Dinesh Panday, Ph.D.
Soil Scientist, Rodale Institute
Email: dinesh.panday@rodaleinstitute.org
Address: 611 Siegfriedale Rd, Kutztown, PA 19530
Dinesh is a Soil Scientist at the Rodale Institute in Kutztown, Pennsylvania, where he leads the Soil Nutrient Management Program. His research spans critical soil and environmental disciplines, with a focus on regenerative agriculture, soil health, and climate change mitigation. He received his doctoral degree in Soil and Water Sciences from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2020. Currently he serves as a Lead Author for the IPCC Task Force on National Greenhouse Gas Inventories, contributing to the 2027 IPCC Methodology Report on Carbon Dioxide Removal Technologies, Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage. Previously, he was a member of the “Young Scientists Group” from 2022 to 2023, an initiative led jointly by the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Food Forum. He is also a co-editor of the book, “The Soils of Nepal,” published by Springer Nature in 2021. More about him: goo.gl/V6xU4x.
Select Publications
Regenerative Agriculture & Soil Health
Panday, D., Das, S., Acharya, B.S., Heller, W.P., McKeever, L., & Ghalehgolabbehbahani, A. (2026). Effects of soil type and biochar rate on sweet pepper productivity and microbial dynamics in regenerative organic soils. Discover Soil, 3(1), 136.
Das, S., Zinati, G., Stokes, S., Panday, D., Olson, R., Ghalehgolabbehbahani, A., … & Carr, E.A. (2026). Beyond waste: Transforming manure into a resource through integrated systems. Journal of Environmental Quality, 55(3), e70184.
Dhakal, M., Panday, D., Etemadi, F., Afshar, R.K., Lapham, C., Smith, A., & Ghalehgolabbehbahani, A. (2026). Tillage and cover cropping enhanced yield, nitrogen use efficiency, and soil health in organic industrial hemp–barley rotations. Agronomy Journal, 118(1), e70306.
Thapa, R.B., Budhathoki, S., Shilpakar, C., Panday, D., Alsunuse, B., Tang, S.X., & Stahl, P.D. (2024). Enhancing corn yield and soil quality in irrigated semiarid region with coal char and biochar amendments. Soil Systems, 8(3), 82.
Industrial Hemp
Panday, D., Heydar, P., Lapham, C., Pierce, A., Dhakal, M., Ghalehgolabbehbahani, A., Fioravanti, G., & Kander, R. (2026). Mechanical quality of hemp fiber as influenced by tillage, cover crop, and nitrogen management in regenerative organic systems. Industrial Crops and Products, 239, 122466.
Panday, D., Heller, W.P., Carrara, J.E., Bhusal, N., Omoding, N., Caton, T., … & Ghalehgolabbehbahani, A. (2025). Performance and mycorrhizal colonization of industrial hemp varieties under regenerative organic systems in Northeastern region. Agrosystems, Geosciences & Environment, 8(2), e70091.
Panday, D., Acharya, B.S., Dhakal, M., Caton, T., Lapham, C., Smith, A., & Ghalehgolabbehbahani, A. (2025). Industrial hemp yield and chemical composition as influenced by row spacing, fertilization, and environmental conditions. Agrosystems, Geosciences & Environment, 8(2), e70093.
Climate Resilience & Carbon Sequestration
Das, S., Beegum, S., Acharya, B.S., & Panday, D. (2025). Soil carbon sequestration: A mechanistic perspective on limitations and future possibilities. Sustainability, 17(13), 6015.
Mahmud, K., Panday, D., Mergoum, A., & Missaoui, A. (2021). Nitrogen losses and potential mitigation strategies for a sustainable agroecosystem. Sustainability, 13(4), 2400.
Nitrogen Management & Soil Biogeochemistry
Dhaliwal, J.K., Panday, D., Robertson, G.P., & Saha, D. (2025). Machine learning reveals dynamic controls of soil nitrous oxide emissions from diverse long-term cropping systems. Journal of Environmental Quality, 54(1), 132–146.
Panday, D., Acharya, B. S., Bhusal, N., Afshar, R. K., Smith, A., & Ghalehgolabbehbahani, A. (2025). Precision nitrogen management for optimal yield and cannabinoid profile in CBD hemp agronomy. Agrosystems, Geosciences & Environment, 8(1), e70028.
Panday, D., Saha, D., Lee, J., Jagadamma, S., Adotey, N., & Mengistu, A. (2022). Cover crop influence on soil nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide emissions under wetting–drying intensities: An incubation study. European Journal of Soil Science, 73(5), e13309.
Panday, D., Mikha, M.M., Collins, H.P., Jin, V.L., Kaiser, M., Malakar, A., Cooper, J., & Maharjan, B. (2020). Optimum rates of surface applied coal char decreased soil ammonia volatilization loss. Journal of Environmental Quality, 49, 256–267.
Soil Mapping, Erosion, & Conservation
Das, S., Bora, J., Panday, D., Maharjan, B., Smith, A., Mamo, M., … & Garrity, C. (2026). Hierarchical Land Classification for Soil Health Assessment: Linking Reference Potential, Management State, and Incremental Soil Health Targets. SSRN preprint.
Borelli, P., Alewell, C., et al. (incl. Panday, D.) (2021). Soil erosion modelling: A global review and statistical analysis. Science of The Total Environment, 780, 146494.
Panday, D., Maharjan, B., Chalise, D., Shrestha, R.K., & Twanabasu, B. (2018). Digital soil mapping in the Bara district of Nepal using Kriging tool in ArcGIS. PLoS ONE, 13(10), e0206350.
Organic & Sustainable Farming Systems
Panday, D., Bhusal, N., Das, S., & Ghalehgolabbehbahani, A. (2024). Rooted in nature: The rise, challenges, and potential of organic farming and fertilizers in agroecosystems. Sustainability, 16(4), 1530.
Das, S., Ray, M.K., Panday, D., & Mishra, P.K. (2023). Role of biotechnology in creating sustainable agriculture. PLOS Sustainability and Transformation, 2(7), e0000069.
News & Blog
Panday, D., Das, S., & Said, H. (2026). Role of Regenerative Organic Agriculture in a Changing Climate. Rodale Institute.
Das, S., Said, H., & Panday, D. (2026). Soil Health in Practice: Principles, Proof, and the Path Forward. Rodale Institute.
Panday, D. & Dhakal, M. (2026). Improving Hemp Yield and Fiber Quality Through Regenerative Organic Systems. Crops & Soils.
Panday, D. (2025). Industrial Hemp Innovation in the U.S. Northeast. CSA News.