Agrogeology (Agricultural Geology) aims at the optimum utilization of the Earth potential in favor of sustainable agriculture. Although, application of agrominerals as the mineral fertilizers has been studied for decades, modeling of the site-specific parameters of the Earth involved in crops yielding would help us provide more sustainable production of agricultural crops.
Dear Mohammad,
Agrogeology is the old word to designe pedology. Indeed, the 1st International Conference of Agrogeology was held 14-27 April, 1909 in Budapest, the second Conference in Stockholm in 1910; for the third the name was Conference of Pedology in Prague 1922.
Have a look to this: http://www.google.lu/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&ved=0CC4QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Feusoils.jrc.ec.europa.eu%2Fesbn%2FPlenary_esbn_2009%2Fbridging%2FRetrospect_Micheli.pdf&ei=MyGnUumiLMLH0QWxkoDAAw&usg=AFQjCNHTcejabVPRThlWwoPpDdXwfcIZhQ&sig2=lVbSTELY4d2CJG_NcybUeg&bvm=bv.57799294,d.d2k
Dear Jerome
Thank you for the information. However, I have asked some of soil scientist about the topics and aims of the agrogeology and understood that is not related to their field of study.
On the other hand, the systematic point of view would help decision makers utilize the geostatics more sufficiently.
Agrogeology or Agricultural geology can be defined simply as the application of geology to problems in agriculture which are specifically related to soils.Soil is a product derived that shape the Earth, such as weathering, erosion and sedimentation.Younger the soil more nutrient-enriched it stands and therefore suited for agricultural activities.On the other hand older soils, say, for instance, soils developed on archaean formations ,compared to Cenozoic soils are nurient-deficient and therefore need to be remediated by suitable means,As an example we may quote the application of rock-phosphates or gypsum to soil to render it suitable for cultivation.These mineral additives aid in establishing ideal pH in soil to render it farmer-friendly. soils are derived by more than one geologic agency and therefore the characteristics of soils differ from place place in a given country.For example, in the northern parts of India, soils are essentially Alluvial, being derived as transported soils by running rivers and glaciers and are filled in the valleys.These are acidic generally and need 'basification' to render them more yielding.
Agrogeology formed part and parcel of field geologic investigations in many parts of the world,and United States in the begining of the last century and the practice was dispensed with somehow and the study got itself transferred to Agricultural Science as Pedology and Soil ecology. You may wonder there have been excellent text-books written on Agrogeology dating back to 1930s and 1940's, such as Agricultural Geology by Rastall in U.K OR by Frederick.Valentine ,U.S and more recently a text-book on Agrogeology written by Peter Vaan Straaten (2007), which gives several terrain-specific modelling of soils depleted in nutrients and how these soils were remedied by addition of suitable"rock-breads" instead of chemical fertilisers.-application of Geology direct to the problems of agriculture.The areas discussed by Prof.Straaten are mostly located in Africa. Similar studies could be found in works emanating from Europe, especially from Czekoslavakia.
Agro-Geology like Medical Geology is an emerging frontier of Geology and should be seriously thought of to be included as a branch in major geologic investigating agencies like the state and central geological surveys and the universities where Geology is taught as a major subject.
Protecting the interests of Future Generation lies in the hands of present thinkers, scientists and policy-makers.Sustaining healthy soils and preserving farm lands for agriculture needs the sustained co-operation of Agriculture scientists and Geologists and it is here that Agrogeology comes into picture. Food after all is one of the basic necessities of mankind apart from water and shelter for very survival.
Dear Vasudevan
Thank you for the detail and tactful information.
In my idea no decision on agricultural practices must not be made ignoring all the involved criteria, which most of them are due to the potential of the Earth. Therefore, one can make the most appropriate decision who is aware of all the geo-based information, and climatic, economic, cultural, etc. data.
All the data essentially have not the same effect on the cropping system. But they are different by their nature and the position of the earth.
Agro-geology is the future solution to climate smart agriculture.
visit www.aratibiotech.com
- Badges
- Science topic