Happy World Soil Day

The Department of Agronomy and Soil Science at Visayas State University in Leyte, Philippines joins the global community of more than 60,000...

Response of Abaca (Musa textilis Née) to shade, irrigation and fertilization

Abaca plants Abaca ( Musa textilis Née), a relative of the edible banana ( Musa acuminata and Musa balbisiana ), is a native to the Phili...

Environmental pollution: the case of Xenobiotics

Xenobiotics are chemical substances that are foreign to the biological system. They include naturally occurring compounds, drugs, and envir...

N.L. Galvez: The Dean of Filipino Soil Scientists

Dr. Nicolas L. Galvez (1903-1991) laid down the groundwork for the different fields of soil science in the Philippines and he trained many F...

History of the soil organic matter conversion factor of 1.72

Students of soil science are taught that to determine the amount of soil organic matter, soil organic carbon is measured usually by wet oxid...

The geoecology of the limestone and shale areas in Samar, Philippines

Contributed by Dr. Ian A. Navarrete Humboldt Fellow Soil Science of Tropical and Subtropical Ecosystems Buesgen Institute University of Gött...

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...

Masaryk University and geology in the beautiful historic city of Brno (Czech Republic)

Brno's city center If you have the chance to travel to the Czech Republic, you should not forget to include in your itinerary a visit to...

Characteristics and fertility constraints of degraded soils in Leyte, Philippines

Contributed by Dr. Ian A. Navarrete Humboldt Fellow Soil Science of Tropical and Subtropical Ecosystems Georg-August Univesity Göttingen Got...

How does mining affect the environment?

The major impact of mining on the environment is mainly due to the physical damage of the landscape and the production of large volume of ha...

A green soil in the highlands of Samar

A soil at the heart of Samar, the third largest island of the Philippine archipelago, and along the Paranas-Taft road at about 300 m above s...

The origin of the catena concept

The catena concept in soil science comes from the Latin word “catena” which means chain. So it is a chain of soils linked by topography. It...