About

Professor Mallika Nocco is associated with the Conservation Irrigation Lab at UW–Madison Extension, where her work focuses on advancing sustainable agriculture through innovations in soil and water conservation. Her research involves helping growers implement practices that promote water efficiency and soil health, supporting production goals while addressing real-world water management challenges. She collaborates across disciplines to translate scientific research into practical solutions for farms and communities, emphasizing the importance of applied research and cooperative extension in promoting sustainable agricultural practices.

Research topics

• Sociology
• Geography
• Political Science
• Environmental science
• Business
• Medicine
• Forestry
• Water resource management
• Economic growth
• Ecology
• Public relations
• Environmental health
• Environmental protection
• Environmental planning
• Meteorology
• Economics
• Psychology
• Geology
• Medical education

Selected publications

• What Is a Healthy Soil for Winegrape Production? Grower Perspectives Differ From Soil Health Paradigms

  European Journal of Soil Science · 2026-01-01

  articleOpen access

  ABSTRACT Soil health (SH) is linked to sustainable agriculture, yet few studies link SH assessments to specific crop‐relevant outcomes needed. This study integrates grower participation to align SH indicators with relevant outcomes for winegrape production. We evaluated the variability of common SH indicators with respect to grower ratings of soils (ideal vs. challenging), soil texture, vineyard zones (vine vs. tractor rows), and tillage management (till vs. no‐till). Soils were collected from 16 challenging and 16 ideal vineyard soils, rated by growers based on their perceived influence on vine vigor control and grape quality in Napa Valley (California, USA). Surface soil samples were collected at two depths (0–10, 10–20 cm). The indicators evaluated included total carbon (TC), permanganate oxidizable C (POXC), mineralizable C (Min C), microbial biomass C (MBC), dissolved organic C (DOC), total nitrogen (TN), ‐N, ‐N, potentially mineralizable N (PMN), electrical conductivity (EC), pH, bulk density, wet aggregate stability (WAS), penetration resistance, and infiltration rate. Our findings suggest that TC, POXC, DOC, TN, EC, pH, and WAS are relevant indicators of SH for wine grape production from growers' perspectives. However, grower perspectives were guided by soil texture due to its strong association with soil water availability and vigor control. Finer texture soils with higher TC, POXC, TN, and WAS were associated with poorer agronomic outcomes, contradicting current SH paradigms. Most indicators were higher in the 0–10 cm depth and in the plant‐covered tractor rows compared to the 10–20 cm depth and the bare, irrigated vine rows. Bulk density was higher under tillage, especially at 10–20 cm, while POXC and Min C were higher in the 0–10 cm under no‐till. These results highlight the value of integrating growers' views into SH assessments and the need for crop‐specific SH research and outreach. Grower participation facilitated the identification of surface SH indicators linked to their current management decisions. This study underscores the importance of texture and management as guides for interpreting surface SH indicators and provides insights on further considerations needed to make SH assessments more relevant for winegrape production.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Evaluation of Daily Vegetation Indices for Remote Sensing of Plant-Water Status in California Almond Orchards

  SSRN Electronic Journal · 2026-01-01

  preprintOpen accessSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• Organic and inorganic fertilizers modulate the response of the soil microbiome to salinity stress

  Frontiers in Microbiology · 2025-06-19 · 11 citations

  articleOpen access

  Salinity stress threatens soil microbiomes, a key driver of soil multifunctionality and health. This study employed high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA, PLFAs, multifunctionality index, and co-occurrence networks to gain a comprehensive understanding of the dynamic responses of soil microbiomes to salinity stress gradient (0, 0.4 and 1 mol NaCl). Additionally, we investigated how these responses are shaped by the addition of vermicompost and NPK fertilizer during short-term (2-h) and long-term (70-day) incubation periods. Salinity stress reduced bacterial and fungal phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA) concentrations in the short-term. Over the long-term, the microbial community evolved into a new pattern under salt stress, favoring the presence of Bacteriodota , a salt-tolerant phylum, while decreasing the relative abundance of Acidobacteriota and Planctomycetota , which are more salt-sensitive. Furthermore, salinity decreased species richness by 11.33% and soil multifunctionality by 21.48% but increased microbial network complexity while decreasing its stability. Incorporating vermicompost increased bacterial and fungal PLFAs, enhanced bacterial diversity by 2.33%, promoted salt-tolerant bacteria, and increased the complexity and stability of the bacterial network. Conversely, the application of NPK fertilizer reduced bacterial richness, alpha diversity and soil multifunctionality by 14.52, 5.83, and 12.34%, respectively, further disrupting the microbial community and making resilience to salinity stress more challenging. Furthermore, NPK fertilization increased bacterial network complexity but decreased its stability. This study underscores the significance of employing vermicompost to improve the health of saline soils. Furthermore, it emphasizes the negative impacts of NPK fertilizer on soil microbial structure and function and hinder its recovery from salinity’s impacts.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Tapered deficit irrigation strategies to reduce water use in processing tomatoes

  California Agriculture · 2025-05-16

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  California processing tomato growers must adapt their irrigation management practices to cope with frequent droughts and increasingly limited groundwater supplies. Processing tomatoes’ water stress tolerance provides a water savings opportunity through deficit irrigation. However, it is important to initiate deficit irrigation at key growth stages to maintain yields. We conducted a deficit irrigation experiment over three years using a randomized block design with four treatments in three commercially operated fields in Fresno County. A tapered deficit treatment was applied, where the amount of water deficit was increased partway through the deficit period to ease the crop into higher water stress while further reducing irrigation. In all three seasons, there were no differences between treatments in yield, with some seasons having an improvement in Brix with the higher deficit treatments. This was achieved with up to a 29% reduction in irrigation compared to the grower’s standard practice. The results of this study suggest that tapered deficit irrigation can be a viable option for optimizing water savings in processing tomato systems.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Data fusion approach for predicting high resolution estimates of crop evapotranspiration

  Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · 2025-08-22

  articleOpen access

  This version of the article has been accepted for publication, after peer review (when applicable) and is subject to Springer Nature's AM terms of use, but is not the Version of Record and does not reflect post-acceptance improvements, or any corrections. The Version of Record is available online at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11119-025-10273-x. Deposited by shareyourpaper.org and openaccessbutton.org. We've taken reasonable steps to ensure this content doesn't violate copyright. However, if you think it does you can request a takedown by emailing help@openaccessbutton.org.

  PublisherDOI

• Influence of almond's canopy-induced shadows on actual evapotranspiration estimation by the TSEB model using sUAS multispectral and thermal imagery

  Research Square · 2025-08-13

  preprintOpen access
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Preliminary assessment of crushed rock, compost, and biochar amendments on soil physical properties

  Agricultural & Environmental Letters · 2025-07-11 · 3 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Abstract Innovative carbon dioxide removal strategies using soil amendments like crushed silicate rock may alter soil structure and function by inducing changes in soil mineralogy. We hypothesized that crushed silicate rock would improve soil physical properties. This study investigated how stand‐alone and combined application of crushed metabasalt and olivine rock (40.3 and 26.9 Mg ha −1 ), compost (9 Mg ha −1 ), and biochar (10 Mg ha −1 ) influenced soil physical health over a 2‐year drought period in a Northern California corn ( Zea mays L.) cropping system. Rock‐amended soils exhibited greater aggregate stability, up to 400% greater hydraulic conductivity, and up to 21% lower penetration resistance following 3 years of repeated application, with no changes in texture or plant‐available water. Co‐application of organic amendments yielded no additional benefits compared to rock alone, but usually improved physical properties compared to the unamended control. Long‐term studies are needed to gauge the rate and persistence of these improvements. Core Ideas Enhanced rock weathering harnesses weathering reactions to remove atmospheric carbon dioxide via soil and water. The impacts of crushed silicate rock amendments on soil physical properties over time remain unclear. Rock‐amended soils showed evidence of structural and hydraulic improvement following three annual applications. Biochar enhanced soil physical quality alone and in combination with compost. Future work should assess co‐benefits and tradeoffs associated with silicate rock application on cropland soils.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Data fusion approach for predicting high resolution estimates of crop evapotranspiration

  Precision Agriculture · 2025-08-22 · 1 citations

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Quantifying Nitrate Leaching from Agricultural Soils

  Minds at UW (University of Wisconsin) · 2025-12-10

  articleSenior author

  This article was written by the UW-Madison Division of Extension Ag Water Quality Program and is posted online at agwater.extension.wisc.edu

  Publisher

• Increased drip irrigation during heatwaves does not alter vineyard land surface temperature and evapotranspiration

  Agricultural Water Management · 2025-09-01

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  The frequency, duration, and intensity of heatwaves are threatening the stability of perennial crops, including winegrapes. Winegrapes are becoming increasingly irrigated with low-pressure, low-flow micro-irrigation systems (e.g., drip, micro-sprinklers) to address water scarcity. Heatwaves cause both heat and water stress in wine grapes, so growers commonly increase irrigation to cope with heatwaves. However, the effects of this practice on vineyard responses have not been extensively studied. We characterized biometeorological and physiological responses to different drip irrigation treatments surrounding three heatwaves in 2021 from the plant to vineyard scale using a combination of remote and proximal sensing approaches – satellite, drone, and tower-based methods – to quantify land surface temperature (LST) and actual evapotranspiration (ET a ). We further separated LST into canopy and soil components using a segmentation approach. Additionally, we measured soil water content and leaf-level vine responses including stomatal conductance, net photosynthesis, transpiration, stem and leaf water potentials, and radiometric leaf temperatures. Reflecting standard viticultural practices, supplemental drip irrigation treatments were only implemented surrounding heatwaves and included 60 % (i.e., maintaining standard deficit irrigation), 90 %, and 120 % of the estimated crop evapotranspiration. Our key findings were: (1) moderate increases in drip irrigation increased transpiration, stomatal conductance, CO 2 assimilation, and yield with maximum daily ranges between treatments of 2.21 −4.00 mmol m −2 s −1 , 0.06 −0.11 mol m −2 s −1 , 5.82 −7.27 µmol m −2 s −1 , and 16.3 −19.0 kg vine −1 , respectively. However, these physiological responses did not translate to differences in LST and ET a , which did not vary between treatments by more than 1.5 °C or 1 mm day −1 , respectively; (2) LST and ET a patterns followed the same ranking by treatment throughout the season, which did not align with or respond to differential drip irrigation treatments; (3) Soil surface temperatures also did not align with or respond to differential drip irrigation treatments. Findings from this study suggest that increased drip irrigation addresses vine water stress and increases leaf transpiration during heatwaves but does not provide the evaporative cooling benefits demonstrated by high-pressure, high-flow irrigation systems (e.g., center pivot irrigation). These findings can be used to inform optimal irrigation and heat management practices for agriculture during heatwaves. • Increased irrigation during heatwaves did not alter land surface temperature or ET a . • Vineyard evaporative cooling was not affected by heatwave irrigation treatments. • Additional heatwave irrigation may mitigate water stress but not heat stress. • Grapevine physiology measurements, yield, and berry quality varied with irrigation. • There are diminishing returns with increasing irrigation during heatwaves.

  PublisherDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Samuel C. Zipper

  United States Geological Survey

  16 shared

• Christopher J. Kucharik

  University of Wisconsin–Madison

  10 shared

• Bonnie M. McGill

  9 shared

• Isaya Kisekka

  University of California, Davis

  7 shared

• William P. Kustas

  Agricultural Research Service

  5 shared

• A. D. Kendall

  5 shared

• Fei Chen

  4 shared

• Luca Brocca

  Research Institute for Geo-Hydrological Protection

  4 shared

Education

• Ph.D., Biological Systems Engineering

  University of Wisconsin–Madison

  2009

• M.S., Biological Systems Engineering

  University of Wisconsin–Madison

  2004

• B.S., Agricultural and Biological Engineering

  University of Wisconsin–Madison

  2002

Awards & honors

• 2024 Science Communication Identities Project Fellowship, Me…
• 2023 Conservation Innovation Award. Awarded by the Soil and…
• 2022 Award for Excellence in Service to Graduate Students. A…
• 2017 David H. Smith Conservation Research Postdoctoral Fello…
• 2016 Best Student Oral Presentation. American Society of Agr…