Cheng Yi: PhD, Professor, Doctoral Director

Male, Jixi, Anhui Province, Ph.D., Professor and Ph.D. Director, School of Geosciences, Nanjing Normal University, recipient of the National Outstanding Youth Science Foundation and the National Outstanding Youth Science Foundation, head of the research team on soil nitrogen cycling and global change, deputy director of the Ecological and Environmental Committee of the Chinese Society of Plant Nutrition and Fertilizers, and director of the Soil Resources and Environment Committee of the Soil Society of Jiangsu Province. He is mainly engaged in the research of soil nitrogen cycle and environmental effects, and has been published as the first/corresponding author in Nature Food (2), Earth-Science Reviews, Global Change Biology (3), Environmental Science & Technology (3), Soil We have published 52 papers in SCI journals, including Nature Food (2), Earth-Science Reviews, Global Change Biology (3), Environmental Science & Technology (3), Soil Biology & Biochemistry (4). He has published 5 reviews in Chinese, including 2 new perspectives and frontiers papers in Soil Journal. He has presided over 6 National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) projects, including Outstanding Young Scientist Fund, Excellent Young Scientist Fund, and Key Project of Joint Fund, as well as a number of sub-projects of R&D programs. He serves as Associate Editor of Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment and European Journal of Soil Science, as well as Editorial Board member of Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and Journal of Plant Nutrition and Fertilizer.

Contact information

• Email: ycheng@njnu.edu.cn
• Office Address: Room 306, College of Geographical Sciences, Nanjing Normal University
• Address: College of Geographical Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, No.1 Wenyuan Road, Qixia District, Nanjing, China
• Students from soil science, ecology, environmental science, geography, microbiology and other related disciplines are always welcome to pursue master's and doctoral degrees, postdoctoral research, as well as teaching and research in our team.

Educational Background

• 2007/09-2012/06, Nanjing Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dr. Zucong Cai
• Period: 2009/12-2010/09, University of Alberta, Canada, visiting student Scott X. Chang
• 2003/09-2007/06, College of Life Sciences, Anhui University (211), B.Sc.

Research Experience

• 2020/07-present, Nanjing Normal University, School of Geographical Sciences, Professor (broken)
• 2018/05-2020/06, Nanjing Normal University, College of Geographical Sciences, High-level (Professor) Talent, Associate Professor
• 2016/07-2018/04, Nanjing Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Associate Researcher
• 2012/07-2016/06, Nanjing Institute of Soil Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Assistant Researcher

Main Research Interests

Research on soil nitrogen cycle and its biological, environmental and climatic effects (field observation + micro-mechanisms + global modeling):
① Soil nitrogen cycle and microbial mechanism under global change;
② Nitrogen cycle patterns based on big data and model simulation
③ Evaluation of agronomic and ecological effects of new nitrogen fertilizers;
④ Nitrogen surface pollution prevention and control and greenhouse gas emission reduction in farmland.

Major part-time social positions

• 2024/01~Present, Member of Agricultural and Rural Environment Committee, Jiangsu Society of Environmental Science
• 2023/07~Present, Deputy Director, Special Committee on Ecological Environment, Chinese Society of Plant Nutrition and Fertiliser, Member, Special Committee on Fertilisation of Arable Land
• 2022/01~present, Young Editorial Board Member, Environmental Science, Journal of Ecology and Environment, Biochar, Carbon Research
• 2021/11-present, Soil and Crops, Editorial Board Member
• 2021/05-present, Journal of Plant Nutrition and Fertiliser, Editorial Board Member
• 2021/01-present, Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Editorial Board Member
• 2020/09-Present, Director, Soil Resources and Environment Committee, Soil Society of Jiangsu Province, China
• 2020/07~Present, Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, Editor
• 2020/01~Present, European Journal of Soil Science, Associate Editor
• 2019/09~Present, Journal of Agro-Environmental Science, Invited Editor
• 2019/06~Present, Isotopes, Editorial Board Member
• 2020, Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment and Forests Special Issue, Managing Guest Editor

Honors and Awards

• 2023 and 2024 NSFC Facing Greenland Conference Evaluator
• 2022 Sub-project of "Selection and Training of High-level Talents in China's Action Plan for Excellence in Science and Technology Journals" by China Association for Science and Technology (CAST) - Selection and Compilation of Cases of Outstanding Reviewers 
• 2022 Delegate of the 17th Party Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), Nanjing Normal University (NNU)
• Jiangsu Province Geography Youth Science and Technology Award in 2020
• 2020 Nanjing Normal University Young and Middle-aged Leaders - "Outstanding Young and Middle-aged Talents".
• Outstanding Teacher Award of Nanjing Normal University in 2020
• Excellent reviewer of Journal of Agricultural Environmental Science (2016-2018), Journal of Plant Nutrition and Fertiliser (2018, 2019), Journal of Ecology and Rural Environment (2019), Journal of Agricultural Resources and Environment (2018-2019), Journal of Soil Science (2020)

Recent publications (*Corresponding author)
First/corresponding author papers only

• 1) Chen, Zhaoxiong; Liu, Yu; Wu, Liangping; Wang, Jing; Elrys, Ahmed S.; Uwiragiye, Yves; Tang, Quan; Jing, Hang; Cai, Zucong; Müller, Christoph; Cheng, Yi*; Unveiling ammonium concentration ranges that determine competition for mineral nitrogen among soil nitrogen transformations under increased carbon availability. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 2024, 196, 109495.
• 2) Tu, Xiaoshun; Wang, Jing; Liu, Xiaoyu; Liu, Yu; Zhang, Yinghua; Uwiragiye, Yves; Elrys, Ahmed S; Zhang, Jinbo; Cai, Zucong; Cheng, Yi*; Müller, Christoph; Warming-induced stimulation of soil N2O emission counteracted by elevated CO2 from nine-year agroecosystem T-FACE. Environmental Science & Technology, 2024, 58: 6215-6225.
• 3) Elrys, Ahmed S#; Wang, Jing#; Meng, Lei#; Zhu, Qilin; El-Sawy, Mostafa M; Chen, Zhaoxiong; Tu, Xiaoshun; El-Saadony, Mohamed T; Zhang, Yanhui; Zhang, Jinbo; Cai, Zucong; Müller, Christoph; Cheng, Yi*; Integrative knowledge-based nitrogen management practices can provide positive effects on ecosystem nitrogen retention for sustainable agriculture. Nature Food, 2023, 4: 1075–1089. 
• 4) Elrys, Ahmed S; Yves, Uwiragiye; Zhang, Yanhui; Abdel-Fattah, Mohamed K; Chen, Zhaoxiong; Zhang, Huimin; Meng, Lei; Wang, Jing; Zhu, Tongbin; Cheng, Yi*; Zhang, Jinbo; Cai, Zucong; Chang, Scott X; Müller, Christoph; Expanding agroforestry can increase nitrate retention and mitigate the global impact of a leaky nitrogen cycle in croplands. Nature Food, 2023, 4: 109–121.
• 5) Tu, Xiaoshun#; Wang, Jing#; Liu, Xiaoyu; Elrys, Ahmed S; Cheng, Yi*; Zhang, Jinbo; Cai, Zucong; Müller, Christoph; Inhibition of elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide to soil gross nitrogen mineralization aggravated by warming in an agroecosystem. Environmental Science & Technology, 2022, 56: 12745–12754.
• 6) Chen, Zhaoxiong; Elrys, Ahmed S; Zhang, Huimin; Tu, Xiaoshun; Wang, Jing; Cheng, Yi*; Zhang, Jinbo; Cai, Zucong; How does organic amendment affect soil microbial nitrate immobilization rate? Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 2022, (173)108784.
• 7) Elrys, Ahmed S; Chen, Zhaoxiong; Wang, Jing; Yves, Uwiragiye; Helmy, Ayman M; Desoky, El-Sayed M.; Cheng, Yi*; Zhang, Jinbo; Cai, Zucong; Müller, Christoph; Global patterns of soil gross immobilization of ammonium and nitrate in terrestrial ecosystems. Global Change Biology, 2022, 28: 4472–4488.
• 8) Cheng, Yi#; Elrys, Ahmed S#; Merwad, Abdel-Rahman M; Zhang, Huimin; Chen, Zhaoxiong; Zhang, Jinbo*; Cai, Zucong; Müller, Christoph; Global patterns and drivers of soil dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium. Environmental Science & Technology, 2022, 56:3791–3800.
• 9) Elrys, Ahmed S; Wang, Jing; Metwally, Mohamed A. S; Cheng, Yi*; Zhang, Jinbo; Cai, Zucong; Chang, Scott X; Müller, Christoph; Global gross nitrification rates are dominantly driven by soil carbon-to-nitrogen stoichiometry and total nitrogen. Global Change Biology, 2021, 27:6512–6524.
• 10) Elrys, Ahmed S; Ahmad, Ali; Zhang, Huimin; Cheng, Yi*; Zhang, Jinbo; Cai, Zucong; Müller, Christoph; Chang, Scott X; Patterns and drivers of global gross nitrogen mineralization in soils. Global Change Biology, 2021, 27:5950–5962.
   

Major Research Projects Undertaken (Participated)

• 1) National Natural Science Foundation of China Distinguished Young Scientist Fund: Soil Nitrogen Cycle and Its Environmental Effects, presided over, under research (2025.01-2028.12)
• 2) National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) Joint Fund for Regional Innovation and Development: Soil Nitrogen Migration and Transformation Mechanisms, Effects and Regulatory Principles under Fertilisation of Protected Tillage, under my chairmanship, under research (2024.01-2027.12).
• 3) Jiangsu Province Carbon Peak and Carbon Neutral Science and Technology Innovation Special Funds Sub-topic: Research and Development of Key Technologies for Synergising High Yield and High Efficiency with Carbon Sequestration and Emission Reduction in Wheat, hosted by me, under research (2022.07-2025.07).
• 4) Independent Innovation Funds for Agricultural Science and Technology in Jiangsu Province: Soil Nitrate Accumulation Removal Technology Based on Nitrate Nitrogen Sequestration, hosted by me, under research (2022.07-2024.06)
• 5) National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) Excellent Youth Fund: Soil Nitrogen Cycle, under my auspices, under research (2022.01-2024.12).
• 6) National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC): autotrophic and heterotrophic nitrification and their microbial mechanisms in a typical tea plantation in China, under my auspices, under research (2020.01-2023.12).
• 7) Top-level project of National Natural Science Foundation of China: the influence of exogenous carbon on nitrate nitrogen assimilation rate and its mechanism in dryland soils, hosted by me, completed (2017.01-2020.12)
• 8) Sub-theme of the National Key Research and Development Programme: Fertiliser Nitrogen Migration and Transformation Process and Loss Prevention and Control Mechanism, chaired by me, completed (2017.07-2020.12)
• 9) Sub-theme of the National Key R&D Programme: Nitrogen and Phosphorus Runoff Loss Pollution and Prevention and Control Mechanisms in Agricultural Fields, hosted by me, completed (2017.07-2020.12)
• 10) EuroChem Agro GmbH, Germany, Technical Support Project: Evaluation of Agronomic and Environmental Effects of Novel Fertilisers and Nitrification Inhibitors, under my auspices, completed (2017.01-2019.12)
• 11) National Natural Science Foundation of China Youth Fund: Nitrogen supply capacity of soil and its control factors in typical tea plantations in China, under my auspices, completed (2014.01-2016.12)
• 12) Youth Fund of Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province: Impact of tea planting years on the primary conversion rate of nitrogen and its N2O emission pathway in tea plantation soils, hosted by me, completed (2013.07-2016.06)

Authorised Patents and Software

• Cheng, Yi; Chen, ZhaoXiong; Tu, Xiaoshun; Zhang, Huimin; Wang, Jing; An effective method for estimating the rate of nitrate-nitrogen assimilation in soil [P]. Jiangsu: CN2023102390330, 2023-07-21.

Outstanding Graduate Student

• 1. Ahmed Elrys (Postdoctoral Fellowship: 2020.06-2022.06, already released): He has received one NSFC Research Grant for Young Foreign Scholars, and has published two articles on Nature Food, three articles on Global Change Biology, and one article on Environmental Science & Technology. Technology. 
• 2. Zhaobo Chen (M.S. '18/Ph.D. '21, in progress): He has been awarded one National Scholarship for M.S. students, one National Scholarship for Ph.D. students, one Presidential Scholarship, selected as a Ph.D. student for the School Development Program in 2021, and awarded the Outstanding Master's Thesis of the University in 2022. He has published 5 SCI papers, including Soil Biology & Biochemistry, Soil & Tillage Research, Environmental Pollution and European Journal of Soil Science.
• 3. Xin Sun (PhD 19, graduated): He has been awarded one first-class academic scholarship for doctoral students, and was awarded the first prize for graduate student presentation at the Ninth National Symposium on Agro-Environmental Sciences. He has published 2 SCI papers as the first author in Soil & Tillage Research.
• 4. Huimin Zhang (19th grade, Master and PhD, in progress): She received one national scholarship for PhD students, and was awarded the first prize for the graduate student report of the Soil Chemistry Symposium of the Soil Society in 2022. She has published 2 papers on Agriculture Ecosystems & Environment as the first author.
• 5. Tu Xiaoshun (20): He has published 2 papers on Environmental Science & Technology as the first author.   
• 6. Miaomiao Cao (Ph.D. 23, in progress): published one paper on Agriculture Ecosystems & Environment as the first author.