Haiying Tao

Associate Professor of Soil Nutrient Management and Soil Health

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Professional Credentials

• University of Connecticut Soil Science PhD, 2007
• China Agricultural University Agronomy MS, 2002
• China Agricultural University Crop Physiology BS, 1998
• China Agricultural University Agricultural Economics BS, 1998

Areas of Interest

• Soil fertility
• Soil health
• Nutrient and carbon cycling in soil-plant-atmosphere system
• Best management practices for fertilizer and amendment applications to optimize yield and economic return, while minimizing environmental impacts.
• Precision agriculture, big data
• Crop residue management and manure management for soil health, crop yield, and value-added products such as feedstock for energy production

Research Projects/Interests

The goal of my research programs is to study soil management strategies that lead to improved soil fertility and soil health, soil and water conservation, crop yield and quality, and economic returns. My current research focuses on three major areas: (1) soil fertility and digital agriculture, (2) soil health and crop residue management, and (3) nutrient management for dairy farms. My current active projects include optimizing fertilizer applications for improved yield, increased economic returns to investment, and reduced climate footprint; developing strategies for variable rate nutrient applications; soil test phosphorus methods and phosphorus index evaluations; soil health evaluations and management strategies to improve soil and plant health. I am also interested in studying fertility management strategies for horticultural and ornamental crops.  teaches Soil Fertility, Environmental Soil Science, and Design and Analysis of Agricultural Experiments.

Click here to visit my lab.

Courses

SPSS/Soil 3620 & 3620-L: Soil Fertility & Lab
SPSS/Soil 5620 & 5620-L: Soil Fertility & Lab
SPSS/Soil 2120: Environmental Soil Science. 2021-2023
SPSS/Soil 2125: Soils Lab. 2021-2023
SPSS 5150. Design and Analysis of Agricultural Experiment

Currently seeking a post doc in precision agriculture. Visiting scholars, national and international collaborations are welcome.

Publications

1. Naasko, K, D. Naylor, E. Graham, S. Couvillion, R. Danczak, N. Tolic, C. Nicora, S. Fransen, H. Tao, K. Hofmockel, and J. Jansson.  Influence of soil depth, irrigation, and plant genotype on the soil microbiome, metaphenome, and carbon chemistry. MBio. 2023. Accepted.
2. Liptzin, D.E. L. Rieke, S.B. Cappellazzi, H. Tao, et al. (105 other co-authors). An evaluation of nitrogen indicators for soil health in long-term agricultural experiments. Soil Science Society of America Journal. https://doi.org/10.1002/saj2.20558. 2023.
3. Lu, Q., R. Bunn, E. Whitney, Y. Feng, L.W. DeVetter, and H. Tao. Arbuscular mycorrhizae influences raspberry growth and soil fertility under conventional and organic fertilization. Frontiers in Microbiology. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2023.1083319. 2023.
4. Laurent, A., A. Cleveringa, S. Fey, P. Kyveryga, N. Wiese, M. Lefebvre, D. Newville, D. Quinn, J. McGuire, and H. Tao, T. Morris, and F. Miguez. Late-season corn stalk nitrate measurements across the US Midwest from 2006 to 2018. Scientific Data. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-023-02071-9. 2023.
5. Rieke, E., D. K. Bagnall, C.L.S. Morgan, H. Tao, et al. (106 other co-authors). Evaluation of Aggregate Stability Methods for Soil Health. Geoderma. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2022.116156. 2022.
6. Lu, Q., C. Miles, H. Tao, and L.W. DeVetter. Evaluation of real-time nutrient analysis of fertilized raspberry using petiole sap. Frontiers of Plant Science. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2022.918021. 2022.
7. Bagnall, D.K., G.M Bean, D. Liptzin, S.B. Cappellazzil, H. Tao, et al. (104 other co-authors). Selecting Soil Hydraulic Properties as Indicators of Soil Health: Measurement Response to Management and Site Characteristics. Soil Science Society of America Journal. https://doi.org/10.1002/saj2.20428. 2022.
8. Liptzin, D., C.E. Norris, S.B. Cappellazzi, G.M. Bean, M. Cope, H. Tao, et. al. (101 other co-authors). An evaluation of carbon indicators of soil health in long-term agricultural experiments. Soil Biology and Biochemistry. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2022.108708. 2022.
9. Alege^¶, F.P., H. Tao, G.J. Miito, L.W. DeVetter, and P.M. Ndegwa. Influence of moisture content on recovery and durability of dairy manure compost pellets. Bioresource Technology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biteb.2022.101076. 2022.
10. Lu, Q., H. Tao, Ndegwa, P., Alege, F.P., and DeVetter, L.W., Biofertilizer derived from dairy manure increases raspberry fruit weight and leaf magnesium concentration. Scientia Horticulturae. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2022.111160. 2022.
11. Lu, Q., C. Miles, H. Tao, and L. DeVetter. Reduced nitrogen fertilizer rates maintained raspberry growth in an established field. Journal of Agronomy. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12030672.  2022.
12. Bagnall, D., C.L.S. Morgan, M. Cope, H. Tao, et.al. (101 other co-authors). Carbon-sensitive pedotransfer functions for plant available water. Soil Science Society of America Journal. https://doi.org/10.1002/saj2.20395. 2022.
13. Rieke, E.L., S.B. Cappellazzi, M. Cope, H. Tao, et al. (102 other co-authors). Linking soil microbial community structure to potential carbon mineralization: A continental scale assessment of reduced tillage. Soil Biology and Biochemistry. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2022.108618. 2022.
14. Mackey^¶, E.M., J.H. Harrison, H. Tao, A. Adams-Progar, and E. Whitefield. Effect of application season on release of available phosphorus from soil receiving mono-ammonium phosphate or struvite. Water, Air and Soil Pollution. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-021-05396-6. 2021.
15. Alege^¶, F.P., X. Gu, L.W. DeVetter, H. Tao, G.J. Miito, and P.M. Ndegwa. Dairy manure compost pelleting process: A techno-economic analysis. Journal of Cleaner Production. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.127481. 2021.
16. Friedrichsen, C.N., S. Hagen-Zakarison, M.L. Friesen, C.R. McFarland, H. Tao, an J.D. Wulfhorst. Soil health and well-being: Redefining soil health based upon a plurality of values. Soil Security. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soisec.2021.100004. 2021.
17. Alege^¶, F.P., G.J. Miito, L.W. Devetter, H. Tao, and P.M. Ndegwa. Effect of blending dairy manure compost and canola meal on pellets quality and nutrients concentrations. Transactions of the ASABE. https://doi.org/10.13031/trans.14057. 2020.
18. Porter, M. W.L. Pan, W. Schillinger, I. Madsen, and H. Tao. Winter canola response to soil and fertilizer nitrogen in semiarid Mediterranean conditions. Agronomy Journal. https://doi.org/10.1002/agj2.20119. 2020.
19. Delwiche, S., H. Tao, R.S. Breslauer^¶, B.T. Vinyard, and S.R. Rausch. Is it necessary to manage falling number in the field? Agrosystems, Geosciences & Environment. https://doi.org/10.1002/agg2.20014. 2020.
20. Breslauer, R.S., D.J. Brown, W.L. Pan, D.R. Huggins, and H. Tao. Dense subsoils limit winter wheat rooting depth and soil water depletion. Agronomy Journal. https://doi.org/10.1002/agj2.20037. 2020.
21. Bullock, D.S., M. Boerngen, H. Tao, B.D. Maxwell, J.D. Luck, L. Shiratsuchi, and N.F. Martin. The data-intensive farm management project: changing agronomic research through on-farm precision experimentation. Agronomy Journal. https://doi.org/10.2134/agronj2019.03.0165. 2019.
22. Tao, H., W.L. Pan and E. Bietila^¶. Nitrogen mineralization rates in long-term manured fields estimated using lab incubation experiment. Open Access Journal of Environmental and Soil Sciences. http://dx.doi.org/10.32474/OAJESS.2019.04.000184. 2019.
23. Tao, H. and D.S. Bullock. Nitrogen fertility management for wheat yield and quality using digital agriculture technologies. Cereal Foods World. American Association of Cereal Chemists International. https://doi.org/10.1094/CFW-64-6-0068. 2019.  
24. Wang, K., D.R. Huggins, and H. Tao. Rapid mapping of winter wheat yield, protein and nitrogen uptake using remote and proximal sensing. International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jag.2019.101921. 2019.
25. Fitria^¶, H. Ruan, S.C. Fransen, A.H. Carter, H. Tao, and B. Yang. Selecting winter wheat for cellulosic ethanol production in the Pacific Northwest, U.S.A. Biomass and Bioenergy. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biombioe.2019.02.012. 2019.
26. Tao, H., W.L. Pan, P. Carter, and K. Wang. Addition of lignin to lime materials for expedited pH increase and improved vertical mobility of lime in no-till soils. Soil Use and Management. https://doi.org/10.1111/sum.12483. 2019.
27. Tao, H., T.F. Morris, P. Kyveryga, and J. McGuire. Factors affecting nitrogen availability and variability in cornfields. Agronomy Journal. https://doi.org/10.2134/agronj2017.11.0631. 2018.
28. Tao, H., T. F. Morris, B. Bravo-Ureta, and R. Meinert. Factors affecting manure applications as directed by nutrient management plans at four Connecticut dairy farms. Agronomy Journal. https://doi.org/10.2134/agronj13.0445. 2014.
29. Tao, H., T. F. Morris, B. Bravo-Ureta, R. Meinert, and J. Neafsey. Nutrient applications reported by farmers compared with performance-based nutrient management plans. Agronomy Journal. https://doi.org/10.2134/agronj2011.0316. 2012.
30. Tao, H., T. F. Morris, B. Bravo-Ureta, R. Meinert, K. Zanger, and J. Neafsey. A partial budget analysis for phosphorus-based nutrient management plans for Connecticut dairy farms. Agronomy Journal. https://doi.org/10.2134/agronj2009.0157. 2010.
31. P. Kyveryga, H. Tao, T. F. Morris, and T. M. Blackmer. Identification of nitrogen management categories by corn stalk nitrate sampling guided by aerial imagery. Agronomy Journal. https://doi.org/10.2134/agronj2009.0401. 2010.

Extension Publications

1. McFarland, C., C. Friedrichsen, H. Tao, M.L. Friesen. Working together for soil health: Liberating Structures for participatory learning in extension. Journal of Extension. https://doi.org/10.34068/joe.60.02.02. 2022.
2. Tao, H. and W.L. Pan. End-of-season corn stalk nitrate-nitrogen test for post-harvest evaluation. WSU Extension Factsheet FS336E. Washington State University, Pullman, WA. 2019.
3. Tao, H. and W.L. Pan. End-of-season corn stalk nitrate-nitrogen test for post-harvest evaluation-A cast study. WSU Extension Factsheet TB66E. Washington State University, Pullman, WA. 2019.
4. Tao, H., W.L. Pan, P. Carter, K. Wang. A wheat straw pulping by-product mixed with lime may address soil acidification in no-till fields. WSU Extension Factsheet TB63E. Washington State University, Pullman, WA. 2019.  
5. Tao, H. and C.W. Rogers. Nitrogen inhibitors: how do they work to reduce N losses? WSU Extension Factsheet FS333E. Washington State University, Pullman, WA. 2019.
6. Tao, H., G. Yorgey, D. Huggins, D. Wysocki. Crop residue management. Pages 125-162. In G. Yorgey and C. Kruger (eds). Advances in Sustainable Dryland Farming in the Inland Pacific Northwest. WSU Extension Bulletin EM108. Washington State University, Pullman, WA. 2017.
7. Borrelli, K., W.L., Pan, H. Tao, C. Paul, T. Maaz. Soil Fertility Management, Pages 237-283. In G. Yorgey and C. Kruger (eds). Advances in Sustainable Dryland Farming in the Inland Pacific Northwest. WSU Extension Bulletin EM108. Washington State University, Pullman, WA. 2017.
8. Tao, H., T.F. Morris, B. Bravo-Ureta, R. Meinert. Analyzing the implementation of nutrient management plans by farmers: implications for extension education. Journal of Extension. 54(6). https://doi.org/10.34068/joe.54.06.16. 2016.