CNR’s Contribution to the Advancement of Soil Science in Italy

The contributions to soil science due to the researchers of the National Research Council of Italy (Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, CNR) are illustrated in an historical perspective from the foundation of CNR in 1923 to the first two decades of the XXI century. The foundation of the first CNR Institute explicitly focusing on soil science was in 1963, and since the very beginning, the research activities focusing on soils function and properties were characterised by a multidisciplinary approach. This resulted over a couple of decades in the flowering of several research centres and institutes covering issues ranging from soil chemistry to soil genesis, classification, and mapping, from soil microbiology to soil hydrology, with long-term finalised projects and research initiatives. Over the years, following major reorganisation of CNR structure, the term “soil” disappeared from the name of the research institutes, following a worldwide trend. CNR soil scientists are currently scattered over several Research Institutes and two departments, with an evident fragmentation of research efforts, which nevertheless resulted in a spread of soil science in many other sectors, favoured by the multidisciplinary nature of the CNR. A few examples of CNR research achievements in the main branches of soil science such as biology, ecology, physics, chemistry, erosion, and pedology are provided.