IUSS Alert 225 (July 2024)

IUSS News

Presidential Election 2024

The Executive Committee have formalized the candidacy of Prof. Bruce Lascelles, Pror. Ravi Naidu and Prof. Renfang Shen and have officially declared them eligible to ve voted in the next Presidential Elcetion. The Council will be able to vote for the next IUSS President during the Inter-Congress meeting in Nanjing this coming October.

The IUSS is very pleased to welcome the Albanian Soil Science Society as a new Full Member. Congratulations!
The IUSS is looking forward to sharing knowledge and project with its new Member to bring forward soil science.

IUSS-Inter- Congress 2024, First Announcement

Date: October 20th – 24th, 2024
Location: Nanjing International Youth Cultural Centre (IYCC), Nanjing, China

Organizers:
Soil Science Society of China
International Union of Soil Sciences

The Inter-Congress agenda consists of IUSS Executive Committee and Council member meetings, with a goal to prepare for the World Congress of Soil Science 2026 (WCSS 2026). In addition, a field trip will be organized to explore the soil resources and rich culture in Nanjing.

Theme:
Soil Health for Future Generations

Important Dates:
Abstracts submission deadline: June 30th, 2024

Meeting Format
The IUSS Inter-Congress 2024 consists of Executive Committee Meetings, Council
Meetings, an international symposium (October 21, 2024), a site visit to the venue of WCSS 2026 (October 22, 2024) and a field trip (October 24, 2024)

International Forum, Monday 21 October 2024
The international forum features four parallel sessions. Talks will be arranged in areas of the four IUSS Divisions (Soil in Space and Time, Soil Properties and Processes, Soil Use and Management, and The Role of Soils in Sustaining Society and the Environment). Online attendance is supported.
Please contact the Chairs of four IUSS Divisions for further details:

Division 1: Chair: Richard Heck, e-mail: rheck@uoguelph.ca
Division 2: Chair: Giuseppe Corti, e-mail: g.corti@staff.univpm.it
Division 3: Chair: Renfang Shen, e-mail: rfshen@issas.ac.cn
Division 4: Chair: Claudio Zaccone, e-mail: claudio.zaccone@univr.it

Contacts
Soil Science Society of China:
Xin Song (International forum)
Lingbo Zhou (Payment)
Feifei Tang (Registration)
e-mail: ic2024@issas.ac.cn

International Union of Soil Sciences:
Irene Fabbri
e-mail: iuss.secretariat@crea.gov.it

Website: https://iussic2024.aconf.org/

The bids to host the 2034 WCSS are now open, if you are looking forward to it, just like us, find out how you can apply to be the Country host.
The World Congress of Soil Science is the major IUSS international event, so it is never too early to find out everything there is to know on the application process (attachement).
Submit yours within November 1, 2025, to iuss.secretariat@crea.gov.it

IUSS Centennial Conference Proceedings

A message from the IUSS President

Dear colleagues
We’d like to remind you to submit your short paper or extended abstract for the proceedings of the Centennial. This is a historic occasion not to be missed. Few other scientific societies can boast of having published the proceedings of both their founding conference and their centennial conference! The Royal Society of London and a few others in America have done so, but their founding proceedings were always just a few pages. In our case, we will have the opportunity to compare hundreds of contributions on the same soil subjects! Deadline for submission, September 30, 2024.
Attached the template for the extended abstract/short paper.
For information: iuss.secretariat@crea.gov.it

2024 IUSS World Soil of the Year

The “Chernozem of the Balti Steppe, Moldova” was officially proclaimed as the inaugural “IUSS World Soil of the Year” during the closing ceremony of the 2024 Centennial Congress and Celebration in Florence. Official nomination of this soil was provided by the Soil Science Society of Poland and the Canadian Society of Soil Science, on behalf of the Moldovan Society of Soil Science. Dr. Boris Boincean received the award from IUSS President Edoardo Costantini, on behalf of the Moldovan Society of Soil Science, and then provided an overview of the Chernozems of the Balti Steppe. This was complemented with a presentation, by Dr. Cezary Kabala (Chair of the IUSS WRB Working Group), on the global significance of chernozemic soils. Further information regarding the 2024 IUSS WSY can be obtained by contacting Dr. Boincean (bboincean@gmail.com).
In recognition of the success of various national programs, the IUSS WSY program has been implemented to enhance soil literacy across numerous countries and on a global scale. It is expected that this will aid in compiling a registry of soil heritage, to recognize the inherent natural and cultural values of soils, thereby helping to open doors for soil science to integrate with environmental protection activities and projects. A dedicated webpage is currently being developed for the WSY program on the IUSS website.
To support promotion of the 2024 IUSS WSY, a special issue of Geoderma Regional will be published with a focus on chernozemic soils internationally – this is now open for submissions. Further details can be obtained by contacting Cezary Kabala (cezary.kabala@upwr.edu.pl).
Efforts are also currently underway to convert the IUSS WSY Task Force to a regular Working Group within Division 1 – Soils in Space and Time. In the meantime, the call for nominations for the 2025 IUSS WSY is already open. Inquiries, regarding either participating in the Task Force/Working Group or the 2025 IUSS WSY call, can be directed to the Chair of Division 1, Richard J Heck (iuss.div1@gmail.com).

First announcement SUITMA13 SUITMAs in “One Health Perspective”

The Research Institute on Terrestrial Ecosystems (IRET) of the National Research Council (CNR) is keen to invite all the colleagues to participate to the SUITMA (Soils of Urban, Industrial, Traffic, Mining and Military Areas) 13th conference that will be held in Pisa, Italy, from the 5th to the 7th of October, at the CNR Research Area, on behalf of the International Union of Soil Science (IUSS).

Topics:
1) SUITMAs as sink and source of pollutants – Keywords: geochemical cycles- urban food production.
2) SUITMAs to conserve and improve soil quality and biodiversity – Keywords: soil remediation, soil biology, bioindicators of biological soil quality and functionality, genomics.
3) SUITMAs improvers and ecosystem services – Keywords: waste materials for soil construction, compost rubble mine waste, Technosols.
4) SUITMA’s challenges for the future- Keywords: soil pedology, Anthropocene, war.

Date: October 05th – 07th, 2025

Location: CNR-IRET – Pisa,,bgju7 Italy

Deadline:

Call for abstract – opening: 1 March 2025
Abstract submission (max 350 characters, oral or poster, topic 1-4): 1 May 2025
Abstract acceptance: 31 May 2025
Deadline for early bird registration: 10 June 2025

During the conference technical visits and social events will be proposed.

Stimulus fund

The new Stimulus Fund Call has been launched July 15 and will be open for two months. Do not forget to submit your projects via e-mail to iuss.secretariat@crea.gov.it within September 15.

News from national and regional soil science societies 2024

Brazilian Society of Soil Sciences
XXI BRAZILIAN MEETING ON SOIL AND WATER MANAGEMENT AND CONSERVATION (RBMCSA) AND VIII MINAS GERAIS SOIL SCIENCE SYMPOSIUM (SMCS)

Date: July 28th, 2024 @ 08:30 – August 3rd, 2024 @ 17:00
Location: Universidade Federal de Viçosa – Viçosa-MG, Brazil
A forum to discuss the main issues and potential alternatives and strategies on the management and conservation of soil and water in mountain farming areas (AMo), bringing together people involved in research, dissemination and teaching from associated governmental, nongovernmental and private institutions and from all regions of Brazil. This will be an opportunity for focused discussion in a productive context never addressed, either in Brazil or elsewhere.
Read more: XXI Brazilian Meeting on Soil and Water Management and Conservation (RBMCSA) and VIII Minas Gerais Soil Science Symposium (SMCS)SBCS

Soil Science Society of Turkey (SSST)
11th INTERNATIONAL SOIL CONGRESS ON “CHALLENGE SOIL THREATS SAVE YOUR FUTURE HORIZON”

Date: September 23rd – 25th, 2024
Location: Nevsehir-Cappadocia, Türkiye

At the 11th Soil Science Congress, the latest developments and applications of soil science in the world and in our country will be discussed, scientific and technological developments will be presented, environments will be created to discuss research, legal legislation and similar structures, and young academics and researchers will meet both experts in their fields and each other. They will have the opportunity to meet and communicate with representatives of the General Directorates of the relevant ministries of our country, research institutes, universities and non-governmental organizations will participate in the 11th Earth Congress to be held in Nevşehir. In addition to the scientific program, you will have the opportunity to see Cappadocia’s social and cultural heritage up close through social activities.

Important dates:
Deadline for early registration: 01 May 2024
Deadline for registration: 01 July 2024
Abstract submission deadline: 15 July 2024
Announcement of accepted papers: o1 August 2024
Deadline for submission of full texts: 01 September 2024
Announcement of the Congress Program: 15 September 2024
Publication of the Congress Book: 15 October 2024

Read more: https://www.soilcongress.org/

Egyptian Soil Science Society (ESSS)
THE 14TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF ESSS IN COLLABORATION WITH SOIL AND WATER DEPT., FACULTY OF AGRICULTURE, AL-AZHAR UNIVERSITY CAIRO “SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT OF SOIL AND WATER USES UNDER CLIMATE”

Date: October 1st – 2nd, 2024
Location: Cairo, Egypt

The conference will focus on soil and water resources development: its challenges and different strategies or solutions in the context of global climate change.

Deadline for the conference: Abstracts 31.08. 2024
All abstracts should be sent to: E-mail: ejssci@gmail.com; What’s App.: 0036202979482
For registration: https://forms.gle/i5hWCG6pnCtD6exo9

Topics of the Conference:

Modern technologies and soil science:
Environment and soil sciences:
Global climate change and global soil crisis
Conservation, and preservation of soil and water resources
Agricultural soil systems
Sustainable management under global changes

Colombian Society of Soil Science

1st International Symposium on Soil Science From Environmental Engineering
Pre-Congress Event – XXI Colombian Congress of Soil Science 2024

August 30, 2024
Zoom Platform Schedule: 8 am – 5 pm

Colombian Society of Soil Science

XXI Congreso Colombiano de la Ciencia del Suelo
“LA SALUD DEL SUELO COMO BASE PARA EL DESARROLLO SOSTENIBLE”
Date: October 1st – 4th, 2024
Location: Medellín, Colombia

Deadline abstracts presentations: 30 August 2024
Deadline for registration upon departure field: 10 September, 2024

Colombian Society of Soil Science
World Conference on Soil, Water, Energy and Air – EUWCSWEA

Date: October 5th – 6th, 2024
Location: Bogota, Colombia

The conference provides a platform for professionals involved in Soil, Water, Energy and Air to exchange knowledge and gain an insight into the state of the art in the current technology, techniques and solutions in Soil, Water, Energy and Air as they have been developed and applied in different countries.

Important dates:
Submission Deadline: 22nd September 2024
Registration Deadline: 27th September 2024

Federation of Eurasian Soil Science Societies
9th INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM OF INTERACTIONS OF SOIL MINERALS WITH ORGANIC COMPONENTS AND MICROORGANISMS (ISMOM)
Date: October 10th – 14th, 2024
Location: Tsukuba, Japan

Commission 2.5 Interfacial reactions of soil International Union of Soil Science
Key topics such as climate change mitigation, soil C sequestration, rock erosion enhancement, and modeling of soil C and N dynamics are directly or indirectly controlled by the interactions of soil minerals with organic matter and microbes (ISMOMs) that occur at different scales. Progress requires the exploration of interfacial reactions between minerals, organic matter and microbes in the soil, not simply the study of soil C in isolation.
Read more: http://web.agr.ehime-u.ac.jp/~soil/OtherInfo_ISMOM2024.pdf

United States Consortium of Soil Science Associations
2024 ASA, CSSA, SSSA INTERNATIONAL ANNUAL MEETING AI INNOVATIONS FOR A CHANGING CLIMATE

Date: November 10th – 13th, 2024
Location: San Antonio, Texas and Limited Virtual

Attend the 2024 ASA, CSSA, SSSA International Annual Meeting to inspire change in agronomy, crop, and soil sciences to impact scientific advancement. Rapidly changing climate is one of the greatest challenges for modern agriculture around the world. But there is hope! By leveraging advanced modeling tools, remote sensing, machine vision, autonomous machinery, and robots, AI enables improved soil management, climate-smart farming, and accurate forest mapping. Together, let’s harness the power of AI to revolutionize the future of agriculture at the 2024 ASA, CSSA, SSSA International Annual Meeting. The American Society of Agronomy, the Crop Science Society of America, and the Soil Science Society of America jointly host the premier gathering of ideas, solutions, and innovation from across the field of environmental sciences. Our Annual Meeting is equal parts science, networking, collaboration, and camaraderie. We welcome emerging learners and leaders from industry, government agencies, and academic institutions to explore advances in agronomic, crop, and soil sciences.

Indian Society of Soil Science (ISSS)
EUROPEAN SOCIETY FOR SOIL CONSERVATION. GLOBAL SOILS CONFERENCE 2024 CARING SOILS BEYOND FOOD SECURITY: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION & ECOSYSTEM SERVICES

Date: November 19th – 22nd, 2024
Location: NASC Complex, New Delhi

Indian Society of Soil Science, New Delhi under the aegis of International Union of Soil Sciences, Italy in collaboration with Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi National Academy of Agricultural Sciences, New Delhi.
The main objective of the Global Soils Conference 2024 is ‘Caring soil beyond food security: Climate Change mitigation and Ecosystem Services”. This conference aims to address various challenges, issues and concerns/ importance of soils and the latest technology developments in sustainable soil/resource management in the light of the global issues such as food security, soil health improvement, enhancing input use efficiency through new fertilizers, rapid soil assessment techniques, land degradation, environmental quality, biodiversity protection and climate change adaptation and mitigation.

The New Zealand Society of Soil Science (NZSSS)
2024 MOANA OCEANIA SOIL JUDGING COMPETITION

Date: November 28th – 1st, December 2024
Location: Rotorua, New Zealand

This prestigious professional development event aims to develop skills and knowledge in practical soil description and classification for understanding and interpreting soil and land use capability. No experience required.
The competition aims to teach and develop knowledge and practical skills in soil description, classification, and land use interpretation. These skills are vital when it comes to understanding and protecting soil. It is a great opportunity for students, researchers, contractors, council scientists, and anyone interested in soils to learn, network, and experience new landscapes and soils.
Read more: Soil Judging Competition | NZSSS Association (soilscience.org.nz)

The New Zealand Society of Soil Science (NZSSS)
SOILS ROTORUA 2024 – A JOINT NZSSS & SSA CONFERENCE
WEAVING SOIL SCIENCE ACROSS CULTURES & ENVIRONMENTS

Date: December 2nd – 5th, 2024
Location: Rotorua Energy Events Centre, New Zealand

News from national and regional soil science societies 2025

Digital Soil Mapping Working Group (DSMWG) & GlobalSoilMap working group (GSM WG) of IUSS
3rd JOINT WORKSHOP ON DIGITAL SOIL MAPPING & GLOBAL SOIL MAP. SOIL MAPPING FOR SUSTAINABLE LAND USE PLANNING

Date: January 21st – 24th, 2025
Location: Bengaluru, India

Important dates:
Abstract Submission Deadline: 1st August 2024
Abstract Acceptance Notification: 1st September 2024
Early Bird Registration Deadline: 1st October 2024

European Confederation of Soil Science Societies
VII INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF THE ECSSS

Date: September 8th – 12th, 2025
Location: Seville, Spain

EUROSOIL is the official meeting of the European Confederation of Soil Science Societies (ECSSS). It is held every four years and is one of Europe’s most important Soil Sciences events. It provides an excellent opportunity for knowledge transfer among the Soil Sciences community. Over 2000 participants are expected to attend the event and present their findings through oral and poster presentations encompassing all scientific aspects of Soil Science. The event will also feature workshops and an exhibition of products and services aimed at raising awareness in society, facilitating the exchange of ideas and information, and creating business opportunities offering a platform for researchers, scholars and professionals to exchange knowledge, insights, and innovations. Additionally, during this edition of EUROSOIL, the Iberian Congress of Soil Sciences (CICS) will also be held along with the 1st European Soil Judging Contest in Alicante, one week before the event in Seville.

Deadline:
September 2024: Abstract submission & registration opening
31 March 2025: Early registration deadline
15 May 2025: Regular abstract submission deadline
31 May 2025: Abstract notification to authors
15 June 2025: Regular registration deadline
15 July 2025: Last minute submission (only posters)
8 September 2025: EUROSOIL 2025 starts

Conferences, Meetings and Workshops
2024

European soil ERosion field measurements at Plot scale

EUSO launched a collaborative network targeting soil erosion by water data from European field experiments (EU_ERPlot). The aim of this network is to reach out to Researchers from European institutions to come together and create an open-access database (EU_ERPlot) of soil erosion records collected at plot scale, through a series of diverse land use and land cover features across Europe. This is an action promoted by the EU Soil Observatory Technical Working Group on Soil erosion. Our data compilation and harmonization is progressing; however, our estimations indicate a significant portion of data is still out there. As a result, we will re-open the call for contributions in order to target data generated over the last 10 years.

Deadline: 31 July 2024
Read more: https://esdac.jrc.ec.europa.eu/themes/european-soil-erosion-field-measurements-plot

XI SCAR Open Science Conference 2024 “Antarctic Science: Crossroads for a New Hope”

Date: August 19th – 23rd, 2024
Location: Pucón, Chile

The opening and closing ceremony, plenary lectures and mini-symposia will be live-streamed. The Business Meetings (17-18 & 24-25 August) and Delegates Meeting will be hybrid. The Science Group Business Meetings (21 August), poster and parallel sessions will be in-person only.

Read more: www.scar2024.org

IHSS2024 Conference “The role of Natural Organic Matter and Humic Substances in achieving Sustainable Development Goals” – 22nd Meeting of the International Humic Substances Society

Date: August 25th – 30th, 2024
Location: Rimini Convention Center, Rimini, Italy

The Conference is organized by the Italian Chapter of the IHSS, with the contribution of several colleagues and collaborators. The scientific structure of IHSS2024 is oriented towards the SDG of Agenda 2030 Topics like the impact of climate changes on terrestrial and aquatic natural resources, the chemical and biological transformation of pollutants in the environment, the biowaste recycling and management, together with novel scientific and technical frontiers are listed in the scientific programme. Further, a large space is devoted to the commercial aspects of natural organic matter and to the growing connections between scientists and private companies.

50th CIEC International Fertilizer Conference – Unleashing Fertilizer Use in the Belt and Road Initiative

Date: September 4th – 7th, 2024
Location: Weihai, Shandong (P.R. China)

The purpose of the 50th CIEC International Fertilizer Conference is food security, which is of primary concern on a global scale, as are environmental aspects and issues related to soil protection. China’s new Belt and Road initiative will unleash the potential of vast regions of the globe for sustainable agriculture. CIEC’s ambition is to strengthen scientific exchange and cooperation to support this global challenge.

Read more: https://ciec.iae.ac.cn/ or contact the jieli@iae.ac.cn; with cc to: CIFC50@vodafonemail.de.

22nd IUFoST World Congress 2024 of Food Science and Technology
The future of food is now: Development, Functionality & Sustainability

Date: September 8th – 12th, 2024
Location: Rimini, Italy

Read more: https://iufost2024-italy.com/

International Conference on “Soil Systems Ecology – Organic Matter, Energetics & Turnover”

Date: September 9th – 11th, 2024
Location: Humboldt University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany

The focus of the International Conferences is on the combined consideration of material and energy flows in soils as an expression and driver of biological activity and interaction. It’s time to get a systemic view on energy and matter fluxes and their interactions with living and non-living soil components.

Important dates: Registration Deadline: 21st July 2024

WASWAC 4th International Youth Forum on Soil and Water Conservation (IYFSWC)

Date: September 21st – 24th, 2024
Location: Shenyang, China

In order to help the youth worldwide to play greater roles in the scientific research, technological development, and demonstration & popularization of soil and water conservation, encourage and support the young generation to undertake the historical responsibility entrusted by the times, and to achieve sustainable development in soil and water conservation, World Association of Soil and Water Conservation (WASWAC) will continue to organize the International Youth Forum on Soil and Water Conservation (IYFSWC) in Shenyang in this coming September.
WASWAC will continue to evaluate the Outstanding Youth Paper, 20240325151638875.pdf (waswac.org.cn), which is set up by WASWAC especially for the outstanding young researchers under the age of 40. The paper passed evaluation will have chance to be published in the official journal of WASWAC – International Soil and Water Conservation Research, and the winners will also be able to obtain a certificate issued by WASWAC and a USD 1000 honorarium.

As an important platform of academic progress presentation and to research ideas exchange, we sincerely invite worldwide scholars, students, and relevant enterprises engaged in the scientific research, technology development, management, teaching and training and engineering design of soil and water conservation, to participate in this forum to share your latest research or technology progress, with oral presentation or poster display.
Award Announcement: Final awardees will be announced in September 2024. The award presentation will be at the 4th International Youth Forum on Soil and Water Conservation.
Read more: WASWAC

ISTRO 2024. 22nd Conference “Living Roots, Living Soils”

Date: September 23rd – 27th, 2024
Location: Virginia Beach VA, USA (Wyndham Virginia Beach Oceanfront Resort)

The theme of ISTRO (International Soil and Tillage Research Organization) 2024 is ‘Living Roots, Living Soils’ and focuses on regenerative agriculture, soil health, cover crops, residue systems and sustainable agricultural production as a whole.

Global Symposium on Soil Data and Information – FAO GSID24: Hybrid event

Date: September 25th – 28th, 2024
Location: Nanjing, China

The Global Symposium on Soil Information & Data (GSID24), co-organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization, its Global Soil Partnership and the Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences (ISSCAS). Emphasizing the significance of data-driven decision-making, GSID24 aims to catalyse the development and implementation of policies grounded in robust soil data, thereby enhancing the efficacy of global efforts towards sustainable development and climate resilience.

The Sixth Global Proximal Soil Sensing Workshop

Date: October 14th – 17th, 2024
Location: Ghent, Belgium

The workshop is organized by Ghent University on behalf of the Working Group on Proximal Soil Sensing (WGPSS), established in 2008 under the International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS). The Sixth Global Proximal Soil Sensing Workshop will continue the discussion from theoretical and practical perspectives, focusing on the applicability of technology in natural resources management. The Workshop invites participants from academia and industry, working on topics including soil and environmental sciences, agricultural engineering, archaeology, forensic investigations, sensor development, near surface geophysics, spectroscopy, agronomy, spatial statistics, and artificial intelligence.

Important dates:
Full paper submission: August 31st, 2024
Final registration: September 15th, 2024

Read more: Home | GPSS-2024

Science and Innovation Forum (SIF 2024)
Date: October 14th -18th, 2024
Location: FAO headquarters and online

The third edition of the FAO SIF 2024 will be organized under the umbrella of the World Food Forum (WFF), together with the Global Youth Forum and Hand-in-Hand Investment Forum. The main theme of SIF 2024 will be Inclusive Science and Innovation for Agrifood Systems Transformation, Leaving No One Behind, aligned with the WFF 2024 overall theme of Good Food for All for Today and Tomorrow.

10th International Symposium on Forest Soils (ISFS 2024)

Date: October 15th – 19th, 2024
Location: Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, PR China.

The theme of ISFS 2024 is “Forest Soils under Global Change: Processes, Biodiversity and Ecological Services”, and seven topics will be included that range from assessing the impact of global change factors on carbon, water and nutrient cycling, and ecosystem functioning and services to reclaiming degraded forestlands and managing the resilience of reclaimed land.

8th International Symposium on Biofumigation, green manures and cover crops

Date: October 21st – 25th, 2024
Location: San Pedro (BA), Argentina

Read more: https://biofumigacion.ar/en/home/

International Conference: Impacts of Soil Amendments on Dryland Agro-Ecosystems (ISADAE 2024)

Date: October 28th – 30th, 2024
Location: Reims, France

The University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne (URCA) with IRD and INRAE organize ISADAE2024 conference aims to provide a platform for discussing the latest research and developments in soil management practices and their impact on dryland agro-ecosystems. It also aims to foster international cooperation in developing strategies and projects for sustainable soil management in dryland agro-ecosystems. The Conference is supported by the European Union’s PRIMA research and innovation program and EXEBIO.

Important dates:
Deadline for abstract submission: June 30, 2024
Notification of acceptance: June 2024
Deadline for full paper submission: July 31, 2024

Read more: Included in the registration fees, the ISADAE 2024 conference offer the possibility of publishing a proceeding paper in a Scopus Indexed journal, and to participate in a forthcoming special issue in the newly launched journal Cambridge Prisms: Drylands, details of which will be announced soon.

Conference website: International Conference on The Impact of Soil Amendments on Dryland Agro-Ecosystems – Sciencesconf.org

17th International Conference on Soil Micromorphology

Date: December 2nd – 5th, 2024
Location: Puno, Perù

Important dates:
Deadline for Early-bird registration: July 31, 2024
Acceptance of abstracts: July – September 2024

Conferences, Meetings and Workshops
2025

18th International Symposium on Soil and Plant Analysis.
Advancing Agricultural Science for Global Sustainability

Date: June 9th -13rd, 2025
Pre-Symposium Workshop: June 9th.
Post-Symposium Tour: June 14th-16th
Location: Durham, North Carolina USA

The Soil and Plant Analysis Council (SPAC) announces that registration, sponsorship opportunities, and a call for abstracts for the 18th International Symposium on Soil and Plant Analysis (ISSPA) are now open. The meeting of ISSPA 2025 is hosted by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and North Carolina State University and will take place in Durham, North Carolina, USA, June 9 – 13, 2025, in partnership with the Australasian Soil and Plant Analysis Council, Agri-Laboratory Association of Southern Africa, and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization’s Global Soil Partnership.

Abstract Deadline: March 7th, 2025
Abstract Acceptance Notification: April 1st, 2025

Opportunities for the IUSS members

New video on soil description and soil classification

Peter Schad and Chris Just from the Technical University of Munich (Germany) made a new video on Soil Description and Soil Classification. It uses the 4th edition of the World Refefence Base for Soil Resources (WRB). The description is according to the new WRB Field Guide (Annex 1 of the WRB Manual – replacing for WRB the FAO Guidelines for Soil Description, 2006) and the classification considers the new WRB edition. It is available here: https://wrb.isric.org/teaching-material/
During COVID, we produced some videos in German: the description according to the German field handbook and the classification according to the German national soil classification and, in English and Spanish, according to the FAO Guidelines for Soil Description (2006) and the 3rd edition of the WRB (2015).
They were published on the teaching platform of our university in 2020 and in 2022 our institute established a youtube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-dL7jrqhzwoFfKNLTwGXxQ.

International Science Council (ISC)
Statement-on-Role-of-Universities

ISC renews its position on academic boycotts and the role of universities in enabling responsible discussion and upholding rational debate. The International Science Council (ISC) has updated its position on academic boycotts and today issued a comprehensive statement on the role of universities in fostering responsible discussion and rational debate in times of crises. The ISC Governing Board has reaffirmed the role of the Council in upholding freedom of expression and association, which are fundamental to scientific and social advancement.

PhD Fellowships

TWAS fellowships offered in fields of the natural sciences
Deadline: 15 August and 20 September,2024
Read more: Call for applications

The Christine Mirzayan Science and Technology
Policy Graduate Fellowship Program
Christine Mirzayan Science and Technology Policy Graduate Fellowship Program for early career individuals to spend 12 weeks at the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine learning about science and technology policy and advice
Deadline: September 9, 2024
Read more: Call for applications

International Science Council (ISC)
Call for Applications: 2024 OWSD WISDOM scholarships at Hashemite University, Jordan

Call for applications for the Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World’s scholarship for refugee women scientists, the Women in Science Displacement Outreach Master’s Program.

Deadline: The Call for Applications is open now until August 8, 2024.

Global CA-CoP (Conservation agriculture community of PRACTICE for sustainable agriculture, land use and ecosystem management)

The open access journal Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395, IF 3.7) is pleased to announce a new Special Issue titled “Conservation Agricultural Practices for Improving Crop Production and Quality”. Prof. Dr. Mariola Staniak, Prof. Dr. Ewa Szpunar-Krok and Dr. Małgorzata Szostek are serving as Guest Editors for this issue.

Deadline: August 31st, 2024
Read more: https://www.mdpi.com/si/agronomy/H4FE1QROA2

9th Intensive Training Course on Soil Micromorphology

Location: eniversitat de LIeidae (Tremp, Catalonia) at Departament de Quimica, Fisica i Ciències Ambientals i del Sòl – Av. Rovira Roure 191E 25198 LIeida Catalunya

Duration: 2-weeks in September-October 2024

New publications

International Science Council (ISC)

ISC_ Annual Report 2023

The International Science Council (ISC) released its 2023 Annual Report ‘A year of transformation and global impact’, highlighting a year of transformative achievements setting the stage for future success.

Download: ISC_AnnualReport_2023.pdf (council.science)
Read more: https://council.science/news/iscs-2023-annual-report-a-year-of-transformation-and-global-impact/

International Science Council (ISC)

FROM SCIENCE TO ACTION: leveraging scientific knowledge and solutions for advancing sustainable and resilient development

ISC and the World Federation of Engineering Organizations (WFEO) – as coordinators of the Scientific and Technological Community Major Group – released a position paper bringing together the latest scientific evidence and thinking from the scientific, engineering and technological community, highlighting policy-relevant and evidence-based insights to accelerate SDG progress. The paper is structured in five key themes supported by case studies demonstrating ‘science in action’. From science to action: Leveraging scientific knowledge and solutions for advancing sustainable and resilient development. Position paper from the Scientific and Technological Community Major Group for the 2024 High-level Political Forum.

Download: https://council.science/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/HLPF-2024-compressed.pdf