Scientific Program

Plenary keynote speaker:

    John Duxbury

    School of Integrative Plant Science
    Crop and Soil Sciences Section
    Cornell University, USA

Changing Concepts of Organo-Mineral Interactions in Soils: Impacts on Soil Properties and Sustainable Development

Interactions between organic compounds and minerals in soil has been studied from the perspectives of soil genesis, nutrient availability for plants, organic matter decomposition/stabilization and soil structure and porosity, all factors that affect crop growth and productivity. Over time the classic and rather static view of soil humic substances interacting with clay mineral surfaces and inorganic ions has evolved to include a much wider range of organic compounds and mineral phases, and dynamic interactions between soil fauna, microbes, plants and soil. Today, we have the capacity to study organo-mineral interactions almost at the atomic scale. The existence, and validity of the concept, of humic substances has been challenged and biochar has been proposed as both the stable form of organic matter in soils and a strong promoter of soil fertility. The rhizosphere has become recognized as a key zone for change during plant growth, including alteration of soil pH and redox potential in addition to exudation of organic phyto-metallophores. Yet, bulk soil properties remain important. The presentation will focus on discussion of 1) how can our new knowledge and new approaches to studying organo-mineral interactions be used to help meet the multiple challenges of sustainable development in an era of climate change?, 2) how can crop mineral nutrient quality be improved while also increasing productivity?, and 3) what can be applied in tropical developing countries where most of the future growth in population will occur.

ISMOM-Sponsored sessions and keynote speakers

S1- Macro and micronutrient dynamics in soil

Conveners: Robert Bradley (Robert.Bradley@Usherbrooke.ca), Emmanuel Frossard (Emmanuel.frossard@usys.ethz.ch) and Jean-Philippe Bellenger (j-p.bellenger@Usherbrooke.ca)

Keynote Speaker: Stephan Kraemer

Department of Environmental Geosciences, University of Vienna, Austria

S2- Dynamics of pollutants in soil

Conveners: Kevin Wilkinson (kj.wilkinson@umontreal.ca) and Jean-Philippe Bellenger (j-p.bellenger@Usherbrooke.ca)

Keynote Speaker: Beverly Hale

School of Environmental Sciences, Univeristy of Guelph, Canada

S3- Soil microbiology

Conveners: Nathan Basiliko (nbasiliko@laurentia.ca); Peter Dunfield (pfdunfie@calgary.ca), Paolo Nannipieri ( paolo.nannipieri@unifi.it), Petra Marschner (petra.marschner@adelaide.edu.au) and Ellen Kandeler (Ellen.Kandeler@uni-hohenheim.de)

Keynote Speaker: Kornelia Smalla

Institute for Epidemiology and Pathogen Diagnostics, Julius Kuhn Institut, Germany

S4- Organo-mineral interactions in soil

Conveners: Denis Angers (Denis.Angers@AGR.GC.CA ), Francisco Matus (francisco.matus@ufrontera.cl) and Rota Wagai (rota@affrc.go.jp)

Keynote Speaker: Rota Wagai

National Institute for Agro-Environmental Sciences (NIAES), Japan

S5- Analytical and methodological advances in soil study

Conveners: Myrna Simpson (myrna.simpson@utoronto.ca), Martin Couillard (Martin.Couillard@nrc.cnrc.gc.ca) and Alain Plante (aplante@sas.upenn.edu)

Keynote Speaker: Peter Leinweber

Institute of Soil Science, University of Rostock, Germany

CSSS-Sponsored Sessions and Keynote speakers

S6. Agricultural greenhouse gas emissions

Conveners: Brian Amiro (Brian.Amiro@umanitoba.ca) and Joann Whalen (Joann.Whalen@mcgill.ca)

Keynote Speaker: Dr. Philippe Rochette

Agriculture & Agri-Foods Canada, Soils and Crops Research and Development Center, Québec

S7. Chemical and Biological Controls on Organic P Cycling in Terrestrial and Aquatic Environments.

Conveners: Noura Ziadi (Noura.Ziadi@agr.gc.ca) and Barbara Cade-Menun (barbara.cade-menun@agr.gc.ca)

Keynote Speaker: Dr. Luisella Celli

University of Turin, Italy

S8. Microbial provision of essential services across managed and natural ecosystems.

Conveners: Bobbi Helgason (bobbi.helgason@agr.gc.ca) and Steven Siciliano (steven.siciliano@usask.ca).

S9. Soil Science Education and Outreach.

Conveners: Maja Krzic (krzic@mail.ubc.ca); Tom Yates (tom.yates@usask.ca) and Amanda Diochon (adiochon@lakeheadu.ca).

Keynote Speaker: Dr. Doug Hayhoe

Tyndale University College & Seminary, Toronto.

S10. Beyond tools: what the "omics" world can do for our understanding of soil functioning

Conveners: Jacynthe Masse ((jacynthe.masse@alumni.ubc.ca) and Sue Grayston (sue.grayston@ubc.ca).

Keynote Speaker: Dr. Mohamed Hijri

Université de Montréal

S11. Wetland Soils in a Changing Climate.

Convener: Angela Bedard-Haughn (angela.bedard-haughn@usask.ca)

Keynote Speaker: Dr. Elyn Humphreys

Carleton University

S12. Proximal Soil Sensing.

Conveners: Asim Biswas (asim.biswas@mcgill.ca) and Viacheslav Adamchuk (viacheslav.adamchuk@mcgill.ca)

Keynote Speaker: Dr. Raphael Viscarra Rossel

CSIRO, Australia

S13. Spatial and temporal dynamics of soil processes and their interactions at multiple scales to study complex soil systems.

Convener: Asim Biswas (asim.biswas@mcgill.ca)

Keynote Speaker: Dr. Yakov Pachepsky

Research Soil Scientist, USDA ARS, Beltsville, MD.

S14. General soil science (includes soil chemistry, soil physics, forest soils, etc.)

Convener: Barbara Cade-Menun (barbara.cade-menun@agr.gc.ca)

AQSSS-Sponsored Sessions and Keynote speakers (bilingual sessions)

S15. Biochar in agriculture and environment / Le biochar en agriculture et en environnement

Convener / Responsable de session: Suzanne Edith Allaire (suzanne.allaire@fsaa.ulaval.ca)

Keynote Speaker / Conférencier invité: Kurt Spokas

International Biochar Initiative

S16. Management Zones in Precision Agriculture / Zones d’aménagement en Agriculture de Précision

Conveners / Responsables de session: Athyna Cambouris (athyna.cambouris@agr.gc.ca) et Nicolas Tremblay (nicolas.tremblay@agr.gc.ca)

Keynote Speaker / Conférencier invité : To be determined / À déterminer

S17. Soils of natural, managed and intensive forest systems / Les sols de systèmes forestiers naturels, aménagés et intensifs

Conveners / Responsables de session: Nicolas Bélanger (Belanger.nicolas@teluq.ca), Suzanne Brais (Suzanne.brais@uqat.ca) and François Courchesne (francois.courchesne@umontreal.ca).

Keynote Speaker / Conférencier invité : Dr. Sylvie Quideau,

University of Alberta, Dept of Renewable Ressources

S18. Évolution de l’état des sols au Québec

Responsables de session : Pascale Cantin pascale.cantin@mapaq.gouv.qc.ca et Janylène Savard janylene.savard@mapaq.gouv.qc.ca

Conférencier invité : À déterminer