Feb. 23, 2000

Professor passionate about soil

by: Dr. Clay Robinson, assistant professor of soil and crop sciences at West Texas A&M University

“How can anyone study just plain old dirt?” “My daddy’s a doctor, but not the kind that will do you any good.” Out of the mouths of babes!

Children are great to bring us down a few notches when we begin to think much of our careers. My wife and kids dubbed me “Dr. Dirt.” My uncles used to call me “Mud.” They were right. Clay means “of the earth” and is both a soil particle size and texture class.

Most soil professionals cringe when people say “dirt.” Hospitals avoid it. Notice the labels on their carts containing used dishes and laundry. The articles are soiled, not dirty. In my mind, soiled laundry and dishes conjure pictures of hospital gowns and sheets on bare, plowed ground and children making mud pies.

Though some think my name determined my fate, I became a soil scientist by the grace of God. I always enjoyed working in the garden with my dad, adding compost and manure to enhance the soil, but I never considered it a career option. After completing a master of science degree in Canyon, I took a soils teaching assistantship at Iowa State University, not knowing I would get a Ph.D. from one of the premier soils programs in the world. After a couple years at Eastern New Mexico University, I returned to WTAMU.

I am passionate about few things in life: my wife and children, my faith in God through Jesus Christ, the Bible, worship, soil and the sustainability of this fragile resource.

Why am I passionate about “plain old dirt?” This is my top 5 list:

• Soil is a limited and nonrenewable (in the short term) resource. Only about 12 percent of the land surface is suitable for producing food without expensive modifications. It is vital to maintain and even enhance our cropland soils.

• Soil is the foundation for the health of every terrestrial ecosystem. The ecosystem will only be as healthy as its soil. Soil quality affects air and water quality.

• Good soil stores more water and allows more ground water recharge with less runoff and erosion. Good soil resists becoming blowing dust.

• Soil is the medium for plant growth. When soil resources degrade, production decreases dramatically.

• Soil naturally filters added materials physically, biologically and chemically. Without healthy soil, environmental conditions would be much worse.

This region is blessed with some of the richest soils in the world. Join me in working to keep it that way.

If you would like more information on soil and related resources, or related careers, contact me or visit the following websites: Soil and Water Conservation Society, http://www.swcs.org; Natural Resources Conservation Service, http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/; Dr. Dirt’s homepage, http://WWW.WTAMU.EDU/~crobinson/DrDirt.htm; Soil Science Society of America, http://www.asa-cssa-sssa.org/career.
 
 

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WTAMU Homepage	Division of Agriculture

Last updated: 06-28-2000