FAO Liaison Office with the Russian Federation

Williams Soil-Agronomic Museum moves into digital age

Photo: © RSAU – MTAA / Ivan Skorokhodov
21/05/2021

 

"This type of museums never age. However, they need to be upgraded periodically to keep up with the times." Mr Oleg Kobiakov, Director of FAO Liaison Office with the Russian Federation, made this statement at the launch ceremony of the modernized Williams Soil-Agronomic Museum at Russia’s leading agricultural university, the Russian State Agrarian University – Moscow Timiryazev Agricultural Academy (RSAU – MTAA). 

As part of the technical, organizational and design upgrade of the museum, an electronic database of currently digitized soil monoliths presented in the Museum's collection (900 storage units) has been compiled. The description of these soil monoliths now corresponds not only to the Russian, but also to the international classification (WRB). The modernized exposition, which includes new information stands, fresh photos of natural areas and explications to all the exhibits, is unified with other international soil, environmental, geographical, and agricultural portals. The Museum has modern multimedia equipment installed, and a new website is undergoing final debugging. 

May 20 was a special day when the museum ”made the transition to the XXI century”, − stated Mr Oleg Kobiakov. The head of the FAO Moscow office noted that all of the Academy personnel, i.e., professors, students and postgraduates, technical support staff, all participated in the implementation of the project with great enthusiasm. “The very work on the renovation of the museum, which lasted almost three years, has become a kind of microcosm, a model of cooperation between FAO and its partners.” 

The main host of the project, Prof Vladimir Trukhachev, Rector of Russian State Agrarian University − Moscow Timiryazev Agricultural Academy, Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, emphasized its international character, calling the museum a scientific center of global importance. ”It is symbolic that we started the mass process of digitalization with the Soil-Agronomic Museum,” the rector said. ”Soils, as we know, are the basis of agriculture, forestry, sustainable development of rural and urban settlements, that is, everything that determines the food and environmental security of any state and society.” 

Academician Trukhachev emphasized the historical continuity of the project. ”We are eternally grateful to our great predecessors, who for more than a century have been collecting a unique collection of soil monoliths, their accompanying samples of seeds, plants, minerals, and rocks. It is a real gem of the cultural heritage of the Timiryazev Academy and, in general, of this great country.” 

During the modernization process, 900 soil monoliths and over 2,000 samples of vegetation and rocks were digitized. ”Based on the analysis of the collection and archives of the museum, an electronic database for all sections of the exhibition has been formed in accordance with the international standards of the Global Soil Partnership, digital portraits and bilingual electronic passports of soils have been created,” noted Prof Trukhachev. 

He thanked all the partners who contributed to the modernization of the museum, including the relevant Russian government agencies, colleagues in soil science, FAO Global Soil Partnership, Russian and international organizations, PhosAgro company and FAO Moscow Liaison Office. 

”Soils are not only unique, but also a fragile resource,” Ms Dilyara Ravilova-Borovik, the Acting Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to FAO and other Rome-based agencies, said via video link. ”Whether we can keep the soil healthy ultimately determines whether we can feed the world.” If the UN Food Systems Summit in September manages to include in the final document a message on the need to conserve soil, this will serve as an incentive for all FAO member states to work, the Russian diplomat stressed.  

The uniqueness of the comprehensive modernization of the soil collection of the Williams Soil-Agronomic Museum is due to a number of distinctive features of this initiative, which has been brought to its logical conclusion, noted Dr Eugenia Serova, Director for Agricultural Policy of the Higher School of Economics (HSE University), who was at the origins of this large-scale project when she was the Director of the FAO Moscow office. Firstly, two relevant federal ministries, i.e., the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Finance, supported this idea. Secondly, it became a consolidating element and attracted soil science enthusiasts. Finally, given the scientific and practical value of the collection of soil samples and its entry into the international orbit, the museum strengthens its role as a scientific and educational institution. 

”The soil is a living organism,” which today is in crisis as a result of depletion, as well as pollution on par with water and air," said Mr Vladimir Moshkalo, Head of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Office in the Russian Federation. We cannot fail to address this crisis, nor can we fail to take care of the conservation of soil biodiversity. 

“Black soils constitute the food basket of many countries. Their high organic matter content makes black soils among the most productive in the world. However, this has led to black soils being farmed intensively and extensively, putting them at risk,” Ms Beth Bechdol, Deputy Director-General, FAO, said in her welcoming address. 

“Black soils are also very important for the whole world as a carbon sink, but they can become a potent emitter of greenhouse gases if poorly managed, so they can be an ally or a foe in the fight against climate change,” Ms Bechdol added. “Ten countries hold more than 60 percent of the total soil organic carbon stock, with Russia at the forefront. Therefore, black soils require careful attention to ensure the conservation of this important resource.” 

“This is where the Williams Soil-Agronomic Museum plays an essential role in making society aware of the importance of healthy soils and particular black soils for our food security and nutrition, our development and well-being. Without underestimating the scientific and educational capacities of this museum and the historical value, it has,” FAO DDG noted. 

“It is my hope that this modernization effort carried out in close collaboration between the Russian State Agrarian University Moscow Timiryazev Agricultural Academy, the FAO’s Global Soil Partnership and the FAO Liaison Office with the Russian Federation will enable greater cooperation between soil scientists around the world and civil society.” 

“Furthermore, it should be used as a dissemination platform of soil knowledge at all scales, from schoolchildren to postgraduate students worldwide, and attract the attention of a wide audience motivated by the protection of this valuable resource, the soil,” Ms Bechdol, emphasized. “Today we launch a Global Soil Museum!” 

“Before 2012, soil was absent from Global Agenda,” Mr Ronald Vargas, GSP Secretary, FAO Land and Water officer, stated. At the global and regional level, we used to get by with traditional information that was based on insufficient understanding of the soils’ role and had major gaps in terms of targeted research of the world’s soils. 

“After 2012, a lot has changed. The Global Soil Partnership (GSP) was established to become a globally recognized mechanism to strengthen cooperation and interaction for the promotion of sustainable soil management as a basis to preserve soil health and productivity, as well as its capacity to provide essential ecosystem services,” Mr Vargas noted. 

Ms Natalia Rodríguez Eugenio, Global Soil Partnership Secretariat, highlighted the close link between black soils and food security. “Black Soils provide abundant nutrients for crops´ growth and organic carbon as well as good physical properties; they regulate water supply in the field and help to mitigate floods and droughts, and ensure water quality; they are a reserve of components such as sugar, amino acids and carboxylic acids, which are natural resources for growth of soil microbial community.” 

However, black soils are at risk today. Some regions have indicated humus losses in soils from 20 to 50 percent. Such degradation can also be explained by the loss of stable fractions, erosion, nutrients imbalance, salinization and calcinosis, soil sealing, loss of biodiversity and acidification due to human activities. “Now is the time to protect black soils in order to achieve sustainable use of these important soils,” concluded Ms Natalia Rodríguez Eugenio.

Prof. Ivan Vasenev, Faculty of Soil Science, Agricultural Chemistry and Ecology, Russian State Agrarian University — Moscow Timiryazev Agricultural Academy, shared some details of the already historic modernization project: “We needed to conduct an inventory count of the material collected over more than a century, digitalize photographs and upload data to cloud databases, arrange consultations with the leading relevant universities, analyze chemical parameters of the soil samples.” The result of these year-long efforts is indeed inspiring: 2392 depositary items have been uploaded to the Museum’s digital database and 900 soil columns identification cards have been digitalized. 

Underscoring the importance of international collaboration in soil science, Prof. Vasenev highlighted the contribution to the successful completion of the project made by the Museum and Academy staff that demonstrated high professionalism and noble enthusiasm to solve most difficult tasks.

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The launch ceremony of the modernized Williams Soil-Agronomic Museum was broadcast over Zoom in over 50 countries and was provided with interpretation into Russian and English. Almost 300 participants from Russia and abroad attended the launch ceremony.