Next conference of the
East and Southeast Asia Federation of Soil Science Society
The 11th International Conference of the East and Southeast Asia Federation of Soil Science Societies will be held in IPB International Conference Center (IPB-ICC), Bogor - West Java, Indonesia on 21 - 24th October 2013.
Official link: http://www.esafs11ina.org/
Have a look into the archive of (NEW NOW!!)
News Letters of the East and Southeast Asia Federation of Soil ScienceSociety
Past ESAFS conferences
The 10th conference (ESAFS 2011)
10th-13th October, 2011
Cinnamon Lakeside, Colombo, Sri Lanka
Website: http://www.esafs10sl.org
About ESAFS
Objectives of ESAFS
The Federation shall aim at promoting researches in soil and related sciences and disseminating the acquired knowledge and technology for the benefit of the member societies in the region of East and Southeast Asia. By doing so, the Federation shall contribute to the sustainable development of the region through harmonization of agricultural production and environmental protection.
The Federation shall also aim at promoting the effective participation of member societies and of individual soil scientist of the region in the work of the International Union of Soil Sciences.
Foundation of ESAFS
At the 13th Hamburg International Congress of Soil Science Society (ICSS) in 1986, a working group (WG) on Paddy Soil Fertility was established and Prof. Hidenori Wada, University of Tokyo, was elected as the first Chairman of the WG.? Prof. Wada made every effort to organize the first symposium at Chiang Mai, Thailand, with cooperation of the Late Dr. Samarn Panichapong, Secretary of WG and then Advisor of IBSRAM (International Board for Soil Research and Management). In December 1988, a symposium was held with the general theme gPaddy Soil Fertility: Past, Present and Futureg, and attended by 180 scientists from 15 countries. The success of the symposium clearly showed that there was sheer need to enhance opportunity for exchange of information in rice research and technology among the countries with rice-based farming systems as an important component of their agriculture.
During the same period of time, while preparing for the 14th International Congress of Soil Science (ICSS) to be held at Kyoto, Japan, in 1990, the Japanese Society of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition (SSPN) was examining, under the leadership of Ex-President Dr. Akira Tanaka, a plan to establish a regional body to promote researches specifically related to rice cultivation in Monsoon Asia. The plan was adopted and formally resolved at the Annual Meeting of the Society in April 1990 and the task was handed over to Prof. Kazutake Kyuma, Kyoto University, then newly elected President of the Society. Prior to the Kyoto Congress of ICSS, Prof. Kyuma sent by mail an appeal of the Japanese Society of SSPN to the national soil science societies within Monsoon Asia to set up a regional body of academic societies working in the fields of soil science, plant nutrition and fertilizer technology in relation to rice cultivation.
As many of the national societies expressed a positive response to the appeal, Prof. Kyuma convened the first meeting on Aug. 15, 1990 in Kyoto, during the session of the ICSS. The meeting was attended by: Zhao Qi-guo, Gong Zi-tong (China-Mainland); Chiu Tsai-Fua, Wang Yin-Po (China, Taiwan); J.S. Kanwar, I.P. Abrol (India); N. Nishizawa, K. Kyuma (Japan); Um Ki-Tae, Jo In-Sang (Korea); Zahari Abu Bakar (Malaysia); Somsri Arunin, Pisoot Vijarnsorn, Tasnee Attanandana, Irb Kheoruenromne, Anchalee Suddhiprakarn (Thailand).
At this meeting, Prof. Kyuma gave a brief explanation on his proposal to establish a regional body of the societies of soil science and related sciences in the countries in South, Southeast and East Asia, as already stated in his letter to every national society. He reported that he had received 6 positive answers by communication from the national societies of China-Taiwan, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Thailand. He then confirmed the positive attitude from the delegates of China-Mainland and India who attended the meeting. Thus, altogether 9 national societies, including Japan, agreed upon to formulate a regional organization.
Naming of the regional organization in relation to the regional delineation was discussed and after some discussion gEast and Southeast Asia Federation of Soil Science Societies*h was unanimously adopted with an understanding that this regional delineation is justified by the emphasis placed on rice-based cropping systems as an important component of agricultural production system in the region.
General Rules of the Federation were drafted during the period of the Kyoto Congress of ICSS and distributed to the delegates of the member countries and they were officially accepted. According to the Rules, the first office was held by the Japanese Society of SSPN for a two-year term, 1990-1992, and Prof. Kyuma became the first President.
Later, the national societies of Bangladesh, Indonesia and Vietnam became the members, so the membership covers 12 countries within the region as of March 2009.
* In the first issue of the Newsletter of the Federation, the President proposed an acronym of ESAFS and it was accepted favorably.
Membership
Core members shall consist of any scientific societies concerned with soil science, plant nutrition and fertilizer management and technology in any countries in East and Southeast Asia where rice-based cropping system is an important component of agricultural production system.
The Federation welcomes the societies which are located outside of the region but interested in the activities of the Federation as the associate members for promoting the objectives of ESAFS together.
Source: www.esafs11ina.org
