Qiong Su

Assistant Professor
Water Resources Program Team, Agricultural Sciences Department

Office: 242 McAdams Hall
Phone: 864-656-4057

Email: qsu@clemson.edu
Personal Website: https://sites.google.com/view/qiongsu/home

Educational Background

Ph.D. Water Management and Hydrological Science
Texas A&M Universtiy

M.S. Environmental Science
Peking Univeristy

B.S. Computer Science
Ocean University of China

B.S. Environmental Science
Ocean University of China

Courses Taught

AGM 2210: Land Surveying
AGM 4020/6020: Irrigation Design

Research Interests

My research expertise spans from basic science (evapotranspiration and soil-plant-water relationships) to applied agriculture with management (state-of-the-art irrigation tools and decision support systems) for multi-scale agricultural water management. Additionally, my work employs crop modeling and the integration of advanced technologies, such as machine learning and remote sensing, into agricultural system simulations.

Publications

TEXTBOOKS
1. Singh, V.P., and Su, Q., 2022. Irrigation Engineering: Principles, Processes, Procedures, Design, and Management. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, the U.K., ISBN-13: 978-1316511220.

BOOK CHAPTERS
3. Kambale, R.D., Su, Q., Karthikeyan, R., Adelberg, J., and Jeong, B.R. (2024). Enhancing resilience in hydroponic crops with silicon: Insights into growth enhancement and stress mitigation. In: de Mello Prado, R., Etesami, H., Srivastava, A.K. (eds). Silicon Advances for Sustainable Agriculture and Human Health. Sustainable Plant Nutrition in a Changing World. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-69876-7_18

2. Singh, V.P., and Su, Q. (2022). Irrigated agriculture under climate change. In: Case studies: insights on agriculture innovation 2021 (IAAS Series). Lee, T.R. Vital Wellspring Education Pte. Ltd.

1. Singh, V.P., and Su, Q. (2022). Water: How secure are we under climate change? In: Sustainability of Water Resources: Impacts and Management. Yadav, B., Mohanty, M.P., Pandey, A., Singh, V.P., and Singh, R. D. (Eds.). Water Science and Technology Library, # 116. Springer International Publishing, ISBN: 9783031134661.

SOLUTIONS MANUALS
1. Singh, V.P., and Su, Q., 2022. Solutions Manual to “Irrigation Engineering: Principles, Processes, Procedures, Design, and Management.” Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, the U.K., ISBN-13: 978-1316511220.

PEER-REVIEWED JOURNAL PUBLICATIONS
[*corresponding-author, †co-first author]
36. Xu, W.Y., Wang, T.Y., Ji, T.Y., Su, Q.*, Chen, W., and Ji, C.L. (2025). RepGhostConv-Subpixel Fusion-Cascading Attention-Detection (RSCDet): A novel lightweight model for real-time aphid detection. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture. 110591. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compag.2025.110591

35. Xu, W.Y., Yang, R., Karthikeyan, R., Shi, Y., and Su, Q.* (2025). GBiDC-PEST: A novel lightweight model for real-time multiclass tiny pest detection and mobile platform deployment. Journal of Integrative Agriculture. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jia.2024.12.017

34. Singh, V.P.*, and Su, Q. (2025). Empirical relations in hydrology derived using entropy theory. Journal of Hydrologic Engineering. 30(4). https://doi.org/10.1061/JHYEFF.HEENG-6506

33. Su, Q., Ale, S.*, Himanshu, S.K., Singh, J., and Singh, V.P. (2025). Calibration and bias correction of seasonal weather forecasts of the North American Multi-Model Ensemble (NMME) for real-time regional crop modeling. The Journal of Agricultural Science. 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0021859625000139

32. Su, Q.*, Kambale, R.D., Tzeng, J., Amy, G.L., Ladner, D.A., and Karthikeyan, R.* (2025). The growing trend of saltwater intrusion and its impact on coastal agriculture: challenges and opportunities. Science of the Total Environment. 966, 178701. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.178701

31. Su, Q., and Singh, V.P.* (2024). Advancing irrigation management: integrating technology and sustainability to address global food security. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment. 196, 1018. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-024-13145-5

30. Sapkota, B.R., Adams, C.B.*, Su, Q., and Ale, S. (2024). Remote detection of water stress in cotton using a center pivot irrigation system-mounted sensor package. Scientific Reports. 14, 23436. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-74092-2

29. Su, Q.*, Srinivasan, R., and Karthikeyan, R.*(2024). SC.HAWQS: A user-friendly web-based decision support system for regional water resources management under a changing climate. Water Resources Management. 38, 1261-1278. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11269-023-03719-2

28. Su, Q.*, Rohila, J., Ranganathan, S., and Karthikeyan, R.* (2023). Rice yield and quality in response to daytime and nighttime temperature increase– a meta-analysis perspective. Science of the Total Environment. 890, 165256. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11269-023-03719-2

27. Su, Q.*, and Singh, V.P. (2023). A calibration-free Priestley-Taylor method for reference evapotranspiration estimation. Water Resources Research. 59(3), e2022WR033198. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022wr033198

26. Su, Q.*, Dai, H., Xie, S., Yu, X., Lin, Y., Singh, V.P., and Karthikeyan, R. (2023). Water-energy-carbon nexus: Greenhouse gas emissions from integrated urban drainage systems in China. Environmental Science & Technology. 57(5): 2093–2104. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.2c08583

25. Su, Q.*, and Karthikeyan, R. (2023). Regional water stress forecasting: Effects of climate change, socioeconomic development, and irrigated agriculture – a Texas case study. Sustainability. 15(12), 9290. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15129290

24. Xu, W.Y., Xu, T., Thomasson, J.A., Chen, W., Karthikeyan, R., Tian, G., Shi, Y., Ji, C., and Su, Q.* (2023). A lightweight deep learning method for detection of sugarcane aphids in unstructured natural environments. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture. 211, 107961. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compag.2023.107961

23. Ale, S.*, Su, Q., Singh, J., Himanshu, S.K., Fan, Y., Stoker, B., Gonzalez, E., Sapkota, B.R., Adams, C., Biggers, K., Kimura, E., and Wall, J. (2023). Development and evaluation of a decision support mobile application for cotton irrigation management. Smart Agricultural Technology. 100270. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atech.2023.100270

22. Lin, Y., Wang, Y.*, Hsieh, J., Jiang, J., Su, Q., Zhao, L., Lavallee, M., and Zhang, R.* (2023). Assessing the destructiveness of tropical cyclone by anthropogenic aerosols under an atmosphere-ocean coupled framework. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics. 23, 13835–13852, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-13 835-2023

21. Wang. J.*, Lin, Y.*, McFarquhar, G.M., Park, E., Lee, K.W., Gu, Y., Su, Q., Fu, R., Lee, K.W., and Zhang, T. H. (2023). Soil moisture observations from shortwave infrared channels reveal tornado tracks: A case in December 10-11, 2021, tornado outbreak. Geophysical Research Letters.50(6), e2023GL102984. https://doi.org/10.1029/2023GL102984

20. Su, Q.*, Singh, V.P., and Karthikeyan, R. (2022). Improved reference evapotranspiration methods for regional irrigation water demand estimation. Agricultural Water Management. 274 (1), 107979. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2022.107979

19. Singh, V.P.*, and Su, Q. (2022). Water-Environment-Energy-Food Nexus: Challenges and opportunities under climate change. Indian Journal of Soil Conservation. 50(3): 177–189.

18. Singh, V.P.*, and Su, Q. (2022). Industry note: Irrigated agriculture under climate change. Int. J. of Agriculture Innovation, Technology and Globalization. 3(1):87–93.

17. Xu, W.Y., Thomasson, J.A., Su, Q., Ji, C., Shi, Y., Zhou, J., and Chen, H.* (2022). A segmentation algorithm incorporating superpixel block and holistically nested edge for sugarcane aphids images under natural light conditions. Biosystems Engineering. 216:241–255. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biosystemseng.2022.02.011

16. Lin, Y.*, Wang, Y., Pan, B. Hu, J., Guo, S., Zamora, M., Tian, P., Su, Q., Ji, Y., Zhao, J., Hernandez, Gomez- M., Hu, M., and Zhang, R. (2022). Formation, radiative forcing, and climatic effects of severe regional haze. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics. 22(7):4951–4967. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-4951-2022

15. Singh, V.P.*, and Su, Q. (2021). Role of hydrology in natural resources conservation and management. Indian Journal of Soil Conservation. 49 (3): 153-162.

14. Zhang, Y., Wu, Z.*, Singh, V.P. Su, Q., He, H., Yin, H., Zhang, Y., and Wang, F. (2021). Simulation of crop water requirements and consumption considering irrigation effects based on coupled Hydrology–Crop Growth model. Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems.13(11): e2020MS002360. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020MS002360

13. Chen, H., Rücker, A.M., Su, Q., Blosser, G.D., Liu, X., Conner, W.H., and Chow, A.T.* (2020). Dynamics of dissolved organic matter and disinfection byproduct precursors along a low elevation gradient in woody wetlands–an implication of hydrologic impacts of climate change on source water quality. Water Research. 181, 115908. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2020.115908

12. Su, Q., Dai, H.*, Chen, H., Lin, Y., Xie, Y., and Karthikeyan, R. (2019). General equilibrium analysis of co-benefits and tradeoffs of carbon mitigation on local industrial water use and pollutants discharge in China. Environmental Science & Technology. 53 (3): 1715–1724. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.8b05763

11. Xu, W., Chen, H., Su, Q., Ji, C., Xu, W., Memon, M., and Zhou, J.* (2019). Shadow detection and removal in apple image segmentation under natural light conditions using an ultra-metric contour map. Biosystems Engineering. 184, 142–154. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biosystemseng.2019.06.016

10. Chen, H., Tsai, K.P., Su, Q., Chow, A.T., and Wang, J.* (2019). Throughfall dissolved organic matter as a terrestrial source of disinfection byproduct precursors. ACS Earth and Space Chemistry. 3,8,1603–1613. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsearthspacechem.9b00088

9. Su, Q., Dai, H.*, Lin, Y., Chen, H., and Karthikeyan, R. (2018). Modeling the carbon-energy-water nexus in a rapidly urbanizing catchment. Journal of Environmental Management. 225, 93–103. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2018.07.071 [cited by the IPCC AR6 report (Working Group III, 2022) to illustrate the cost and benefit of carbon mitigation]

8. Cao, H., S. Liu, S., Ma, Z., Lin, Y., Su, Q., Chen, H.*, and Wang, J.* (2018). Dynamics of multiple elements in fast decomposing vegetable residues. Science of the Total Environment. 616, 614–621. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.10.287

7. Chen, H.*, Lin, Y.*, Su, Q., and Cheng, L. (2017). Spatial variation of multiple air pollutants and their potential contributions to all-cause, respiratory, and cardiovascular mortality across China in 2015-2016. Atmospheric Environment. 168, 23–35. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2017.09.006

6. Su, Q., Qin, H.P.*, and Fu, G.T. (2014). Environmental and ecological impacts of water supplement schemes in a heavily polluted estuary. Science of the Total Environment. 472C: 704–711. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.11.106

5. Qin, H.P.*, Su, Q., Khu, S.T., and Tang, N. (2014). Water quality changes during rapid urbanization in the Shenzhen River catchment. Sustainability. 6(6): 7433–7451. https://doi.org/10.3390/su6107433

4. Qin, H.P.*, Su, Q., Khu, S.T. (2013). Assessment of environmental improvement measures using a novel integrated model. Journal of Environmental Management. 114: 486–495. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2012.10.053

3. Qin, H.P.*, Su, Q., and Khu, S.T. (2011). An integrated model for water management in a rapidly urbanizing catchment. Environmental Modelling & Software. 26(12): 1502–1514. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsoft.2011.07.003

2. He, L.Y., Lin, Y., Huang, X.*, Guo, S., Xue, L., Su, Q., Hu, M., Luan, S., and Zhang, Y. (2010). Characterization of high-resolution aerosol mass spectra of primary organic aerosol emissions from Chinese cooking and biomass burning. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics. 10(23): 11535–11543. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-10-11535-2010

1. Su, Q., Qin, H.P.*, and Zhao, Z.J. (2009). Modeling effects of regional industrial structure adjustment on water resource balance and water quality improvement. China Environmental Science. 29(7): 767–772. https://www.cabdirect.org/cabdirect/abstract/20093267342

Links