• Source: William Albrecht

      • William Albert Albrecht (September 12, 1888 – May 19, 1974) chairman of the Department of Soils at the University of Missouri, was the foremost authority on the relation of soil fertility to human health and earned four degrees from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. As emeritus professor of soils at the University of Missouri, he saw a direct link between soil quality, food quality and human health. He drew direct connections between poor quality forage crops, and ill health in livestock and from this developed a formula for ideal ratios of cations in the soil, the Base Cation Saturation Ratio. While he did not discover cation exchange in the soil as is sometimes supposed, he may have been the first to associate it with colloidal clay particles. He served as 1939 President of the Soil Science Society of America.

      Twenty years before the phrase 'environmental concern' crept into the national consciousness, he was lecturing from coast to coast on the broad topic of agricultural ecology. (C. Edmund Marshall, In Memoriam, 'Plant and Soil' vol 48.)
      " The soil is the ‘creative material’ of most of the basic needs of life. Creation starts with a handful of dust.” Dr. William A. Abrecht.


      Early life


      William Albrecht was born of German ancestry on a farm on the prairie of north central Illinois in the Mid-West United States. After attending the local school he progressed via preparatory school to the University of Illinois where he obtained a B.A. degree in liberal arts. This led to a position teaching Latin and other subjects at Bluffton University, Ohio.
      Albrecht later returned to Illinois to gain a B.S. degree in biology and agricultural science. He then started graduate research in Botany whilst also teaching in the department of botany. This period was key to his lifelong devotion to scientific study of plant physiology and agriculture. It enabled him to take a microbiological view of plant structure whilst addressing the soil as a variable environment (either favourable or unsuitable). He presented his doctoral research in 1919, and it was published in the journal Soil Science in 1920 titled 'Symbiotic nitrogen fixation as influenced by nitrogen in the soil' His paper concluded that the nitrogen level in soil had no significant effect on fixation by legumes.


      Career


      Albrecht was a devout agronomist, the foremost authority on the relation of soil fertility to human health and earned four degrees from the University of Illinois. He became emeritus professor of soils at the University of Missouri. Dr. Albrecht saw a direct link between soil quality and food quality, drawing direct connection between poor quality forage crops, and ill health in livestock.
      From the late 1930s, as chairman of the Department of Soils at the University of Missouri, he began work at the Missouri Agricultural Experiment Station investigating cation ratios and the growth of legumes. He had been investigating cattle nutrition, having observed that certain pastures seemed conducive to good health, and at some point he came to the conclusion that the ideal balance of cations in the soil was "H, 10%; Ca, 60 to 75% optimal 69%; Mg, 10 to 20% optimal 12%; K, 2 to 5%; Na, 0.5 to 5.0%; and other cations, 5%".
      While Albrecht was a highly respected soil scientist, he discounted soil pH, stating that "plants are not sensitive to, or limited by, a particular pH value of the soil." Instead, he believed that the benefit of liming soil stems from the additional calcium available to the plant, not the increase in pH. This belief has continued to be held by followers to this day, despite opinions to the contrary. Like much of the early research into BCSR where soil pH was not controlled, it is difficult to draw solid conclusions from Albrecht's research in support of BCSR.

      "..."You have to have a vision. Unless you do, nature will never reveal herself." Dr William A Albrecht.
      Throughout his life, Albrecht looked to nature to learn what optimizes soil, and attributing many common livestock diseases directly to those animals being fed poor quality feeds. He observed that :

      "...“Food is fabricated soil fertility.”
      Albrecht was a prolific author of reports, books and articles that span several decades, starting with his reports on nitrogen fixation and soil inoculation in 1919. MVG


      Soil depletion


      Albrecht was outspoken on matters of declining soil fertility, having identified that it was due to a lack of organic material, major elements, and trace minerals, and was thus responsible for poor crops and in turn for pathological conditions in animals fed deficient foods from such soils.
      He laid the blame as:

      "NPK formulas, (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium) as legislated and enforced by State Departments of Agriculture, mean malnutrition, attack by insects, bacteria and fungi, weed takeover, crop loss in dry weather, and general loss of mental acuity in the population, leading to degenerative metabolic disease and early death".


      Death and commemoration


      On his death he left his research papers to his friend Charles Walters who promoted the ideas by founding the magazine Acres USA, which continues to be at the centre of the ideal soil movement, and is the current owner of the research papers.


      List of publications


      Albrecht published widely from 1918 through 1970:

      Variable Levels of Biological Activity in Sanborn Field After Fifty Years of Treatment, Soil Science, 1938
      Animals Recognize Good Soil Treatment, Better Crops With Plant Food Magazine, 1940
      Organic Matter – The Life of the Soil, Farmer's Week, Ohio State University, 1940
      Good Horses Require Good Soils, Horse and Mule Association of America, 1940
      Calcium-Potassium-Phosphorus Relation as a Possible Factor in Ecological Array of Plants, Journal of the American Society of Agronomy, 1940
      Making Organic Matter Effective in Soil, The Ohio Vegetable and Potato Growers Association, 1940
      Calcium as a Factor in Seed Germination, Journal of the American Society of Agronomy, 1941
      The Soil as a Farm Commodity or a Factory, Journal of the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers, 1941
      Soil Organic Matter and Ion Availability for Plants, Soil Science, 1941
      Biological Assays of Soil Fertility, Soil Science Society of America, 1941
      Potassium in the Soil Colloid Complex and Plant Nutrition, Soil Science, 1941
      Feed Efficiency in Terms of Biological Assays of Soil Treatments, Soil Science Society of America, 1942
      Health Depends on Soil, The Land, 1942
      Soil Management By Nature or By Man?, Western Soils Co., 1942
      Soil Fertility and the Human Species, American Chemical Society, Chemical and Engineering News, 1942
      We Are What We Eat - St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 1943
      Why Do Farmers Plow?, Better Crops With Plant Food Magazine, 1943
      Magnesium Depletion in Relation to Some Cropping Systems and Soil Treatments, Soil Science, 1943
      We Are What We Eat, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 1943
      Make the Grass Greener on Your Side of the Fence, The Business of Farming, 1943
      Soil and Livestock, The Land, 1943
      Fertilize the Soil Then the Crop, University of Missouri, 1943
      Soil Fertility and National Nutrition, Journal of the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers, 1944
      Better Pastures Depend on Soil Fertility, The Fertilizer Review, 1944
      Taking Our Soil for Granted, The Ranchman, 1944
      Soil Fertility, Food Source, The Technology Review, 1944
      Mobilizing the Fertilizer Resources of Our Nation's Soil, 28th Annual Convention of the National Crushed Stone Association, 1945
      How Long Do the Effects from Fertilizer Last?, Better Crops With Plant Food Magazine, 1945
      Food Quality from the Soil, Consumer's Research, Inc., 1945
      Vegetable Crops in Relation to Soil Fertility, Food Research, 1945
      Discrimination in Food Selection by Animals, The Scientific Monthly, 1945
      Vegetable Crops in Relation to Soil Fertility-V. Calcium contents of Green Leafy Vegetable, Food Research, 1945
      By Soil Treatments on Pastures, Guernsey Breeders' Journal, 1946
      Extra Soil Fertility Lengthens Grazing Season!, Guernsey Breeders' Journal, 1946
      Why Be a Friend of the Land?, Land Letter, 1946
      The Soil as the Basis of Wildlife, Management University of Missouri, 1946
      Soil and Livestock Work Together, 42nd Annual Meeting-American Meat Institute, 1947
      Soil Fertility - The Basis of Agricultural Production, 4th Annual Meeting of the Western Colorado Horticultural Society, 1947
      Soil Fertility and Animal Production, 58th Annual Meeting of the Indiana State Dairy Association, 1947
      Our Teeth and our Soils, Annals of Dentistry, 1947
      Hidden Hungers Point to Soil Fertility, Chilean Nitrate Educational Bureau, Inc., 1947
      Use Extra Soil Fertility to Provide Protein, Guernsey Breeders' Journal, 1947
      Better Soils Make Better Hogs, Hampshire Herdsman, 1947
      Limestone—The Foremost of Natural Fertilizer, Pit and Quarry, 1947
      Soil Fertility and Nutritive Value of Foods, Agricultural Leaders' Digest, 1948
      Some Rates of Fertility Decline, Better Crops With Plant Food Magazine, 1948
      There is No Substitute for Soil Fertility, Better Crops With Plant Food Magazine, 1948
      Quality of Crops also Depends on Soil Fertility, Chilean Nitrate Educational Bureau, Inc., 1948
      Potassium Helps Put More Nitrogen into Sweetclover, Journal of the American Society of Agronomy, 1948
      National Pattern of Tooth Troubles Points to Pattern of Soil Fertility, Journal of the Missouri State Dental Association, 1948
      Climate, Soil, and Health. I. Climatic Soil Pattern and Food Composition, Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, and Oral Pathology, 1948
      Building Soils for Better Herds, Polled Hereford World, 1948
      Diversity of Amino Acids in Legumes According to the Soil Fertility, Science, 1948
      Carbohydrate-Protein Ratio of Peas in Relation to Fertilization with Potassium, Calcium, and Nitrogen, Soil Science of America Proceedings, 1948
      Is the Cure in the Soil?, The Furrow, 1948
      Soil and Protein, The Land, 1948
      Our Soils Our Food and Ourselves, The Mennonite Community, 1948
      Declining Soil Fertility - Its National and International Implications, 4th Annual Convention of National Agricultural Limestone Association, 1949
      Nutrition Via Soil Fertility According to the Climatic Pattern, British Commonwealth Scientific Official Conference, 1949
      Plant and Animal Nutrition in Relation to Soil and Climatic Factors, British Commonwealth Scientific Official Conference, 1949
      Nitrogen for Proteins and Protection Against Disease, Chilean Nitrate Educational Bureau, Inc., 1949
      Cows are Capable Soil Chemists, Guernsey Breeders' Journal, 1949
      Diseases as Deficiencies Via the Soil, Iowa State College Veterinarian, 1950
      Too Much Nitrogen or Not Enough Else?, National Live Stock Producer, 1950
      Soil Fertility: Its Climatic Pattern, The Journal of Osteopathy, 1950
      Weed Killers and Soil Fertility, The Rural New Yorker, 1950
      Quality of Food Crops According to Soil Fertility, The Technology Review, 1945
      Soil Fertility and Alfalfa Production, University of Missouri, 1950
      Animals Recognize Good Soil Treatment, Better Crops with Plant Food Magazine, 1951
      Reconstructing the Soils of the World to Meet Human Needs, Chemurgic Papers, 1951
      Soil Fertility in Relation to Animal and Human Health, Milk Industry Foundation Convention Proceedings, 1951
      War: Some Agricultural Implications, Organic Gardening, 1951
      Soil Fertility and our National Future, Texas Research Foundation, 1951
      Pattern of Caries in Relation to the Pattern of Soil Fertility in the United States, The Dental Journal of Australia, 1951
      Soil Fertility Pattern: Its Suggestion about Deficiencies and Disease, The Journal of Osteopathy, 1951
      Biosynthesis of Amino Acids According to Soil Fertility, University of Missouri, 1951
      Protein Deficiencies Via Soil Deficiencies, University of Missouri, 1951
      Managing Nitrogen to Increase Protein in Grains, Victory Farm Forum, 1951
      Soil Organic Matter Emphasizes Itself, 1952
      The Load on the Land, A Symposium, 1952
      More and Better Proteins Make Better Food and Feed, Better Crops with Plant Food Magazine, 1952
      Better Proteins Grow on Better Soils, Commercial Fertilizer, 1952
      Pastures and Soils, Corn Belt Livestock Feeder, Inc., 1952
      How Smart is a Cow?, Missouri Ruralist, 1952
      Soil Fertility and Amino Acid Synthesis by Plants, National Institute of Sciences of India, 1952
      The Value of Organic Matter, Rural New Yorker, 1952
      Proteins and Reproduction, The Land, 1952
      Soil Science Looks to the Cow, The Polled Hereford World Magazine, 1952
      Soil Fertility - A Weapon Against Weeds, University of Missouri, 1952
      Potassium Bearing Minerals as Soil Treatments, University of Missouri Bulletin, 1952
      Soil Acidity as Calcium (Fertility) Deficiency, University of Missouri Bulletin, 1952
      Our Soils and Our Health, Agricultural Leaders' Digest, 1953
      Red Clover Suggests Shortage of Potash, Better Crops with Plant Food Magazine, 1953
      Soil and Nutrition, California Fertilizer Association, 1953
      Soil Fertility, The Power Control of Agricultural Creation, Missouri Farmers Association, 1953
      Biosynthesis of Amino Acids According to Soil Fertility, Plant and Soil, 1953
      Proteins are Becoming Scarcer, The Polled Hereford World Magazine, 1953
      Human Ecology - The Soil Fertility Pattern Under it, University of Missouri, 1953
      WGN Farm Hour Interview, WGN Radio, 1953
      Nutrition and the Climatic Pattern of Soil Development, American Association for the Advancement of Science, 1954
      Let Rocks Their Silence Break, American Institute of Dental Medicine, 1954
      Droughts - The Soil has Reasons for Them, Journal of Applied Nutrition, 1954
      The Influence of Soil Mineral Elements on Animal Nutrition, Michigan State University, 1954
      Lime the Soil to Feed Crops, Missouri Farm News Service, 1954
      Soil Acidity (Low pH) spells Fertility Deficiencies, Pit and Quarry, 1954
      Lime the Soil to Correct Its Major Fertility Deficiencies, Rock Products, 1954
      Reconstructing Soils, The Challenger, 1954
      Fertilizer's Services in Plant Nutrition, University of Missouri, 1954
      Do We Overlook Protein Quality?, What's New in Crops & Soils, 1954
      Thin Roots are Searching for, Thick Roots are Finding, Soil Fertility, 1955
      Make Tax Allowance for Fertility Depletion, Agricultural Leaders' Digest, 1955
      Trace Elements and Agricultural Production, American Academy of Nutrition, 1955
      Should Farmers Receive Tax Allowance for Soil-Building?, Missouri Farm News Service, 1955
      It's the Soil That Feeds Us, Natural Food Associates, 1955
      Agricultural Limestone - For the Sake of More than Its Calcium, Pit and Quarry, 1955
      Capital No Substitute for Soil Fertility, Rock Products, 1955
      The Living Soil, The Golf Course Reporter, 1955
      Chemicals for the Improvement of Soils, University of Missouri, 1955
      Fertilizer for Higher Feed Value, University of Missouri, 1955
      Proteins, The Struggle for Them by all Forms of Life, Premised on the Fertility of the Soil, University of Missouri, 1955
      Physical, Chemical, and Biochemical Changes in the Soil Community, Wenner-Gren Foundation International Symposium, 1955
      Why Your Cattle Break Through the Fence, Western Livestock Journal, 1955
      Soils, Nutrition and Animal Health, Journal of the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers, 1956
      Man's Role in Changing the Face of the Earth, University of Chicago Press, 1956
      Trace Elements and the Production of Proteins, Original Manuscript, 1957
      Soil Fertility and Biotic Geography, The Geographical Review, 1957
      Soil Fertility and the Quality of Seeds, University of Missouri Bulletin, 1957
      Balanced Soil Fertility, , American Agricultural Reports, 1958
      Balanced Soil Fertility, Better Crops with Plant Food Magazine, 1958
      Balanced Soil Fertility - Less Plant Pests and Disease, Better Crops with Plant Food Magazine, 1958
      Balanced Soil Fertility - Less Plant Pests and Disease, Manuscript, 1958
      Soil Fertility and Plant Nutrition, Natural Food and Farming Digest, 1958
      Some Significant Truths About the Good Earth, Natural Food Associates, 1958
      Calcium - Boron Interaction, University of Missouri Bulletin, 1958
      Nitrogen, Proteins and People, Agricultural Ammonia News, 1959
      Nature Teaches Health via Nutrition, Guest Editorial, 1959
      Water: An American Problem, National Council for Social Studies, 1959
      Diagnoses or Post-Mortems?, Natural Food Associates, 1959
      Soil and Health, Natural Food Associates, 1959
      Human Health Closely Related to Soil Fertility, School and Community, 1959
      Growing Our Protein Supplements, University of Missouri, 1959
      The Biotic Pyramid, 1960
      Soil Fertility in Relation to Animal Nutrition, Manuscript, 1960
      Trace Elements, Allergies, and Soil Deficiencies, The Journal of Applied Nutrition, 1960
      Man and His Habitat - Wastebasket of the Earth, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, 1961
      Soils - Their Effects on the Nutritional Values of Foods, Consumer Bulletin, 1961
      Fluoridation of Public Drinking Water, Manuscript, 1961
      Introduction of "Soil, Food and Health", Manuscript, 1961
      Fertile Soils Lessen Insect Injury, 1962
      Organic Matter for Plant Nutrition, Clinical Psychology, 1962
      Rocks, Dust and Life, Manuscript, 1962
      Organic Matter Balances the Soil Fertility, Natural Food and Farming, 1962
      The Healthy Hunzas, The Journal of Applied Nutrition, 1962
      Soils Need "Living" Fertility!, Western Livestock Journal, 1962
      Soil and Survival of the Fit, Manuscript, 1963
      Only Balanced Diets for Plants, Via Soil, Can Grow Balanced Proteins, Mineralas, 1963
      A Policy for Preventing Agricultural Suicide, Natural Food and Farming, 1963
      Biosynthesis of Amino Acids According to Soil Fertility, Plant and Soil, 1963
      Lime the Soil to Correct Its Major Fertility Deficiencies, Rock Products, 1963
      Grow Self-Protection Via Soil as Nutrition, Clinical Psychology, 1964
      Magnesium - Its Relation to Calcium in Body Tissues, Let's Live, 1965
      Plant, Animal and Human Health Vary With Soil Fertility - Modern Nutrition, 1966
      Magnesium in the Soils of the United States, Let's Live, 1966
      The "Half-Lives" of Our Soils, Manuscript, 1966
      Plant, Animal and Human Health Vary With Soil Fertility, Modern Nutrition, 1966
      Magnesium Integrates With Calcium, Natural Food and Farming, 1967
      Problems of Quality in the Productivity of Agricultural Land, Journal of Applied Nutrition, 1968
      Soils and Chemistry, Manuscript, 1968
      Trace Elements and Soil Organic Matter, Manuscript, 1968
      Calcium Membranes in Plants, Animals and Man, The Journal of Applied Nutrition, 1968
      Concerning the Influence of Calcium on the Physiological Function of Magnesium, Manuscript, 1970


      = Posthumous publications

      =
      Albrecht's Foundation Concepts (The Albrecht Papers, Vol I), [Paperback], William A. Albrecht (Author), Charles Walters (Editor)
      Soil Fertility & Animal Health (The Albrecht Papers, Vol II), [Paperback], William A. Albrecht (Author), Charles Walters (Editor)[1]
      Albrecht on Calcium (The Albrecht Papers, Vol V), [Paperback], William A. Albrecht (Author), Charles Walters (Editor)
      Albrecht on Pastures (The Albrecht Papers, Vol VI), [Paperback], William A. Albrecht (Author), Charles Walters (Editor)
      Albrecht on Soil Balancing (The Albrecht Papers, Vol VII), [Paperback], William A. Albrecht (Author), Charles Walters (Editor)


      See also


      Ion exchange


      References

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