2015 Dubbed the ‘International Year of Soils’ [Interview]

There are 20,000 soil series (different types of soil) in the United States, Dr. David Weindorf, Associate Dean for Research at Texas Tech Plant and Soil Sciences Department, told Tom and Laura Wednesday (March 11). And they all have different impacts on different crops.

The year 2015 was designated the international year of soils by the United Nations to help recognize the importance that soil holds as a natural resource worldwide.

Dr. Weindorf discussed a recent opportunity to travel to India to help people there gather more information and knowledge on the different types of soil in their area for food production.

"We talked with them about the different soils that they have and which soils might be appropriate for use in growing different crops," Weindorf said.

The pool of applicants for soil science is quite small because there are not many people who can apply for those jobs who have the technical knowledge and skills that are needed, which makes it a really great job market, Weindorf noted.

It's a great job for people who want a mixture of office time and field time, he explained.

Different soil sub specialties include ones such as soil chemistry, soil physics and soil microbiology to name a few.

Listen to the entire interview with David Weindorf in the video above.

Tune in to Lubbock’s First News with Tom Collins and Laura Mac each weekday morning from 6 to 8:30 a.m. on NewsTalk 790 KFYO or online at KFYO.com.