Xiying Hao

Research Scientist

As a senior research scientist in soil and nutrient management, leads projects and collaboration on scientific studies that:

Investigate how nutrient and organic residue management influence on agriculture production and environment.
Assess soil health for cultivated cropland with animal manure application and for native rangeland under cattle grazing.
Investigate soil carbon stability/storage for both cultivated and native rangeland under various management practices
Evaluate the impact of nitrogen stabilizers, such as nitrification inhibitors, on nitrous oxide emission from fertilized winter and spring wheat productions and from urine patches on tame and native pasture.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Lethbridge, Alberta

Current research and/or projects

1. Collaborator. B. Beres (PI), X. Hao, R. Mohr and others. Integrating N fertilizer technologies with superior genetics to optimize protein in CWRS wheat without compromising yield, 4R principles, and environmental health. Alberta Funding Consortium. 2019.4-2024.3

2.Collaborator. L.-P. Comeau (PI), C. Goyer (Co-PI), K. Hannam, X. Hao and others. Soil Microbial Biogeography and Soil Health in Agro-Ecosystems of Atlantic Canada. AAFC-Abase. 2019.4-2022.3

3. Collaborator. B. Beres (PI), X. Hao, R. Mohr and others. Innovative winter wheat agronomy in the Canadian Prairies. Wheat Cluster. 2018.4-2023.3

4. Co-principal investigator. M Martin (PI), X. Hao and others. Resilient crop–livestock systems. AAFC-Abase. 2018.4-2021.3

5. Collaborator. E. Okine (PI, University of Lethbridge), T.A. McAllister, X. Hao and others. Use biochar to reduce GHG in animal agriculture. AAFC-AGGP program. 2016.12-2021.3

6. Principal investigator. X. Hao. Carbon and nutrient management to reduce GHG emission & enhance soil C storage. AAFC-International collaboration Fund. 2017.4-2020.3

7. Principal investigator. X. Hao, K. Beauchemin, T.A. McAllister, F.R. Larney, S. Acharya. Persistency of dietary 3-nitrooxypropanol through manure lifecycle. ALMA. 2016.4-2019.9

8. Principal investigator. X. Hao, N. Lupwayi, K. Beauchemin, T.A. McAllister, F.R. Larney, S. Acharya. Novel manure/compost for soil health. AAFC-Abase. 2016.4-2019.3.

9. Collaborator. K. Floate (PI), X. Hao, N. Lupwayi. Ecosystem function of dung insects. AAFC-Abase. 2016.4-2019.3.

10. Principal investigator. X. Hao, D. Thompson, D. Bruhjell, N. Lupwayi. Conserving rangeland soil resources. AAFC-Abase. 2016.4-2019.3

Research and/or project statements

Livestock manure management
Soil chemistry
Soil fertility
Soil health
Rangeland soil
Greenhouse gas

Education and awards

Ph.D., Soil Chemistry, University of Manitoba, 1998

M.Sc., Soil Physics, University of Saskatchewan, 1986

B.Sc., Soil Science & Agro-Chemistry, China Agricultural University 1982

International experience and/or work

1. Co-supervising Chinese Ph.D. exchange students in collaboration with (1) China Agricultural University, (2) Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, (3) Yunnan Agricultural University, (4) Northwest Agriculture & Forestry University; (5) Southwest University, and (6) Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science. Ongoing since 2006.

2. Collaborative research with N. Verhulst and N. Honsdorf (International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre, Mexico), and S.G. Fonteyne (CGIAR, Mexico) on Soil C fractionation as influenced by tillage and straw management under different rates of nitrogen fertilizer application. 2018.2-2020.3.

Key publications

Norris, C.E., Gorzelak, M., Arcand, M., Bruhjell, D., Carlyle, C.N., Dyck, M., Ellert, B., Entz, M., Geddes, C.M., Hao, X., Janovicek, K., Larney, F., May, W., Luce, M.S., Van Eerd, L.L., Zhang, T., Beck, R., Cowen, T., Liptzin, D., Morgan, C.L.S. (2023). The story of long-term research sites and soil health in Canadian agriculture. Canadian Journal of Soil Science, [online] 103(1), 164-190. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/cjss-2021-0174
2023 - View publication details
VanderZaag, A., Rajagopal, R. Desjardins, R., Coates, T., Hao, X., Bittman, S. 2021. Reducing Emissions from Manure Management. Report to AAFC’s Climate Change Roadmap project. 32 pp
2021 - View publication details
An, H., Owens, J., Beres, B., Li, Y., Hao, X. (2021). Nitrous oxide emissions with enhanced efficiency and conventional urea fertilizers in winter wheat. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems, [online] 119(3), 307-322. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10705-021-10118-9
2021 - View publication details
Hussain Shah, S.H., Wang, J., Hao, X., Thomas, B.W. (2021). Modeling the effect of salt-affected soil on water balance fluxes and nitrous oxide emission using modified DNDC. Journal of Environmental Management, [online] 280 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.111678
2021 - View publication details
Indraratne, S.P., Spengler, M., Hao, X. (2021). Cattle manure loadings and legacy effects on copper and zinc availability under rainfed and irrigated conditions. Canadian Journal of Soil Science, [online] 101(2), 305-316. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/cjss-2020-0124
2021 - View publication details
Miller, J.J., Owen, M.L., Hao, X., Yang, X.M., Drury, C.F., Chanasyk, D.S. (2021). Influence of continuous application of feedlot manure and legacy treatments on soil organic carbon, soil hydrophobicity, and soil water repellency. Canadian Journal of Soil Science, [online] 101(3), 439-451. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/cjss-2020-0074
2021 - View publication details
Owens, J.L., Thomas, B.W., Stoeckli, J.L., Beauchemin, K.A., McAllister, T.A., Larney, F.J., Hao, X. (2020). Greenhouse gas and ammonia emissions from stored manure from beef cattle supplemented 3-nitrooxypropanol and monensin to reduce enteric methane emissions. Scientific Reports, [online] 10(1), http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-75236-w
2020 - View publication details
An, H., Owens, J., Stoeckli, J., Hao, X., Beres, B., Li, Y. (2020). Nitrous oxide emissions following split fertilizer application on winter wheat grown on Mollisols of Southern Alberta, Canada. Geoderma Regional, [online] 21 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.geodrs.2020.e00272
2020 - View publication details
Zhang, Y., Gao, X., Hao, X., Alexander, T.W., Shi, X., Jin, L., Thomas, B.W. (2020). Heavy grazing over 64 years reduced soil bacterial diversity in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, Canada. Applied Soil Ecology, [online] 147 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.apsoil.2019.09.011
2020 - View publication details
Tien L. Weber, Xiying Hao, Cole D. Gross, Karen A. Beauchemin and & Scott X. Chang. 2021. Effect of manure from cattle fed 3-nitrooxypropanol on anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions depends on soil type. Agronomy (accepted)
2020 - View publication details
Carlos M. Romero, Xiying Hao, Jen Owens, Hongjie Zhang, Erasmus Okine, Abby-Ann Redman, Paul Hazendonk, Tim A. McAllister. Enhancement of manure composting by biochar: An emerging benefit to the use of engineered carbon in animal feeding. 57th Alberta Soil Science Workshop. Lethbridge AB, Feb. 18-20, 2020.
2020 - View publication details
Xiying Hao, Carlos M. Romero, Jessica Stoeckli, Hongjie Zhang and Jim Miller. 2020. Influence of Legacy Applications of Feedlot Manure Amendments on Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Fractions. 57th Alberta Soil Science Workshop, Lethbridge, A. Feb. 18-20, 2020.
2020 - View publication details
Hao, X. and He, Z. (2020). Pelletizing Animal Manures for On‐ and Off‐Farm Use. In Animal Manure (eds H. Waldrip, P. Pagliari and Z. He). https://doi.org/10.2134/asaspecpub67.c23
2019 - View publication details
C Li, CM Romero, J Owens, GO Ribeiro, T McAllister, E Okine, X Hao. 2019. Novel strategies for biochar application to densely populated livestock regions in North America–Impacts on soil nutrient cycling and greenhouse gas emissions. AGU Fall Meeting 2019. Dec 9-13, 2019. San Francisco. USA
2019 - View publication details
Nkemka, V.N., Beauchemin, K.A., Hao, X. (2019). Treatment of feces from beef cattle fed the enteric methane inhibitor 3-nitrooxypropanol. Water Science and Technology, [online] 80(3), 437-447. http://dx.doi.org/10.2166/wst.2019.302
2019 - View publication details
Zhang, B., Beck, R., Pan, Q., Zhao, M., Hao, X. (2019). Soil physical and chemical properties in response to long-term cattle grazing on sloped rough fescue grassland in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, Alberta. Geoderma, [online] 346 75-83. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2019.03.029
2019 - View publication details
Lupwayi, N.Z., Zhang, Y., Hao, X., Thomas, B.W., Eastman, A.H., Schwinghamer, T.D. (2019). Linking soil microbial biomass and enzyme activities to long-term manure applications and their nonlinear legacy. Pedobiologia, [online] 74 34-42. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pedobi.2019.04.001
2019 - View publication details
An, H., Zhang, B., Thomas, B.W., Beck, R., Willms, W.D., Li, Y., Hao, X. (2019). Short term recovery of vegetation and soil after abandoning cultivated mixedgrass prairies in Alberta, Canada. Catena, [online] 173 321-329. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2018.10.017
2019 - View publication details
Zhang B, Beck R, Willms W, Zhao M. Hao X. 2019. Soil physical properties, carbon and nitrogen recovery after 20 years’ exclosure from grazing on a rough fescue grassland. 2019 SSSA International Soils Meeting in San Diego, CA. Jan 5-9, 2019.
2019 - View publication details
Haibo An1, Jennifer Owens, Brian Beres, Ramona Mohr, Xiying Hao. 2019. Nitrous oxide emissions from enhanced efficiency fertilizers in a rain-fed winter wheat cropping system in semi-arid southern Alberta. 2019 SSSA International Soils Meeting in San Diego, CA. Jan 5-9, 2019
2019 - View publication details