HISTORY OF SOIL SCIENCE On the Origin of the Theory of Mineral Nutrition of Plants and the Law of the Minimum

1944) and as the founder of modern agriculture. His main publications related to agronomy (Liebig, 1840, 1855) Modern treatises on the origin of the theory of mineral nutrition appeared in the second half of this period. Other promiof plants and the Law of the Minimum usually refer to books published by Justus von Liebig in 1840 and 1855. These works are believed to nent pioneer agronomists of this era were Boussingault be original reports of Liebig’s own research. Occasionally, however, in France and Lawes and Gilbert in England. All these scholars of early agronomic literature have stated that these books scholars took active parts in the development of the theby Liebig contain doctrines on mineral plant nutrition and nutrient ory of mineral nutrition of plants and in recommending deficiencies that had been published earlier by Liebig’s countryman the use of mineral fertilizer in agriculture (Russell, 1952; and colleague Carl Sprengel (1787–1859). To examine such stateWild, 1988; or Boulaine, 1994). ments, we studied the relevant literature. This study showed that the In addition to being considered the founder of the agronomist and chemist Carl Sprengel conducted pioneering research theory of mineral nutrition of plants, Liebig is celebrated in agricultural chemistry during the first half of the 19th century. because of his formulation of the Law of the Minimum. His early articles and books mark the beginning of a new epoch in According to Black (1993), Liebig (1855, p. 23–25) stated agronomy. He published in 1826 an article in which the humus theory was refuted, and in 1828 another, extended journal article on soil his law in three parts as: “1. By the deficiency or absence chemistry and mineral nutrition of plants that contained in essence of one necessary constituent, all others being present, the the Law of the Minimum. Sprengel’s doctrines are presented again soil is rendered barren for all those crops to the life of in the books published by Liebig in 1840 and 1855. To avoid a dispute which that one constituent is indispensable. 2. With equal on priorities and impacts and to recognize and commemorate the supplies of the atmospheric conditions for the growth of achievements of both pioneering scientists, the Association of German plants, the yields are directly proportional to the mineral Agricultural Experimental and Research Stations has created the nutrients supplied in the manure. 3. In a soil rich in Sprengel-Liebig Medal. We propose that the international community mineral nutrients, the yield of a field cannot be increased of agronomists acts similarly by recognizing Sprengel as a cofounder by adding more of the same substances.” of agricultural chemistry and that the Law of the Minimum henceforth Scholars of early German literature on agronomy, such be called the Sprengel-Liebig Law of the Minimum. as Browne (1944), Wendt (1950), and Böhm (1987), however, have pointed out that the refutation of the humus theory, the development of the theory on mineral nutriA dealing with the history of Soil Science tion of plants, and the formulation of the Law of the frequently recognize different periods of developMinimum, in essence, already had been carried out in ment. Russell (1952) and Wild (1988), for example, call the 1820s and 1830s by Liebig’s countryman and colthe period from 1800 to 1860 the Modern Period. For league Carl Sprengel. In today’s agronomic literature, Boulaine (1994), this period ended around 1870. Achowever, the work of Sprengel is rarely acknowledged cording to these authors, this was the period in which (see, for example, Rossiter, 1975; Viets, 1977; Dyke, 1993; both physiology and agriculture were founded. Major or McDonald, 1994). For that reason, our objective in advances of the Modern Period were the refutation of this paper is to draw attention to Sprengel’s work, so that the humus theory and the development of the theory of present and future generations of agronomists have a mineral nutrition of plants. A discussion of the humus chance to recognize fully his achievements. theory is given, for example, by Russell (1952) in the introductory chapter of his classic book on soil conditions and plant growth. The Swedish professor of chemistry The Life of Sprengel—A Brief Outline J.G. Wallerius (1709–1785), from the University of UppA first biography (in German) about Carl Sprengel sala, is often quoted as the most prominent founder of was written by F. Giesecke, but his manuscript [Giesecke, the humus theory (Russell, 1952). 1945. Philipp Carl Sprengel (1787–1859): Biographical The German chemist Justus von Liebig (1803–1873) is study about the life and work of the important agricultural generally considered as the most significant scholar of chemist as a contribution to the history of the natural the so-called Modern Period (see, for example, Browne, and agricultural sciences] was never published. This manuscript, as well as much of the material on which it R.R. van der Ploeg, Inst. of Soil Science, Univ. of Hannover, Herrenwas based, is kept by the Library of the University of haeuser Str. 2, 30419 Hannover, Germany; W. Böhm, Inst. of AgronHohenheim at Stuttgart, Germany. omy and Plant Breeding, Univ. of Göttingen, Von-Siebold-Str. 8, 37075 Göttingen, Germany; and M.B. Kirkham, Dep. of Agronomy, The most thorough study about the life and work of Kansas State Univ., Manhattan, KS 66506-5501. Received 18 May Sprengel seems to have been conducted by Giesecke’s 1998. *Corresponding author ([email protected]–hannover.de). student Günter Wendt in the late 1940s. On the basis of this study, Wendt earned his doctorate from the UniverPublished in Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 63:1055–1062 (1999).