M. Susan Erich

Title: Professor Emerita of Plant and Soil Chemistry

Degree: Ph. D. 1984, Cornell University
Email: erich@maine.edu
Location: 102 Deering Hall

Professional Interests: Plant-soil interactions, soil organic matter, nutrient availability from alternative fertilizer materials

Teaching:  PSE 121 Human Societies, Soil, and Water: The Unbreakable Link, PSE 440 Environmental Soil Chemistry and Plant Nutrition

Research:  My applied research relates to the effects of soil amendments on soil chemical and physical properties.  More basic research investigates the chemistry and formation of soil organic matter, particularly soluble and extractable fractions.  I have investigated the effects of naturally derived organic ligands on the solubility of phosphorus in soils, as well as environmentally and agronomically appropriate soil testing for phosphorus.  I also serve as Director of the Maine Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station Analytical Laboratory and Soil Testing Service.

Recent Publications:

Laffely, A., M.S. Erich, and E.B. Mallory. 2020. Evaluation of the CO₂ flush as a soil health indicator. Appl. Soil Ecol. 154:103594.

Laffely, A., M.S. Erich, and T. Ohno. 2020. Dissolved organic carbon chemical composition controls the rate of CO₂ release from rewetted soil. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 84:483-493.

Chase, A., M.S. Erich, and T. Ohno. 2018. Bioavailability of phosphorus on FeOOH not affected by soil amendment-derived organic matter. Agricultural & Environmental Letters 3:170042.

Marshall, K. M.S. Erich, M. Hutton, M. Hutchinson, E.B.Mallory. 2016. Nitrogen availability from compost in high tunnel tomato production.  Compost Sci. Util. 24:147-158.

Boeira de Oliveira , C.M. M.S.Erich, L.C. Gatiboni, T. Ohno. 2015. Phosphorus fractions and organic matter chemistry under different land use on Humic Cambisols in Southern Brazil. Geoderma Regional 5:140-149.

Bernard, E. R.P. Larkin, S. Tavantzis, M.S. Erich, A. Alyokhin, S.D. Gross. 2014. Rapeseed rotation, compost and biocontrol amendments reduce soilborne diseases and increase tuber yield in organic and conventional potato production systems. Plant Soil 374:611–627.

Lannan A.P., M.S. Erich and T. Ohno. 2013. Compost feedstock and maturity level affect soil response to amendment. Biol. Fert. Soils  49:273–285.

Erich, M.S. A.F. Plante, J.M. Fernandez, E.B. Mallory, T. Ohno.  2012.  Effects of profile depth and management on the composition of labile and total soil organic matter.  Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 76:408-419.