IUSS president Edoardo Constantini presenting the IUSS WSY 2024 The World Soil of the Year (WSY) of 2024 is the typical Chernozem of the Bălţi steppe of the Republic of Moldova. At the Centennial Celebration of the International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS) on 19-21 May in Florence, Italy, this soil was presented as the first World Soil of the Year.
"Chernozem can and should be called the king of soils; it is, so to speak, ideal soil ... thus, it is ideal, the best of the best soils ... ", Dokuchaev. [1]
Geologist and geographer Dokuchaev called the Chernozem the king of soils. Chernozems are soils with a thick black mineral surface layer, rich in organic matter and of high natural fertility and favourable topography. Various countries, such as Germany, Poland, and the Netherlands, elect a soil of the year as a way to engage society with the topic of soils and enhance public awareness.
The IUSS has now scaled this practice globally by introducing the WSY. A dedicated task force, which included Stephan Mantel of ISRIC-World Soil Information, was formed to facilitate the selection of the WSY and will continue its work as a permanent working group within the IUSS. The announcement of the WSY 2024 was made by Dr Edoardo Constantini, IUSS President. Dr Boris Boincean of the Selectia Research Institute of Field Crops of the Republic of Moldova highlighted the typical Chernozem of the Bălţi steppe, and Prof Cezary Kabala, chair of the working group of the World Reference Base for soil resources, presented on the broader international perspective of the Chernozems and their importance and management.
