Dinesh Gulati

[email protected]

+1 814 826 5770

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Education

  • Ph.D. in Water Resources, University of Idaho, ID, GPA: 4.00
    Dissertation: "Development and deployment of soil water budget models tailored for Idaho agroecosystems and their applications"
    Advisor: Dr. Meetpal S. Kukal
    Aug 2023 - Present
  • Master of Technology in Soil and Water Engineering, Punjab Agricultural University, India, GPA: 3.32
    Thesis: “Simulation of groundwater recharge from transplanted and direct seeded rice fields”
    Advisor: Dr. Sanjay Satpute
    Apr 2021
  • Bachelor of Technology in Agricultural Engineering, Punjab Agricultural University, India, GPA: 3.22
    Project: “Comparative field evaluation of different straw management technologies in combine harvested paddy fields under different straw conditions”
    Advisor: Dr. M.K. Narang
    Jun 2018

Research Experience

Graduate Research Assistant, Department of Soil and Water Systems

University of Idaho, ID | Aug 2024 - Present

  • Developed a Google Earth Engine routine to obtain and analyze OpenET, gridMET, and soils data for the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer.
  • Contributed to pyfao56 Open-Source Evapotranspiration and Water Balance Tool (awarded Irrigation Association's Vanguard Award).
  • Contributed to developing a Python model for quantifying evapotranspiration of applied water.
  • Assessed soil organic carbon gain impacts on agrohydrological processes across soils, climates, and irrigation practices.
  • Built SnakeFlux cooperator portal, a Flask-based web app that automates eddy covariance data delivery and visualization to cooperators. (fieldsync.pythonanywhere.com)
  • Built FAO56-Studio, an interactive no-code web-based platform to simulate FAO56-based soil water budgets. (swb.hydroagrinexus.com)
  • Analysed eddy covariance energy balance closure and flux footprints using the flux-data-qaqc and fluxfootprints packages.
Summer Research Assistant - IWRRI

University of Idaho, ID | June - August 2025

  • Conducted initial hydrological assessment of Portneuf Watershed for IWRRI.
  • Analyzed datasets such as gridMET, PRISM, OpenET, USDA CDL, NLCD, IrrMapper from GEE using JavaScript and Python APIs.
Graduate Research Assistant, Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering

The Pennsylvania State University, PA | Aug 2023 - Aug 2024

  • Contributed to pyfao56 Open-Source Evapotranspiration and Water Balance Tool.
  • Developed a machine learning model that enables the usability of NOAA Reference ET forecasts in the Western U.S.
  • Assessed soil organic carbon gain impacts on agrohydrological processes across soils, climates, and irrigation practices.
Senior Research Fellow

Department of Soil Sciences, PAU | May 2021 - May 2022

  • Planned and managed field experiments under micro-irrigation systems.
  • Developed low-cost microcontroller-based sensors for agricultural use.
  • Conducted practical classes for bachelor’s students.
Master’s Research

Department of Soil and Water Engineering, PAU | Aug 2018 - Apr 2021

  • Conducted field experiments for direct-seeded and transplanted rice.
  • Analyzed soil moisture data using Delta PR2 probes.
  • Simulated groundwater recharge using HYDRUS-1D.

Publications

  • Thorp, K. R., Gulati, D., Kukal, M., Ames, R., Pokoski, T., & DeJonge, K. C. (2025). “Version 1.4.0 pyfao56: FAO-56 evapotranspiration in Python.” SoftwareX. [DOI]
  • Thorp, K. R., DeJonge, K. C., Pokoski, T., Gulati, D., et al. (2024). “Version 1.3.0 pyfao56: FAO-56 evapotranspiration in Python.” SoftwareX. [DOI]
  • Singla, P., Gulati, D., et al. (2023). “Variation in physio-chemical attributes and WUE during growth and development of Pak choi...” Acta Alimentaria. [DOI]
  • Gulati, D., Satpute, S., et al. (2022). “Estimation of potential recharge through direct seeded and transplanted rice fields...” Paddy and Water Environment. [DOI]

Presentations

  • Revisiting potato evapotranspiration: Findings from continuous flux measurements in a commercial production field. Jan 21, 2026, Pocatello, ID (Idaho Potato Conference)
  • Increased water retention from soil carbon gain is insufficient to result in a tangible positive change in agricultural water budgets. Nov 11, 2025, SLC, UT (CANVAS)
  • Assimilation of in-situ soil moisture to constrain FAO-56 crop evapotranspiration in water-limited environments. Nov 11, 2025, SLC, UT (CANVAS)
  • Consumptive use & crop yield response to irrigation demand management in Idaho's Magic Valley. Nov 4, 2025, Boise, ID (PNW Summit) [Poster]
  • Increased water retention from soil carbon gain is insufficient to result in a tangible positive change in agricultural water budgets. July 15, 2025, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (ASABE/CSABE)
  • Deploying OpenET to access consumptive use from field to water entity scales across Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer. July 15, 2025, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (ASABE/CSABE)
  • Tracking evapotranspiration of applied water and effective precipitation by color-coding standardized soil water budgets. July 14, 2025, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (ASABE/CSABE)
  • How NRCS conservation practice standards impact agricultural water budgets? March 3, 2025, Boise, ID (IDEQ IWQW) [Poster]
  • Hydrological losses under increased soil organic carbon and weather variability in different soil textures. Nov 11, 2024, San Antonio, TX (ASA, CSSA, SSSA)
  • How does improving soil structure impact crop evapotranspiration and water stress across soil textures and aridity? Nov 11, 2024, San Antonio, TX (ASA, CSSA, SSSA)
  • Climatic and Seasonal Variation in ETr to ETo ratios calculated using ASCE standardized Penman-Monteith across the contiguous U.S. July 29, 2024, Anaheim, CA (ASABE) [Poster]
  • Translating soil carbon sequestration into agrohydrological outcomes across a spectrum of aridity and soil texture. July 30, 2024, Anaheim, CA (ASABE)
  • Climatic and Seasonal Variation in ETr to ETo ratios calculated using ASCE standardized Penman-Monteith across the contiguous U.S. July 15, 2024, State College, PA (NABEC) [Poster]
  • Translating soil carbon sequestration into agrohydrological outcomes across a spectrum of aridity and soil texture. July 16, 2024, State College, PA (NABEC)

Research Proposals

  • Understanding consumptive use on the ESPA: Data gaps, uncertainty, and impacts. PI: Meetpal Kukal, 2025 Idaho Water Research Priorities, IWRRI ($44,870); Role: Key personnel.
  • Hydrologic modelling and data provisioning for development of a dairy water footprint tool for the Western U.S. PI: Meetpal Kukal, Dairy Management Inc. ($86,875); Role: Key personnel.

Honors and Awards

  • Vanguard award to pyfao56 in 2025 from Irrigation Association
  • Joseph Jordan Student Research Fellowship ($3,500) in 2025 from IWRRI
  • Whiting Water Resources Scholarship ($1,000) in 2024 from the University of Idaho
  • Irrigation E3 learner in 2024 from Irrigation Association
  • Dr. S.D Khepar Gold Medal in 2021 from Punjab Agricultural University
  • Best M.Tech Thesis in Agricultural Engineering in 2022 from ISTE National Award
  • Merit scholarships during Bachelor's and Master's studies from Punjab Agricultural University

Professional Development

  • Completed a three-day APSIM workshop on crop management simulation at Iowa State University
  • Specialization in Deep Learning by deeplearning.ai on Coursera
  • Machine Learning with Python & Fundamentals of R programming on Udemy
  • Attended IoT workshop on precision farming by NCPAH, Ministry of Agriculture, India

Technical Skills

  • Programming: Python (Data Analysis, Machine Learning, Deep Learning), R
  • Tools: HYDRUS, ArcGIS, Google Earth Engine, CROPWAT, APSIM
  • IoT Development: Arduino, NodeMCU, Raspberry Pi
  • Other: Microsoft Office Suite