Featured Publications
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Irrigation in the Earth System
Explore our comprehensive review on how irrigation shapes water, energy, and nutrient cycles in the Earth system
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Wine Grape Grower Perceptions and Attitudes about Soil Health
Learn what Napa Valley growers thinks makes a healthy soil for wine grape production
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The Tree-crop Remote sensing of Evapotranspiration eXperiment (T-REX): A science-based path for sustainable water management and climate resilience
In progress
*, † equal contribution
bold = current or former lab member
Samara O, MD Shamin Ahamed, I Kisekka, F Nocolas, TM Abir Ahsan, MA Nocco, H Dahlke. Experimental Assessment of Agrivoltaic Systems for Processing Tomato Production. Sustainable Horizons (submitted)
Jia S*, K Lee*, A Macias-Muñoz*, PR Buchanan†, JF Bozeman III†, A Favela†, MA Nocco†, KK Osman†, JW Reustle†. Identity-Centered Professional Development as a Catalyst for Systemic Change. American Journal of STEM Education (submitted)
Fenn K, C Emerson, LA Ebert, N Gonzalez-Maldonado, E Yao, R Schmidt, T Turini, K Scow, C Lazcano*, MA Nocco*. Soil Health and Microbial Communities Exhibit Seasonal Stability under Regulated Deficit Irrigation in Processing Tomatoes. Agrosystems, Geosciences & Environment (major revision)
Frautschy P, MA Nocco, M Kohmann, CJ Kucharik. Pearl millet is a viable forage and cover crop for Midwest potato and vegetable systems. Agrosystems, Geosciences & Environment (major revision)
Edwards EB, CYS Wong, AJ Gal, L Milliron, C Reyes, J Thomas, JF Knowles, N Bambach, I Kisekka, TS Magney*, MA Nocco*. Evaluation of Daily Vegetation Indices for Remote Sensing of Plant-Water Status in California Almond Orchards. Irrigation Science (submitted)
AJ DeVincentis, CF Beveridge, S Qaderi, EB Edwards, MA Nocco, L Thaoxaochay, R Dahlquist-Willard. Quantifying Water Use for Diversified Small Farms in the San Joaquin Valley. Journal of Natural Resources and Agricultural Ecosystems (in revision)
McNamee EO, MA Nocco, CJ Kucharik. Evaluation and sensitivity analysis of an irrigation decision support tool in a humid climate. Irrigation Science (submitted)
Jha A, K Knipper, N Bambach, AJ McElrone, M Anderson, W Kustas, F Melton, W Carrara, MA Nocco, M Earles. Forecasting Actual Evapotranspiration with Deep Learning and OpenET: A Case Study in California Almonds, Olives, and Vines. (in revision)
2026
Gonzalez-Maldonado N, K Steenwerth, MA Nocco, E Yao, A Alameda, LF Robles, NI Moonilall, C Lazcano. What Is a Healthy Soil for Winegrape Production? Grower Perspectives Differ From Soil Health Paradigms. European Journal of Soil Science. doi.org/10.1111/ejss.70265
Duran-Gomez MR, A Torres-Rua, L Hipps, W Kustas, NE Bambach, K Knipper, IR Wright, AJ McElrone, JH Prueger, JG Alfieri, C Coopmans, K Meza, I Gowing, MA Nocco, SJ Castro, AJ Gal, P Tolentino. Influence of almond's canopy-induced shadows on actual evapotranspiration estimation by the TSEB model using sUAS multispectral and thermal imagery. Irrigation Science. doi.org/10.1007/s00271-026-01092-7
Ebert LA, AJ Gal, W Brooks, G Jha, MA Nocco. A Bayesian regression modeling framework for identifying treatment effects in land surface temperature from UAV and Airborne Data. Environmental Research: Water. (accepted-in press)
2025
Gal AJ, N Bambach, AJ McElrone, K Knipper, S Bagshaw, S Castro-Bustamante, LA Ebert, MM Galeano, N Raab, N Dokoozlian, L Sanchez, E Forrestel*, MA Nocco*. Increased drip irrigation during heatwaves does not alter vineyard land surface temperature and evapotranspiration. Agricultural Water Management doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2025.109781.
Nazrul Shimim F, M Pagé Fortin, MA Nocco, B Whitaker, A Gal, D Diaz, R Schmidt, G Jha. Data Fusion Approach for Predicting High Resolution Estimates of Crop Evapotranspiration. Precision Agriculture doi.org/10.1007/s11119-025-10273-x
Costanzo, SA, IO Holzer, NI Moonilall, A Davenport, BZ Houlton*, MA Nocco*. Preliminary assessment of crushed rock, compost, and biochar amendments on soil physical properties. Agricultural & Environmental Letters doi.org/10.1002/ael2.70028 .
Malal H, JA Garcia, A Marrs, MA Hamza, CM Emerson, MA Nocco, H Lakhtar, C Lazcano. Organic and inorganic fertilizers modulate the response of the soil microbiome to salinity stress. Frontiers in Soil Microbiology doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2025.1551586.
Ebert LA, A Gal, W Brooks, T Turini, G Jha, Cristina Lazcano, ACM Gaudin, K Scow, MA Nocco. Tapered Deficit Irrigation Strategies to Reduce Water Use in Processing Tomatoes. California Agriculture. doi.org/10.3733/001c.138274
Savchik P, MA Nocco, I Kisekka. Mapping Almond Stem Water Potential using Machine Learning and Multispectral Imagery. Irrigation Science. doi.org/10.1007/s00271-024-00932-8
2024
Kisekka I, U Aldughaishi, SR Grattan, F Nicolas; SR Peddinti, C Bonfil, F Ogunmokun, MA Najm, MA Nocco. Assessing the impact of recycled water reuse on infiltration and soil structure. Geoderma. doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2024.117103
Garcia JA, M Mondragon-Becerra, I Martinez, MA Nocco, C Lazcano. Organic Amendments Alter Urban Soil Microbiomes and Improve Crop Quality. Applied Soil Ecology. doi.org/10.1016/j.apsoil.2024.105731
Kisekka I, S Peddinti, P Savchik, L Yang, M Culumber, K Bali, L Milliron, E Edwards, MA Nocco, C Reyes, R Mahoney; K Shackel, A Fulton. Multisite evaluation of microtensiometer and osmotic cell stem water potential sensors in almond orchards. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture. doi.org/10.1016/j.compag.2024.109547
Gonzalez-Maldonado N, MA Nocco, K Steenwerth, A Crump, C Lazcano. Wine Grape Grower Perceptions and Attitudes about Soil Health. Journal of Rural Studies. doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2024.103373
Cuppari RI, AS Fernandez-Bou, GW Characklis, MA Nocco, M Ramirez, M Abou-Najm. Drivers of Agrivoltaic Perception in California and North Carolina. Environmental Research: Food Systems. doi.org/10.1088/2976-601X/ad5449
Bambach N* ,K Knipper*, AJ McElrone, MA Nocco, A Torres-Rua, W Kustas, M Anderson, S Castro, E Edwards, M Duran-Gomez, A Gal, P Tolentino, I Wright, M Roby, F Gao, J Alfieri, J Prueger, L Hipps, S Saa. The Tree-crop Remote sensing of Evapotranspiration eXperiment (T-REX): A science-based path for sustainable water management and climate resilience. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society. doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-22-0118.1
2023
Smidt SJ, EMK Haacker, X Bai, K Cherkauer, B Choat, O Crompton, JM Deines, J Groh, SM Guzmán, S Hartman, AD Kendall1, M Safeeq, W Kustas, BM McGill, MA Nocco, J Pensky, J Rapp, A Schreiner-Mcgraw, M Sprenger, L Wan, L Weldegebriel, S Zipper, D Zoccatelli. 2023. Forming the Future of Agrohydrology. Earth’s Future. doi.org/10.1029/2022EF003410
Moonilall NI, KA Sklenka, MA Nocco, R Lal. 2023. Rehabilitative capacity of amendments to restore maize productivity following artificial topsoil erosion/deposition. Field Crops Research. doi.org/10.1016/j.fcr.2023.109178
Holzer IO, MA Nocco, BZ Houlton. 2023. Direct evidence for atmospheric carbon dioxide removal via enhanced weathering in cropland soil. Environmental Research Communications. doi.org/10.1088/2515-7620/acfd89
McDermid S, MA Nocco, P Lawston-Parker, J Keune, Y Pokhrel, M Jain, JJ Jägermeyr, L Brocca, C Massari, A Jones, P Vahmani, W Thiery, Y Yao, A Bell, L Chen, W Dorigo, N Hanasaki, S Jasechko, M Lo, R Mahmood, V Mishra, N Mueller, D Niyogi, S Rabin, L Sloat, Y Wada, L Zappa, F Chen, B Cook, H Kim, D Lombardozzi, J Polcher, D Ryu, J Santanello, Y Satoh, S Seneviratne, D Singh, T Yokohata. 2023. Irrigation in the Earth system. Nature Reviews Earth and Environment. doi.org/10.1038/s43017-023-00438-5
Hao X, MA Abou Najm, KL Steenwerth, MA Nocco, C Basset, A Dacacche. Are there universal soil responses to cover cropping? A systematic review. 2023. Science of the Total Environment. doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160600
2022
Jha G, N Floyid, R Schmidt, K Suvočarev, D Diaz, I Kisekka, K Scow, MA Nocco. Irrigation decision support systems (IDSS) for California's water-nutrient-energy nexus. 2022. Agronomy, 12(8): 1962. doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12081962
Ebert LA, A Talib, SC Zipper, AR Desai, KT Paw U, AJ Chisholm, J Prater, MA Nocco. 2022. How high to fly? Mapping evapotranspiration from remotely piloted aircrafts at different elevations. Remote Sensing, 14(7): 1660. doi.org/10.3390/rs14071660
2021
Jha G, V Kankarla, E McLennon, S Pal, D Sihi, B Dari, D Diaz, MA Nocco. 2021. Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Integrated Crop–Livestock Systems: Environmental Exposure and Human Health Risks. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(23), 12550. doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182312550
Smail RS, MA Nocco, JB Colquhoun, and Y Wang. 2021. Remotely-sensed water budgets for agriculture in the upper midwestern United States. Agricultural Water Management, 258:107187. doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2021.107187
Jha G, D Sihi, B Dari, H Kaur, MA Nocco, AL Ulery, K Lombard. 2021. Rapid and Inexpensive Assessment of Soil Total Iron Using NixPro Color Sensor. Agricultural and Environmental Letters, 6:e20050. doi.org/10.1002/ael2.20050
Nocco MA, BM McGill*, CM MacKenzie*, RK Tonietto, J Dudney, MC Bletz, T Young, SE Kuebbing. 2021. Mentorship, equity, and research productivity: lessons from a pandemic. Biological Conservation, 255. doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2021.108966
2020
Nocco MA, NW Feinstein, MN Stock, BM McGill, and CJ Kucharik. 2020. Knowledge co-production with agricultural trade associations. Water 12(11), 3236. doi: 10.3390/w12113236
CM MacKenzie*, T Chang*, MA Nocco*, RS Barak, MC Bletz, SE Kuebbing, and M Dombeck. 2020. Recurrent neural network analysis reveals strong positive public sentiment towards U.S. national monuments. Conservation Letters 13(6): e12747. doi: 10.1111/conl.12747
MacKenzie CM, RS Barak, S Bayer, MC Bletz, MW Brunson, J Dudney, OG Gaoue, JL Gill, A Harris, SE Kuebbing, BM McGill, MA Nocco, RK Tonietto, ML Vahsen, EF Warin. 2020. Plant Love Stories: Share your story and grow a movement. Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America, 101(2). doi: 10.1002/bes2.1663
2019 & Earlier
Nocco MA, SC Zipper, EG Booth, CR Cummings, SP Loheide II, CJ Kucharik. 2019. Combining evapotranspiration and apparent electrical conductivity mapping to identify precision irrigation strategies. Remote Sensing, 11(21): 2460. doi: 10.3390/rs11212460
Nocco MA, RA Smail, CJ Kucharik. 2019. Observation of irrigation-induced climate change in the Midwest United States. Global Change Biology, 25: 3472-3484. doi: 10.1111/gcb.14725
Nocco MA, MD Ruark, and CJ Kucharik. 2019. Apparent electrical conductivity predicts physical properties of coarse soils. Geoderma, 335: 1-11. doi: 10.1016/j.geoderma.2018.07.047
Nocco MA, GJ Kraft, SP Loheide II, and CJ Kucharik. 2018. Drivers of potential recharge from irrigated agroecosystems in the Wisconsin Central Sands. Vadose Zone Journal, 17(1). doi: 10.2136/vzj2017.01.0008
Nocco MA, SE Rouse, and NJ Balster. 2016. Vegetation type alters water and nitrogen budgets in a controlled, replicated experiment on residential-sized rain gardens planted with prairie, shrub, and turfgrass. Urban Ecosystems 19(4): 1665-1691. doi:10.1007/s11252-016-0568-7