Chadi Sayde
Bio
Dr. Sayde grew up in a multi-generational farming family. From an early age, he was exposed daily to the practical challenges of agricultural production under the rapidly increasing impacts of climate change on available water resources. This was the main motivation for him to seek a B.S. degree in agricultural engineering from the University of Holy Spirit, Lebanon, then a M.S. degree in Land and Water Resources Management from the Mediterranean Agricultural Institute of Bari, Italy. Finally, he received his Ph.D. in Water Resources Engineering from Oregon State University (OSU). He was advised by one of the pioneers in optimum irrigation management, Dr. Marshall English, as well as one of the world leaders in vadose zone hydrology and environmental monitoring, Dr. John Selker. In his PhD and post-doctoral work at OSU he focused on developing cutting edge tools that allow the interrogation of our environment at a range of temporal and spatial scales never attempted before. For instance, he demonstrated the feasibility of using actively heated fiber optics (soil-AHFO) method in conjunction with Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS) to quantify soil water content and fluxes at spatial scales spanning over 4 orders of magnitude (0.1 m to 1,000 m) and temporal scale well below 1 h. He also developed a novel approach to continuously measure wind speed simultaneously at thousands of points using actively heated fiber optics (air-AHFO). Dr. Sayde joined the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering in January of 2017 as an assistant professor.
Education
Ph.D. Water Resources Engineering Oregon State University 2012
M.S. Land and Water Resources Management Istituto Agronomico Mediterraneo di Bari, Italy 2002
B.S. Agricultural Engineering University of Holy Spirit, Kaslik, Lebanon 1999
Area(s) of Expertise
Dr. Sayde believes that sustainable management of our agricultural and natural systems requires a paradigm shift in the way we manage our water. This paradigm shift will be largely driven by a new generation of physically based models and tools that enable continuous monitoring of our environment over wide range of temporal and spatial scales. Dr. Sayde research is focused on developing and employing advanced models and sensing systems to quantify water and energy movement across the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum from individual plants, to field and watershed scales. His objectives are to employ the ultra-high density of initial and boundary conditions measurements across the landscape to i) understand the underlying physical processes and the interaction between water, atmosphere, soil, topography, and vegetation, and ii) formulate engineered solutions to agricultural water management challenges that optimize economical return of water and minimize its adverse environmental impacts. Areas of interests include:
- quantifying and understanding physical processes that control energy and water movement through the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum at 0.25-10,000 m scales
-development of distributed environmental sensing systems
-design and management optimization of irrigation systems
-development of physically based agricultural water management models
Publications
- Biosensor Advancements for Addressing Agricultural and Environmental Challenges: A Review , Journal of Sustainable Agriculture and Environment (2025)
- Laboratory observations for examining estimates of soil dry surface layer thickness with parsimonious models , Hydrological Sciences Journal (2024)
- Water use and radiation balance of miscanthus and corn on marginal land in the coastal plain region of North Carolina , GCB Bioenergy (2024)
- High-Resolution Monitoring of Scour Using a Novel Fiber-Optic Distributed Temperature Sensing Device: A Proof-of-Concept Laboratory Study , SENSORS (2023)
- Optimization of the number and locations of the calibration stations needed to monitor soil moisture using distributed temperature sensing systems: A proof-of-concept study , Journal of Hydrology (2023)
- Characterizing soil water content variability across spatial scales from optimized high-resolution distributed temperature sensing technique , Journal of Hydrology (2022)
- High‐Resolution Field Measurement of Soil Heat Capacity and Changes in Soil Moisture Using a Dual‐Probe Heat‐Pulse Distributed Temperature Sensing Approach , Water Resources Research (2022)
- A Model for Turbulence Spectra in the Equilibrium Range of the Stable Atmospheric Boundary Layer , Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres (2020)
- High‐Resolution Measurement of Soil Thermal Properties and Moisture Content Using a Novel Heated Fiber Optics Approach , Water Resources Research (2020)
- Classifying the nocturnal atmospheric boundary layer into temperature and flow regimes , Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society (2019)
Grants
The purpose of this project is to set up a statewide soil moisture monitoring network for corn production that research and extension specialists, area specialized agents, county agents and growers can use in developing corn specific irrigation and water management protocols during the growing season based on existing soil water conditions across the state. This project will provide the initial instrumentation across the state, the cloud database, and access to the data, along with training to growers and agents on how to interpret and use the real time data for making irrigation and water management decisions during the growing season.
Enabling the next generation of sustainable farms requires a paradigm shift in resource management of the two most critical agricultural inputs for food production: water and nitrogen (N) - based fertilizer. Inefficient management of these resources increases food production costs, decreases productivity, and impacts the environment. An integrated approach is needed to improve the sustainability and efficiency throughout the production chain. Emerging (bio)electrochemical (BEC) technologies offer alternatives to conventional, fossil-fuel intensive N fertilizer production. Recently our team has demonstrated two game-changing BEC technologies: 1) microbial conversion of nitrogen gas into ammonium, and 2) plasma generation of N species (e.g., nitrate, nitrite) and other reactive species in water for fertilization and anti-pathogen benefits. We will integrate these technologies to produce BEC, N-based fertilizer, and with advanced sensor and delivery systems, we will precisely supply fertilizers for sustainable precision agriculture. Our proposed approach focuses on the development of a novel ����������������BEC fertigation on demand system��������������� by using sensor-driven data and molecular analyses to investigate BEC fertigation impact on the plants������������������ growth, adaptation, and microbiome; its impact on food safety and quality, and its economic feasibility for on-farm deployment.
The goal of the proposed research is to examine the capabilities of two-dimensional (2D) hydro-morphodynamic numerical models for improving the prediction of scour depths at bridge foundations, as well as for enhancing the design of countermeasures for scour mitigation. Despite major advances in predicting the spatial and temporal scales of scour at bridge crossings, bridge failure due to hydraulically induced scour still represents a major technical, economical, and societal challenge. To address this challenge, the proposed research aims to: (1) identify the key capabilities and limitations of the 2D depth-averaged numerical models when simulating scour phenomena at bridge foundations; (2) compare the performance of 1D numerical models to that of 2D numerical models when simulating scour phenomena at bridge foundations; and (3) develop recommendations for predicting scour depths and for evaluating scour mitigation countermeasures at bridge foundations using 2D numerical models. Results from the proposed research will primarily contribute to achieve better predictions of the scour phenomena at bridge foundations, as well as to enhance the design of countermeasures for scour mitigation. Additionally, through the deployment of a novel fiber-optic scour monitoring station, this research will provide new insights on the dynamic development of the scour hole using field data. Such information will effectively enhance the development, and thereby the predictive capabilities of numerical models when use to examine the impact of unknown or extreme hydrologic events.
The Southeast U.S. needs affordable, sustainable, high-yielding, readily-convertible biomass to promote biofuel and bioproducts production. Our project team has made advances toward establishing a biomass supply chain for miscanthus, a perennial grass with superior dry matter yields, beneficial nitrogen cycling mechanisms, and physical properties conducive to multiple crop production strategies. We have developed 15 advanced, high-yielding triploid hybrids and have over 6 years' experience establishing and managing significant acreage of standard miscanthus lines to support project evaluation goals. This project will build on this experience and address these objectives: 1) Evaluate performance (above and below ground) of newly developed hybrids in different geophysical regions of NC with varying nutrient management strategies; 2) Assess production impacts on nutrient and water use efficiency, greenhouse gas fluxes, soil health and microflora; 3) Develop cost-efficient supply chains to deliver on-spec miscanthus to emerging biofuels and bioproducts producers; 4) Support Bioenergy Feedstock Library and related databases within DOE National Labs and USDA. University of Iowa Biomass Fuel Project will serve as our primary conversion technology developer for biopower and monitor end-use economics, product quality, and supply chain sustainability. Data from this miscanthus cropping system will support grower acceptance, industry needs, and environmental and economic sustainability.