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Published on 09/09/19

New UGA scientist will study soil makeup on Tifton campus

By Clint Thompson

Georgia feels like home for Ghana-native soil scientist Henry Sintim, and that’s what drew him to the University of Georgia Tifton campus.

Sintim joined the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences on Aug. 1 as an assistant professor in the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences. His area of expertise lies in studying the makeup of the soil and the nutrients that are vital to row crop production, specifically corn, cotton, peanuts and soybeans. Sintim will be based at UGA-Tifton.

“The amazing thing is that Georgia has a climate that resembles the climate that I have in Ghana. Coming here, I’ve come home,” he said. “It’s so amazing to hear people talk about the South.”

His primary role will be to develop a research program on ways to reduce the loss of nutrients in row crop production and to investigate new biological products designed to enhance nutrient uptake and efficiency in plants. Sintim plans to take a sustainable systems approach that will improve soil’s overall long-term health.

“We’ll be looking at improving the soil health with nutrient management being a critical component. Soil structure, organic matter, everything comes into play to complete a holistic system,” he said.

Sintim’s appointment is divided into 60% research and 40% Extension. A main focus of his Extension work will be to develop educational materials on soil fertility and assist UGA Cooperative Extension county agents through demonstrations, in-service trainings and consultations.

“I’m focused on the long-term health, meaning how do we manage nutrients to sustain production?” Sintim said. “We definitely want to sustain yield but possibly push the yield margins even higher.”

He will begin field research next spring.

Sintim earned a master’s degree in agronomy from the University of Wyoming in 2014 and a doctorate in soil science from Washington State University in 2018.

UGA Extension agronomist Glen Harris will continue to specialize in environmental soils and fertilizer and applied and on-farm research and teaching.

To learn more about the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, see cropsoil.uga.edu.

Clint Thompson is an agriculture writer based in Tifton, Georgia.

Authors:
Clint Thompson
Experts/Sources:
Henry Sintim
Henry Sintim joined the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences on Aug. 1 as an assistant professor in the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences.
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