Faculty contacts: Wolfe, Drinkwater
Recent soil health research has led to the development of a protocol for soil health assessment in relation to crop production. See Cornell Soil Health Manual.
Other applied research uses a multidisciplinary approaches to develop management practices that improve soil quality while optimizing carbon and nitrogen cycling in intensive horticultural systems.
Another focus of basic soil health research has been the investigation of mechanisms within the plant-soil-microbial continuum that control ecosystem processes such as energy flows and nutrient cycling in agroecosystems.
Current research focuses seek to better understand the biotic and abiotic mechanisms that regulate linkages between carbon and nitrogen cycles.