INTRODUCTION AND HISTORY OF SOIL SCIENCE

History of soil Science Possibly the oldest written observations on soils and agronomy are to be found in
Jewish culture – the Old Testament of the Bible and the Talmud – much of which were evidently passed
down in the folklore of a largely agricultural population (Hillel, 1991). The selection of the best soils
followed naturally.

The three geographic regions noted above are (a) The Mesopotamian plains between the Tigris and
Euphrates, (b) the Nile Valley, and (c) the IndoGangetic plains of present-day India and Pakistan.
Curiously enough, it was the economic incentives that spurred the feudal owners of Russia’s great
landed estates and opened the door to the age of Dokuchaev and the introduction of science into soil
studies (Evtuhov in Warkentin, 2006) and the development of soil classification. First scientists The first
and unquestionable “father of soil science” (Warkentin, 2006) was V. V. Dokuchaev who was linked to
the Russian Academy of Science (originally in St. Petersburg), but who was first approached by the big
landowners who wanted to improve the economic viability of their territories. In this way he traveled
widely with a background knowledge derived from the German schools of http://www.unaab.edu.ng
geochemistry. The year 1899 marked (a) the first textbook of soil science (Pochvovedenie by N. M.
Sibirtzev), which contained a synthesis of Dokuchaev’s ideas about classification of soils and their
genetic history; and also (b) the first appearance of a soil science journal, with the same name
Pochvovedenie (edited by P. V. Ototski, followed later by A. A. Yarilov). This journal played a major role
in the beginnings of soil science, although this leading role was lost during the secretive and xenophobic
conditions of Soviet hegemony. Dokuchaev was responsible for the introduction of many of the basic
terms. A mineralogist by training, he created the genetic and zonal approach, as well as the concept of
the soil profile. The first textbook, by N. M. Siburtzev (1890–1900), as noted above, expanded the
terminology, introducing what were originally folk terms such as Podzol and Solonetz. Siburtzev became
the first professor of pedology. The year 1899 also marks a milestone for soil science in the United
States when through its Department of Agriculture it initiated the systematic mapping of soils (later to
become the Soil Survey Division). Gradually the development of the U.S. Soil Taxonomy was expanded
to embrace more genetic and landscape concepts (for example, the “andisols” and their volcanic
connections). Robert V. Ruhe (1919–1993) pioneered the idea of soil geomorphology (Ruhe, 1965). After
this, according to Yaalon (1997), “modern soil research took off at an accelerated rate”. Yaalon
submitted that there have been essentially three paradigm leaps in the history of soil science: a. Liebig’s
mineral theory of plant nutrition in the 1840s. In England, an independently wealthy English gentleman,
Sir John Bennet Lawes and his assistant Henry Gilbert, established the Rothamsted Experimental Station
at Harpenden, some 50 km N of London in 1843. Their objective was to try out all sorts of crops,
fertilizers and synthetic “weather” conditions, so that they could positively recommend certain
procedures and materials of benefit for agriculture in general. Rothamsted investigated at a “hands-on”
scale the science of soil physics, soil chemistry and soil biology. It had more in common with the
Germanic centers of soil investigation, and less with the mapping programs of Russia and the U.S. One of
their distinguished researchers was H. L. Penman (1909–1976) who presented to the Royal Society of
London, a paper on “Natural evaporation from open water, bare soil, and grass” with an equation that
was later adopted by the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations.

pH pen –

Soil test kits

There are 3 Problem Sets in the APBI 200 course; and the combined marks for 3 of these Problem
Sets is worth 10% of your final mark.

All problem sets (and lab assignments) are to be handed in as hard copy in the drop boxes outside
of MCML 102A. Please include your name (full name and nickname) and student number,on the
front page of the assignment.
All problem sets should be handed in on time and a 10% mark subtraction will be made for
each day being late. Problem sets submitted passed day 4 will not be accepted.

Click the links in the table below to download each Problem Set as a pdf file:

ProbSet1 ProbSet2 ProbSet3

Due Date:
Due Date: Due Date:
5 pm
5 pm 5 pm
January 24,
February 14, 2020 April 8, 2020
2020

NOTE: problem set #3 is posted in canvas in both pdf and docx (microsoft word) formats
Completed assignments need to be uploaded in canvas
Francis Hole authored many of the following songs. Dr. Hole was a Wisconsin
professor of soil science. His love of soil and enthusiasm for nature is evident in his
songs. Thanks go to the GLOBE project of NASA for assembling these songs by
Francis Hole. Most other songs were assembled from schools involved in the GLOBE
project. Where credit is known, it is recorded.

Mud, Mud, Mud

Mud, mud, mud.

What a glorious thing is mud!
Mud, mud, mud.
What a wonderful thing is mud!

It sticks and stacks, it squeezes through cracks,

Between your toes goes mud.
It plops and drops, and oozes and goozes,
Thick or thin it’s Mud!

Mud, mud, mud.

What a glorious thing is mud!
Mud, mud, mud.
What a wonderful thing is mud!

It’s mud pie, in your eye,

The cake it makes are grand.
It covers your feet, it covers your face,
Stir it with both hands.

Mud, mud, mud.

What a glorious thing is mud!
Mud, mud, mud.
What a wonderful thing is mud!

Up to your elbows, up to your knees,

It slips and slops around.
It’s easy to make a chocolate cake,
Take water and add some ground!

Mud, mud, mud.

What a glorious thing is mud!
Mud, mud, mud.
What a wonderful thing is mud!

Mud, they say, has a way

Of changing clean to dirt.
But after all, you tell them all,
What can a little dirt hurt?

Mud, mud, mud.

What a glorious thing is mud!
Mud, mud, mud.
What a wonderful thing is mud!

Ode To Mud Boy

by James Montgomery (somewhere in South Dakota)

Earth, muck, clay, loam,

dirt, mud, dust
by whatever name I call it,
it comes up the same.

Breeding ground for larvae;

needed meals for worms;
snack time for children;
hiding spots for germs.

Where killers plant their nasty deeds,

where flowers fight with vicious weeds;
where sunshine never sets its beam,
where things just ain’t what they seem.

Now Bob is playing in the dirt,

the muck, clay, loam, and mud;
under guise of observation,
understanding and instruction.

Yet hear me tell you far and wide,

don’t listen to him or his aside,
he’s only PLAYING in the dirt,
he’s only PLAYING in the mud;
he’s only PLAYING in the muck,
the earth, the dust, the loam, the “yuk”.

He’s only PLAYING, I tell you,

he’s just a kid -- a kid, it’s true.
And while he plays he’ll pretend
to observe, conserve, instruct and then:

He’ll go home muddy, dirty and tired,

telling his tale of how hard he aspired:
to understand the dirt, the dust,
the earth, the muck, and even the rust.

The Antigo Silt Loam Song

(Antigo is the state soil of Wisconsin)

F.D. Hole 1989

Antigo, a soil to know

Wisconsin’s crops and livestock grow:
and forests, too, on Antigo:
and forests too, on Antigo.
Great Lake’s region, fertile land;
Glaciers spread both clay and sand;
Winds blew silt, then forests grew,
Giving soils their brownish hue.

Great Lakes region, fertile land,

You strengthen us in heart and hand;
Each slope, each flower, each wild bird call
Proclaims a unity in all.

Plant a seed and pull a weed;

The soil will give us all we need
And plenty more, so birds may feed
And plenty more, so birds may feed.

Of all the crops, true peace is tops;

Its soil is love that never stops
It blesses sand and water drops;
It blesses sand and water drops.

Dig, Dig, Dig, Your Pit

(sung to the tune of “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”)

Kristen and Shontay, two eighth graders from the R.M. Teitelman School in Cape
May, New Jersey

Dig, Dig, Dig your pit,

dig it nice and steep.
Shovel Shovel Shovel Shovel
until it’s a meter deep.

Dig Dig Dig your pit,

dig it nice and steep.
Shovel Shovel Shovel Shovel
until it’s a meter deep.
The Diggin’ Men

(sung to the tune of “Do You Know The Muffin Man”)

by Dana, Nicole, and Corie, three eighth graders from the R.M. Teitelman School in
Cape May, New Jersey

Oh do you know the diggin’ men?

The diggin’ men, the diggin’ men?
Oh do you know the diggin’ men,
They dig at Teitelman.

The soil is hard,

The class is long,
The pay is small,
Not half way done.

Oh yes I know the diggin’ men,

They dig at Teitelman.

I Wanna Dig

(sung to the tune of “I Wanna Be,” by the Spice Girls)

by Summer and Georgeanna, two eighth graders from the R.M. Teitelman School in
Cape May, New Jersey

(chorus twice)
Yoooo, I’ll tell ya what I want, what I really, really want.
Soooo, tell me what you want, what you really, really want.
I wanna, I wanna, I wanna, I wanna, really, really, really, really
dig, dig, dig.

So get the shovel, forget your hands,

if you wanna dig with me you’d better do it fast.

Now don’t go wasting my precious time,

just get those soil samples and we’ll be just fine.
(repeat chorus)

If you wanna be my partner, get down and dig,

We’ll be doing this forever, so you’d better make it quick.
If you wanna be my partner you have got to dig,
digging’s not too easy, but that’s the way it is.

So, what you think about that now you know how it feels.
Collect those soil samples, how wet does it feel?

(repeat chorus)

Get your shovels down, dig all around.

Get your shovels down, dig all around.
Dig, dig, dig
Get your shovels down, dig all around.
Dig, dig, dig
If you wanna be my partner!

Oh Give Me a Home on a Deep Mellow Loam

F.D. Hole, 1985

Oh, give me a home on a deep mellow loam,

that supports the trees and the grass;
Where we hardly recall a bad crop year at all
and the crickets rejoice as we pass.

Home, home on the loam,

that supports the trees and the grass.
Where we hardly recall a bad crop year at all;
and the crickets rejoice as we pass.

Old McDonald Had a Pit

(sung to the tune of “Old McDonald”)
by Ryan, Scott, and Ben, eighth graders from the R.M. Teitelman School in Cape
May, New Jersey

Old McDonald had a pit, E-I-E-I-O

And in this pit he had some soil, E-I-E-I-O
With a dig dig here and a dig dig there
here a dig, there a dig, everywhere a dig dig
Old McDonald had a pit E-I-E-I-O

Old McDonald had a pit, E-I-E-I-O

and in this pit he had some horizons, E-I-E-I-O
With some color color here and some color color there
here some color, there some color, everywhere some color color.
Old McDonald had a pit, E-I-E-I-O

Purely Pitty

(sung to the tune of the “Jingle Bells”)

by Marie, Janelle, and Zoe, eighth graders from the R.M. Teitelman School in Cape
May, New Jersey

Had a pit, cement in it, couldn’t dig no more.

We were glad, cold and sad,
our hands were dirty and sore-ore.

We had to dig, deeper still, a meter from the top,

It was hard and rough, but we were tough,
and the digging never stopped.

A Rainbow of Soil

F.D. Hole, 1985

A rainbow of soil is under our feet:

Red as a barn & black as a peat.
It’s yellow as lemon and white as the snow;
Bluish gray ... so many colors below.
Hidden in darkness as thick as the night:
The only rainbow that can form without light.
Dig you a pit, or bore you a hole,
You’ll find enough colors to well rest your soul.

Rock, Rock Song

F.D. Hole, 1985

Rock, rock, rock, rock, rock, rock, rock, rock!

No leaf, no green! No plant is seen!

The Soil in the Four Seasons

F.D. Hole, 1988

What is this song that’s so bold?

It’s a song of the soil in the cold,
When the landscape is white,
And day may be less than the night.
The red birds make a cheerful sight.
The winter’s grip on our land is tight.
The soil seems dead; the soil seems dead.

What is this song that I sing?

It’s a song of the soil in the Spring,
When the grass turns green
And early flowers may be seen.
The robin warbles like a thrush;
Sweet spring has come all in a rush,
The soil is alive! the soil is alive!

What is this song so up-beat?

It’s a song of the soil in the heat, .
When plants respond to the light
Of days far longer than night.
The nesting birds are rearing young;
Insects are splendid in the sun;
The soil is at work; the soil is at work.

What is this musical call?

It’s a song of the soil in the Fall,
When red-robed trees stand tall,
And drop their leaves over all.
The birds fly south in boistrous flocks;
And autumn smiles as Winter knocks.
The soil has done well! The harvest’s gone well!

Soil Rap Song

by Erin, a third grader at the Environmental Awareness AIG Center in Smithfield,

NC

Soil is nice to have around,

It is part of the ground.

It helps trees to grow to produce oxygen,

It should be everyone’s friend.

It acts as sunscreen when the hippos roll,

It’s a home to every mole.

I like soil and if you do,

Say, “I do!” Do you?

The Soil Song

F.D. Hole, 1985

It’s soft it’s dark it’s full of vital spark;
above is green where the plants are seen
and we hear the meadowlark.

Soils, All Over These Lands

F.D. Hole, 1989

There are soils in south New Zealand.

There are soils in China West.
There are soils in Argentina’s pampas.
There are soils in Hawaii’s islands blest.
There are soils all over these vast landscapes,
in whatever land your foot steps fall;
But the _____________________*
They are the very best of all!

* Select line from choices below:

1. soils of southern steppes of Russia
2. prairie soils of North America
3. regur clays of central India
4. plaggen soils of the dear old Netherlands
5. volcanic soils of Indonesia
6. alluvial soils of upper Amazon

’Tis a Gift to Have Soil

’Tis a gift to have soil,’tis a gift to have land,

’tis a gift to belong to the place where on we stand.
And if we are contented with the work that we are doing
We’ve discovered a community that’s energy renewing.

Chrous:
When true community is gained,
to bow and to bend we shall not be ashamed.
To turn and to turn will be our delight,
till by turning turning we come round right.

’Tis a gift to have seed, ’tis a gift to have plants

’Tis a gift to behold so much beauty at a glance.
As we survey a garden where we’ve given hours of toil,
A community of flora, fauna, people and of soil.

Chorus

Walking on the Earth

F.D. Hole, 1989

The moment that a child can walk,

like that in which it first can talk,
is a precious start of exploration into landscapes of creation.

Chorus:
Walking, walking, walking, walking, walking on the earth.

By sense of touch the feet assess

the nature of the wilderness
of earth beneath; yet human speech cannot express what feet can teach.

Chorus

What’s It Like To Be A Kangaroo? What’s It Like To Be A Soil

There Too?

F.D. Hole, 1989

What’s it like to be a kangaroo,

hopping on Australian soils, knowing what to do?
What’s it like to be a soil there too,
supporting plants and animals, beneath our world in view?

Knowing what to do within every landscape,

Mother Earth’s wisdom really takes the cake!

Who else knows to make good soil out of solid granite,

and grow so many rooted things to color green the planet?

Soil resource we’ll be your faithful friend!

You who give a place on which to stand.

Soil resource in you now all things meet:

environment and life forms: community complete.

Wet Mud and Flowers

F.D. Hole, 1988

Something in me is making me sing,

In spite of complaints about everything.
Look at the wet mud and what do we see?
Flowers all blooming and a sweet honey bee!

Where Are the Roots of Trees?

F.D. Hole, 1985

Where are the roots of trees?

Deep in the soil! Badgers and bumble bees,
Products like bread and cheese,
Work place and leisure ease depend on the soil.

Where Have All The Bedrocks Gone?

F.D. Hole, 1985

Where have all the bedrocks gone?

Long time weathering

Where have all the bedrocks gone

That have formed so long ago?

Where have all the bedrocks gone?

Gone to residuus and to the sediments and to the vital soils

You Are My Soil, My Only Soil

Francis Hole, 1985

You are my soil ... my only soil;

you keep me vital night and day.
This much I know, friend you do support me
please don’t erode my life’s soil away.

I Love Dirt

(sung to the tune of “Three Blind Mice”)

Adapted from Oklahoma Ag in the Classroom

I love dirt.
I love dirt.
It won’t hurt
On my shirt
I love to squirt it with a hose
I love to squish it between my toes
The fun we have just grows and grows
Oh, I love dirt.
I love dirt.
Particle Size Demonstration

Add clean sand to a plastic bottle filled with water.

Add silt and clay to a separate bottle filled with water.

Sand will settle rapidly.

Silt and clay will settle more slowly.

Shake up the bottles and observe how long it takes for the particles to settle.

Observe the difference in the clarity of the water. The water is mostly clear in the
bottle with the sand.
Note the sediment in suspension in the water of the silt and clay bottle.