Education

B.S., Biology/Chemistry, Friends University, 1976
M.S., Agronomy/Soil Fertility, Kansas State University, 1981
PhD., Agronomy/Soil Fertility, Kansas State University, 1985

Research Interests

• Site-specific crop management
• Landscape position impacts on nitrogen and water use efficiency
• Use of crop canopy sensors for in-season evaluation of crop stress - particularly for nitrogen and water
• Management practices to minimize nitrogen loss to the environment
• Enhanced-efficiency fertilizers and their impact on nutrient use efficiency
• Impacts of biomass removal on long-term soil productivity

Extension Interests

• Project SENSE
• Central Platte Nitrogen and Irrigation Management Demonstration Project - conducted in partnership with the Central Platte Natural Resources District

Teaching

• Spatial Variability in Soils - AGRO 831 - distance course, spring semesters, even-numbered years (Syllabus)

Publications

Google Scholar publication list

Recent Research

• Kaur, H., K.A. Nelson, C.K. Wikle, R.B. Ferguson, G. Singh. 2024. Nitrogen fertilizer and pronitridine rates for corn production in the Midwest US. Field Crops Research 306. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fcr.2023.109200.
• Klopp, H.W., H. Blanco-Canqui, M. Sindelar, V.L. Jin, M.R. Schmer, R.B. Ferguson 2023. Did cover crop or animal manure ameliorate corn residue removal effects on soil mechanical properties after 10 years? Journal of Agriculture and Food Research 14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jafr.2023.100802.
• Ruis, S.J., H. Blanco-Canqui, P.J. Jasa, G. Slater, R.B. Ferguson. 2023. Increasing rye cover crop biomass production after corn residue removal to balance economics and soil health. Field Crops Research 302. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fcr.2023.109076.
• Blanco-Canqui, H. S. Ruis, K. Koehler-Cole, R.W. Elmore, C.A. Francis, C.A. Shapiro, C.A. Proctor and R.B. Ferguson. 2023. Cover crops and soil health in rainfed and irrigated corn: What did we learn after 8 years? Soil Science Society of America Journal 87:1174-1190. https://doi.org/10.1002/saj2.20566.
• Ransom, C.J., N.R. Kitchen, J.J. Camberato, P.R. Carter, R.B. Ferguson, F.G. Fernandez, D.W. Franzen, C.A.M. Laboski, D.B. Myers, E.D. Nafziger, J.E. Sawyer, J. F. Shanahan. 2023. Combining corn N recommendation tools for an improved economical optimal nitrogen rate estimation. Soil Science Society of America Journal 87:902-917. https://doi.org/10.1002/saj2.20539.
• Shao H., Y. Miao, F.G. Fernandez, N.R. Kitchen, C.R. Ransom, J.J. Camberato, P.R. Carter, R.B. Ferguson, D.W. Franzen, C.A.M. Laboski, E.D. Nafziger, J.E. Sawyer, J.F. Shanahan. 2023. Evaluating critical nitrogen dilution curves for assessing maize nitrogen status across the US Midwest. Agronomy 13:1948. doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13071948.
• Crowther, J, J. Parrish, J.D. Luck, R.B. Ferguson. 2023. Evaluating management zones and crop-sensing relationships for improved irrigated maize nitrogen management. Agrosystems, Geosciences and Environment https://doi.org/10.1002/agg2.20336.
• Li, D., Y. Miao, C.J. Ransom, G.M. Bean, N.R. Kitchen, F.G. Fernandez, J.E. Sawyer, J.J. Camberato, P.R. Carter, R.B. Ferguson, D.W. Franzen, C.A.M. Laboski, E.D. Nafziger, J.F. Shanahan. 2022. Corn nitrogen nutrition index prediction improved by integrating genetic, environmental, and management factors with active canopy sensing using machine learning. Remote Sensing 14:394. doi.org/10.3390/rs14020394.
• Ransom, C.J., J. Clark, G.M. Bean, C. Bandura, M.E. Shafer, N.R. Kitchen, J.J. Camberato, P.R. Carter, R.B. Ferguson, F.Fernandez, D.W. Franzen, C.A.M. Laboski, D.B. Myers, E.D. Nafziger, J.E. Sawyer, J. Shanahan. Data from a public-industry partnership for enhancing corn nitrogen research. Agronomy Journal 113: 4429-4436. https://doi.org/10.1002/agj2.20812.
• Ransom, Curtis J., Newell R. Kitchen, John E. Sawyer, James J. Camberato, Paul R. Carter, Richard B. Ferguson, Fabian G. Fernandez, David W. Franzen, Carrie A.M. Laboski, D. Brenton Myers, Emerson D. Nafziger, John F. Shanahan. 2021. Improving publicly available corn nitrogen rate recommendation tools with soil and weather measurements. Agron. J. https://doi.org/10.1002/agj2.20627