Zhengxia Dou, PhD

This is a list of selected publications.

On Global Food Loss and Waste:

1. Sun, X., Z. Dou, G. C. Shurson, D. Pitta, K. Narayan, Y. Wang, T. Webb, A. Johnson, L. Baker, and B. Hu. Sequential fermentation of wheat straw and fruit-vegetable discards to produce circular feed in support of sustainable dairy production.Resources, Conservation and Recycling 200279, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rcradv.2025.200279. (2025)
2. Dou, Z, T. Nakaishi, K. Watanabe, T. Okayama, K. Takanashi, J. Dewtsch, and G.C. Shurson. Beyond prevention: Recycling food loss and waste as an immediate climate and resource mitigation strategy. Environ. Sci. Technol. Lett. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.estlett.6c00186. (2026)
3. Dou, Z., J. Ferguson, D. Galligan, A. Kelly, S. Finn, R. Giegengack. Assessing food loss across U.S. supply chain and opportunities for reduction. Global Food Security 8: 19-26. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gfs.2016.02.001 (2016)
4. Xue, L., X. Liu, S. Lu, G. Cheng, Y. Hu, J. Liu, Z. Dou, S. Cheng, G. Liu. China’s food loss and waste embodies increasing environmental impacts. Nature Food. https:/ https://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-021-00317-6. (2021)
5. Dou, Z., J.D. Toth, D. Pitta, J. S. Bender, M. L. Hennessy, B. Vecchiarelli, N. Indugu, T. Chen, Y. Li, R. Sherman, J. Deutsch, B. Hu, G. C. Shurson, B. Parsons, L. D. Baker.^.. Proof of Concept for Developing Novel Feeds for Cattle from Wasted Food and Crop Biomass to Enhance Agri-Food System Efficiency. Scientific Reports. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-17812-w. (2022)
6. Chen, T., Qiongyin Wang, Yifan Wang, Z. Dou, Xiaoqin Yu, Huajun Feng, Meizhen Wang, Yanfeng Zhang, Jun Yin. Using fresh vegetable waste from Chinese traditional wet markets as animal feed: Material feasibility and utilization potential. Science of The Total Environment, 166105, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166105. (2023)
7. Shurson, G.C., E. Dierenfeld, Z. Dou. 2023. Rules are meant to be broken – Rethinking the regulations on the use of food waste as animal feed. Resources Conservation Recycling. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2023.107273. (2023)
8. Sun, X., Z. Dou, Gerald C. Shurson, B. Hu. Bioprocessing to upcycle agro-industrial and food wastes into high-nutritional value animal feed for sustainable food and agriculture systems. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2023.107325. (2023)
9. Dou., Z., E. Dierenfeld, X. Wang, X. Chen, G.C. Shurson. A critical analysis on challenges and opportunities for upcycling food waste to animal feed to reduce climate and resource burdens. Resources Conservation Recycling, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2024.107418 (2024)
10. Baker, L., J. Bender, J. Ferguson, D. Pitta, S. Rassler, S. Chann, Z. Dou. Culled citrus waste fed to dairy cows: Animal performance, sustainability implication, and lessons learned. Resources Conservation Recycling, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2024.107452. (2024)
11. Wang, Y., S. Rassler, D. Stefanovski, J. Bender, J. Deutsch, T. Chen, Z. Cui, Z. Dou. Field evidence on animal performance when fed food waste derived feeds: A review. Resources Conservation Recycling, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2024.107411. (2024)
12. Wang, Y., H. Ying, D. Stefanovski, G.C. Shurson, T. Chen, Z. Wang, Y. Yin, H. Zheng, T. Nakaishi, J. Li, Z. Cui, Z. Dou. Food waste used as a resource can reduce climate and resource burdens in agrifood systems. Nature Food. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-025-01140-z. (2025)

On Agricultural Nutrients (N and P):

1. Shuaixiang Zhao, Susanne Schmidt, Hongjian Gao, Tingyu Li, Xinping Chen, Yong Hou, Dave Chadwick, Jing Tian1, Z. Dou, Weifeng Zhang, and Fusuo Zhang. A Precision Compost Strategy aligning composts and application methods with target crops and growth environments can increase global food production. Nature Food. https://www.nature.com/articles/s43016-022-00584-x. 2. (2022)
2. Dou Z, Ferguson JD, Fiorini J, Toth JD, Alexander SM, Chase LE, Ryan CM, Knowlton KF, Kohn RA, Peterson AB, Sims JT, Wu Z. Phosphorus Feeding Levels and Critical Control Points on Dairy Farms. J. Dairy Sci. 86(11): 3787-95. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(03)73986-1 (2003)
3. Zhang, W.,  Z. Dou, P. He, X. Ju, D. Powlson, D. Chadwick, D. Norse,Y. Lu, Y. Zhang, L. Wu, X. Chen, K. G. Cassman, and F. Zhang: New technologies reduce greenhouse gas emissions from nitrogenous fertilizer in China. PNAS. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1210447110 (2013)
4. Li, T, W. Zhang, D. Powlson, X. Liu, X. Chen, F. Zhang,  Z. Dou.  Enhanced-efficiency fertilizers are not a panacea for resolving the nitrogen problem.  Global Change Biology. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.13918 (2017)
5. Cui, Z., H. Zhang….42 other co-authors…, F. Zhang, and Z. Dou. Pursuing sustainable productivity with millions of smallholder farmers. Nature. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature25785 (2018)
6. Hao, Y., Y. Yin, Y. Wang, W. Zhang, D. Stefanovski,  Z. Cui, Z., and Z. Dou. New maize, wheat, and rice varieties help reduce agricultural N footprints while producing more grain. Global Change Biology.  https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.14798. (2019 (2019)
7. Liu, L., Z. Bai, Y. Guo, Y. Tu, D. Chadwich, Z. Dou, and L. Ma. A higher water-soluble phosphorus supplement in pig diet improves the whole system phosphorus use efficiency. J. Cleaner Production. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.122586. (2020)
8. Wang, X., Dou, Z., Shi, X. et al. Innovative management programme reduces environmental impacts in Chinese vegetable production. Nature Food. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-020-00199-0. (2020)
9. Li, T., X. Zhang, Y. Zhong, E. Davidson, Z. Dou, W. Zhang, P. Pavinato, L. Martinelli, D. Kanter, J. Liu, F. Zhang. A hierarchical framework for unpacking the nitrogen challenge. Earth’s Future. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022EF002870. (2022)
10. Wang, X., Z. Dou, S. Feng, Y. Zhang, L. Ma, Z. Bai, P. Lakshmann, Z. Shi, D. Liu, W. Zhang, Y. Deng, W. Zhang, X. Chen, and X. Chen. 2023. Global food nutrients analysis reveals alarming gaps and daunting challenges. Nature Food. https://www.nature.com/articles/s43016-023-00851-5. (2023)

On Soil Health, Pollution Mitigation, and Other:

1. Zhang W., G. Cao, X. Li, H. Zhang, C. Wang, Q. Liu, X. Chen, Z. Cui, J. Shen, R. Jiang, G. Mi, Y. Miao, F. Zhang, Z. Dou. Closing yield gaps in China by empowering smallholder farmers. Nature. 537(7622): 671-674. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature19368 (2016)
2. Hou Jun, Weifeng Zhang, Pei Wang, Zhengxia Dou, Liwei Gao, and David Styles. Greenhouse gas mitigation of rural household biogas systems in China: A life cycle assessment. Energies. doi:10.3390/en10020239  (2017)
3. Tong, Y., J. Liu, X. Li, J. Sun, A. Herzberger, W. Zhang, Z. Dou, F. Zhang. Cropping system conversion led to organic carbon change in China’s mollisols regions. Scientific Reports, doi:10.1038/s41598-017-18270-5  (2017)
4. Wang, X., Dou, Z., Shi, X. et al. Innovative management programme reduces environmental impacts in Chinese vegetable production. Nature Food. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-020-00199-0. (2020)
5. Dou, Z., D. Stefanovski, D. Galligan, M. Lindem, P. Rozin, T. Chen, and A. Chao. The COVID-19 Pandemic Impacting Household Food Dynamics: A Cross-National Comparison of China and the U.S. 2020. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2020.577153. (2020)
6. Dipti Pitta; Nagaraju Indugu; John D. Toth; Joseph S. Bender; Linda D. Baker; Meagan L. Hennessy; Bonnie Vecchiarelli; Helen Aceto; Z. Dou. The distribution of microbiomes and resistomes across farm environments in conventional and organic dairy herds in Pennsylvania. Environmental Microbiomes. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40793-020-00368-5. (2020)
7. Liu, Z., H. Ying, M., Chen, J. Bai, Y. Xue, Y. Yin, W. Batchelor, Y. Yang, Z. Bai, M. Du, Y. Guo, Q. Zhang, Z. Cui, F. Zhang, and Z. Dou. Optimizing China’ s maize and soy production for enhanced feed sufficiency and lower N and C footprints. Nature Food. http://authors.springernature.com/share. 2021. (2021)
8. Chen, T., C. Wang, Z. Cui,X. Liu, J. Jiang, J. Yin, H. Feng, and Z. Dou. COVID-19 affected the food behavior of different age groups in Chinese households. PLOS ONE. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0260244. (2021)

Penn State University, Department of Agronomy (1993 to 1994)
Post-Doctoral Fellow

University of Pennsylvania, School of Veterinary Medicine (1994 to 1996)
Research Associate

• Developing circular feed from food waste and residual biomass to support sustainable livestock production
• Evaluating food waste end-of-life pathways for GHG mitigation and resource recovery
• Quantifying carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) flows across agrifood systems to inform circular food system solutions