1992-2003, (7
> weeks)
>
> o                    Gene Maas, ARS, Riverside, CA, 1992, (1 week)
>
> o                    Dennis Linden, ARS St. Paul, MN, 1993-94 (6
> months)
>
> o                    Jacob Dane, Auburn University, 1995 (6 months)
>
> o                    Dale Macs, Oregon State University, 1995, (1
> week)
>
> o                    Dennis Timlin, ARS, Beltsville, MD, 1996 (4
> months)
>
> o                    Jim Bonta, ARS, Coshocton, OH, 1996 (4 months)
>
> o                    Rob Malone, ARS, Coshocton, OH and Ames, IA,
> 1998-present (6 weeks)
>
> o                    Don Wauchope, ARS Tifton, GA, 1998-2000 (2 weeks)
>
> o                    Gerrit Hoogenboom, University of Georgia, GA,
> 1998-2003 (5 weeks)         
>
> o                    Robert Williams, ARS Durant and El-Reno, OK,
> 1999, 2001 (2 weeks)
>
> o                    Gary Heathman, ARS El-Reno, OK, 1999 (2 weeks)
>
> o                    Bob Mansell, University of Florida, Gainesville,
> 2000 (6 months)
>
> o                    Steve Bloom, University of Florida, Gainesville,
> 2000 (1 week)
>
> o                    Phil Heilman, ARS, Tucson, AZ, 2000-present (3
> weeks)
>
> o                    David Nielsen, Akron, CO, 2001-present (4 weeks)
>
> o                    Jeff White, ARS, Phoenix, AZ, 2003 (1 week)
>
> o                    Clint Truman, ARS, Tifton, GA, 2004 (2 weeks)
>
>  
>
> •         Graduate students with whom Unit scientists contributed
> significantly as committee member or as co-advisor:
>
>  
>
> o                    Lisbon Technical University: Cameira (essentially
> co-advisor)
>
> o                    University of Oklahoma: Heathman (essentially
> co-advisor)
>
> o                    Colorado State University: Meier (co-advisor),
> Shaver (co-advisor), Fiedler (co-advisor), Meng (co-advisor) Sherrod,
> Popp (co-advisor), Erskine, Hall (co-advisor), McCutcheon, Mantinez,
> Przeszlowska (co-adviosr), Mauch, Foy, VanAmberg, Dunan (co-advisor).
>
>  
>
> 11.  The Unit had leadership in the following ARS National Program
> activities:
>
>  
>
> a.      Member of the NRCS-ARS-CSREES Partnership Management Team
> (PMT). 1995-present. The team has developed and executed comprehensive
> procedures to determine the NRCS field research and technology needs,
> prioritized those needs through peer panels, arranged to meet those
> needs through ARS, CSREES or other means, and provided oversight on
> the progress. The PMT is, thus, coordinating interagency efforts to
> assure that ARS and CSREES research addresses customer needs.

b.      Organized and coordinated an ARS-wide workshop on \"Real World
Infiltration,\" involving spatial and temporal variability is
infiltration, attended by 36 scientists, published its proceedings, and
then led and coordinated the development of ARS Strategic Plan for
Infiltration. Research, 1996-97.

> c.      Served on the Steering Committees for developing  Watershed
> Processes and Characterization and water quality components of the
> Water Quality and Management National Program. 1998-2000. Co-Leader of
> the initiative on ARS models, decision support tools, and databases
> for this Program.
>
> d.      Served as Chair of the 7-member Planning Committee to help NPS
> organize a national workshop of customers, stakeholders, and
> scientists to develop Decision Support Systems component of the ARS
> Integrated Farming National Program.  1999-2000. The Committee steered
> the development of strategic plan of this program component for the
> next 10 years. Co-Leader of the Models and DSS team for this NP.
>
> e.      Helped NPS organize a workshop on ARS software issues, Sept.
> 2000 that eventually led to the establishment of a National Software
> Policy and a National Software Support Center.
>
> f.        Served on the Steering Committee to organize a workshop for
> the Global Climate Change National Program; Presented a talk on
> synthesis, integration, and modeling of experimental data. Denver, CO.
> April, 2001. Co-Leader of the synthesis, integration and modeling
> team.
>
> g.      Steering Committee for developing a multi-location ARS-NRCS
> national project on CEAP (Conservation Effects Assessment Project),
> 2003. 
>
> h.      Co-Team Leader for developing a sub-project  "Modularization,
> Integration, and Development of Improved Regionalized Watershed Models
> for Future Assessments at Different Scales" for CEAP, 2003-2004.
> Co-Team Leader to accomplish this project. 
>
>  
>
> 12.  International Activities:
>
>  
>
> a.      On Invitation from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, 4 Unit
> scientists visited China to provide advice and training on using RZWQM
> and GPARM to 60+ scientists to evaluate ag. systems. October 9-26,
> 2002. Two of the scientists have been appointed as Honorary Academic
> Advisors to Academy's Yucheng Exp. Sta.
>
> b.      One Unit scientist was awarded a USDA-FAS fellowship to work
> with the APSIM Modeling Group in Australia for 3 months. Sept. -- Dec.
> 2004.
>
> c.      Another Unit scientist is invited and paid to work with the
> APSIM Modeling Group for 3 months. July-Sept. 2005.
>
> d.       One Unit scientist is invited and paid to work with the Swiss
> Federal Institute of terrestrial ecology for 6 months, Jan. -- July,
> 2005.