Armen R. Kemanian, Ph.D.

Responsibilities and Interests

Dr. Armen Kemanian (Ph.D., Washington State University) interests are to understand and manage processes in agricultural and natural ecosystems. Kemanian's research integrates multiple scales, from the controls of carbon and nitrogen cycling in soils and the controls of plant water uptake and competition for resources in plant communities, to system's level research and decision support tools based on models and applied at farm and landscape scales. Kemanian's research program links fundamental research with societal concerns regarding food production, climate change, and the preservation of environmental integrity.

Appointment

• 75% Research
• 25% Teaching

Courses

• Plant Ecology HORT445
• Environmental Biophysics AEPS597
• Models in Agricultural and Natural Systems Agronomy 597B

Research projects

• Research projects

Publications

1. Shi, Y., Montes, F., and Kemanian, A. R. 2023. Cycles-L: A coupled, 3-D, land surface, hydrologic, and agroecosystem landscape model. Water Resources Research, https://doi.org/10.1029/2022WR033453
2. Weng, W., Cobourn, K.M., Kemanian, A.R., Boyle, K.J., Shi, Y., Stachelek, J. and White, C.M., 2023. Quantifying Co-Benefits of Water Quality Policies: An Integrated Assessment Model of Nitrogen Management. American Journal of Agricultural Economics, https://doi.org/10.1111/ajae.12423
3. McConnell, C. A., Rozum, R. K. N., Shi, Y., and Kemanian, A. R., 2023. Tradeoffs when interseeding cover crops into corn across the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, Agricultural Systems, p.103684.
4. Burton, A.B. & Kemanian, A.R., 2022. Assessing a century of maize and soybean polyculture for silage production. Agronomy Journal, 114(3), pp.1615-1626.
5. Burton, A.B. and Kemanian, A.R., 2022. Maize yield in response to alternating low-and high-density rows of diverse hybrids. European Journal of Agronomy, 135, p.126472.
6. Baniszewski, J., Burton, A.B., Kemanian, A.R., Roth, G. & Tooker, J.F., 2021. Wheat intraspecific diversity suppressed diseases with subdued yield, economic return and arthropod predation services. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 315, p.107438.
7. Burton, A.B., Baniszewski, J., Roth, G.W., Tooker, J.F. & Kemanian, A.R., 2021. Are polycultures for silage pragmatic medleys or gallimaufries? Agronomy Journal, 113(2), pp.1205-1221.
8. Gil, Y., Garijo, D., Khider, D., Knoblock, C.A., Ratnakar, V., Osorio, M., Vargas, H., Pham, M., Pujara, J., Shbita, B. and Vu, B., Kemanian, A.R., & others, 2021. Artificial intelligence for modeling complex systems: taming the complexity of expert models to improve decision making. ACM Transactions on Interactive Intelligent Systems, 11(2), pp.1-49.
9. Hunter, M.C., Kemanian, A.R. & Mortensen, D.A., 2021. Cover crop effects on maize drought stress and yield. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 311, p.107294.
10. Montes, F., Fabio, E.S., Smart, L.B., Richard, T.L., Añó, R.M. & Kemanian, A.R., 2021. A semi‐commercial case study of willow biomass production in the northeastern United States. Agronomy Journal, 113(2), pp.1287-1302.
11. Saha, D., Kaye, J.P., Bhowmik, A., Bruns, M.A., Wallace, J.M. & Kemanian, A.R., 2021. Organic fertility inputs synergistically increase denitrification‐derived nitrous oxide emissions in agroecosystems. Ecological Applications, 31(7), p.e02403.
12. White, C.M., Finney, D.M., Kemanian, A.R. & Kaye, J.P., 2021. Modeling the contributions of nitrogen mineralization to yield of corn. Agronomy Journal, 113(1), pp.490-503.
13. Hoffman, A., KemanianR. & Forest, C.E. (2020. The response of maize, sorghum, and soybean yield to growing-phase climate revealed with machine learning. Environmental Research Letters doi. 10.1088/1748-9326
14. Ernst, O.R., Kemanian, A.R., Mazzilli, S., Siri-Prieto, G. & Dogliotti, S., 2020. The dos and don'ts of no-till continuous cropping: Evidence from wheat yield and nitrogen use efficiency. Field Crops Research, 257, p.107934 doi. 10.1016/j.fcr.2020.107934
15. Castaño-Sánchez, J.P., Rotz, R.A., Karsten, H.D., & Kemanian, A.R., 2020. Elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide effects on maize and alfalfa in the Northeast US: A comparison of model predictions and observed data. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, 291, p.108093.
16. McConnell, C.A., Kaye, J.P. and Kemanian, A.R., 2020. Reviews and syntheses: Ironing out wrinkles in the soil phosphorus cycling paradigm. Biogeosciences, 17(21), pp.5309-5333.
17. Faé GS, F Montes, E Bazilevskaya, RM Añó, AR Kemanian. 2019. Making soil particle size analysis by laser diffraction compatible with standard soil texture determination methods. Soil Science Society of America Journal. 83(4):1244-52.
18. Rau BM, PR Adler, CJ Dell, D Saha, and AR Kemanian. 2019. Herbaceous perennial biomass production on frequently saturated marginal soils: Influence on N2O emissions and shallow groundwater. Biomass and Bioenergy, 122(1):90-98.
19. Hunter, MC, CM White, JP Kaye, and AR Kemanian. 2019. Ground-truthing a recent report of cover crop–induced winter warming. Agricultural & Environmental Letters, 4(1).
20. Pravia, MV, AR Kemanian, JA Terra, Y Shi, I Macedo, and S Goslee. 2019. Soil carbon saturation, productivity, and carbon and nitrogen cycling in
    crop-pasture rotations. Agricultural Systems 171, 13-22.
21. Ward NK, L Fitchett, JA Hart, L Shu, J Stachelek, W Weng, Y Zhang, H Dugan, A Hetherington, K Boyle, CC Carey, KM Cobourn, PC Hanson, AR Kemanian, MG Sorice, and KC Weathers. 2018. Integrating fast and slow processes is essential for simulating human–freshwater interactions. Ambio. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-018-1136-6
22. Cobourn, KM, CC Carey, KJ Boyle, C Duffy, HA Dugan, KJ Farrell, L Fitchett, PC Hanson, JA Hart, VR Henson, and AL Hetherington. 2018. From concept to practice to policy: modeling coupled natural and human systems in lake catchments. Ecosphere 9(5), p.e02209.
23. Saha, D, AR Kemanian, F Montes, H Gall, PR Adler, and BM Rau. 2018. Lorenz curve and Gini coefficient reveal hot spots and hot moments for nitrous oxide emissions. Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences, 123, 193-206.
24. Ernst, OR, S Dogliotti, M Cadenazzi, and AR Kemanian. 2018. Shifting crop-pasture rotations to no-till annual cropping reduces soil quality and wheat yield. Field Crops Research 217, 180-187.
25. Wolfe, D, AT DeGaetano, GM Peck, M Carey, LH Ziska, J Lea-Cox, AR Kemanian, MP Hoffmann, and DY Hollinger. 2018. Unique challenges and opportunities for northeastern U.S. crop production in a changing climate. Climatic Change 146, 231-245.
26. Hoffman AL, AR Kemanian and CE Forest, 2017. Analysis of climate signals in the crop yield record of Sub-Saharan Africa. Global Change Biology
    24, 143-157.
27. Fabio, ES, TA Volk, RO Miller, MJ Serapiglia, AR Kemanian, F Montes, YA Kuzovkina, GJ Kling, LB Smart. 2017. Contributions of environment and genotype to variation in shrub willow biomass composition. Industrial Crops and Products 108, 149-161.
28. Fabio, ES, AR Kemanian, F Montes, R Miller and L Smart. 2017, A mixed-model approach for evaluating yield improvements in interspecific hybrids of shrub willow, a dedicated bioenergy crop. Industrial Crops and Products 96:57-70.
29. Saha D, AR Kemanian, BM Rau, PR Adler and F Montes, 2017. Designing efficient nitrous oxide sampling strategies in agroecosystems using simulation models. Atmospheric Environment 155, 189-198.
30. Saha, D, BM Rau, JP Kaye, F Montes, PR Adler and AR Kemanian, 2017. Landscape control of nitrous oxide emissions during the transition from conservation reserve program to perennial grasses for bioenergy. GCB Bioenergy 9, 783-795.
31. Woodbury PB, AR Kemanian, M Jacobson and M Langholtz, 2017. Improving water quality in the Chesapeake Bay using payments for ecosystem services for perennial biomass for bioenergy and biofuel production. Biomass and Bioenergy.
32. White, CM, D Finney, AR Kemanian and JP Kaye, 2016. A model-data fusion approach for predicting cover crop nitrogen supply to corn. Agronomy Journal 108:1-14. 
33. Camargo, GGT and AR Kemanian, 2016. Six crop models differ in their simulation of water uptake. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 220, 116-129.
34. Ernst, OR, AR Kemanian, SR Mazzilli, M Cadenazzi, and S Dogliotti, 2016. Depressed attainable wheat yields under continuous annual no-till agriculture suggest declining soil productivity. Field Crops Research 186, 107-116.
35. Mazzilli, SR, AR Kemanian, OR Ernst, RB Jackson, and G Piñeiro, 2015. Greater humification of belowground than aboveground biomass carbon into particulate soil organic matter in no-till corn and soybean crops. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 85, 22-30.
36. Makowski, D, S Asseng, F Ewert, S Bassu, JL Durand, T Lie, P Martre, M Adam PK Aggarwal, C Angulo, C Baron, B Basso, P Bertuzzi, C Biernath, H Boogaard, KJ Boote, B Bouman, S Bregaglio, N Brisson, S Buis, D Cammarano, AJ Challinor, R Confalonieri, JG Conijn, M Corbeels, D Deryng, G De Sanctis, J Doltra, T Fumoto, D Gaydon, S Gayler, R Goldberg, RF Grant, P Grassini, JL Hatfield, T Hasegawa, L Heng, S Hoek, J Hooker, LA Hunt, J Ingwersen, RC Izaurralde, REE Jongschaap, JW Jones, AR Kemanian, KC Kersebaum, S-H Kim, J Lizaso, M Marcaida, C Müller, H Nakagawa, S Naresh Kumar, C Nendel, GJ O'Leary, JE Olesen, P Oriol, TM Osborne, T Palosuo, MV Pravia, E Priesack, D Ripoche, C Rosenzweig, AC Ruane, F Ruget, F Sau, MA Semenov, I Shcherbak, B Singh, U Singh, HK Soo, P Steduto, C Stöckle, P Stratonovitch, T Streck, I Supit, L Tange, F Tao, EI Teixeira, P Thorburn, D Timlin, M Travasso, RP Rötter, K Waha, D Wallach, JW White, P Wilkens, JR Williams, J Wolf, X Yin, H Yoshida, Z Zhang, Y Zhu. 2015. A statistical analysis of three ensembles of crop model responses to temperature and CO2 concentration. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, 214: 483-493.
37. White, C M, AR Kemanian and JP Kaye, 2014. Implications of carbon saturation model structures for simulated nitrogen mineralization dynamics. Biogeosciences 11(23), 6725-6738.
38. Stöckle, CO, AR Kemanian, RL Nelson, JC Adam, R Sommer, and B Carlson, 2014. CropSyst model evolution: from field to regional to global scales and from research to decision support systems. Environmental Modelling & Software 62, 361-369.
39. Kumudini, S, FH Andrade, KJ Boote, GA Brown, KA Dzotsi, GO Edmeades, T Gocken, M Goodwin, AL Halter, GL Hammer, JL Hatfield, JW Jones; AR Kemanian, S-H. Kim, J Kiniry, JI Lizaso, C Nendel, RL Nielsen, B Parent, CO Stöckle, F Tardieu, PR Thomison, DJ Timlin, TJ Vyn; D Wallach, HS Yang, and M Tollenaar, 2014. Predicting maize phenology: Intercomparison of functions for developmental response to temperature. Agronomy Journal 106, 2087-2097.
40. Timlin, DJ, DH Fleisher, AR Kemanian and VR Reddy, 2014. Plant density and leaf area index effects on the distribution of light transmittance to the soil surface in maize. Agronomy Journal 106, 1–10.
41. Mazzilli SR, AR Kemanian, OR Ernst, RB Jackson, and G Piñeiro. 2014. Priming of soil organic carbon decomposition induced by corn compared to soybean crops. Soil Biology & Biochemistry 75, 273-281.
42. Bassu, S, N Brisson, J-L Durand, K Boote, J Lizaso, JW Jones, C Rosenzweig, AC Ruane, M Adam, C Baron, B Basso, C Biernath, H Boogaard, S Conijn, M Corbeels, D Deryng, G DiSanctis, S Gayler, P Grassini, J Hatfield, S Hoek, C Izaurralde, R Jongschaap, AR Kemanian, CK Kersebaum, NS Kumar, D Makowski, C Müller, C Nendel, E Priesack, MV Pravia, S-H Kim, F Sau, I Shcherbak, F Tao, E Teixeira, D Timlin, K Waha. 2014. How do various maize crop models vary in their responses to climate change factors? Global Change Biology 20(7), 2301-2320.
43. Schipanski, ME, M Barbercheck, MR Douglas, DM Finney, K Haider, JP Kaye, AR Kemanian, DA Mortensen, MR Ryan, J Tooker and C White. 2014. A framework for evaluating ecosystem services provided by cover crops in agroecosystems. Agricultural Systems 125, 12-22.
44. Meki, MN, AR Kemanian, SR Potter, JM Blumenthal, JR Williams, and T Gerik. 2013. Cropping system effect on sorghum grain yield, soil organic carbon, and global warming potential in central and south Texas. Agricultural Systems 117, 19-29.
45. Olson, SN, K Ritter, W Rooney, AR Kemanian , BA McCarl, Y Zhang, S Hall, and J Mullet. 2012. Energy Sorghum: A genetic model for C4 grass bioenergy crops. Biofuels, Bioproducts & Biorefining 6, 640-655.
46. Stöckle, CO, S Higgins, AR Kemanian, RL Nelson, DR Huggins, JP Marcos, and H Collins, 2012. Carbon storage and nitrous oxide emissions of cropping systems in eastern Washington: A simulation study. J. of Soil and Water Conservation 67, 365-377.
47. Kemanian, AR, S Julich, VS Manoranjan, and JR Arnold, 2011. Integrating carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus cycling in the watershed model SWAT: theory and model testing. Ecological Modelling 222, 1913–1921.
48. Kemanian, AR, and CO Stöckle. 2010. C-Farm: A simple model to estimate the carbon balance of soil profiles. Europ. J. Agron. 32:22-29.
49. Wang, X, PW Gassman, JR Williams, S Potter, AR Kemanian. 2008. Modeling the impacts of soil management practices on runoff, sediment yield, maize productivity, and soil organic carbon using APEX. Soil & Tillage Research 101, 78-88.
50. Kiniry, JR, JD MacDonald, AR Kemanian, B Watson, and G Putz. 2008. Plant growth simulation for landscape scale hydrologic modeling. Journal of Hydrological Sciences 53, 1030-1042.
51. Kemanian, AR, CO Stöckle, DR Huggins, and LM Viega. 2007. A simple method to estimate harvest index in grain crops. Field Crops Research 103, 208-216.
52. Page, ER, AR Kemanian, EP Fuerst, and RS Gallagher. 2007. Spatially variable patterns of wild oat emergence in eastern Washington. Crop Protection 26, 232-236.
53. Kemanian, AR, CO Stöckle, and DR Huggins. 2007. Estimating grain and straw nitrogen concentration in grain crops based on aboveground nitrogen concentration and harvest index. Agron. J. 99, 158-167.
54. Page, ER, RS Gallagher, AR Kemanian, and H Zhang. 2006. Modeling site-specific wild oats (Avena fatua) emergence across a variable landscape. Weed Science 54, 838-846.
55. Manoranjan, VS, AR Kemanian, RL Orozco, and GS Campbell. 2006. Letter to the Editor: Re: Modeling latent and sensible heat transport in canopies. Agronomy Journal 98, 1664.
56. Kemanian, AR, CO Stöckle, and DR Huggins. 2005. Barley transpiration-use efficiency. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 130, 1-11.
57. Kemanian, AR, CO Stöckle, and DR Huggins. 2004. Variability of barley radiation-use efficiency. Crop Science 44, 1162-1173.
58. Scott, MJ, LW Vail, JA Jaksch, CO Stöckle, and AR Kemanian. 2004. Water exchanges: tools to beat El Niño climate variability in irrigated agriculture. J. American Water Resource Association (JAWRA) 40(1), 15-31.

Book Chapters

1. Wang, X, AR Kemanian, and J Williams. 2011. Special features of the EPIC and APEX modeling package and procedures for parameterization, calibration, validation, and applications. In Methods of Introducing System Models into Agricultural Research (LR Ahuja and L Ma Eds) Advances in Agricultural Systems Modeling 2, 177-208.
2. Miguez, FM, M Dietze, and AR Kemanian. 2011. Modeling tools and strategies for developing sustainable feedstock supplies. In Sustainable Feedstocks for Advanced Biofuels (D Johnson, R Braun and D Karlen Eds). Soil and Water Conservation Society Proceeding of the corresponding workshop. Ch. 19, 319-338.
3. Stöckle, CO and AR Kemanian, 2009. Crop radiation capture and use efficiency: A framework for crop growth analysis. In Crop Physiology (V Sadras and D Calderini Eds). Academic Press, Elsevier Inc, 145-170.
4. Kremer, C, CO Stöckle, AR Kemanian, and T Howell. 2008. A reference canopy transpiration and photosynthesis model for the evaluation of simple models of crop productivity. In Response of crops to limited water (LR Ahuja, VR Reddy, SA Saseendran, Q Yu Eds) Advances in Agricultural Systems Modeling 1, 165-190.
5. Stöckle, CO and AR Kemanian. 2008. On the use of radiation- and water-use efficiency for biomass production models. In Response of crops to limited water (LR Ahuja, VR Reddy, SA Saseendran, Q Yu Eds) Advances in Agricultural Systems Modeling 1, 39-58.