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Title: SIX DECADES OF SOIL ORGANIC MATTER STUDY: THE HISTORY OF NCERA-59

Author
item ALLAN, D - UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
item ARCHIBALD, D - PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIV.
item CIHACEK, L - NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIV.
item DICK, R - OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
item DRIJBER, R - UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA
item FREY, S - UNIV. OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
item HORWATH, W - UNIV. OF CALIFORNIA/DAVIS
item MOTAVALLI, P - UNV. OF MISSOURI/COLUMBIA
item Olk, Daniel - Dan
item RICE, C - KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY
item SNAPP, S - MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
item STONE, A - OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY
item TURCO, R - PURDUE UNIVERSITY
item WANDER, M - UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
item WEIL, R - UNIVERISTY OF MARYLAND

Submitted to: World Congress of Soil Science
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/16/2005
Publication Date: 7/9/2006
Citation: Allan, D., Archibald, D., Cihacek, L., Dick, R., Drijber, R., Frey, S., Horwath, W., Motavalli, P., Olk, D.C., Rice, C., Snapp, S., Stone, A., Turco, R., Wander, M., Weil, R. 2006. Six decades of soil organic matter study: the history of NCERA-59. In: Proceedings of the World Congress of Soil Science, July 9-15, 2006, Philadelphia, PA. 2006 CD-ROM.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The regional committee NCERA-59 has existed for nearly 60 years. It began with a focus on soil physics, but when some founding members developed an interest in soil structure and broke off, this group became devoted to soil organic matter. Generous funding was made available by universities to committee members to conduct research from the 1950s through 1970s, and the focus gradually became soil biochemistry and the chemical nature of soil organic matter. Committee members included the premier organic matter researchers of those years. The committee served as a base of support to the International Humic Substances Society, which was formed in 1981. During the 1980s, new membership prompted a change in emphasis to soil microbiology, and at this time research funds were greatly reduced. In the 1990s the committee added a soil quality component, which resulted in a number of symposia and books. More recently the focus has shifted again to include the biological, chemical, and physical fractionations of soil organic matter as well as practical management options for the farming community, including a website on soil quality. Members wrote chapters for the recent book, "Soil organic matter in sustainable agriculture".