Soil Science and Agrochemistry Department

Head of the Soil Science and Agrochemistry Department:Krishenko Vladimir Stephanovich,Doctor of Biology,professor.

The soil-science and agrochemistry department of Rostov state University as a part of  geological-and-soil-geographic faculty had been opened by the beginning of 1935-1936 academic year.

Professor Sergey Aleksandrovich Zakharov was the first head of the department until his death in 1949.Then  associate professor F.Y.Gavrilyuk became a new head of the department, and two years later in 1951 professor Vasilko Vasilyevich Akimtsev held this position.

From 1967 to 1987 Doctor of Agricultural Science Fyodor Yakovlevich Gavrilyuk was the department head. He was replaced by  Doctor of Biology,professor Pavel Aleksandrovich Sadimenko.

Doctor of Biology, professor Krishenko Vladimir Stephanovich has been head of the department from 1995 till nowadays. 

Department Faculty.

Currently formed teaching staff of the department combines expertise and maturity with youth in the optimal way. 10 lecturers including 3 Doctors of Science and 6 candidates of science work in the department. 

Educational Work.

Change of land patterns of ownership, political and economical changes in our country have had impact on problems our department deals with while training young specialists.

Three-stage system of specialists’ training, i.e. bachelor-specialist-master, was formed in the department. New special subject “ecological-economic valuation” was introduced, and special course set was changed: “soil-ecological monitoring”,  “soil certification”, “soil and ecological law”, “agriculture economics”, “taxation principles”, “farm boundary valuation” and other academic subjects were included in the curriculum.

In the year 2001 the department obtained a licence for training soil science specialists with conferment of additional qualification of “lecturer”. 

Research Work.

Genesis, cartography and soil appraisal have permanently been in the spotlight within years of the department's existence. Under this problem the department implements a great number of economical contractual projects. One of the latest researches was environmental impact valuation of “Golf & Country Club” Co Ltd territory in stanitsa Starocherkasskaya, Azov district, Rostov region.

Huge number of grants gained for conduct of research work, aspirants’ and students' study courses in leading academic institutions in our country and abroad, travel-grants for academic missions financing to large scientific forums with reports on scientific research results and also various funds scholarships rewarding excellent progress in studies and scientific students' success can be related to certain achievements of the department.

Specifically, students and aspirants won G. Soros scholarships 18 times,non-governmental V.I. Vernadski Fund scholarship – 6 times; students of the department have also got scholarships of Russian Federation government, Potanin fund and Rostov region’s governor.

Naturally, great work of academic staff is at the bottom of these achievements.

Currently, scientific researches in the department are financed by large scientific grant programmes, such as FPTS “Innovation”, Department of Education of Russian Federation programme “Universities of Russia”, the national project “Education”.

Since 1999 Academic Senate of Thesis Defend has been working in the department that in considerable degree has advantaged the development of the department's scientific research and young scientists' maturing. In 2003 it was transformed into doctoral. 

Graduating Students

In conclusion, some figures: department has trained about 1200 specialists within these years; every tenth graduate defended Candidate’s dissertation, 20 of them became Doctors of Science.