Martti Salonen

Authors

• Erkki Kivinen

DOI: https://doi.org/10.23986/afsci.71879

Abstract

Martti Salonen was born on January 20th, 1908. A degree of Bachelor of Agriculture and Forestry was conferred on him in 1937. In 1941 he became a Doctor of Agriculture and Forestry. Martti Salonen started his scientific career as an assistant in the Department of Agricultural Chemistry at Helsinki University, apost that he held for ten years. During the war he was called into the service of the Ministry of Agriculture as a secretary to the fertilization department of the Production Committee of Agriculture. After the war Martti Salonen devoted his time chiefly to scientific work. In 1945—4B he was the managing director of the Society of Peat Cultivation, in 1949—5l he served as a teacher of soil science in the University of Technology; at the same time he was Professor of Agronomy at the University. Subsequently, until 1971, Salonen held the professorship in Agricultural Chemistry and Physics in the Agricultural Research Centre. Some of the earliest research work of Professor Salonen consisted of comparisons concerning determination techniques of potassium and phosphorus, subjects which also interested him later. The dissertation »On the Existing Forms of Phosphorus in the Soil in Finland», which came out in 1941, formed the actual basis for his research work. After completing the dissertation he began to study the effects of liming on the mobilization of nitrogen and phosphorus and especially on the easily soluble and organic phosphorus of the soil. Later he completed outstanding reports, among other subjects, on the position of roots of cultivated plants in different kinds of soil. As director of the Department of Agricultural Chemistry and Physics Martti Salonen studied and solved many basic problems relating to the cultivation of plants. A number of comprehensive reports dealing with the fertilization of plants date back to this period. The research done under his guidance on the placing of fertilizers deserves special mention. Salonen worked out and coordinated the fertilization results of different nutrients in extensive field experiments which were carried out in different parts of Finland. In addition to concentrated fertilizers he has directed his attention also to the effects of farm yard manure.