Murali Darapuneni

Image of Murial

Education:

  • Ph.D., Agronomy, 2012. Texas A&M University, College Station, TX.
  • M.S., Plant, Soil, and Environmental Science, 2008. West Texas A&M University, Canyon, TX.
  • B.Sc., Horticulture, 2005. Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University. Hyderabad, India.

Professional Preparation:

  • Professor, New Mexico State University, 2026 - Current
  • Associate Professor (Tenured), New Mexico State University, 2020-2026
  • Assistant Professor, New Mexico State University, 2014-2020
  • Post-Doctoral Research Associate, University of Nebraska, Scottsbluff, NE, 2013-2014
  • Graduate Research Assistant, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 2008-2012
  • Graduate Research Assistant, West Texas A&M University, Canyon, TX, 2006-2008

Research Focus:

  • Systems approach to find sustainable solutions for semi-arid agriculture. Crop rotations, soil-crop water use and irrigation management, soil nutrient management, biofuel and leguminous crops.

Selected Recent Publications:

    1. Pruitt, D., Idowu, O. J., Angadi, S., Steiner, R. L., Sanogo, S., Omer, M., Darapuneni, M. K*. (2025). Guar growth and yield as affected by nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer. Journal of Plant Nutrition, 48(14), 2500-2512. https://doi.org/10.1080/01904167.2025.2482094

    2. Darapuneni, M. K., Lauriault, L. M., Trostle, C. L., Flynn, R. P. (2024). Evaluation of pre-plant incorporated manure and phosphorus fertilizers on alfalfa yield, nutritive value, and residual soil characteristics. Journal of Plant Nutrition, 47(12), 1969-1980. https://doi.org/10.1080/01904167.2024.2325959

    3. Djaman, K., Darapuneni, M. K., Puppala, N. (2024). Plant Nutrient Removal and Soil Residual Chemical Properties as Impacted by Maize Planting Date and Density. PlosOne, 29. https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0299193.

    4. Acharya, B. S., Dodla, S., Wang, J. J., Pavuluri, K., Darapuneni, M., Dattamudi, S., Kharel, G. 2024. Biochar impacts on soil water dynamics: knowns, unknowns, and research directions. Biochar. 2024;6(1): 34. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42773-024-00323-4

    5. Umesh, M. R., Angadi, S., Begna, S., Gowda, P. H., Hagevoort, G. R., Lauriault, L. M., Darapuneni, M. K. (2023). Intercropping and species interactions on physiological and light use characteristics of forage cereals-legumes combinations in semi-arid regions. Field Crops Research, 290(108755), 9 pp. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fcr.2022.108755.

    6. Darapuneni, M. K., Lauriault, L. M., Martinez, G., Idowu, O. J., Djaman, K. (2022). Yield potential and water use efficiency of alternate rotation crops in the semiarid environment of southwestern USA. ASABE Applied Engineering in Agriculture, 38(6), 845-851. http://doi.org/10.13031/aea.15030.

    7. Darapuneni, M. K., Idowu, O. J., Sarihan, B., Dubois, D. W., Grover, K., Sanogo, S., Djaman, K., Lauriault, L. M. (2021a). Growth characteristics of summer cover crop grasses and their relation to soil aggregate stability and wind erosion control in arid Southwest. ASABE Applied Engineering in Agriculture, 37(1), 11-23. https://doi.org/10.13031/aea.13972

    8. Djaman, K., Allen, S., Djaman, D., Koudahe, K., Irmak, S., Puppala, N., Darapuneni, M. K., Angadi, S. (2021a). Planting date and plant density effects on maize growth, yield, and water use efficiency. Environmental Challenges. 6 (2022) 100417. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envc.2021.100417

    9. Pratt, R. C., Velasco-Cruz, C., Darapuneni, M. K., Montgomery, R., Grant, L. (2021). Southwest-adapted maize germplasm as potential genetic resource for selection of salinity tolerant cultivars. Crop Science, 62(1), 286-300. https://doi.org/10.1002/csc2.20654

    10. Paye, W., Begna, S., Ghimire, R., Angadi, S., Singh, P., Umesh, M.R, Darapuneni, M. K. (2021). Winter canola yield and nitrogen use efficiency in a semiarid irrigated condition. Agronomy Journal. 113(2), 2053-2067. https://doi.org/10.1002/agj2.20611

    11. Darapuneni, M. K., Lauriault, L. M., VanLeeuwen, D. M., Angadi, S. V. (2020a). Irrigation strategies influenced alfalfa dry matter yield and water productivity in a semiarid subtropical environment. Irrigation and Drainage, 69(5), 1063-1071. https://doi.org/10.1002/ird.2490

    12. Marsalis, M. A., Lauriault, L. M., Darapuneni, M. K. (2020). Perennial cereal rye performance and comparisons with winter annual cereal forages in the semiarid, subtropical southwestern United States. Crop Science, 60, 507-514. https://doi.10.1002/csc2.20069 

Curriculum Vitae: