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Amir Kassam <[log in to unmask]>
Sun, 25 Feb 2018 16:44:09 +0000
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*Global CA-CoP* *CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE*

*for sustainable production intensification and land management*

Dear Subscribers,

Please see herebelow the latest IUSS Alert 152 (February 2018).

Apologies for any cross-posting.

*Amir Kassam *

*Moderator*

e-mail: [log in to unmask]
URL: www.fao.org/ag/ca

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: The International Union of Soil Sciences - IUSS <
[log in to unmask]>
Date: Sat, Feb 24, 2018 at 9:47 PM
Subject: IUSS Alert 152 (February 2018)
To: [log in to unmask]



If you have problems reading this content - please follow this link to the
IUSS page <http://iuss.boku.ac.at/index.php?article_id=682>

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IUSS Alert 152 (February 2018)

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IUSS Global Soil Icon Contest

Soil is the essence of all terrestrial life, and critical to the delivery
of major ecosystem services for human wellbeing and nature conservancy. So
far the iconic symbol that represents major ecosystem services of soil,
while being simple and easy to be comprehended by the general public, has
not been created. But hopefully you can do it!

IUSS will award 2,500 USD from its Stimulus Fund for the best Soil Icon.
The award winner shall transfer all copyrights as well as usage and
exploitation rights to the IUSS. IUSS would like to invite you to submit
your ideas for a Soil Icon. The winning icon will be used during the
International Decade of Soils (2015-2024), an initiative launched by the
International Union of Soil Sciences to raise awareness of the key roles
played by soils.

Submissions should comprise a vector-based file with the icon and a short
explanation of the idea and the author(s) behind (max. 2 pages). Please
send your submissions to [log in to unmask] .

Deadline for submissions: 15 March 2018

The final decision will be announced within one month after the submission
date given above.
Note: The best 12 icons out of all submitted icons will be displayed on the
IUSS website (one per month).

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Request for contributions to IUSS book on Global Soil Proverbs

Every year on World Soil Day (5th Dec.) the IUSS publishes a book under the
umbrella of the International Decade of Soils 2015 – 2024. So far three
books have been published: http://iuss.org/index.php?article_id=667 . IUSS
members may order the books at a reduced rate.

In 2018 IUSS intends to publish a book on Global Soil Proverbs. Therefore,
the editors would like to invite you to contribute to this book. This would
be a great opportunity to work together under the umbrella of the
International Decade of Soils 2015 – 2024 and to reflect the variety of
soil-related proverbs on the globe. It shall show that the term soil is
very commonly used in everyday language and shall help to give this
precious resource more visibility and attention.

The guideline for writing a contribution to this book can be found on the
IUSS website: http://iuss.boku.ac.at/files/global_soil_proverbs_book_
chapter_writing_guideline_final.pdf

If you wish to contribute a chapter, please let us know by sending a Letter
of Intent until March 31, 2018 to [log in to unmask] and in Cc to
[log in to unmask] .

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21st World Congress of Soil Science – detailed descriptions of technical
tours available

The 21st World Congress of Soil Science (21WCSS) will take place in Rio de
Janeiro, August 12 – 17, 2018. Dedicated to the theme *“Soil Science:
Beyond food and fuel”* , it will review the key role of soil science in
answering some of the topical key questions regarding future food and water
security, environmental protection and climate change mitigation.

Please take note that detailed descriptions of the technical tours are
available on the congress website. The organization team prepared one
pre-congress tour, two congress tours and seven post-congress tours to
different locations in Brazil.

Reminder on important dates:
*Abstract acceptance after March 15, 2018*
*Early registration ends March 31, 2018*
Regular registration until May 12, 2018

Read more: https://www.21wcss.org/

Download the congress information: http://iuss.boku.ac.at/files/
21wcss_-_meeting_information.pdf

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Inakwu Odeh (1956 – 2018)

Associate Professor Inakwu Odeh passed away on the 4th of February 2018.
Odeh, as he was known to many, was the Sesquicentennial Associate Professor
in Rural Spatial Information Systems (2004-2018) in the School of Life &
Environmental Sciences at the University of Sydney. As a researcher some of
Odeh’s best known work began with his PhD, which he undertook while based
at the University of Adelaide. He was one of the first to apply the fuzzy
sets theory to mapping the soil continuum as a continuous land surface body
which has been widely used and cited by many researchers in the field.
During his time at the University, he produced the baseline soil data sets
and maps for cotton growing regions and also laid out a suite of spatial
prediction methods which now are regularly used for Digital Soil Mapping.

Odeh was one of the early pioneers of Pedometrics and GIS teaching at the
University of Sydney. He was an enthusiastic member of Soil Science
Australia, including being President of the NSW branch in 2010. He was also
an Associate Editor to some of the top-ranking soil science journals
including European Journal of Soil Science and Geoderma. He is survived by
his devoted wife and four daughters. His friendliness, kindness, energy and
joy will be sadly missed.

[By Damien Field et al.]

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General News
Call for experts to serve on the ITPS

The Global Soil Partnership (GSP) invites its Partners to nominate experts
from their regions as candidates for appointment to the Intergovernmental
Technical Panel on Soils (ITPS).

The main function of the ITPS is to provide scientific and technical advice
and guidance to the GSP on global soil issues in the first instance and in
relation to specific requests submitted by global or regional institutions.

Nominations should be sent by GSP Partners to [log in to unmask] on or
before 30 March 2018. They should include the name of the candidate,
contact address, the candidate’s CV with a list of peer-reviewed
publications and other relevant publications, and a letter of
recommendation from the nominating partner.

Read more: http://fao.msgfocus.com/q/1maaTHJOxs09pj9f05tF/wv

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Plants increase flower production within a day of soil nutrient application

The molecular mechanisms enabling plants to quickly adapt their rate of
flower production in response to changing nutrient levels in soil have been
revealed by researchers at the Sainsbury Laboratory. A team of plant
scientists examined the processes through which plants are able to pass on
information about the external environment from the roots to the new
shoots. The results showed that increased soil nutrients leads to a
response in stem cells in the shoots in less than 24 hours.

Read more: https://phys.org/news/2018-01-production-day-soil-nutrient-
application.html

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Root discovery may lead to crops that need less fertilizer

Bean plants that suppress secondary root growth in favor of boosting
primary root growth forage greater soil volume to acquire phosphorus,
according to researchers, who say their recent findings have implications
for plant breeders and improving crop productivity in nutrient-poor soils.

Read more: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/01/180118142650.htm

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Pedotransfer functions bring new life to Earth system modeling

A recent paper in Reviews of Geophysics describes how currently available
soil information furthers our understanding of soil processes and their
integration in Earth system modeling.

Read more: https://eos.org/editors-vox/pedotransfer-functions-bring-
new-life-to-earth-system-modeling

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Scientists peek inside the ‘Black Box’ of soil microbes to learn their
secrets

Microbes create fertile soils, help plants grow, consume and release carbon
dioxide, oxygen and other vital elements. But they do it all anonymously.
Scientists haven’t identified most of these species and don’t know much
else about them, either, such as “what they’re doing in soil, how they’re
surviving, what they look like”.

Read more: https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2018/01/18/578924748/
scientists-peek-inside-the-black-box-of-soil-microbes-to-learn-their-secrets

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More research needed for responsible peatland management in Indonesia

Indonesian peatland researchers recently gathered in Bogor, Indonesia, to
examine the effectiveness of the latest government regulation on peatlands.
We found some shortcomings, one being that the regulation isn’t well
supported by scientific evidence. The Indonesian government declared that
the area of peatlands burnt in 2017 declined significantly compared to
previous years. After a disastrous fire two years ago, the Ministry of
Environment and Forestry urged plantations to block canals and to build
water retention basins and wells in peatlands.

Read more: https://theconversation.com/more-research-needed-for-
responsible-peatland-management-in-indonesia-90023

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‘Three Sisters in Soil’ wins global soil painting competition

Soil, it turns out, can be a work of art — and a team of Cornell artists
and scientists proved just that. A painting they created with soil captured
first prize in the university division of the global soil painting
competition sponsored by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the
United Nations (FAO).

Read more: http://blogs.cornell.edu/hort/2018/01/12/three-sisters-in-
soil-wins-global-soil-painting-competition/

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Conferences, Meetings and Workshops2018
European Soil Partnership Plenary Meeting 2018

20-21 March 2018, FAO, Rome, Italy.

Website: http://www.fao.org/global-soil-partnership/resources/
events/detail/en/c/1100023/
Registration: http://www.fao.org/global-soil-partnership/registration/
en/?event_id=1100023

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Conference Soil-Waste-Water 2018

26-28 March, 2018, Landau, Germany. The aim of this workshop will be to
present, discuss and conclude about current developments in the use of
wastewater and solid residues in agriculture for crop irrigation and
fertilization and their effects on the environment.

Read more: http://www.soil-waste-water.de/

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GSOP18 – Global Symposium on Soil Pollution

2 – 4 May 2018. FAO headquarters, Rome, Italy.

Deadline for abstract submission was prolonged to February 28, 2018
Read more: http://fao.msgfocus.com/q/1m5FOwn5rICaX043ZqWo/wv

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International Symposium on Soil Health and Sustainable Development

24-26 May 2018, Beijing, China

Read more: http://www.fao.org/global-soil-partnership/resources/
highlights/detail/en/c/1100241/

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Spring school on mapping and assessment of soils

May 28 – June 1, 2018, Wageningen Campus, the Netherlands. ISRIC – World
Soil Information will organise a Spring School on digital soil mapping,
classification and assessment for soil and environmental scientists,
students, soil experts and professionals in natural resources management.
The spring school will consist of two five-day courses that are run in
parallel.
Registration deadline: 12 March 2018.

Read more: http://isric.org/springschool

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ESSC International Conference: ‘Soil and Water Security: challenges for the
next 30 years!’

6 – 8 June 2018, Imola, Italy. The objective of the conference is to
stimulate reflections on the importance of environmental resources for
humankind, paying special attention to the new challenges and opportunities
concerning Soil and Water Security and Conservation for the next 30 years.
The Conference is open to soil scientists, educators and policy-makers. It
will consist of invited lectures, scientific sessions with oral and poster
presentations, and will be subdivided into four main topics.

Download the first circular: http://iuss.boku.ac.at/files/
1st_circular_letter_essc_2018_int._conference.pdf

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6th GSP Plenary Assembly

11 – 13 June 2018, FAO Headquarters, Rome, Italy

Read more: http://www.fao.org/global-soil-partnership/resources/
events/detail/en/c/1069377/

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Conference “Soils genesis and evolution in landscape”

6-7 September 2018, Warsaw, Poland. Abstract submissions until 30 May 2018

Read more: https://sites.google.com/site/sgesggw/home

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21th ISTRO Conference 2018

September 24-27, 2018, Paris, France. The International Soil Tillage
Research Organization (ISTRO) is an international association whose
objective is to stimulate research on tillage and no till, compaction and,
more broadly, to contribute to soil protection and to improve soil quality.
The scientific topics during the conference will focus on advances in soil
structure characterization, soil compaction, biogeochemical processes and
carbon sequestration, with a special interest on soil ecology and ecosystem
services. Equipment strategies will also be discussed with soil tillage
strategies, smart farming, tires and tillage equipment design. Abstract
submission extended until 31 March 2018.

Read more: http://istro2018.webistem.com

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“90 Years Forest Research Institute – for the Society and Nature”- Reminder

24-26 October, 2018, Sofia, Bulgaria. Reminder: Abstracts are due by
midnight April 30, 2018 (Monday). Online registration and submission of
your abstract is now open.

Read more: http://fri.bas.bg/en/international-scientific-
conference-90-years-forest-research-institute-for-the-society-and-nature/

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Soil Security and Planetary Health Conference

4-6 December 2018, University of Sydney, Australia. Soil security is an
essential foundation for planetary health because the vast majority of
terrestrial biodiversity is found within soil or is reliant on soils and
97% of the world’s food comes from agricultural soils. The aims for the
conference are to review, develop and synthesise the concepts of soil
security and planetary health, focusing on the role of soil in overall
planetary health through multidisciplinary discourse; to key examples of
threats to soil security and measures to improve soil security from across
the planet and to provide clearer measurement systems and policy frameworks
for stewardship and sustainable use of the Earth’s soil. Registration and
Call for papers will open at the end of March 2018.

Read more: https://sydney.edu.au/agriculture/outreach-
engagement/soil-security-and-planetary-health-conference.html

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New publications
The Soils of Turkey

By Kapur, Selim, Akça, Erhan, Günal, Hikmet (Eds.). Published 2018 by
Springer, World Soils Book Series, 369 pages, 245 color & 49 B/W
illustrations, ISBN 978-3-319-64392-2, price hardcover 164.99 Euro.

This book compiles all available and relevant information concerning the
soils of Turkey, including the soil survey studies conducted by
universities and governmental institutes from the early 1950s until today.
Recent findings and advances include the description and analyses of new
profiles from some parts of the country by the chapter authors; reflecting
the latest version of the World Reference Base (WRB) soil system, they
produce a refined soil map.

The book offers valuable guidance on soil management for planners of
agricultural strategies, land management experts concerned with terrestrial
carbon management (soil-sequestered and biomass carbon) and climate change
mitigation, and educators concerned with raising awareness for the
long-neglected significance of Turkey’s soils.

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Pictorial Atlas of Soilborne Fungal Plant Pathogens and Diseases

By Tsuneo Watanabe. Published February 8, 2018 by CRC Press, 276 pages, 100
color & 26 B/W illustrations, ISBN 9781138294592, price hardback GBP 115.00.

This tome describes the soilborne fungal diseases caused by Oomycetes,
Zygomycetes, Ascomycetes, Basidiomycetes, and Deuteromycetous (Anamorphic)
fungi. Soilborne fungal diseases are significant as both environmental and
agricultural problems, yet it is difficult to understand the ecology of
pathogenic fungi and its effective control. This book provides very
detailed information on many of the commonly and not so commonly
encountered groups of soilborne fungi diseases. It will be a useful
reference for those teaching and conducting research in mycology, plant
pathology, soilborne plant diseases, and the ecology of fungal communities.

Read more: https://www.crcpress.com/Pictorial-Atlas-of-Soilborne-
Fungal-Plant-Pathogens-and-Diseases/Watanabe/p/book/9781138294592

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Applied Soils and Micromorphology in Archaeology

By Richard I. Macphail and Paul Goldberg. Published in January 2018 as Part
of Cambridge Manuals in Archaeology, 630 pages, 139 b/w illustrations, 12
maps, 49 tables, ISBN: 9781107648685, price paperback GBP 34.99.

This book provides the most up-to-date information on soil science and its
applications in archaeology. Based on more than three decades of
investigations and experiments, the volume demonstrates how description
protocols and complimentary methods (SEM/EDS, microprobe, micro-FTIR, bulk
soil chemistry, micro- and macrofossils) are used in interpretations. It
also focuses on key topics, such as palaeosols, cultivation, and occupation
surfaces, and introduces a range of current issues, such as site
inundation, climate change, settlement morphology, herding, trackways,
industrial processes, funerary features, and site transformation.

Read more: http://www.cambridge.org/at/academic/subjects/archaeology/
archaeological-science/applied-soils-and-micromorphology-archaeology#
bEJm18c3bTwZXFfx.99

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