Education

• Ph.D. 2015, Plant and Environmental Sciences, Clemson University
• M.S. 2012, Biosystems Engineering, Clemson University
• B.S. 2009, Water and Wastewater Engineering, South China University of Technology

Professional Responsibilities and Activities

• EXTENSION INTERESTS:
  On-farm research, technology adoption, development of user-friendly software, etc.
• RESEARCH INTERESTS:
  Deficit irrigation, irrigation application and control devices, irrigation scheduling, artificial intelligence, Internet-of-Things, etc.

Publications

1. Jamal, A., Cai, X., Qiao, X., Garcia, L., Wang, J., Amori, A., Yang, H. “Real‐Time Irrigation Scheduling Based on Weather Forecasts, Field Observations, and Human‐Machine Interactions.”(2023) Water Resources Research, vol. 59, no. 12, 2023, https://doi.org/10.1029/2023WR035810. 
2. Liu, L., Qiao, X.*, Liang, W.Z., Oboamah, J., Wang, J., Rudnick, D.R., Yang, H.S., Shi, Y.Y. (2023). An edge-computing flow meter reading recognition algorithm optimized for agricultural IoT network. Smart Agricultural Technologies. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atech.2023.100236. 
3. Katimbo, A., Rudnick, D.R., Zhang, J.W., Ge, Y.F., DeJonge, K.C., Franz, T.E., Shi, Y.Y., Liang, W.Z., Qiao, X., Heeren, D.M., Kabenge, I., Nakabuye, H.N., Duan, J.M. (2023) Evaluation of artificial intelligence algorithms with sensor data assimilation in estimating crop evapotranspiration and crop water stress index for irrigation water management. Smart Agricultural Technologies. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atech.2023.100176.  
4. Liang, W., Oboamah, J., Qiao, X.^*, Ge, Y., Harveson, B., Rudnick, D. R., Wang, J., Yang, H., & Gradiz, A. (2023). CanopyCAM – an edge-computing sensing unit for continuous measurement of canopy cover percentage of dry edible beans. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, 204, 107498–. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compag.2022.107498. 
5. Gonzalez, H.A., Qiao, X.^*, D’Alessio, M., Dissanayake, D.M.P.B, Heeren, D.M., Biswas, S., Williams, C.F., Ray, C. Growing corn and sugar beets with feedlot effluent, air injection, and subsurface drip irrigation systems in western Nebraska. (2022) Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering. https://10.1061/JIDEDH/IRENG-9949. 
6. Nakabuye, H. N., Rudnick, D.R., DeJonge, K. C., Lo, T. H., Heeren, D., Qiao, X., Trenton, E.F., Katimbo, A., Duan, J. (2022). Real-time irrigation scheduling of maize using Degrees Above Non-Stressed (DANS) index in semi-arid environment. Agricultural Water Management, 274, 107957. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2022.107957. 
7. Ru, Z., Wang, J., Kuhl, S., Garcia, L. C., Qiao, X., Reed, D., "A smart-and-connected low-cost sensor system for measuring air and soil properties in the Central U.S.: first results," IGARSS 2022 - 2022 IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium, 2022, pp. 5720-5723. https://10.1109/IGARSS46834.2022.9884823. 
8. Katimbo, A., Rudnick, D.R., DeJonge, K. C., Lo, T. H., Qiao, X., Franz, T., Nakabuye, H. N., Duan, J. (2021). Crop Water Stress Index Computation Approaches and their Sensitivity to Soil Water Dynamics. Agricultural Water Management, 266, 107575. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2022.107575. 
9. Liang, W. Z., Possignolo, I., Qiao, X.*, DeJonge, K., Irmak, S., Heeren, D., & Rudnick, D. (2021). Utilizing digital image processing and two-source energy balance model for the estimation of evapotranspiration of dry edible beans in western Nebraska. Irrigation Science, 39(5), 617-631. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00271-021-00721-7. 

Awards and Honors

Omtvedt Innovation Award – Extension. 2023. UNL Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources.