UK Soil Research Audit
The UK Soil Research
Audit 
(235 KB) and annexes
to the audit report
(130 KB) outline the current state of soil research in the UK and provides
information and recommendations to assist future soils research. A wide
range of organisations and providers undertake soils research for a number
of different purposes, thus integration and coordination of soils research
programmes is essential. The first stage of this work was to collect programme
data from all known funders involved in UK soil research and to incorporate
this in a database of UK soil research which is available from soils@defra.gsi.gov.uk.
The database classifies the programmes in nine themes; within which programmes
are ranked by funder, then by size. It is noticeable that there is an
imbalance in expenditure between the themes. Economically, funding of
soil research has been relatively constant from 1995-2003, with the same
three organisations (Defra, BBSRC and SEERAD) providing the majority of
this. Alongside this inventory of soil research programmes, information
and views from funders, providers and users of soil research were sought
through interviews.
Key conclusions of the Audit:
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Science is a global commodity - results from one country can be applied in another. The quality of UK science is thus important both globally and as an impetus for teaching and training.
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There have been recent declines in the amount of fundamental soil science research being undertaken, particularly in the areas of pedology, soil mineralogy and surface chemistry.
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Research capabilities have declined - lack of education opportunities for future soil researchers.
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Few of the current policy questions are soil specific - policy questions have a soil component as part of a bigger, often environmental, driver.
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Now is a time of great opportunity and challenge for soil research - the knowledge base has increased and it is now time to tackle some of the big contemporary environmental issues (climate change, pollution and remediation, sustainable land management).
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Future soil research should be multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary and international in its scope.
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Soil researchers should devote more effort to identifying future opportunities - new approaches and techniques.
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The Soil Science Advisory Committee should play a greater role in the championing of soil science.
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Soil research funding needs to be spread more widely, to ensure that the somewhat neglected themes are more adequately covered.
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Research carried out for use by farmers/land managers lacked the input of well placed practitioners from the outset, this may have led to a lack of uptake.
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Soil data needs to be more widely accessible and understandable to a range of users.
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Page last modified:
14 April 2004
Page published: 10 December 2003