The three favourite soil science books of:

Mary Idowu (Nigeria)

One of my favorite soil science books is the Principle of Soil Chemistry by Tan, K. H. of the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, the University of Georgia, Athens. It was an expanded edition, published in 1998. The book was a very useful Ph. D research and teaching material for me. It clearly explains the basic chemical and thermodynamic principles, soil air and water, the soil gas and liquid phases, and cation exchange theories. The importance of soil organic acids and their chelation reactions are discussed more explicitly.

The focus of my Ph.D. was on Soil Fertility and Plant Nutrition, with special interest in sodium and potassium as nutrients for tomato production. Mineral Nutrition of Higher Plant by Marschner, H, revised edition that was published in 1998 was a very important book to me. This book is a great collection of knowledge needed in mineral nutrition of plants. The information that is often scattered throughout the literature is brought together as a single comprehensive text book. The book contains numerous tables, structures with a lot of references on soil nutrient availability and transportation, compartmentation and functions in the plant. It deals with macro and micronutrient elements, and those that are at the verge of being considered essential to plants. I appreciate the efforts of friends who made the dream of the Author a reality.

Fertilizer Use and Management Practices for Crops in Nigeria by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, edited by pioneer soil scientists Aduayi, E. A., Chude, V. O., Adebusuyi, B. A. and Olayiwola, S. O., published in 2002 is another favorite book for me. The book covers large area of agricultural land, classified Nigerian soils and indicated management strategies for effective fertilizer use. Soil classification was based on USDA and/or FAO/UNESCO. The book is unique because it contains information on the plant nutrient levels and socio-economic factors influencing fertilizer usage in Nigerian. It also incorporates information on fertilizer requirements of diverse arable crop in Nigeria. The book is useful for both soil scientists and agronomists.