Martin Chantigny, Ph.D.

Image Martin Chantigny
Scientist, Soil Biochemistry and Nutrient Cycling

My work aims at improving our understanding of the biogeochemistry of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus derived from organic wastes used in agriculture. The goal is to retain these elements in the soil-plant system to minimize transfer to air and water. The results are used to define best management practices that maximize carbon accumulation in soil and nutrient use efficiency by the crops, and that minimize greenhouse gas emissions and nutrient transfer to water courses.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
https://profils-profiles.science.gc.ca/en/research-centre/quebec-research-and-development-centre

Current research and/or projects

Principal Investigator

  • Living Laboratory of the Lac-St-Pierre (In preparation)

  • Resilient crop-livestock systems – Evidencing the mechanisms of C and N stabilisation and restitution in manured soils.

  • Designing resilient dairy production systems in eastern Canada.

  • Agri-environmental assessment of Canadian dairy farms: Towards eco-efficient management of forage crops and manure.

Collaborations:

  • Understanding the role of the soil microbiome in promoting resilient and sustainable agroecosystems.

  • Interdisciplinary Research Laboratories for resilient agroecosystems​: Frelighsburg, Sherbrooke and the Missisquoi Bay.

  • Integrated modelling approach for identifying efficient and resilient BMPs for diverse cropping systems across Canada.

  • Holos and Life Cycle Analysis.

Research and/or project statements

  • Efficient use of organic wastes nitrogen by the crops.

  • Developing integrated crop-livestock systems with resilience to climate change.

  • Understanding the mechanisms of carbon and nitrogen accumulation and restitution in agricultural soils.

  • Developing economically and environmentally sustainable solutions at the farm scale. 

Professional activities / interests

  • Eco-efficient use of livestock effluents.

  • Long-term collaborations with New-Zealand (Plant and Food Research; University of Lincoln), le Denmark (Aarhus University; University of Southern Denmark), France (Agro-Campus Ouest et INRA, Rennes), and Brazil (Universidade Federal de Santa Maria; Universidade Federal de Rio do Grande do Sul).

  • Supervision of several graduate students and post-doctoral fellows.

Education and awards

  • B.Sc. (spec.) in agronomy, Université Laval, 1990

  • Ph.D. Agronomy (spec.) Soil Science, Université Laval, 1996.

  • Fellowships of the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), 1990-1996.

 

International experience and/or work

My international collaborations mainly deal with the understanding of mechanisms involved in the accumulation and restitution of carbon and nitrogen in agricultural soils as a function of management practices pertaining to the use of livestock effluents, plant diversity in crop rotations, and soil tillage. Measuring gaseous nitrogen emissions (ammonia and nitrous oxide) is also an important aspects of my interactions with colleagues from Denmark and Brazil. I currently lead an international network of long-term experiments (Canada, France, Sweden, Brazil, New-Zealand, China) exploring the impact of repeated application of livestock effluents on soil health and fertility, under the project entitled “Resilient crop-livestock systems – Evidencing the mechanisms of C and N stabilisation and restitution in manured soils”.

Key publications

  1. Thivierge, M.-N., Royer, I., Halde, C., Chantigny, M.H., Bélanger, G., Lachance, C., and Lavergne, S. 2020. When root traits emerge: soaking solutions for washing perennial grass roots. Proceedings of the 28th European Grassland Federation General Meeting, Helsinki, Finland, October 19–21, 2020. In Grassland Science in Europe, vol. 25, pp. 565–567.

    2020 - View publication details

  2. Lévesque, V., Rochette, P., Hogue, R., Jeanne, T., Ziadi, N., Chantigny, M.H., Dorais, M., Antoun, H. (2020). Greenhouse gas emissions and soil bacterial community as affected by biochar amendments after periodic mineral fertilizer applications. Biology and Fertility of Soils, [online] 56(7), 907-925. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00374-020-01470-z

    2020 - View publication details

  3. He, W., Dutta, B., Grant, B.B., Chantigny, M.H., Hunt, D., Bittman, S., Tenuta, M., Worth, D., VanderZaag, A., Desjardins, R.L., Smith, W.N. (2020). Assessing the effects of manure application rate and timing on nitrous oxide emissions from managed grasslands under contrasting climate in Canada. Science of the Total Environment, [online] 716 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.135374

    2020 - View publication details

  4. Thivierge, M.-N., Houde, S., Vanasse, A., Bélanger, G., Chantigny, M.H., and Angers, D.A. 2020. Mieux comprendre les systèmes racinaires pour améliorer la performance de nos systèmes de cultures. Colloque régional en agriculture biologique, St-Bruno, QC, February 25, 2020.

    2020 - View publication details

  5. Thivierge, M.-N., Houde, S., Vanasse, A., Bélanger, G., Chantigny, M.H., and Angers, D.A. 2019. Mieux comprendre les systèmes racinaires pour améliorer la performance de nos systèmes de cultures. Journée conférences du Club Yamasol, Nicolet, QC, December 20, 2019.

    2019 - View publication details

  6. Thivierge, M.-N., Houde, S., Vanasse, A., Bélanger, G., Chantigny, M.H., and Angers, D.A. 2019. Mieux comprendre les systèmes racinaires pour améliorer la performance de nos systèmes de cultures. Journée sol et semences Fertior, St-Bernard, QC, Septembre 20, 2019.

    2019 - View publication details

  7. Thivierge, M.-N., Chantigny, M.H., Bélanger, G., Tremblay, G., Royer, I., Bertrand, N., and Tremblay, J. 2019. Substitution du maïs-ensilage par des plantes fourragères pérennes comme stratégie pour atténuer l’impact environnemental des fermes laitières. Journée d’innovation sur les plantes fourragères et les grandes cultures, Station agronomique de recherche de l’Université Laval, St-Augustin-de-Desmaures, July 3, 2019. Oral presentation.

    2019 - View publication details

  8. Brin, L.D., Goyer, C., Zebarth, B.J., Burton, D.L., Chantigny, M.H. (2019). Linking changes in snow cover with microbial nitrogen cycling functional gene abundance and expression in agricultural soil. FEMS Microbiology Ecology, [online] 95(7), http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/femsec/fiz073

    2019 - View publication details

  9. Thivierge, M.-N., Houde, S., Bélanger, G., Chantigny, M.H., Angers, D.A., Fort, F., and Vanasse, A. Changes in root traits of forage mixtures through successive defoliations and with different N sources. Proceedings of the Joint 20th Symposium of the European Grassland Federation and the 33rd Meeting of the EUCARPIA Section ‘Fodder Crops and Amenity Grasses’, Zurich, Switzerland, June 24–27, 2019. In Grassland Science in Europe, vol. 24, pp. 78–80.

    2019 - View publication details

  10. Denoncourt, C., Chantigny, M.H., Angers, D.A., Thivierge, M.-N., and Vanasse, A. Impact du travail de sol sur l’arrière-effet azoté associé aux apports répétés d’effluents d’élevage en fonction du type de sol. 33rd Annual Meeting of the Association québécoise des spécialistes en sciences du sol (AQSSS). Ville-Marie, QC, June 11–14, 2019. Oral presentation.

    2019 - View publication details

  11. Thivierge, M.-N., Houde, S., Vanasse, A., Bélanger, G., Chantigny, M.H., and Angers, D.A. 2019. Mieux comprendre les systèmes racinaires pour améliorer la performance de nos systèmes de cultures. Colloque sur la gestion des cours d’eau en milieu agricole - Lotbinière EAU devant, Saint-Agapit, QC, February 28, 2019.

    2019 - View publication details

  12. Houde, S., Thivierge, M.-N., Fort, F., Bélanger, G., Chantigny, M.H., Angers, D.A. et Vanasse, A. 2019. Suivi in situ de la croissance racinaire de plantes fourragères en mélange. Présentation orale lors de la Journée d’information scientifique – Bovins laitiers et plantes fourragères, Drummondville, QC, 26 février 2019.

    2019 - View publication details

  13. Thivierge, M.-N., Houde, S., Vanasse, A., Bélanger, G., Chantigny, M.H., and Angers, D.A. 2019. Mieux comprendre les systèmes racinaires pour améliorer la performance de nos systèmes de cultures. Comité Grandes cultures du Centre de référence en agriculture et agroalimentaire du Québec (CRAAQ), Québec, QC, January 30, 2019.

    2019 - View publication details

  14. Thivierge, M.-N., Houde, S., Vanasse, A., Bélanger, G., Chantigny, M.H., and Angers, D.A. 2019. Mieux comprendre les systèmes racinaires pour améliorer la performance agronomique de nos systèmes de cultures. Colloque Santé des sols 2019, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, January 8, 2019.

    2019 - View publication details

  15. Thivierge, M.-N., Houde, S., Vanasse, A., Bélanger, G., Chantigny, M.H., and Angers, D.A. 2018. Les traits racinaires pour optimiser le système sol-plante. Journée Grandes Cultures 2018 de la Mauricie, Trois-Rivières, QC, December 12, 2018.

    2018 - View publication details

  16. Wertz, S., Goyer, C., Burton, D.L., Zebarth, B.J., Chantigny, M.H. (2018). Processes contributing to nitrite accumulation and concomitant N2O emissions in frozen soils. Soil Biology & Biochemistry, [online] 126 31-39. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2018.08.001

    2018 - View publication details

  17. Hafner, S.D., Pacholski, A., Bittman, S., Burchill, W., Bussink, W., Chantigny, M., Carozzi, M., Génermont, S., Häni, C., Hansen, M.N., Huijsmans, J., Hunt, D., Kupper, T., Lanigan, G., Loubet, B., Misselbrook, T., Meisinger, J.J., Neftel, A., Nyord, T., Pedersen, S.V., Sintermann, J., Thompson, R.B., Vermeulen, B., Vestergaard, A.V., Voylokov, P., Williams, J.R., Sommer, S.G. (2018). The ALFAM2 database on ammonia emission from field-applied manure: Description and illustrative analysis. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, [online] 258 66-79. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2017.11.027

    2018 - View publication details

  18. Houde, S., Thivierge, M.-N., Bélanger, G. Chantigny, M.H., Angers, D.A., Fort, F., and Vanasse, A. Monitoring root development of forage grasses in response to defoliations & N fertilization source. International Society of Root Research 10th International Symposium: Exposing the Hidden Half – Root Research at the Forefront of Science, Jerusalem, Israel, July 8–12, 2018 (Poster).

    2018 - View publication details

  19. Houde, S., Thivierge, M.-N. , Bélanger, G., Chantigny, M.H., Angers, D.A., and Vanasse, A. 2018. Suivi des traits racinaires de graminées fourragères en mélange. 32nd Annual Meeting of the Association québécoise des spécialistes en sciences du sol (AQSSS). Quebec, QC, June 13–14, 2018. Oral presentation.

    2018 - View publication details

  20. Thomas, B.W.*, J.K. Whalen, M. Sharifi, M.H. Chantigny, X. Hao. 2018. Nitrogen mineralization in sandy loam and silty clay soils receiving liquid swine and dairy cattle manure. Joint Annual Meeting of Canadian Geophysical Union-Canadian Soil Science Society-Computational Infrastructure in Geodynamics-Eastern Section of the Seismological Society of America-Canadian Society for Agricultural and Forest Meteorology. Niagara Falls, ON, Canada. June 10–14, 2018.

    2018 - View publication details

Contact

Research facility

Quebec Research and Development Centre
2560 Hochelaga Boulevard
Québec, QC G1V 2J3
Canada

Expertise

Agriculture›Biogeochemistry
Agriculture›Environmental science›Agriculture-environment interactions
Agriculture›Soil science›Manure and slurry management
Agriculture›Soil science›Soil and crop nitrogen cycling

Affiliations

  • Invited scientist, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Departamento do solos, Brasil.

  • Associate Professor, Faculté des sciences de l'agriculture et de l'alimentation, Département de phytologie, Université Laval.

  • Associate Professor, Faculté des sciences de l'agriculture et de l'alimentation, Dépt. de Science du sol et de Génie Agroalimentaire, Université Laval.

  • Adjunct Professor, Dept. Of Plant Agriculture, University of Guelph.

Language

English
French