The 39th annual Edward F. Hayes Advanced Research Forum, held on February 28th, 2025, at the Ohio Union, brought together leading researchers and scholars from various disciplines. Representing the Soil Fertility and Soil Health Lab were Aline de Camargo Santos, PhD (postdoctoral researcher), who participated in the oral presentation session, along with Jaspreet Singh (MS student) who presented his research in the poster presentation session. Their presentations showcased the lab’s latest findings, contributing to ongoing discussions around sustainable agriculture, soil health and fertility.
Dr. Aline de Camargo Santos presented her research, “Building Climate-Resilient Cropping Systems: Lessons from 60+ Years of Conservation Research in Ohio,” at the Hayes Research Forum. The study draws from the long-running Triplett-Van Dorren Experiment, established in 1962. Conducted at two Ohio sites with distinct soil types to examine how conservation practices like no-tillage and diversified crop rotations impact crop yields and resilience. The results indicated that integrating forage crops into rotations under no-tillage systems significantly improved yields compared to continuous corn under intensive tillage. The study highlights how these conservation strategies enhance soil organic matter and stability, ultimately reducing the risk of crop failure under extreme weather conditions. With Ohio’s agriculture facing increasing dry summer spells and extremely wet springs, these findings offer valuable insights into building more resilient and sustainable farming systems.
Jaspreet Singh presented his research poster, “Impact of Different Inorganic Phosphorus (P) Fertilizer Rates on Soil P Pools,” at the Hayes Research Forum, exploring how different phosphorus fertilizers impact soil P availability and environmental risks. While phosphorus is essential for plant growth, much of what is applied remains unused, potentially leading to runoff and water pollution. The study evaluated how different phosphorus fertilizer rates affect soil P distribution at three long-term phosphorus experiments in Ohio. The findings show that higher P rates increase readily available phosphorus and P saturation of soil. However, despite these changes in soil P pools, crop yields remained largely unchanged, challenging the assumption that more fertilizer leads to better productivity. This research sheds light on the long-term effects of phosphorus management and its role in both agriculture and environmental sustainability.
Authors: Naiima Abdi, Aline de Camargo Santos, Valeria Moreira, and Manbir Rakkar.