SOIL SCIENCE IN THE NEXT 25 YEARS - DOES BIOTECHNOLOGY PLAY A ROLE

There is ample opportunity for biotechnology applications in future soil science research. In principle, all organisms are amenable to genetic engineering, including soil organisms and plants. Obviously, the researcher needs to have molecular biology and genetics skills to tackle genetic improvement of organisms. But for the geneticist to succeed in this endeavor, the input by soil and plant scientists is crucial. Notwithstanding the complex legal aspects of releasing genetically engineered organisms, biotechnology opens exciting new possibilities in soil science. Close cooperation between geneticists on the one side and soil scientists and plant scientists on the other must be fostered if biotechnology is to be utilized for the benefit of maintaining the quality of our natural, agricultural, and urban environments.