Ohio State Energy Partners (OSEP) and The Ohio State University partnered in 2017 to launch an energy efficiency program. As part of this comprehensive energy management partnership, the OSEP will contribute $810,000 annually to the university and other philanthropic causes. The bigger picture of this partnership is that it contributes to advancing university priorities and promotes community and interdisciplinary collaboration.
The recipients of the 2025-26 OSEP Academic Collaboration Awards included Samaneh Tajik's project, "Increasing Carbon Sequestration in Turfgrass Through Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi". Samaneh is a postdoctoral scholar in CFAES/HCS and is continuing her research with Dr. Florence Sessoms. Luckily, Samaneh had time to share her thoughts on this project...
How did you initially become involved in this project?
I started studying soil science, and part of my PhD research was on organic carbon and soil microorganisms. After joining Dr. Sessoms' lab, I got familiar with turfgrass and became curious about how microorganisms might affect organic carbon and turfgrass health. That’s why I joined this project.
What are the potential impacts of this project?
The potential impacts of this project include improving turfgrass health by enhancing the beneficial interactions between microorganisms and turfgrass roots. These microorganisms can help to promote nutrient uptake and leading to healthier and more resilient turfgrass. They can reduce the need for chemical fertilizers, especially nitrogen, by increasing nutrient availability for turfgrass, thereby lowering fertilizer inputs and their environmental impact. Our project aims to demonstrate how fostering these microbial communities can support sustainable turfgrass management with less fertilizer dependence.
We are also interested in investigating the potential impact of microorganisms to increase the absorption of CO₂ from the atmosphere and store it in the soil as organic carbon, through their indirect impact on turfgrass.
What contributions do you expect to make to this project?
My role includes designing experiments, overseeing data collection and analysis, and synthesizing findings for publication. I anticipate contributing new insights into how AMF influence carbon storage and turfgrass resilience.
What are you most looking forward to learning through this project?
I am most excited to uncover how manipulating fungal communities can maximize both turfgrass sustainability and carbon sequestration. Additionally, I look forward to exploring how these soil-plant-microbe relationships respond to environmental stresses and management practices.
Closing thoughts
This research is relevant not just to scientific communities but to turf managers, urban planners, and climate policy. It will show that small changes in our landscapes can have big climate impacts. The project is collaborative and interdisciplinary, involving biologists, soil scientists, and ecologists.
