Revista Brasileira de Ciência do Solo ISSN: 0100-0683 [email protected] Sociedade Brasileira de Ciência do Solo Brasil Oliveira Camargo, Flavio A. de; Alvarez V., Víctor Hugo; Baveye, Philippe C. BRAZILIAN SOIL SCIENCE: FROM ITS INCEPTION TO THE FUTURE, AND BEYOND Revista Brasileira de Ciência do Solo, vol. 34, núm. 3, mayo-junio, 2010, pp. 589-599 Sociedade Brasileira de Ciência do Solo Viçosa, Brasil Available in: http://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=180215874001 How to cite Complete issue Scientific Information System More information about this article Network of Scientific Journals from Latin America, the Caribbean, Spain and Portugal Journal's homepage in redalyc.org Non-profit academic project, developed under the open access initiative BRAZILIAN SOIL SCIENCE: FROM ITS INCEPTION TO THE FUTURE, AND BEYOND 589 REVISÃO DE LITERATURA BRAZILIAN SOIL SCIENCE: FROM ITS INCEPTION TO THE FUTURE, AND BEYOND(1) Flavio A. de Oliveira Camargo(2), Víctor Hugo Alvarez V.(3) & Philippe C. Baveye(4) SUMMARY The present essay is meant to provide some background on the evolution of the soil science community in Brazil, since its inception, to describe its current situation, and to outline a number of opportunities and challenges facing the discipline in decades to come. The origin of Brazilian agronomy dates back to the beginning of the 19th century as a subdiscipline of botany, and its association with chemistry would later establish it as a science. In the middle of the 19th century, agricultural chemistry was born as a result of this association, leading to the establishment of edaphology, a branch of Soil Science. Another branch of Soil Science, known as pedology, was established as an applied and scientific knowledge in Brazil during the middle of the 20th century. During the same period, the Brazilian Soil Science Society (SBCS) was created, merging the knowledge of both branches and gathering all scientists involved. Twenty years after the SBCS foundation, the creation of Graduate Programs made Brazilian Soil Science enter the modern era, generating crucial knowledge to reach the current levels of agricultural productivity. Part of a community composed of 25 Soil Departments, 15 Graduate Programs and a great number of institutions that promote research and technology transfer, Brazilian soil scientists are responsible for developing solutions for sustainable development, by generating, adapting and transferring technology to the benefit of the country. The knowledge produced by SBCS members has been particularly significant for Brazil to achieve the status of most competitive tropical agriculture in the world. In the future decades, Soil Science will still remain topical in discussions regarding environment care and production of food and fibers, in addition, it will be essential and strategic for certain issues, such as water quality, reducing poverty and development of renewable sources of energy. Index terms: edaphology, pedology, Brazilian Soil Science Society, retrospective and perspective. (1) Part of the candidacy proposal of the Brazilian Soil Science Society to host the 21st World Congress of Soil Science. (2) Professor at the Department of Soil Science of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, UFRGS. Av. Bento Gonçalves 7712, CEP 91540-000 Porto Alegre (RS). Email: [email protected] (3) Professor at the Department of Soil Science of the Federal University of Viçosa – UFV. Av. PH Rolfs s/n, CEP 36570-000 Viçosa (MG). Email: [email protected] (4) Professor at the SIMBIOS Centre – University of Abertay Dundee DD1 1HG, Scotland. Email: [email protected] R. Bras. Ci. Solo, 34:589-599, 2010 590 Flavio A. de Oliveira Camargo et al. RESUMO: A CIÊNCIA DO SOLO BRASILEIRA: DO SEU INÍCIO, AO FUTURO E ALÉM A presente revisão tem por objetivo apresentar a evolução da Ciência do Solo brasileira desde seu início, descrevendo sua situação atual e delineando oportunidades e desafios para as próximas décadas. A agronomia surgiu no País como uma subárea da botânica no início do século XIX e se aproximou da química, buscando o status de ciência. Dessa aproximação surgiu a química agrícola, ainda em meados desse século, dando origem a um dos ramos da Ciência do Solo: a edafologia. O outro ramo da Ciência do Solo (pedologia) consolidou-se como conhecimento científico e foi aplicado no País em meados do século XX. Nesse período foi criada a Sociedade Brasileira de Ciência do Solo, englobando todo o conhecimento dos dois ramos e aglutinando todos os cientistas que trabalhavam na área. Com a criação dos programas de pós-graduação, 20 anos depois de fundada a SBCS, a Ciência do Solo brasileira entrou na era da modernidade, e o conhecimento gerado foi fundamental para que o País atingisse o patamar atual de produtividade agrícola. Com uma comunidade de 25 departamentos de solos, 15 programas de pós-graduação e um grande número de instituições de pesquisa e de transferência de tecnologia, os cientistas de solo viabilizam soluções para o crescimento sustentável, gerando, adaptando e transferindo tecnologias em benefício do País. O solo e o conhecimento gerado pelos membros da SBCS contribuíram significativamente para que o Brasil chegasse à condição de agricultura tropical mais competitiva do planeta. Nas próximas décadas, a Ciência do Solo continuará no centro de discussão para a produção de alimentos, fibras e conservação ambiental, mas também será essencial e estratégica para assuntos como a qualidade da água, o combate à pobreza e a produção de fontes renováveis de energia. Termos de indexação: edafologia, pedologia, Sociedade Brasileira de Ciência do Solo, retrospectivas e perspectivas. INTRODUCTION Brazilian economy at that time. To deal with the unfolding crisis, agricultural science and chemistry “However, the land of the country is very became closely associated, resulting in the healthful. The country is so well-favoured that if it development of agricultural chemistry, and in the were rightly cultivated it would yield everything” onset of research on soil fertility and plant nutrition (Pero Vaz de Caminha, 1/05/1500). (Domingues, 1995). Furthermore, the process led to the creation of the Imperial Agricultural Institutes of The first report on Brazilian lands, written by Bahia (1859) and Rio de Janeiro (1860), later followed Cabral’s scribe and addressed to king Manuel I of by the creation of the Agronomic Stations of Campinas Portugal, mentioned the characteristics of soils in the (1887) and Barbacena (1888), as stated in official new colony, and their unlimited potential for crop reports (Brasil, 1888). production. In a certain way, this report also foresaw After 1889 and the establishment of the republic, the role of Brazilian soils in the environment and in soil science became integrated in the curriculum of providing food to future generations. During the 17 the new agronomy schools founded at the end of the and 18th centuries, various explorers, religious men, century, in particular in courses of agriculture, and natives also described soil characteristics in a chemistry, and mineralogy. In 1928, the first Soil rudimentary way, which Schaefer et al. (1997) has Department was created in Viçosa, at the Superior termed “pre-pedology”. Partly because of this early School of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine focus, Soil Science became rapidly, and still remains (currently the Federal University of Viçosa). On the to this day, the most important field of agricultural research side, a major event was the creation of the science in Brazil. Chemistry Institute (1918), which later became the Caminha’s report about the never-ending fertility Agricultural Chemistry Institute in 1934, focusing of Brazilian soils had a lasting influence until the on fertilizer certification and soil analysis. In 1943, beginning of the 19th century. Some have argued the Institute was subsumed under the National that it has even caused the lack of support in Brazil Service of Agronomic Research, while retaining, for the development of the discipline of agronomy until among others, a section exclusively devoted to soils. then (Rodrigues, 1987). By the middle of the 19th This section led to the creation of the Soil Committee, century, problems emerged in the production of sugar an organization that aimed to map Brazilian soils. cane and coffee, which were essential products for the In 1947, this Soil Committee organized the first R. Bras. Ci. Solo, 34:589-599, 2010 BRAZILIAN SOIL SCIENCE: FROM ITS INCEPTION TO THE FUTURE, AND BEYOND 591 Brazilian Soil Science Congress, leading to the When the Portuguese court sheltered in Brazil, creation of the Brazilian Soil Science Society (SBCS). king John VI (1767-1826) participated in colony The SBCS is now the most important scientific society improvements. The creation of Real Horto (Botanical in the field of agricultural sciences in Brazil, with 63 Garden of Rio de Janeiro) in 1808, for example, focused years of continuous activity and a strong organization. not only on leisure, but also on the development of It has members in teaching, research and continuing science and agronomy. The structure, also known as education institutes, producing the technology and “Acclimation Garden”, was meant to acclimate plant knowledge-base demanded by the most competitive species brought from the West Indies, especially tea, agriculture in the tropics. which Taunay (2001) was very fond of, as stated in The future holds a prominent role for Brazilian the first Brazilian agricultural treatise, published in soil in what regards production of food, fibers and fuels, 1839. In this particular setting, botany was considered water quality, food safety and environmental a science, and agriculture (“the art of growing”), on sustainability. The scientific production of the Brazilian the other hand, was considered a component of Soil Science Society will assure the knowledge botanical taxonomy. The role of climate and soils in demanded by the primary sector of Brazilian economy. crops adaptation only became apparent when Interestingly, as Soil Science in the USA, England chemistry was linked to agronomy.