IUSS News
IUSS Twitter account
We invite you to follow us on our Official Twitter Account @IUSS_ORG , where we promote our official activities and remain in touch with the Soil Science Scientists community worldwide.
Offer to share YouTube videos related to soil science
The International Union of Soils Sciences would like to invite its members to provide links of their YouTube videos on soil science, which we offer to share on our YouTube channel in order to make them known more widely. Videos should preferably be in English, but all languages are welcome. YouTube videos should not be larger than 2 GB, nor longer than 10 minutes. Please bear in mind to check pertaining copyrights. IUSS will not consider videos with unsuitable content.
Read more: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLi-8j0XEXF7nrixZwcMAXA6-8PB3MPvOk
General News
Degeneration to regeneration: repairing soil health for the future of land and sea life
Chemical fertilizers are used because of a lack of nutrients naturally present in degraded soil. Land degradation is a process that begins when forests are initially cleared for agriculture and ultimately overfarmed or overgrazed until the carrying capacity of the land has dwindled. Instead of clearing fields, intensifying monocrop production, and ultimately degrading the land, agriculture focused on the power of trees (agroforestry) strives to protect the soil, diversify crops, and optimize the land sustainably. Trees for the Future has 30 years of experience working with farmers to find innovative ways to revive degraded lands
Read more: https://www.agrilinks.org/post/degeneration-regeneration-repairing-soil-health-future-land-sea-life?utm_source=USAID+Bureau+for+Food+Security+%2F+Agrilinks&utm_campaign=f25d3f632b-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_07_24_08_42&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_8f8d227958-f25d3f632b-57098753
[From: ASA-CSSA-SSSA Science Policy Report, 7 August 2019]
Conferences, Meetings and Workshops
2019
JRC-European Network on Soil Awareness (ENSA) meeting
September 19-20, 2019, Fruittuin Van West Organic Farm, Amsterdam, Netherlands
To support the implementation of the European Soil Partnership, the next joint JRC-European Network on Soil Awareness (ENSA) meeting will take place as part of the “Summer of Soil” in Fruittuin Van West Organic Farm, Amsterdam. The conference is open to everyone with in interest in raising awareness of soils as well as other interest groups whose role involves an understanding of specific aspects of soil, for example, planners, teachers, and local authorities. The meeting offers the opportunity for exchanging ideas and experiences in raising soil awareness.
Registration until September 13, 2019 via: https://web.jrc.ec.europa.eu/remjrc/screen/meeting/3706/registration-form
Read more: https://www.iuss.org/media/ensa_meeting_2019_flyer.pdf
Conference ‘Soil and the SDGs: challenges and need for action’
25 November 2019, Brussels, Belgium. The conference targets policy-makers, researchers, representatives of NGOs and other stakeholders active in the protection of land and soil. It will provide an opportunity to discuss the challenges of soil and land degradation in the EU and the urgent need for action to implement the Sustainable Development Goals. Speakers will include high-level representatives of EU institutions, the European Environment Agency, the scientific community and the UNCCD.
The conference is free of charge but registration is mandatory.
Read more: www.soil-conference.org
2020
Intersoil 2020 – International Conference on Soil, Sediments and Water
“Soil as a solution in facing the big challenges and reaching the goals for the planet”
2 & 3 March 2020, Brussels, Belgium. Major themes: Soil as a solution for health; Soil as a solution for
agriculture and food; Soil as a solution for biodiversity; Soil as a sustainable resource; Soil as a solution for energy and climate; with three subthemes: Legislation, methodology and
governance; Technical responses (good interactive and harmonious practices); Economic,
social and communication responses.
Call for papers until October 31, 2019
Read more: https://www.webs-event.com/webs/en/event/intersoil/
Global Conference on Sandy Soils
31 May – 4 June 2020. University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA.
Sandy soils – as a group of soils – have received limited research attention. With increasing global pressure on land resources, marginal soils such as sandy soils are taken into production or cultivated more intensely. There is a need to quantify and understand the properties of sandy soils across the globe. The workshop format will be symposia with several keynotes followed by 5-10 minutes presentations and ample time for discussions. Conference topics include: Sandy soils – distribution and formation; Soil water repellency, crust, and compaction; Runoff, erosion, and groundwater management; Monitoring, mapping, and management of salinization; Nutrient management; Carbon sequestration and soil health; Management and remediation of contaminants; Soil water conservation and biodiversity; Soil security on sandy soils.
Read more: https://sandysoils.org/
8th International Crop Science Congress
June 21 – 25, 2020, Saskatoon, Canada. The scientific programme will cover the following topics: Genetics, Genomics and Breeding; Biotechnology and Agriculture; Germplasm and Evolution; Agronomy and Translational Physiology; Climate Change and Food Security; Addressing Biotic Challenges; Role of Omics Technologies in Food Sustainability and Predictive & Digital Agriculture
Call for Abstracts will open on October 1, 2019
Read more: https://www.icsc2020.com/
New publications
Soil Degradation and Restoration in Africa
Edited by Rattan Lal, B. A. Stewart. 1st Edition published in July 2019 by CRC Press; 330 pages, 20 Color Illustrations, 101 B/W Illus.; eBook ISBN 9781315102849, hardcover ISBN 9781138103313, price hardcover GBP 140.00.
Soil degradation is a widespread problem in Africa resulting in decreased agricultural productivity while demand for food continues to increase. Degradation is caused by accelerated erosion, acidification, contamination, depletion of soil organic matter and plant nutrients, and salinization. The major cause of soil degradation in Africa is uncontrolled and excessive grazing in the savanna regions followed by deforestation and the use of inappropriate and extractive farming practices. Perpetual neglect of the health of soils in Africa can exacerbate the already serious problems of food and nutritional insecurity and environmental degradation. Food and nutritional security of the growing population of Africa can only be achieved if degraded soils are restored and soils of agroecosystems are managed prudently and sustainably. Ignoring soils and taking the fragile, finite and precious soil resources for granted is the principal cause of poverty, hunger, and environmental degradation. The downward spiral must be reversed through soil restoration measures based on translating science into action.
Part of the Advances in Soil Sciences series, this volume is specifically devoted to the processes and factors that cause soil degradation and the challenges and potential for remediation and restoration of soil health in Africa.
Determination of Toxic Organic Chemicals In Natural Waters, Sediments and Soils: Determination and Analysis
By T. R. Crompton. 1st Edition published by Academic Press on 8 June 2019; 422 pages, Paperback ISBN: 9780128158562, eBook ISBN: 9780128165300, price paperback: EUR 119.14, price eBook: €132.51.
This tome reviews the latest techniques for the determination and assessment of both current and emerging organic compounds in a range of important environmental contexts. A wide range of organic compounds in non-saline waters are discussed in the opening chapters, including hydrocarbons, surface active agents and volatile organic compounds. This is followed by multiorganics, pesticides and organometallic compounds in non-saline waters. Organic compounds in aqueous precipitation are then explored before the book goes on to discuss compounds in soils, including extraction techniques, insecticides, herbicides and fungicides, and organometallic compounds.
Finally, the concluding chapters focus on compounds in sediments, providing readers with the latest information in the field and supporting them as they address the important issue surrounding organic material throughout ecosystems.
Soil Fertility Management for Sustainable Development
Edited by Deepak G. Panpatte and Yogeshvari K. Jhala. Published by Springer, 2019. Print ISBN 978-981-13-5903-3; Online ISBN 978-981-13-5904-0; price eBook: EUR 107.09.
Soil fertility is the backbone of agricultural systems and plays a key role in determining food quantity and quality. In recent decades, soil fertility has decreased due to indiscriminate use of agrochemicals, and nations around the globe are now facing the challenge of increasing food production while sustainably maintaining soil fertility. Written by leading international scientists in the field, this book explores soil fertility management strategies, including agronomic, microbiological and soil-science based strategies. Highlighting the practices that can be incorporated into organic farming and discussing recent advances, it is a valuable resource for researchers wanting to broaden their vision and the scope of their investigations.
Read more: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-981-13-5904-0#about
Saline Soil-based Agriculture by Halotolerant Microorganisms
Edited by Manoj Kumar, Hassan Etesami, Vivek Kumar. Published by Springer, 2019. Print ISBN 978-981-13-8334-2, Online ISBN 978-981-13-8335-9. Price eBook: EUR 91.62.
This book discusses the role of salt in current agricultural approaches, including the low salt tolerance of agricultural crops and trees, impact of saline soils, and salt-resistant plants.
Halophytes are extremely salt tolerant plants, which are able to grow and survive under salt at concentrations as high as 5 g/l by maintaining negative water potential. The salt-tolerant microbes inhabiting the rhizospheres of halophytes may contribute to their salt tolerance, and the rhizospheres of halophytic plants provide an ideal opportunity for isolating various groups of salt-tolerant microbes that could enhance the growth of different crops under salinity stress.
The book offers an overview of salt-tolerant microbes’ ability to increase plant tolerance to salt to facilitate plant growth, the potential of the halophytes’ rhizospheres as a reservoir of beneficial salt-tolerant microbes, their future application as bio-inoculants in agriculture and a valuable resource for an alternative way of improving crop tolerance to salinity and promoting saline soil-based agriculture. This special collection of reviews highlights some of the recent advances in applied aspects of plant (halophytes)-microbe interactions and their contribution towards eco-friendly approaches saline soil-based agriculture.
Read more: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-981-13-8335-9#about
Nema and the Xenos: A Story of Soil Cycles
By Ailsa Wild, Aviva Reed, Briony Barr, Gregory Crocetti, S. Patricia Stock. Published in the Small Friends Books series by CSIRO Publishing in August 2019. ISBN: 9781486312160, 48 pages, Colour illustrations. Price hardback AU $24.99.
The tale of a tiny worm, the bacteria that live inside her, and a tree being munched on by a grub.
This is a story about tiny creatures that live in the darkness of the soil. + Full description
When a tree cries out in pain, some unexpected heroes come to the rescue. Nema and her gang of young nematodes (tiny worms) embark on a dangerous journey underground. The Xenos, a group of wise but deadly bacteria, hitch a ride. The story of how they help the tree is full of action, life-or-death challenges and microscopic warfare. It is a story of co-operation and ancient partnership, about events happening all over the Earth, in the hidden worlds beneath our feet.
Read more: https://www.publish.csiro.au/books/series/81
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