Thehistory of agricultural science is a sub-field of thehistory of agriculture which looks at thescientific advancement of techniques and understanding ofagriculture. Early study of organic production inbotanical gardens was continued in withagricultural experiment stations in several countries.
Fertilizer is a major contribution to agriculture history increasing the fertility of the soil and minimizing nutrient loss.[1] Scientific study offertilizer was advanced significantly in 1840 with the publicationDie organische Chemie in ihrer Anwendung auf Agrikulturchemie und Physiologie (Organic Chemistry in Its Applications to Agriculture and Physiology) byJustus von Liebig.[2] One of Liebig's advances in agricultural science was the discovery ofnitrogen as an essential plant nutrient.
The first method of soil nourishment utilizedcompost. Composting used rotten organic materials to replenish the soil of its nutrients and dates back to tenth and twelfth century Arab writings.[3] Composting was a normal and widely used practice of fertilization, up into the twentieth century.[citation needed]
Johann Friedrich Mayer was the first scientist to publish experiments on the use of gypsum as a fertilizer, but the mechanism that made it function as a fertilizer was contested by his contemporaries.[4]
Agricultural science developed whenanalytical chemistry began to addressorganic compounds. Fertilization with decomposed plants sometimes gave a whiff ofammonia, which suggested a role fornitrogen in biological growth.Gerardus Mulder tried to determine the chemical formula for albumin and similar biological substances, butJustus von Liebig is usually cited as the early visionary ofprotein structure. For instance, he assigned his studentEben Horsford the task of comparing the nitrogen content of grains. More significantly, Liebig analysed biological growth as constrained bylimiting factors such as a shortage of phosphorus, potassium or nitrogen. His view is calledLiebig's law of the minimum. As the nineteenth century progressed so didsoil science and its promulgation by farm journals such as those published byLuther Tucker.[5][6][7]
The production of synthetic ammonia was acquired byFritz Haber andCarl Bosh. Haber discovered the reaction process to produce ammonia and Bosh was able to pressurize it to complete the process.[8] Together Haber and Bosch came up with theHaber-Bosch process that fixated nitrogen to produce ammonia that is used in most fertilizers. In 1918 Fritz Haber received aNobel Prize in Chemistry for the invention of this process. Carl Bosch also received a Nobel Prize in 1918, but for high-pressure studies.[9] Without the pressure studies this process wouldn't be possible.
In the United States, a scientific revolution in agriculture began with theHatch Act of 1887, which used the term "agricultural science". The Hatch Act was driven by farmers' interest in knowing the constituents of early artificial fertilizer. Later on, theSmith–Hughes Act of 1917 shifted agricultural education back to its vocational roots, but the scientific foundation had been built.[10] After 1906, public expenditures on agricultural research in the US exceeded private expenditures for the next 44 years.[11]
A genetic study ofagricultural science began withGregor Mendel's work. Using statistical methods, Mendel developed the model ofMendelian inheritance which accurately describes the inheritance of dominant and recessive genes. His results were controversial at the time and were not widely accepted.
In 1900,Hugo de Vries published his findings after rediscovering Mendel's work, and in 1905William Bateson coined the term "genetics" in a letter toAdam Sedgwick.[12] The study of genetics carried into anexperiment isolating DNA.
In 1843,John Lawes andJoseph Henry Gilbert began a set of long-term field experiments inagronomy atRothamsted Research Station in England; some of them are still running.[13]
In 1905,Sir Albert Howard, studied agronomy and focused on organic agriculture processes. In 1943, Howard published his book onAn Agriculture Testament.[3]
In 1917 theSmith–Hughes Act allowed agricultural education to enter public schools in theUnited States.[14]
Agriculture took a big hit between the late 1920s and early 1930s during the great depression and dust bowl. TheFuture Farmers of America (FFA), once known as Future Farmers of Virginia, was created to educate and maintain interest of potential farmers in 1926.[15] Over the years this organization, joined withNew Farmers of America, changed the world and educated many about farming processes and encouraged agriculture participation.
National Association of Agricultural Educators (NAAE) began to help give teachers the ability to start a FFA chapter in their school system and standardize the curriculum all over the country.[14]
There are various universities around the United States which are well known for educating students in the field of the agricultural sciences. These universities includeTexas A&M,Stephen F. Austin State University,University of Idaho and many others.
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