Mumtaz Cheema, B.Sc. (Hons.), M.Sc., Ph.D. (University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan), Postdoc (Iowa State University, Ames, US)

Professor - Boreal ecosystems and agricultural sciences

Phone: (709) 639-6533

Email: macheema@mun.ca; cheemamumtaz@gmail.com

Office: AS244

 

Credentials/education

PhD – Agricultural Sciences (Agronomy)

 

Research Interests

Cropping Systems, Integrated Nutrient Management, Industrial Waste Management, Developing BPMs to mitigate Climate Change, Synthesis and evaluating Carbon nano-fertilizer, Abiotic Stress Management. 

 

Teaching

BEAS 6000, BEAS 6001, BEAS 6020, BEAS 6033, TRSU 7002.

 

Representative scholarly contributions

 

  1. Rabia Javed, Zia-ul Islam, Ayesha Rathnayake, Omaththage Adithya Dananjaya Padmaperuma, Uzma Sharafat, Rhea Amor Lumactud, Lord Abbey, Raymond Thomas, Lakshman Galagedara, Mumtaz Cheema. Carbon Nanofertilizers in Agriculture: A Critical Review of Soil Ecosystem Impacts and Phytotoxicity, Plant Nano Biology, 15,100231, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plana.2025.100231 [IF:7.7].
  2. Golam Rabbani, Christina Smeaton, Mumtaz Cheema, Lakshman Galagedara. 2025. Evaluation and estimation of boreal podzol soil nutrient concentrations using electromagnetic induction sensors, Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, Volume 236, 110448. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compag.2025.110448 [IF: 7.7]
  3. Armah, A., Alrayes, L., Pham, T.H., Nadeem, M., Bartlett, O., Fordjour, E., Cheema, M., Galagedara, L., Abbey, L., Thomas, R. 2025. Integrating Rock Dust and Organic Amendments to Enhance Soil Quality and Microbial Activity for Sustainable Crop Production. Plants, 14, 1163. https://doi.org/10.3390/ plants14081163 [IF: 4].
  4. Juwonlo Dahunsi, Sashini Pathirana, Mumtaz Cheema, Manokararajah Krishnapillai, Lakshman Galagedara. 2025. Estimating soil hydraulic conductivity from time-lapse ground-penetrating radar data in podzolic soils using the green-ampt model. Journal of Hydrology, 657, 133059. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2025.133059 [IF: 5.9].
  5. Rabia Javed, Uzma Sharafat, Ayesha Rathnayake, Lakshman Galagedara, Gurpreet Singh Selopal, Raymond Thomas, Mumtaz Cheema. 2025. Valorization and Repurposing of Seafood Waste to Next-Generation Carbon Nanofertilizers. Bioresource Technology, 416. org/10.1016/j.biortech.2024.131783 [IF: 9.7].
  6. Abraham Arma, Linda Alrayes, Thu Huong Pham, Muhammad Nadeem, Charles Manful, Owen Bartlett, Eric Fordjour, Mumtaz Cheema, Lakshman Galagedara, Lord Abbey and Raymond Thomas. 2024. Rock Dust-Based Potting Media Enhances Agronomic Performance and Nutritional Quality of Horticultural Crops. Current Plant Biology, 40, 00419.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpb.2024.100419 [IF: 5.4].
  7. Eric Fordjour, Charles F. Manful, Tarsaim S. K. Khalsamehta, Abraham Armah, Mumtaz Cheema, Raymond Thomas. Cannabis-Infused Foods: Phytonutrients, Health, and Safe Product Innovations. Compr Rev Food Sci Food Saf. 23: e70021. https://doi.org/10.1111/1541-4337.70021 [IF: 12].
  8. Bilal Javed, Y. Katanda, M. Nadeem, M. M. Farhain, T. Wickremasinghe, R. Thomas, L. Galagedara, X. Guo, Mumtaz Cheema. 2024. Effectiveness of Wood Ash and Paper Sludge as Liming and Nutrient Sources for Annual Ryegrass Grown in Podzolic Soils of Newfoundland. Soil Science Society of America Journal, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1002/saj2.20648 [IF: 2.4].
  9. Rabia Javed, Bakhtawar Khan, Uzma Sharafat, Muhammad Bilal, Lakshman Galagedara, Lord Abbey, Mumtaz Cheema. Dynamic interplay of metal and metal oxide nanoparticles with plants: Influencing factors, action mechanisms, and assessment of stimulatory and inhibitory effects. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 271:1115992. Doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2024.115992 [IF: 6.2].
  10. Muhammad Umair, Sehrish Huma Zafar, Mumtaz Cheema, Muhammad Usman. 2023. New insights into the environmental application of hybrid nanoparticles in metal contaminated agroecosystem: A review, Journal of Environmental Management, 349, 119553. org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.119553 [IF: 8.0].
  11. Wu J, M. Nadeem, L. Galagedara, R. Thomas and M. Cheema. 2022. Recent insights into cell responses to cold stress in plants: Signaling, defense, and potential functions of phosphatidic acid. Environ. and Experi. Botany, 203:105068. doi.org/10.1016/j.envexpbot.2022.105068 [IF: 4.5].12.
  12. Virk Ahmad Latif, Wen-Sheng Liu, Zhe Chen, Yves N´Dri Bohoussou, Mumtaz Cheema, Khuram Shehzad Khan, Xin Zhao, Hai-Lin Zhang. 2022. Effects of different tillage systems and cropping sequences on soil physicochemical properties and greenhouse gas emissions. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 335, 108010. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2022.108010 [IF: 6.0].

 

Current research projects and grants

 

  1. PI, Enhancing podzolic soil health and water use efficiency in potato production systems using management practices and precision agriculture. NSERC Alliance & Industry, Energy and Technology (IET), Government of NL – Leverage R&D application [$213,050.00) (2025 -2028)].
  2. COPI, Development of Transformative Precision Agriculture Technologies to Ensure Food Security and Mitigate Climate Change: A State-of-the-art Approach to Promote Sustainable Agriculture. NSERC-SSHRC Sustainable Agriculture Research initiative. [(8.57M) (2024-2028)]. PI, Aitazaz Farooque, University of Prince Edward Island, PEI, Canada.
  3. COPI, Training Network for CLImate Smart Agriculture (CLISA). NSERC CREATE [1.65M) (2024 – 2030). PI, Xander Wang, Associate Professor, University of Prince Edward Island, PEI, Canada https://clisa.ca
  4. COPI, Advancing Agricultural Sustainability in Newfoundland: A multidisciplinary research approach. Seed, Bridge and Multidisciplinary Fund, MUN [$10,000) (2024-2026)]. PI, Dr Galagedara, Professor, BEAS program, Memorial University, NL, Canada.
  5. COPI, Estimating the potential of mini-hydropower generation in an ungauged catchment using hydrological modelling. Mitacs Accelerates and Growing for Life [(30,000) (2023-2024). PI, Dr Galagedara, Professor, BEAS program, Memorial University, NL, Canada.
  6. PI, Cropping, fertilization, and soil conditioning strategies for climate change mitigation in NL (NL-LL). Agriculture climate solutions (AAFC), NL-LL model [($3.8 Million) (2022 - 2027)].
  7. PI, Assessing cover cropping options for improved forage yield, quality, and soil health in a boreal climate. NSERC & Industry, Energy and Technology (IET), Government of NL – Leverage R&D application [$568,418.00) (2022 -2027)].
  8. CO-Lead, Repurposing marine by-products or raw materials for the development and production of functional food and bioactive to improve human health and coastal community sustainability. New Frontiers in Research Fund – Transformation (NFRF-T) [($15.8 Millions) (2021-2027)].
  9. COAP, Collaborative research program on Cannabis edibles as functional foods. NSERC, Fanshawe College, MUN, Beehive Inc. and Wake Inc. [($505,913) (2021-2024)].
  10. External collaborator, Improving the health of northern soils. AAFC [($300,000) (2021-2023)]. PI - Vicky Lévesque, Research Scientist, Kentville Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, NS, Canada.
  11. PI, Assessing cover cropping options for improved forage yield, quality, and soil health in a boreal climate NSERC DG [($165,000) (2021 – 2026)].

 

Awards and recognitions

  • Invited by HU-rizont international research excellence program to evaluate research projects 2025. A unique initiative launched by Hungarian research funding agency (NKFIH).
  • NSERC External Reviewer Discovery Grant – 2025
  • Appointed by Hungarian National Research, Development and Innovation Office to evaluate research projects (2023 & 2024).
  • Appointed by Swiss National Science Foundation to evaluate research projects (2024).
  • 2024 Fellow of the Canadian Society of Agronomy (CSA), distinguished record of services in the field of agronomy, actively engaged in research, teaching, extension, or administration or some combination thereof.
  • 2021-2022, President Canadian Society of Agronomy.

 

Memberships and affiliations

  • Canadian Society of Agronomy
  • American Society of Agronomy
  • Soil Science Society of America
  • Crop Science Society of America
  • European Society of Agronomy
  • International network on soil fertility and fertilizer – INSOILFER (Global Soil Partnership – FAO) (2023-Todate)
  • Canadian Association of Research Administrators/L'association canadienne des administratrices et des administrateurs de recherche (CARA/ACAAR) (2023 – To date)
  • Advisory board - International Center for Climate Change, Food Security and Sustainability (ICCFS)

https://ccsc.iub.edu.pk/international-advisory-board

  • Sigma XI https://www.sigmaxi.org/
  • Asian Council of Science Editors
  • Nova Scotia Institute of Agrologist (NSIA)
  • Pakistan Society of Agronomy
  • Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Agriculture, Dalhousie University Agricultural Campus, Truro, NS, Canada.
  • Adjunct Professor in the Faculty of Natural Resources Management, Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada.
  • Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Science, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.
  • Member Provincial Agricultural Research Advisory Committee (ARAC).