The word agrology is derived from the Greek words "agros" meaning land, or farm, and "logy" meaning word, or wisdom. The use of the term is most active in Canada. Use of the term outside of Canada is sporadic but significant. The term appears especially well established in Russia and China, with agrologists on university faculty lists and agrology curricula.

Agrology is synonymous with agricultural science when used in Canada, and has a meaning related to soil science outside of Canada.

Canada

The term agrologist was coined by Dr. J. B. Harrington and adopted in 1946 to fill the need in Canada to have a term to denote "provincial agriculturalist." The title is conferred on individuals with at least a Bachelor's Degree in Agriculture and who can demonstrate the qualities needed to responsibly teach, practice, or conduct experiments and research in the agricultural sciences. There are about 5000 agrologists in Canada as of 2004.

Each of Canada's provinces has granted legal status to agrologists. A provincial Agrologists Act defines the practice of agrology, the activities that are within the scope of the profession, the qualifications required to have the right to practice agrology, and grants legal status to agrologists. The first Agrologists Act was proclaimed in 1946.

Outside Canada

Outside of Canada, the term agrology is synonymous with soil science and is not in common usage in English speaking countries.

Agrology in soil science society glossaries

Two national member societies (Canadian, American) of the International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS) maintain and publish glossaries of scientific terms. Other soil science societies defer to the American glossary. The term agrology is not in use. Edaphology or crop edaphology in combination with soil management would be the preferred approach used by soil scientists to concisely describe soil science as it applies to crop production.

Agrology dictionary definitions

As of 2004, no dictionary definition of agrology is yet consistent with the Canadian use of the term and dictionary definitions fall into one of four categories.

1. agrology is defined as synonymous with soil science. The root agr- is represented as meaning soil.
2. agrology is defined as synonymous with soil science, but the context implies that soil science is a subdiscipline of agricultural science.
3. agrology is defined as the sub discipline of soil science as it applies to crop production. This would make agrology synonymous with the term crop edaphology.
4. agrology is defined as the sub discipline of agronomy that considers the influence of soil.

External links

Provincial Institutes of Agrology

• Alberta Institute of Agrologists
• British Columbia Institute of Agrologists
• Manitoba Institute of Agrologists
• New Brunswick Institute of Agrologists
• Newfoundland and Labrador Institutes of Agrologists
• Nova Scotia Institute of Agrologists
• Ontario Institute of Agrologists
• Prince Edward Island Institute of Agrologists
• Saskatchewan Institute of Agrologists

Soil Science Glossaries

• Soil Science Society of America
• Canadian Soil Science Society
• Canadian Soil Science Society (mirror)

Dictionaries

• Websters Online Dictionary – The Rosetta Edition
• Dictionary.com
• Hyperdictionary.com
• The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language
• The Free Internet Lexicon and Encyclopedia
• Tiscali.com: The Dictionary of Difficult Words

Agrology Faculty and Curricula - Non-Canadian

• Altay State Agrarian University Russia
• Huazhong Agricultural University China
• Northeast Institute of Geography and Agricultural Ecology China

Other

• Canadian Consulting Agrologists Association (CCAA)
• The United Nations (UN) Department of Economic and Social Affairs - Statistics Division Glossary definition: agrology