The Dirt Doctors

From an original staff complement of just eight, by 1962 the MISR had grown to employ 180 ‘dirt doctors’, as the scientists were called, and a new building had been opened on the northern boundary of the estate. The scope of the work conducted had also broadened significantly and included studies of soils and plants that would provide valuable information on the maintenance and improvement of soil fertility for crop production and animal requirements.

Early major achievements of the MISR include:

1. The Soil Survey of Scotland.

   Soils were classified for the first time according to the geological nature of the parent material and within this classification into soil series according to drainage and other characteristics of the soil profile.

2. 
   Development of the spectrochemical methods for trace element analysis of soils.

   The work of the Institute made a major contribution to the realisation that trace element deficiencies in soils and plants could be a direct cause of many animal disorders.

3. Determination of soil fertility characteristics in Scotland.

   Regular soil testing and the calibration of the results from soil extractions with field based crop responses led to a general increase in soil fertility and associated crop yields, particularly after World War II.

The 21st Century