Markku Yli-Halla

I have retired and don't have a laboratory or research funding anymore. Therefore I am not able to take new doctoral students.

Education

• Doctor of Science (Agriculture and Forestry), 1993, University of Helsinki, Finland, Agricultural Chemistry and Physics. Title of the Dissertation: Plant-availability of soil and fertilizer zinc in cultivated soils of Finland.
• Master of Science, 1989, Texas A&M University, College Station, USA, Soil Science
• Master of Science (Agriculture and Forestry), 1982 , University of Helsinki, Finland, Agricultural Chemistry and Physics
• Agronomi, 1982 (Finnish degree for professional agronomists)

Employment

• Professor emeritus, self-employed researcher and consultant 1/2017-
• Professor of Environmental Soil Science, Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Helsinki, 2/2007-12/2016
• Acting professor of Agricultural Chemistry and Physics/ Environmental Soil Science, University of Helsinki, 9/2005-1/2007.
• Senior Researcher, MTT Agrifood Research Finland, permanent position 6/1996-1/2007. 
• University of Helsinki: teacher, researcher, 8/1992 – 5/1996
• Kemira Oy, Espoo research centre: researcher and senior researcher, 3/1984 – 7/1992
• University of Helsinki: various duties, 11/1982 – 2/1984

Referee of manuscripts for the following journals:

Journal of Environmental Quality, Science of the Total Environment, Journal of Geochemical Exploration, Agriculture (Basel), Ecosystems and Environment, Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, Australian Journal of Soil Research, CLEAN: soil, air, water, Geoderma, Geoderma Regional, Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, Water Science and Technology, Suo - Peat and Mires, Water Air and Soil Pollution, Agricultural and Food Science (in Finland), Boreal Environment Research, Egyptian Journal of Agronomy, Applied Geochemistry, Journal of Environmental Management, European Journal of Soil Biology, Catena, Chemosphere, Pedosphere, African Journal of Plant Science, African Journal of Agricultural Research, Agriculture and Food Security, Estonian Journal of Earth Sciences, International Journal of Food Safety, Nutrition and Public Health (IJFSNPH), Journal of Agricultural Biotechnology and Sustainable Development, Heliyon, Journal of Cleaner Production, Applied and Environmental Soil Science, PlosOne, African Journal of Biotechnology, Chemical and Biological Technologies in Agriculture, Journal of Hydrology - Regional Studies

Current situationI retired in 2017 and don't have a lab or research funding. Therefore I am not taking new doctoral students anymore.

Description of research and teaching

After retirement (since 1/2017), I have written papers, supervised students, served as a reviewer for journals and participated in some projects as a researcher.

My research activities concentrate 1) on acid sulfate soils, 2) phosphorus fertilization and 3) soil classification.

As for acid sulfate soils, the studies in which I am involved in, deal with the effect of water management on the release of acidity and behavior of metals in these soils. The research sites include 1) a coastal acid sulfate soil with a peaty topsoil at Ruukki, which is an AnaEE site Ruukki (https://platforms.anaee.eu/research-platform-index/10052-5/), 2) a former peat mining area in eastern Finland, where oxidation of black schists is the source of acidity and 3) a poldered field area at Söderfjärden on the western coast of Finland.

Other research topics include soil classification according to the World Reference Base (WRB) and Soil Taxonomy. I was involved in compiling and updating of the soil map of Finland.  The projects on soil phosphorus include/ have recently included long-term phosphorus fertilization experiments and studies of sediments of a constructed wetland with the aim of finding out what to do with the dredged sediment material. I have also had some activity on the characteristics and sustainable use of Ethiopian soils.  

My teaching included the following courses: 1) Principles of soil fertility and plant nutrition (BSc level) and 2) Pedogenesis and soil classification (MSc level). I also participated in teaching soil issues in the principles of crop production course and parts of soil chemistry in the Advanced Soil Science course.