Ewald Wollny

Martin Ewald Wollny ( born March 20, 1846 in Berlin, † January 8, 1901 in Munich) was a German agronomist.

In the last third of the 19th century he has the then strong agrikulturchemisch oriented farming provided a agrikulturphysikalische teaching and research concept to the side. He is regarded as the founder of Agrikulturphysik.

Apprenticeship and studies

Ewald Wollny was the son of Privy Council Finance. He attended a grammar school and then the Berlin trade school. Since his early youth he was interested in agriculture. After three years of practical teaching time on the estates German -Neudorf in Silesia and Hohenschonhausen in Berlin, he studied from 1866 to 1868 at the Agricultural Academy Proskau in Upper Silesia. The final examination, he passed with distinction. Then he worked for a year as an administrator on a domain in Wanzleben near Magdeburg.

In the summer semester 1869, he continued his agricultural studies at the University of Halle, and then moved to the newly established Agricultural Institute of the University of Leipzig. In 1870, he was there phil with a thesis on fat and meat formation in the animal organism to the Dr.. doctorate.

Professor of Plant Production Teaching

After a short time as an assistant in the agricultural scientist Adolph Blomeyer in Leipzig Wollny was appointed in the spring of 1871 as a " teacher of agriculture " by Proskau. Here he dealt first with issues of animal breeding, but once the crop was his real teaching and research. The critical evaluation of all of these agricultural academy conducted since 1851 field trials was a particular concern for him.

In September 1872 Wollny accepted a position at the newly established agricultural department of the Technical University of Munich. As an associate professor he should give priority to represent the Department of Plant Production teaching. In the 28 years of teaching, since 1880 as a full professor, he lectured on agriculture, Wiesenbaukunde, Reclamation of soils and agricultural engineering. For his research he was a testing ground available which, however, he had to re- create entirely due to the structural extension of Munich twice.

A new direction of research in plant

Between 1840 and 1870, the objectives and tasks of farming research were aligned clearly agrikulturchemisch under the dominating influence of Justus von Liebig. It was believed only to increase yields of crops with the means and methods of chemistry. Agronomic trials at that time were therefore especially fertilization experiments.

On the importance of the physical properties of the soil and the weather conditions for the growth of crops, although many scientists had already alerted, but a targeted research on how soil structure, soil water, soil temperature and soil air or rain, snow, evaporation and light on the growth of the affect crops, there were only tentative approaches.

Wollny primary goal of his research activities in Munich was to provide a science-based agricultural chemistry Agrikulturphysik to the side. In his first field trials he could convincingly demonstrate that the application of straw or other organic matter to the fields improves soil physical properties significantly, and especially increases the humus content and thus soil fertility. Through the findings from these experiments Wollny experimental field was famous far beyond the national borders of Bavaria. Many scientists and farmers visited henceforth his " classic workplace of Crop Science " and were sustainable suggestions.

Editor of a journal

Since Wollny apparently had difficulties to publish the results of his extensive research in agricultural journals, he founded in 1878 a separate publication organ, the " research in the areas of agriculture - physics ". By 1898 he has published 20 books and editorially. During this time, his magazine was the central organ of publication for all research in the field of Agrikulturphysik.

After the scientific understanding Wollny belong to Agrikulturphysik three sections: the " physics of the soil ", the " physics of the plant " and the " Agricultural Meteorology". In this thematic order Wollny has published all the posts in the single issues of 20 volumes. He is represented by over 100 of our own contributions. The value of this journal, however, lies not only in the original works, but also in the extensive papers part. Thus, these 20 volumes are also a valuable bibliography on the Agrikulturphysik at that time.

Research priorities

Wollny looked at the he designed Agrikulturphysik as a basic or auxiliary science for plant production doctrine. His main areas of soil physical experimentation were studies on soil temperature, soil color, soil structure, soil air and soil compaction. In particular, he studied in depth questions of the soil water balance. He examined the capillary transport of water in the soil, the water capacity of the various types of soil, the leachate movement in the soil, the soil evaporation in their dependence on land cover and water consumption of agricultural crops under different atmospheric conditions.

A further focus of his research were experiments on the influence of the state space, sowing depth and Behäufelungskultur on yields of crops. Noteworthy are his earnings physiological studies, for example, his experiments on the influence of wilting of potato seed tubers on tuber yield. He repeatedly examined the impact of weeds on the growth of crops. He was able to prove that the crops are damaged in their growth mainly by the fact that the weeds occur as light competitors and deprive the soil of considerable amounts of water.

Special attention was devoted Wollny the water budget of the cultural landscape. He made concrete proposals to reduce flood damage by preserving the forests, creating grass surfaces on mountain slopes, establishment of collecting oaks and by the construction of canals. Only a proper soil culture, ie a local circumstances adapted covering of soil with plants could compensate for the extremes in the water budget of the cultural landscape and reduce large-scale soil and nutrient outputs.

Studies on the " earthworm " question

Before 1870, most scientists believed that the earthworms are plant pests. The Kiel physiologist Victor Hensen and the English naturalist Charles Darwin ( " The Formation of Vegetable Mould through the Action of Worms " ), who had studied intensively the lifestyle of earthworms, this widespread school of thought, however, could not connect. They were convinced of the usefulness of these animals for the maintenance and reproduction of soil fertility and published 1881/1882 about multiple posts.

Wollny, who in his journal " Research in the areas of agriculture - physics " peer reviewed these publications, was with the conclusions of both scientists at first did not agree. He therefore tried in 1883 this theory of the usefulness of earthworms to refute with their own experiments. In small vessels on different types of soil he made with and without earthworms a variety of crop species grow to maturity.

However, after several years of trials Wollny finally had to admit that all his experiments " a surprising result in favor of the action of worms " had rendered. In none of his experiments he could find earthworms caused by damage to the crops. The plant yields were in the Occupied with worms test tubes always significantly higher than in the worm- free vessels. Simultaneously topsoil stability and permeability to water and air, the soil is improved by the presence of earthworms.

Published in 1890 Wollny his findings in his journal "Research in the field of Agrikulturphysik " ​​. This post had a signal effect. Many scientists and farmers studied henceforth enhances the agronomic importance of earthworms. The correctness of the findings Wollny ( and thus also the Victor Hensen and Charles Darwin) was also confirmed under practical conditions and over again: Earthworms are not pests, but beneficial in valuable farming.

A Life of Science and Practice

Wollny was married since 1872. He was the father of two children. His son, Walter (1872-1911) studied agriculture doctorate at the University of Halle / Sa. and later worked as a practical farmer. Ewald Wollny died at the age of 55 years. A kidney disease and diseases of the vascular system led to his premature death. His final resting place he found on the North Cemetery in Munich.

Discipline Historically Wollny was primarily crop scientists, for whom it was taken for granted, passing on the derived from the results of his experimental researches practical conclusions directly to the farmers. Almost all the scientific contributions that Wollny published in his " research in the areas of agriculture - physics ", he has reshaped the needs of the practice accordingly and often published simultaneously in the leading agricultural weekly newspapers.

Through this productive literary activity Wollny was far beyond the borders of Bavaria as a model scientist for agricultural practice. Its derived from research advice farmers should also stimulate a little thought and they move mainly to the local site conditions to take greater account their agronomic measures.

Ewald Wollny has come with his experimental work in the field of Agrikulturphysik the basic scientific evidence that in addition to chemical factors and the physical site conditions lasting influence on the growth of crops. The Board of Trustees of the Liebig Foundation awarded him the 1892 Golden Liebig Medal, at the time the highest award in the field of agriculture.

Key Publications

• On the application of electricity in plant culture. Shown for the needs of agriculture and horticulture. Theodor Ackermann Verlag, Munich 1883.
• Sowing and care of the country wirth economic crops. Manual for practice. Verlag Paul Parey of Berlin in 1885.
• The culture of cereals with regard to experience and science. Carl Winter's University Bookstore, Heidelberg, 1887. 2nd unchanged edition ibid. 1891.
• The decomposition of organic matter and humus formation with regard to the soil culture. Carl Winter's University Bookstore, Heidelberg 1897. ( Digitized )
• Research in the areas of agriculture physics. Edited by Dr. E. Wollny, professor in Munich. Carl Winter's University Bookstore Heidelberg. Vol 1-20, 1878-1898.