Prof. CAI Zucong from the School of Geography, Nanjing Normal University, visited IHB on July 26, 2024. (Credit: IHB)

On July 26, 2024, Prof. CAI Zucong from the School of Geography, Nanjing Normal University, was invited to the Institute of Hydrobiology (IHB) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, to engage in academic exchange. He delivered a lecture titled "The Challenge of Nitrogen," as part of IHB's 17th Innovation Lecture Series in 2024.

In his lecture, Prof. Cai highlighted the critical role of the soil nitrogen cycle in maintaining ecosystem health, emphasizing the environmental issues arising from nitrogen fertilizer use in modern agriculture, particularly the increase in N2O emissions.

He provided an in-depth analysis of the complex processes of the soil nitrogen cycle and proposed new ideas for improving the match between nitrogen forms in the soil and crop demands. He also suggested solutions to optimize nitrogen fertilizer efficiency by enhancing plants' ability to mineralize organic nitrogen on demand.

Prof. Cai shared the research outcomes from his team in managing the soil nitrogen cycle, stressing that combining good agricultural management practices with advanced scientific techniques is key to addressing the "nitrogen challenge."

Prof. Cai’s research focuses on greenhouse gas emissions from farmland, the carbon and nitrogen cycles in soil, and the mechanisms and prevention of crop replant disease. He has received two Natural Science Second Prizes from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, two First Prizes for Science and Technology Progress in Jiangsu Province, the First Prize for Environmental Protection Science and Technology, and the National Natural Science Second Prize.

Professor Cai was also named one of the "2015 Annual Figures in China Science News" and contributed as a Lead Author (LA) for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fourth Assessment Report.