Science Beneath Our Feet – Józef Chojnicki

Comment onBrogowski Z., Chojnicki J. 2020, paper:

The aim of the study was to gain a deeper understanding of the process of phosphorus sorption in granulometric fractions of cultivated Cambisol developed from boulder loam. The sorption capacity of soils has a significant impact on the process of leaching mobile forms of phosphorus from soils, the negative effect of which is excessive and environmentally harmful eutrophication of surface and groundwater. The finest fractions have the largest share in their sorption, in which a systematic increase in the total content of this element has been found as their diameter decreases. In general, soils with higher sorption capacities significantly reduce the process of phosphorus leaching from soils. Unfortunately, the phenomenon of its leaching from soils is primarily generated by mistakes made during the fertilization of crops, as a result of the use of too high doses of this element for the needs of crops and the sorption capacity of the soil. The difficulty of adjusting the dose of fertilizer to the needs of plants is primarily due to the difficulty in predicting the course of weather conditions. Phenomena such as drought, flood, and low temperatures can significantly reduce the yield of plants and, consequently, the amount of mineral nutrients taken. The problem of nutrient imbalance in plant fertilization (their excess, deficiency) is also one of the most important and frequently occurring threats to soil health in the LivingSoilL project. The implementation of this project so far has shown insufficient knowledge and skills of soil users in the field of plant fertilization principles and related sorption properties of soils. In summary, a deeper understanding of phosphorus sorption in soils can be used to develop new, innovative plant fertilization techniques and contribute to improving soil health in the Living Lab of the LivingSoiLL project. It can also be used to educate soil users in increasing the yield efficiency of phosphorus as a nutrient, while reducing its leaching and consequently minimizing the negative impact on the environment (eutrophication of waters).

About Józef Chojnicki

They focus mainly on the search for qualitative and quantitative indicators of the occurrence and advancement of soil-forming processes and the study of the occurrence and qualitative and quantitative transformation of clay minerals in soil-forming processes. He is the author or co-author of 140 scientific studies, including 65 peer-reviewed papers and 6 monographs. He has participated and presented his research results at 60 scientific conferences, including 17 foreign ones, and has led or participated in the implementation of 12 scientific projects. He completed a six-month research internship at the Department of Soil Science at the University of British Columbia, Canada (1989) and a two-month research internship at the Institute of Soil Science, University of Bonn, Germany (1993). Under his supervision, 3 doctoral theses, 31 master’s theses, and 80 engineering theses were completed. As a teacher, he was awarded the title of “Master of Education” several times in plebiscites organized by students. In the years 2008-2016, he was the Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture and Biology for Science, and from 2009 to 2020, he was the Head of the Department of Soil Science. He served as the secretary of the Main Board of the Soil Science Society of Poland (SSSP) in the years 1995 – 2015, and since 2015, he has been the editor-in-chief of the scientific journal Soil Science Annual published by SSSP.

Reference: Brogowski Z., Chojnicki J. 2020: Distribution of phosphorus in granulometric fractions of Cambisol developed from morainic loam. J. Elem., 25(1): 181-191.  DOI: 10.5601/jelem.2019.24.3.1902