Renowned Australian soil scientist visits Visayas State University

Prof. Neal Menzies, professor of soil and environmental science and head of the School of Agriculture and Food Sciences at the prestigious University of Queensland, Australia, visited the Visayas State University (VSU), Leyte, Philippines from September 16-19, 2014. 

The purpose of his visit was to attend, as a collaborating scientist, the meeting of the ACIAR (Australian Center for International Agricultural Research) - funded Soils Project (Soil and Nutrient Management Strategies for Sustainable Vegetable Production in Southern Philippines- SMCN/2012/029) attended by scientists from the Queensland Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (Dr. Stephen Harper and Ms. Zara Hall) and partners from the Visayas State University, University of the Philippines Los Banos, Bureau of Soil and Water Management, Landcare Foundation Philippines Incorporated, Misamis Oriental State College of Agriculture and Technology (MOSCAT) and the World Agroforestry Center (ICRAF). 

Prof. Neal Menzies (middle) with the ACIAR Soil Project partners

He also visited the proposed project site in the central highlands of Leyte (740m above sea level) and was able to observe firsthand the soil problems and fertilization practices of the vegetable farmers in the area (among the most important soil problems is related to the very high phosphorus fixing capacity of the young volcanic soils (Andisols) which developed from andesitic Quaternary volcanics). He also visited the different academic and research units of VSU particularly the Department of Agronomy and Soil Science which prides itself as one of the leading soil science departments in the Philippines today.

Prof. Menzies was elected as Vice-President of the International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS), the global organization of 55,000 soil scientists, from 2006 to 2010. He has also served as Secretary, Vice-President and President of the Queensland Branch of the Australian Society of Soil Science Inc. (ASSSI). He has published more than 200 articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals many of which have received high citations in international publications.

Prof. Menzies with vegetable farmers & project partners in Cabintan, Ormoc, Leyte

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ACIAR Soils Project (SMCN/2012/029): 2014-17

Project Leader: Dr. Stephen Harper, Principal Research Scientist
Queensland Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (QDAFF)
Collaborating Scientist: Prof. Neal Menzies, Professor of Soil and Environmental Sciences
University of Queensland, Australia
Project Coordinator (Philippines): Dr. Victor B. Asio, Professor of Soil Science & Geo-ecology
Visayas State University, Baybay City, Leyte, Philippines
Project Partners: Dr. Pearl B. Sanchez (UPLB); Dr. Gina Nilo & Karen Bautista (BSWM),
Dr. Apol Gonzaga & Dr. Nelda Gonzaga (MOSCAT), Dr. Ben Aspera, Emily Garcia & Edwin Sardido (Landcare Foundation Phil Inc), and Dr. Jun Mercado (ICRAF).  

Ethnopedology: the study of local soil knowledge

“There is a need to integrate science and local knowledge. Both are vital and can be brought together only by participation” emphasized Prof. Dr. Franz Heidhues in his concluding remarks during the International Scientific Conference on Sustainable Land Use and Rural Development in Mountain Areas held at the University of Hohenheim, Germany on 16-18 April 2012. As can be seen from the figure below, scientific knowledge becomes more relevant when it is combined with local knowledge (Barrios and Trejo, 2003).

Precision & relevance of scientific and local knowledge  

Ethnopedology is the study of the local knowledge on soil and land systems of rural populations, from the most traditional to the modern. Ethnopedological research covers a wide diversity of topics centered around four main issues: (1) the formalization of local soil and land knowledge into classification schemes; (2) the comparison of local and technical soil classifications; (3) the analysis of local land evaluation systems; and (4) the assessment of agro-ecological management practices (Barrera-Bassols and Zinck, 2003; Barrios and Trejo, 2003). It encompasses many aspects, including indigenous perceptions and explanations of soil properties and soil processes, soil classifications, soil management, and knowledge of soil–plant interrelationships (Talawar, 1996).

In a recent study conducted in Vietnam and Thailand and presented in the above-mentioned scientific conference in Hohenheim, Dr. Gerhard Clemens and co-workers found, among other things, that: 1) Farmers classify their soils first of all according to soil color; 2) Farmers are able to describe soil properties and features. They also know the local factors affecting their soil; 3) Local soil classification is not consistent but the predominant soils can be efficiently identified using local soil knowledge.

An old farmer sharing some traditional knowledge 

Our own research in the degraded lands of Parasanon, Pinabacdao, Samar showed that the sweetpotato farmers possess a local knowledge system with regards to the nature of the soil and that of their sweetpotato crop. The demographic traits of the farmers clearly differed but they adhered to the same knowledge system regarding the attributes of the soil in their locality and the growth condition of their sweetpotato plants. Using their native dialect, the farmers have a soil classification scheme based on textural characteristics; they have also certain indicators of soil fertility and plant health. Moreover, the farmers know of certain problems concerning their soil or crop but they are not detracted by these because of their experience in finding ways to circumvent the situation (Pardales et al., 2001).

There has been an increasing research interest in local soil knowledge in recent years. This is the result of a greater recognition that the knowledge of people who have been interacting with their soils for a long time can offer many insights about the sustainable management of tropical soils (Barrios and Trejo, 2003).

References

Barrios E and MT Trejo. 2003. Geoderma 111: 217-231
Barrera-Bassols N and JA Zinck 2003. Geoderma 111: 171-195
Clemens G, U Schuler, BL Vinh, H Hagel, and K Stahr. 2012. International Scientific Conference on Sustainable land use and Rural Development in Mountainous Areas, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, 16-18 April 2012
Heidhues F. 2012. Conclusions. International Scientific Conference on Sustainable land use and Rural Development in Mountainous Areas, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, 16-18 April 2012.
Pardales JR, VB Asio, AB Tulin and DM Campilan. 2001. Project Report, UPWARD-CIP, Laguna.
Talawar, S., 1996. Research paper #2.Department of Anthropology, University of Georgia, Athens, USA.

Report on the 14th PSSST Scientific Conference held at VSU, Baybay, Leyte

The 14th Annual Meeting and Scientific Conference of the Philippine Society of Soil Science and Technology (PSSST) was held at the Visayas State University (VSU) in Baybay City, Leyte last 25-27 May 2011. About 140 soil scientists, soil practitioners, and agriculturists working in universities, government agencies, non-government organizations, and private companies throughout the country attended the conference.

The opening program was graced by Dr. Florentino Tesoro who represented Congressman Angelo B. Palmones (AGHAM Partylist), Dr. Jose L. Bacusmo (VSU President), Prof. K. Stahr (Germany), Mr. Deogracias Pernites (representing Mayor Carmen Cari of Baybay City), Dr. Cezar Mamaril (PSSST Adviser), Dr. Eduardo Paningbatan (PSSST Adviser), Ms. Constancia Mangao (PSSST President) and Dr. Victor B. Asio (Dean of the College of Agriculture, VSU).

Prof. Dr. Karl Stahr, the Chairman of Division I of the International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS), gave the keynote lecture about the limestone soils in Southeast Asia particularly Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos. Dr. Gamini Keerthisinghe of the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) gave a plenary paper on challenges to sustainable crop production.

A total of 26 oral papers were presented dealing with various soil topics ranging from fertilization to soil characterization and geospatial modeling. In addition, 25 poster papers were presented. The presenters of the best oral and poster papers were awarded with certificates and cash.

In the afternoon of the last day of the conference, a post-conference tour was organized and sponsored by the Department of Agronomy and Soil Science of VSU to Lake Danao located at 630 m ASL in the central highlands of Leyte. On the way to the lake, the participants were able to see the following: 1) the City of Ormoc; 2) the mouth and headwater of Anilao River which caused the tragic flooding of Ormoc City in 1991 killing 8,000 people; 3) the volcanic landscape which was traditionally used for large-scale sugarcane production; 4) the 1,912 ha Lake Danao along the Philippine Fault Line; 5) an Andisol soil profile (Typic Hapludand); and 6) the Tongonan Geothermal Plant, one of the largest in Asia.

Overall, the conference was a great success. The attendance of Prof. Stahr from the University of Hohenheim in Germany and Dr. Keerthisinghe from ACIAR in Australia gave the conference an international standing especially since Prof. Stahr represented the IUSS of which PSSST is a member.

The Department of Agronomy and Soil Science of VSU which co-hosted the conference, is grateful to the VSU president for the encouragement and support, and the officers and advisers particularly Dr. Cezar Mamaril of PSSST for bringing the conference to VSU.

A report on this conference has been published in the IUSS Bulletin Vol. 119 (Dec 2011 issue)

(All photos were taken by Glenn Largo)

Leading Soil Scientist is Keynote Speaker of the 14th PSSST Conference in May 2011

Prof. Dr. KARL STAHR, Chairman of Division I (Soil in Space and Time) of the International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS), the global association of soil scientists, has accepted our invitation to be the Keynote Speaker of the 14th PSSST Scientific Conference on 25-27 May 2011 at VSU, Baybay, Leyte, Philippines.

Prof. Stahr gained his doctorate from the Technical University Stuttgart, Germany, in 1972 and his Habilitation (highest academic qualification required to become a professor in Germany and several other European countries) in Soil Science at the University of Freiburg in 1979. Since 1988 he is Professor of Soil Science and Petrography at the Institute of Soil Science and Land Evaluation, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart. His main fields of research are: soil genesis, soil mineralogy, land evaluation, N-cycle, and recycling of organic waste. He has conducted research projects dealing with forest and agricultural soils of Germany as well as Brazil, Ecuador, Argentina, Spain, Portugal, Egypt, Israel, Turkey, PR China, Somalia, Niger, Benin, Vietnam, Thailand, and Philippines.

Prof. Stahr has been actively involved in a wide range of professional activities serving as: Vice Chairman (1979-1981, 1985-1989) and Chairman (1989-1995) of Commission VII of the German Soil Science Society, Vice Chairman of Commission VII of the International Soil Science Society (1986-1998), and President of the German Soil Science Society from 1998 to 2001. He has organized several national and international workshops, excursions and congresses.He has been elected member of many University boards since 1967 such as Dean of the Faculty of Landscape Planning, Technical University of Berlin (1987/88), Dean of the Faculty of Plant Production and Landscape Ecology, University of Hohenheim (2000-2002) and as Vice Dean of the same faculty since 2002. He also serves as Chairman of the special research project "Uplands Program 564" of the University of Hohenheim since 2005.

He has authored and co-authored hundreds of papers which appeared in prestigious peer-reviewed international journals as well as several influential textbooks in soil science (in German). He is in the Editorial Boards of Catena, Plant Nutrition and Soil Science, Geoderma, Trends in Soil Science, and Hohenheimer Bodenkundliche Hefte.

Prof. Stahr has supervised close to a hundred PhD students from many countries around the world.

National Conference of the Philippine Society of Soil Science to be held in May 2011

The Philippine Society of Soil Science and Technology Inc (PSSST) will hold its 14th Annual Meeting and Scientific Conference on 25-27 May 2011 at the beautiful campus of the Visayas State University (VSU) in Baybay, Leyte, Philippines.

Theme of this year's conference is Improving the Productivity of Marginal Lands Through Integrated Soil and Water Management. Marginal lands particularly degraded uplands are widespread throughout the country and improving their productivity is vital to attaining food security.

More than a hundred soil scientists from various universities, government agencies, private companies and non-government organizations are expected to attend the three-day conference. In addition, some leading soil scientists from Australia, Canada, and Germany will be attending as plenary speakers.

The Department of Agronomy and Soil Science of VSU, a co-sponsor of the conference, will be organizing a pre-conference tour for those participants who will arrive early. The tour will enable the participants to observe the major soils in the central highlands of Leyte.

VSU can be reached via Ormoc City and Tacloban City. It takes about 30 minutes by car to reach VSU from Ormoc City and two hours from Tacloban City.

Report on the 12th PSSST Conference held on May 21-22, 2009 in Davao City

Contributed by Judith Carla P. dela Torre (PhilRice)

The 12^th Annual Meeting and Scientific Conference of the Philippine Society of Soil Science and Technology, Inc. (PSSST) was held at Eden Nature Park, Toril, Davao City last May 21-22, 2009. About 140 members from the different international and local institutions, agencies, and state colleges and universities participated in the said event. With this year’s theme titled “Enhancing Soil Productivity and Environmental Quality”, scientists, researchers, extension workers, and students presented their paper and posters to help in finding solutions to issues like soil erosion, decreasing soil fertility and climate change; and to achieve better soil productivity for our country’s sustainable food production program.

The keynote address on “Rice Science for Food Self-sufficiency” was given by Atty. Ronilo A. Beronio, Executive Director of PhilRice. He discussed the rice self-sufficiency program to be achieved by 2013 and challenged soil scientists to educate farmers on how to make soil productive, to lead and preach the science of managing available farm and soil resources, and to effectively explain the synergistic effects of various fertilizers on plant growth.

The three plenary papers were: (1) Integrated Soil and Crop Nutrient Management for Vegetables in the Southern Philippines by Dr. Christopher Dorahy of ACIAR, Australia; (2) Facts and Myths of Organic and Inorganic Fertilizers by Dr. Cezar P. Mamaril of PhilRice; and (3) Enriched Potting Preparations (EPP) for Various Crops by Dr. Eduardo P. Paningbatan of UPLB.

The technical session was divided into three categories: junior, senior-competing, and senior-non-competing. For the junior category, three PSSST scholarship grantees presented their undergraduate thesis and competed for the best paper. At the same time, ten papers /presentations competed for the senior category while five others presented for the non-competing (senior) category. Moreover, 19 posters were presented and judged for the best poster award.

The following recognitions were awarded by Dr. Danilo M. Mendoza, PSSST President and Dr. Cezar P. Mamaril, Advisory Board Member:

Paper/Oral Presentation

Junior Category

Best Paper- Effects of Varying Soil Moisture Levels on the Growth and Development of Lakatan (Musa acuminate Colla.) (Kathy Tafere)

Senior Category

Best Paper – Studying the Effects of Drought on Rice Production in Nueva Ecija Using Remote Sensing Technology (Judith Carla P. dela Torre)

Second Place – Banana Fertilization at the FPO Plantation: Evaluation of Soil and Leaf Analysis Results (Ma. Asuncion L. Salibay)

Third Place – Performance of Bio-fertilizers in Irrigated Lowland Rice presented (Michelle B. Castillo)

Poster Paper

Best Poster – Can we use commercially available fertilizers for Soil NPK test? (Julie D. Elijay, Constancio A. Asis, Jr., and Jesiree Elena Ann P. dela Torre)

Second Place – Fate of Soil Nutrient after Rice Straw Incorporation (Corazon A. Santin, Jesusa M. Rivera and Evelyn F. Javier)

Third Place – PALAYAMANAN Model in Rainfed Rice Ecosystem in Nueva Ecija (Jesusa M. Rivera, Rizal G. Corales, Leylani M. Juliano, Sandro D. Cañete, Ailon Oliver V. Capistrano, Jeny V. Ravis, Jehru C. Magahud, and Madonna C. Casimero)