Agricultural and Soil Resources

Agricultural soil science is a branch of soil

science that deals with the study
of edaphic conditions as they relate to
the production of food and fiber. In this context,
it is also a constituent of the field
of agronomy and is thus also described as soil
agronomy
Agricultural soil science follows the holistic
method. Soil is investigated in relation to
and as integral part of terrestrial
ecosystems but is also recognized as
a manageable natural resource.
Agricultural soil science studies the chemical,
physical, biological, and mineralogical composition of
soils as they relate to agriculture. Agricultural soil
scientists develop methods that will improve the use
of soil and increase the production of food and fiber
crops. Emphasis continues to grow on the
importance of soil sustainability. Soil degradation
such as erosion, compaction, lowered fertility, and
contamination continue to be serious concerns.[1] They
conduct research in irrigation and drainage, tillage, soil
classification, plant nutrition, soil fertility, and other areas.
Although maximizing plant (and thus
animal) production is a valid goal,
sometimes it may come at high cost which
can be readily evident (e.g. massive crop
disease stemming from monoculture) or
long-term (e.g. impact of chemical
fertilizers and pesticides on human
health).
 An agricultural soil scientist may
come up with a plan that can
maximize production using sustainable
methods and solutions, and in order
to do that he must look into a number
of science fields including agricultural
science, physics, chemistry, biology, m
eteorology and geology.