Kefyalew Desta
Assistant Professor
Sustainable Agricultural Systems



Kefyalew Desta

Oklahoma State University
Department of Plant and Soil Sciences
368 Agricultural Hall
Stillwater, Oklahoma 74078-6028

Office Location: 269 Agricultural Hall
Phone:405-744-4667
Fax: 405-744-5269

kefyalew.desta@okstate.edu

 

Education

BS: Alemaya University, Alemaya, Ethiopia
MS: University of Guelph, Guelph, Ont., Canada, 1998
PhD: Oklahoma State University, 2004

Research Interest

Soil fertility, nutrient management, precision agriculture, crop production, weed management and data mining and analysis with a goal to contribute to agro-ecosystem health and sustainable agriculture. Special interests include waste management, organic farming and special crops. 

Professional Memberships

Associate editor, Agronomy Journal
American Society of Agronomy
Soil Science Society of America
Crop Science Society of America

Recent Publications (since 2000)

Arnall, Daryl B., Brenda S. Tubaña, Starr L. Holtz, Kefyalew Girma and William R. Raun. 2007. Relationship between nitrogen use efficiency and response index in winter wheat. J. Plant Nutr. (in press)

Girma, Kefyalew, Starr L. Holtz, Daryl B. Arnall, Brenda S. Tubaña, Lisa M. Fultz, Travis L. Hanks, Kyle D. Lawles, Clinton J. Mack, Brandi J. Minor, Kevin W. Owen, Leenalitha Panneerseelan, Stewart D. Reed, Jesus Santillano, Olga Walsh, and Michael J. White, and W.R. Raun. 2007. Grain yields and response index of winter wheat as affected by weather, fertilizer and previous year yield level. Agron. J. 99 (6):0000-0000.

Moges, S. M., K. Girma, H. Zhang, D. B. Arnall, K. W. Freeman, B. Tubaña, R. K. Teal, S. L. Holtz, O. Walsh, B. Chung, and W.R. Raun. 2007. In-season estimation of grain sorghum yield potential using a hand-held optical sensor. Archives of Agron. & Soil Sci. (in press)

Girma, Kefyalew, S. L. Holtz, D.B. Arnall, B.S. Tubaña R.K. Boman, and W. R. Raun. 2007. The Magruder Plots: Untangling the puzzle. Agron. J. 99(5): 1191-1198.

Girma, K., C. Mack, R. Taylor, J. Solie, D.B. Arnall, and W. Raun. 2007. Improving estimation of N top-dressing by addressing temporal variability in winter wheat. J. Agr. Sci. 45 (1):45-53.

Freeman, K.W., A.R. Klatt, W.R. Raun, Kefyalew Girma, D.B. Arnall, B. Tubaña, S.L. Holtz, K.D. Lawles, O. Walsh, Byungkyun Chung, and K.D. Sayre.  2007. Bed and flat planted dryland winter wheat as influenced by row configuration. Arch. Agron. Soil Sci 53(3):293-304.

Girma, Kefyalew, W.R. Raun, R.K. Bowman, K.W. Freeman, R. K. Teal, J. Mosali, B. Tubana and D. B. Arnall. 2007. Cotton Lint Yield and Quality as Affected by Applications of N, P, and K Fertilizers  J. Cotton Sci. 11:12-19.

Girma, Kefyalew, K.W. Freeman, R.K. Teal, D.B. Arnall, B. Tubana, S. Holtz, and W.R. Raun. 2007. Analysis of yield variability in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) due to temporal variability, and nitrogen and phosphorus fertilization. Archives of Agron & Soil Sci. 53(4): 435-442.

Teal, R. K., B. Tubana, K. Girma, K. W. Freeman, D. B. Arnall, O. Walsh, and W. R. Raun. 2006. In-Season prediction of corn grain yield potential using Normalized Difference Vegetation Index. Agron. J. 98:1488-1494.

Martin, K.L., K. Girma, W.R. Raun, K.W. Freeman, R.K. Teal, D.B. Arnall, B. Tubana, J.B. Solie, and M.L. Stone.2006. Expression of variability in corn as influenced by growth stage using optical sensor measurements. Agron. J. 99: 384-389.

Freeman, K.W., Kefyalew Girma, D.B. Arnall, R.W. Mullen, K.L. Martin, R. K. Teal, and W.R. Raun. 2006. By-Plant Prediction of Corn Forage Biomass and Nitrogen Uptake at Various Growth Stages Using Remote Sensing and Plant Height Measures. Agron. J. 99:530-536.

Freeman, K. W, Kefyalew Girma, R.K. Teal, D.B. Arnall, B. Tubana, S. Holtz, and W.R. Raun. 2006. Long-term effects of nitrogen management practices on grain yield, nitrogen uptake and efficiency in irrigated corn (Zea mays L.) J. Plant Nutr. (in press)

Teal, R.K., K.W. Freeman, K. Girma, D.B. Arnall, J.W. Lawles, K.L. Martin, R.W. Mullen, and W.R. Raun. 2007. Effect of tillage and anhydrous ammonia application on nitrogen use efficiency of hard red winter wheat. J. Sustain. Agr. 30(2):51-67.

Freeman, K.W., Kefyalew Girma, W.R. Raun, R.K. Teal, D.B. Arnall and A. Klatt. 2007. Winter wheat grain yield and grain nitrogen as influenced by bed and conventional planting systems. J. Plant Nutr. 30(4):611-622.

Mosali, J., Kefyalew Girma, R. K. Teal, K. W. Freeman, and W. R. Raun. 2005. Use of in-season reflectance for predicting yield potential in bermudagrass.  Commun. Soil Sci. Plant Anal. 38(11&12): 1519-1531.

Arnall, D.B., K. W. Freeman, Kefyalew Girma, K.L. Martin, R. K. Teal, W.R. Raun, J.B. Solie, and M.L. Stone. 2006. Relationship between coefficient of variation measured by spectral reflectance and plant density at early growth stages. J. Plant Nutr. 29:1983-1997.

Martin, K.L., P.J. Hodgen, K.W. Freeman, Ricardo Melchiori, B. Arnall, R.W. Mullen, Kefyalew Girma, W.R. Raun, J.B. Solie, M.L. Stone, Octavio Caviglia, Hailin Zhang, Agustin Bianchini, D.D. Francis, J.S. Schepers, and J. Hatfield. 2005. Plant-to-Plant Variability in Corn Production. Agron. J. 97:1603-1611.

Freeman, K. W., Kefyalew Girma, J. Mosali, R. K. Teal, K. L. Martin and W. R. Raun. 2005. Response of winter wheat to chloride fertilization in sandy loam soils. Commun. Soil Sci. Plant Anal. 37:1947-1955.

Girma, Kefyalew, J. Mosali, K. W. Freeman, W. R. Raun, K.L. Martin and W. E. Thomason. 2005. Forage and grain yield response to applied sulfur in winter wheat as influenced by source and rate. J. Plant Nutr. 28 (9): 1541–1553.

Girma, Kefyalew, J. Mosali, W. R. Raun, K. W. Freeman, K. L. Martin, J.B. Solie and M. L. Stone. 2005. Identification of optical spectral signatures for detecting cheat and ryegrass in winter wheat. Crop Sci. 45:477-485.

Girma, Kefyalew, K. L. Martin, J. Mosali, K. W. Freeman, R. K. Teal, S. M. Moges, D. B. Arnall and W. R. Raun. 2007. Determination of optimum rate and growth stage for foliar applied phosphorus in corn. Commun. Soil Sci. Plant Anal. 38 (9&10):1137-1154.

Mosali, Jagadeesh , Kefyalew Desta , Roger K. Teal , Kyle W. Freeman , Kent L. Martin , Jason W. Lawles, and William R. Raun. 2006. Effect of foliar application of phosphorus on winter wheat grain yield, phosphorus uptake, and use efficiency.  J. Plant Nutr. 29:2147-2163.

Girma, Kefyalew, K.L. Martin, R.H. Anderson, D.B. Arnall, K.D. Brixey, M.A. Casillas, B. Chung, B.C. Dobey, S.K. Kamenidou, S.K. Kariuki, E.E. Katsalirou, J.C. Morris, J.Q. Moss, C.T. Rohla, B.J. Sudbury, B.S. Tubana and W.R. Raun. 2006. Mid-season prediction of wheat grain yield potential using plant, soil, and sensor measurements. J. Plant Nutr. 29:873-897.

Morris, K. B., K.L. Martin, K.W. Freeman, R.K. Teal, Kefyalew Girma, D.B. Arnall, P.J. Hodgen, J. Mosali, W.R. Raun and J.B. Solie. 2005. Mid-season recovery to nitrogen stress in winter wheat. J. Plant Nutr. 29:727-745.