Masoud Hashemi

Undergraduate & Graduate Faculty—Sustainable Agriculture, Soil Health, and Sustainability; Extension Professor; Graduate Program Director

Faculty
A headshot of Masoud Hashemi.
Contact
Email
Email
Phone
Location
Bowditch 207
Masoud Hashemi squatting in a grass field with dense trees in the background.

My appointment at the University of Massachusetts consists of extension (50%), teaching (25%) and research (25%). Currently I am serving as Graduate Program Director for Plant and Soil Science Graduate Program. My extension activities include leading the “Crops, Dairy, Livestock, Equine” team for UMass Extension, state contact for nutrient and manure management, pasture management, cover crops, and agronomic crop production. I am also editor of Crops, Dairy, Livestock, and Equine Newsletter which is published four times a year. Other major outreach activities include statewide presentations and workshops on various topics, State Coordinator and State Host of New England Green Pastures. My research program is mainly focused on sustainable food and farming systems with special emphasis on integrating various cover crops to improve yield and quality of crops, maintain soil health, and to enhance environmental quality.

My current research projects include:

  •  Evaluating various strategies to extend grazing season
  • Integrating cover crops into garlic production
  • Sustainable strategies for cover crops termination
  • Testing spring and winter barley cultivars for brewing
  • Reducing nitrogen and herbicides in sweet corn production
  • Minimizing environment pollution in equine operation

I have been author or co-author of four books entitled, Seed Dormancy and Germination (2000), Postharvest Physiology (1997), Sustainable Agriculture (1996), and Maximizing Crop Yield (1995).

Curriculum Vitae

Extension Professor
Graduate Program Director

RESEARCH INTERESTS AND PROJECTS

My research activity is mainly focused on sustainability of farming systems through diversified cropping systems. I am specifically interested in integrating cover crops into farming systems to enhance nutrient recovery and recycling, weed suppression, and improving general soil health.  My other research focus is pasture management including grazing systems and strategies to extend grazing season.

Education

Ph.D.  Plant and Soil Sciences/Crop Physiology, 1990, University of Massachusetts Amherst.

CLASSES

On campus:

  • STOCKSCH 350 “Sustainable Soil and Crop Management”
  • HONORS 391A “Honors Seminars 2”
  • STOCKSCH 650 “Global Challenges in Agriculture and the Environment" (team teaching)

Online:

  • STOCKSCH 350 “Sustainable Soil and Crop Management”
  • STOCKSCH 211 “Pasture Management”

OUTREACH

  • Leader, UMass Extension Crops, Dairy, Livestock, and Equine Team.
  • Editor, Crops, Dairy, Livestock, Equine Newsletter.
  • Editor, Massachusetts Agronomy Research Report.
  • State contact for nutrient management, crop production, pasture management.
  • State Coordinator and State Host, New England Green Pastures.
  • Technical reviewer for Northeast SARE Research Proposals.

RECENT PUBLICATIONS

Recent Publications (2020-2025)

  • Saadat, Dorna, Masoud Hashemi, Stephen Herbert, Artie Siller. 2025. Contribution of Roots and Shoots of Three Summer Cover Crops to Soil C and N Cycling Post-Termination. Agronomy 2025, 15, 1467. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15061467
  • Zandvakili, Omid, Allen V. Barker, Masoud Hashemi, Baoshan Xing, Kurt A. Spokas, Stephen J. Herbert, Alexander E. Ribbe, Rafael Clemente, Sanjai J. Parikh. 2025. Physicochemical evolution of sugar maple biochar: Insights from a long-term field trial. Journal of Environmental Quality. https://doi.org/10.1002/jeq2.70053
  • Shang Gao, Heping Shang, Chaoyi Deng, Ian Eggleston, Jason C. White, Masoud Hashemi, Yi Wang and Baoshan Xing. 2025. Enhancing Leafy Green Vegetable Growth and Quality through the Foliar Application of Copper Oxide Nanoparticles, Environmental Technology & Innovation, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eti.2025.104310
  • Mayeh Rohani Nejad, Zohreh Emami Bistgani, Masoud Hashemi & Allen V. Barker. 2025. Breaking of seed dormancy in redroot pigweed. Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis. DOI: 10.1080/00103624.2025.2507362.
  • Siller, Artie, Neda Nikpour Rashidabad, Masoud Hashemi. 2025. Cool-season leguminous cover crops. In: Cover crops for sustainable soil management. ed. Sjoerd W. Duiker and Andy Clark. Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing. Accepted.
  • Smychkovich, Alexandra, Samantha Glaze-Corcoran, Ashley Keiser, Masoud Hashemi. 2025. Assessing the Root and Shoot Composition, Decomposition, Carbon Contribution and Nitrogen Mineralization Trends of Single Species and Mixed Cover Crops. Field Crop research. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109902
  • Ahmadnia, Fatemeh, Ali Ebadi, Masoud Hashemi. 2025. Evaluation of the effectiveness of Iceberg lettuce yield from the interaction of cover crop residues and hand-weeding. Journal of Horticultural Science. Accepted.
  • Ahmadnia, Fatemeh. Ali Ebadi; Mohammad Taghi Alebrahim; Ghasem Parmoon; Solmaz Feizpoor; Masoud Hashemi. 2025. The efficacy of sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea) and Fe3O4 nanoparticles in controlling weed seed germination. Agronomy. 2025, 15, 795. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15040795 10.3390/agronomy15040795
  • Nikpour Rashidabad, Neda, Salar Farhangi-Abriz, Hannah Naughton, Masoud Hashemi. 2025. Deciphering PGPR Mechanisms in Saline Soils: Enhancing Plant Productivity. Advances in Agronomy. Volume 192, https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.agron.2025.03.006
  • Nikpour Rashidabad, Neda, Masoud Hashemi, Ashley D. Keiser, Salar Farhangi-Abriz, Arthur Siller. 2025. The Impact of Soil Coverings on N2O Emissions, Nitrogen Leaching, and Ammonia Volatilization. Advances in Agronomy. Vol. 190: 29-100. https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.agron.2024.11.005
  • Boniface, Helen S., Steven B. Mirsky, Matthew R. Ryan, Richard G. Smith, Victoria J. Ackroyd, Ann Bybee-Finley, Heather M. Darby, Sjoerd W. Duiker, Masoud Hashemi, Sarah M. Hirsh, Ivy Krezinski, Ellen B. Mallory, Tosh R. Mazzone, Thomas Molloy, Arthur Siller, Resham Thapa, Mark J. VanGessel, John M. Wallace, Nicholas D. Warren, Sandra Wayman, Katherine L. Tully. 2024. Environmental conditions outweigh seeding rates for cover crop mixture performance across the Northeast US. Field Crops Research. Volume 318, 109564. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fcr.2024.109564
  • Palmer, Corey, Arthur Siller, Raina Nailor. Masoud Hashemi, Ashley Keizer. 2024. Increased winter-killed cover crop seeding rate may not increase soil health outcomes. Soil Science Society of America. DOI: 10.1002/saj2.20735
  • Zandvakili, Allen V. Barker, Masoud Hashemi, Stephen J. Herbert, Sanjai J. Parikh, O, 2024. Enhancing nitrate and ammonium recovery from lettuce leaves: Evaluating the impact of cultivation practices and chemical extractants. Plant Nutrition. https://Doi.org/10.1080/01904167.2024.2333314
  • Ghorbi, S, A. Ebadi, S. Khomari, M. Hashemi. 2024. The effect of faba bean (Vicia faba L.) cover crop on corn (Zea mays L.) nitrogen efficiency under water deficit stress. Environmental Stresses in Crop Sciences. 17 (1): 159-174. https://dx.doi.org/10.22077/ESCS.2023.5560.2157
  • Koduru, Sowmya, Larren Gorlitsky, Masoud Hashemi, Stephen Herbert, Amir Sadeghpour.2024. Decreasing the cutting height increases young and mature switchgrass yield with no impact on quality and stand vigor at different harvesting seasons. Biomass and Bioenergy. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biombioe. 2024.107153
  • Alex Huddell, Resham Thapa, Guillermo Marcillo, Lori Abendroth, Victoria Ackroyd, Shalamar Armstrong, Gautam Asmita, Muthukumar Bagavathiannan, Kipling Balkcom, Andrea Basche, Shawn Beam, Kevin Bradley, Lucas Canisares, Heather Darby, Adam Davis, Pratap Devkota, Warren Dick, Jeffery Evans, Wesley Everman, Tauana Ferreira De Almeida, Michael Flessner, Lisa Fultz, Stefan Gailans, Masoud Hashemi, Joseph Haymaker, Matthew Helmers, Nicholas Jordan, Thomas Kaspar, Quirine M. Ketterings, Eileen J. Kladivko, Alexandra Kravchenko, Eugene Law, Lauren Lazaro, Ramon Leon, Jeffrey Liebert, John Lindquist, Kristen Loria, Jodie McVane, Jarrod Miller, Michael Mulvaney, Nsalambi Nkongolo, Jason Norsworthy, Binaya Parajuli, Christopher Pelzer, Cara Peterson, Hanna Poffenbarger, Pratima Poudel, Mark Reiter, Matt Ruark, Matthew Ryan, Spencer Samuelson, John Sawyer, Sarah Seehaver, Lovreet Shergill, Yogendra Upadhyaya, Mark VanGessel, Ashley Waggoner, John Wallace, Samantha Wells, Charles White, Bethany Wolters, Alex Woodley, Rongzhong Ye, Eric Youngerman, Brian Needelman, and Steven Mirsky. 2024.  U.S. cereal rye winter cover crop growth database. Sci Data 11, 200 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-024-02996-9
  • Khosravi, Anahita, Yanfei Yuan, Qiang Liu, Hao Zheng, Masoud Hashemi, Yuanzhi Tang, and Baoshan Xing. 2024. Hydrochars as slow-release phosphorus fertilizers for enhancing corn and soybean growth in agricultural soil. Carbon Research. 3-7. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44246-023-00086-w
  • Emami-Bistgani, Zohreh, Allen Barker, Masoud Hashemi. 2024. Physiology of medicinal and aromatic plants under drought stress. Crop Journal. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cj.2023.12.003
  • Tabrizi1, Leila, Om Parkash Dhankher, Masoud Hashemi. 2024. Alleviation of cadmium stress in saffron (Crocus sativus L.) with nanoscale and bulk sulfur amendment. Journal of Crop Health. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10343-023-00961-x
  • Glaze-Corcoran, Samantha and Masoud Hashemi. 2023. Optimizing livestock manure as a source of nitrogen and other nutrients. In Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing, Cambridge, U.K.
  • Saadat, Dorna.; Arthur Siller, Masoud Hashemi. 2023. Phenology, Nitrogen Status, and Yield of Red Clover (Trifolium pretense L.) Affected by Application of Vitamin B12, Humic Acid, and Enriched Biochar. Agronomy2023, 13, 2885. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13122885
  • Ahmadnia, Fatemeh, Ali Ebadi, Masoud Hashemi, Akbar Ghavidel, Mohammad Tagh Alebrahim. 2023. Impact of some cover crops and hand-weeding on the yield of spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.). Journal of Vegetable Sciences. DOI: 10.22034/IUVS.2023.2002290.1286
  • Ahmadnia, Fatemeh, Ali Ebadi, Masoud Hashemi, Akbar Ghavidel, Mohammad Tagh Alebrahim. 2023. The Effect of Sunn Hemp Extract (Crotalaria juncea) Formulated with Chitosan Nanoparticle on the Germination of Some Weeds.Journal of Seed Research. DOI: 10.30495/jsr.2023.1988281.1257
  • Ghorbi, Samaneh, Ali Ebadi, Ghsem Parmoon, Arthur Siller, Masoud Hashemi. 2023. The Use of Faba Bean Cover Crop to Enhance Sustainability and the Resiliency of No-Till Corn Silage Production and Soil Characteristics. Agronomy https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13082082
  • Emami Bistgani, Allen Barker, and Masoud Hashemi. 2023. Review on Physiological and Phytochemical Responses of Medicinal Plants to Salinity Stress. Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis. DOI: 10.1080/00103624.2023.2227212
  • Glaze-Corcoran, Samantha, Alexandra Smychcovich, and Masoud Hashemi. 2023. Dual-purpose rye, Wheat, and Triticale Cover Crops Offer Increased Forage Production and Nutrient Management but Demonstrate Nitrogen Immobilization Dynamics. Agronomy 2023, 13(6), 1517; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13061517
  • Baghdadi, Amirsaleh, Farid Golzardi, Masoud Hashemi. 2023. The use of alternative irrigation and cropping systems in forage production may alleviate the water scarcity in semi-arid regions. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture. 103: 5050–5060 DOI 10.1002/jsfa.12574.
  • Emami Bistgani, Zohreh, Masoud Hashemi, Parisa Akbari, Hassan Mumivand. 2023. Influence of drought stress and foliar application of chitosan on nutrient accumulation and phenolic composition of Thymus daenensis Celak. Crop Science. DOI:10.1002/csc2.20901
  • Muetasam Jafr, Shaida, Abdol Rahman Rahimi, Masoud Hashemi, and Asad Rokhzadi. 2022. Influence of N, K, and Seaweed Extract Fertilization on Biomass, Photosynthetic Pigments, and Essential Oil of Thymus vulgaris: Optimization Study by Response Surface Methodology. Agronomy. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12123222
  • Glaze-Corcoran, Samantha, Alexandra Smychkovich and Masoud Hashemi. 2022. Use of Dual-Purpose Winter-Grain Cover Crops as Emergency Forage and for Management of High Soil Phosphorous in Manured Fields. Agronomy 2022, 12, 2334. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12102334
  • Parmoon, Ghasem, Ali Ebadi, Masoud Hashemi, Barbara Hawrylak-Nowak, Carol Baskin, Soodabe Jahan bakhsh. 2022. Plant growth regulators improve grain production and water use efficiency of Foeniculum vulgare Mill. under water stress. Plants 2022, 11, 1718. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11131718
  • Smychkovich, A and Masoud Hashemi. 2022. Yield and Nutrient Concentrations of Kohlrabi Bulbs and Leaves as Affected by Spring Transplanting Dates. Agronomy. Agronomy 2022, 12, 770. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12040770
  • Zandvakili, Omid,, Allen V Barker, Masoud Hashemi, Wesley R. Autio, Fatemeh Etemadi, Amir Sadeghpour. 2022. Influence of nitrogen source and rate on lettuce yield and quality. Agronomy Journal. 114: 1401-1414. DOI: 10.1002/agj2.20966
  • Khosravi, Anahita, Hao Zheng, Qiang Liu, Masoud Hashemi, Yuanzhi Tang, Baoshan Xing. 2021. Production and Characterization of Hydrochars and their Application in Soil Improvement and Environmental Remediation. Chemical Engineering Journal.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2021.133142
  • Moosavi, Seyed Amir, Seyed Ataollah Siadat, Masoud Hashemi, Ghasem Parmoon and Adel Poshtdar. 2021. Economics of dual-purpose okra as influenced by harvesting strategies. International Journal of Vegetable Science. https://doi.org/10.1080/19315260.2021.1993401
  • Siller Arthur, Heather Darby, Alexandra Smychkovich, Masoud Hashemi. 2021. Winter malt barley growth, yield, and quality following leguminous cover crops in the Northeast United States. Nitrogen. 2(4): 415-427.  https://doi.org/10.3390/nitrogen2040028
  • Ghorbi, S, A. Ebadi, S. Khomari, M. Hashemi. 2021. The Effect of Nitrogen Fertilizer and Faba Bean Density in Rotation, on Maize Nitrogen Use Efficiency under No-till System. Iranian Journal of Field Crop research. 19: 299-309. : https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-953580/v1
  • Emami Bistgani, Zohreh, Masoud Hashemi, and Rasmieh Hamid. 2021. Source of nutrients and exogenous chitosan may affect productivity, nutrient accumulation, and phenolic compounds of Thymus daenensis Celak. Agronomy Journal. 113:5499–5515. DOI: 10.1002/agj2.20858
  • Ahmadnia, Fatemeh, Ali Ebadi, Masoud Hashemi, and Leyli Nabati. 2021. Investigating the Effectiveness of Sunn Hemp (Crotalaria juncea) and Rye (Secale cereal L.) in Weed Suppression and Yield of Kohlrabi (Brassica oleracea var. Gongylodes). Agricultural Science and Sustainable Production. 31 (2): 43-56 (in Persian with English abstract).
  • Kumar, Pawan, Masoud Hashemi, Stephen J. Herbert, Emad Jahanzad, Hadi Safari-Katesari, Martin Battaglia, Omid Zandvakili, Amir Sadeghpour. 2021. Integrated Management Practices for Establishing Shawnee Switchgrass. Agronomy. 2021, 11, 1400. https://doi.org/10.3390/ agronomy11071400
  • Ahmadnia, Fatemeh, Ali Ebadi, Masoud Hashemi, Akbar Ghavidel, Soghra Ghahremani. 2021. Evaluation of Short-Term Effect of Oat (Avena sativa L.) and Chickling Pea (Lathyrus sativus L.) Cover Crops on Improving some Soil Properties. Applied Soil Research. 9 (1): 72-87 (In Persian with English abstract).
  • Mavandi, Parizad, Bohloul Abbaszadeh, Zohreh Emami Bistgani, Allen V.Barker & Masoud Hashemi. 2021. Biomass, nutrient concentration and the essential oil composition of lavender (Lavandula angustifolia Mill.) grown with organic fertilizers. Journal of Plant Nutrition. 44: 3061-3071. DOI: 10.1080/01904167.2021.1936037
  • Zangani, Esmaeil, Saeid Zehtab‑Salmasi, Babak Andalibi, Abbas Ali Zamani, Masoud Hashemi. 2021. Exogenous nitric oxide improved production and content of favonolignans in milk thistle seeds under water deficit system. Acta Physiologiae Plantarum 43:87 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11738-021-03257-7
  • Siller, Arthur, Masoud Hashemi, Caroline Wise, Alexandra Smychkovich, Heather Darby. 2021. Date of planting and nitrogen management for winter malt barley production in the Northeast, USA. Agronomy. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11040797
  • Baghdadi, Amirsaleh, Farzad Paknejad, Farid Golzardi, Masoud Hashemi and Mohammad Nabi Ilkaee. Suitability and benefits from intercropped sorghum-amaranth under partial root-zone irrigation. 2021. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture. DOI: 10.1002/jsfa.11244
  • Gudarzi, Mohammad, Ali Ebadi, Fatemeh Ahmadnia, Masoud Hashemi, Soghra Ghahremani5. 2021. Effect of Cover Crops on Yield and Weeds Control of Lettuce Icebergs (Lactuca sativa var. Iceberg). SAPS. 30 (4) 173-184 (In Persian with English Abstract)
  • Biabani,Abbas, Abbas Ferooghi, Ali Rahemi, Fhorban ali Rasam, Masomud Hashemi, Reza Keshavarz Afshar. 2021. Physiological traits, yield, and yield components relationship in winter and spring canola. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture. DOI: 10.1002/jsfa.11094
  • Cole, Emily, Allen V. Barker, Omid R. Zandvakili , Amir Sadeghpour, Baoshan Xing, Masoud Hashemi, Elisha Allan-Perkins, and Geunhwa Jung. 2021. Soil nutrient and nematode community changes in response to hardwood charcoal application. Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis. https://doi.org/10.1080/00103624.2020.1869774
  • Ghahremani, Soghra, Ali Ebadi, Ahmad Tobeb, Masoud Hashemi, Mohammad Sedghi, Abdolghayum Gholipuri, Allen Barker. 2021. Short-term impact of monocultured and mixed cover crops on soil properties, weed suppression, and lettuce yield. Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis. 52 (4): 406-415. https://doi.org/10.1080/00103624.2020.1854295
  • Akbari, Parisa., Stephen Herbert, Masoud Hashemi, Allen Barker, Omid Reza Zandvakili and Zohreh Emami Bistgani. 2020. Winter Annual Rye Seeding Date Influence on Nitrogen Recovery and Ammonia Volatilization from Late Fall Surface-Applied Manure. Agronomy. 10, 931; doi:10.3390/agronomy10070931
  • Zandvakili Omid R, Masoud Hashemi, Mohammad R. Chaichi, Allen V. Barker, Reza Keshavarz Afshar, Hamid R. Mashhadi, Mostafa Oveysi, and Maryam Sabet. 2020. Role of Cover Crops and Nicosulfuron Dosage on Weed Control and Productivity in Corn Crop. Weed Science. DOI: 10.1017/wsc.2020.71
  • Ahmadnia F., Ebadi A., Hashemi M., Ghavidel A., 2020. Investigating the short time effect of cover crops on biophysical properties of soil. Journal of Water and Soil Conservation, 26(6): 277-290. DOI: 10.22069/jwsc.2019.16172.3145
  • Ghahremani s, Ebadi A, Tobeh A, Hashemi M, Sedghi M and Gholipuri A. 2020. The Effect of Cover Crops on Yield and Weeds Control of Patato (Solanum tuberosum L.). Journal of crop ecophysiology, 14(1): 119-134
  • Brennan, Rebecca Jean Barnes, Samantha Glaze-Corcoran, Robert Wick, Masoud Hashemi. 2020. Biofumigation: an alternative strategy for the control of Plant Parasitic Nematodes. Journal of Integrative Agriculture. 19(7): 1680–1690. doi: 10.1016/S2095-3119(19)62817-0
  • Glaze-Corcoran, Samantha, Masoud Hashemi, Amir Sadeghpour, Emad Jehanzad, Reza Keshavarz Afshar, Xiaobing Liu, Stephen J. Herbert. 2020. Understanding intercropping to improve agricultural resiliency and environmental sustainability. Advances in Agronomy.162: 199-256. https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.agron.2020.02.004