ABSTRACT
The development of soil science in Indonesia For hundreds of years people have looked upon the earth as the source of their food and ber supply and as the bearer of minerals and metals useful for their wellbeing. But not until the nineteenth century have soils been studied on a scientic basis. This is also true for Indonesia, where soil science can be considered much younger than in many other countries. In its development, two periods can be distinguished in Indonesia-the pre-World War II period with the dominating Dutch inuence and the post-World War II period, during which the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO-UN) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) systems were gaining importance, forming the basis for the development of the present soil science with a strong imprint of a homegrown Indonesian identity.
