in memoriam - Yoshiaki Ishizuka (1907-2005)

Dr. Prof. Emeritus Yoshiaki Ishizuka, Honorary Member of the International Union of Soil Sciences, passed away on 13 September, 2005 in Tokyo at the age of 98. We express our sincere mourning.

Dr. Ishizuka was born in 1907 in Tokyo. He graduated from Department of Agricultural Chemistry, Faculty of Agriculture, Hokkaido University in 1927, then joined the Department as a research staff, and then became Professor of Soil and Fertilizer in 1945. Dr. Ishizuka made important contributions to Japanese Society of Soil Science and Manure as President from 1958 to 1960.

He contributed also to the International Society of Soil Sciences as a Chairperson of Fourth Commission-Soil Fertility from 1960 to 1968 and was elected as an Honorary Member of the Society in 1978.

At the beginning of his career, Dr. Ishizuka studied the growth of wheat in relation to absorption and utilization of nutrient elements at different growth stages. Then he extended his studies to nutrio-physiological studies of rice plant together with his colleagues, and the results from the studies contributed greatly to the increase of rice productivity in Asia.

After retirement from Hokkaido University, he was appointed as Board of Trustees of International Rice Research Institute from 1964 to 1968, worked at Food and Fertilizer Technology Centre for the Asian and Pacific Region as Director (Jan.1973-April.1975) and a member of Technical Advisory Committee (1977-20000). He will always be remembered for his dynamism and excellence in the pursuit of scientific and technological advancement, as well as research and development management in agriculture. On behalf of Japanese Society of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, I pray for the soul of Prof. Emeritus Yoshiaki Ishizuka.

Makoto Kimura

President, Japanese Society of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition