National Scientific Center «Institute for Soil Science and Agrochemistry Research named after O.N. Sokolovsky»

The Institute was officially founded in 1956, but in fact, its scientific activities begun as far back as in 1924 when a laboratory-based Chair of Soil Science Scientific Investigations had been organized at Agricultural Institute in Kharkov, Ukraine. From that time on, the soil science in Ukraine has started its development. The founder of the Chair was Academician Oleksy N. Sokolovsky, the world-wide known scientist whose name headlights the Institute title since 1959. Originally, the Institute belonged to the Ministry of Agriculture of Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. Later on, it was structurally merged into Southern Sub-Division of all-Soviet Academy of Agricultural Sciences. Nowadays, the Institute is associated into the system of National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine (NAAS). Since 2001, due to high appreciation by the Ukrainian Government, the Institute holds the status of the National Scientific Center.

Development of soil specific and agrochemical sciences is, for many decades, related inherently with names of leading scientists of the Institute, such as: M. Krupsky, O. Grinchenko, K. Holupyak, G. Grin, О. Obraztsova, O. Demidiyenko, V. Kuzmichov, S. Voznyuk, Vl. Kysil, G. Aleksandrova, M. Kochkin, G. Novikova, O. Batsula, A. Buka, O. Mozheiko, B. Nosko, G. Chesnyak, A. Mikhnovska, V. Medvedev, R. Truskavetsky, M. Polupan, M. Lisovy, Vi. Kysil, L. Yeterevska, A. Fateev et al.

The first steps of the Institute's activities were directed at studies for the Ukrainian soil cover, main soil processes and general soils' properties. Gradually, new research branches had been appearing, with ever- wider ranges of geography. Really invaluable are the Institute's gains in realm of soil assessment, soil anti- erosion protection, irrigation and chemical melioration. A significant contribution was made by the Institute to organizing the Ukrainian Agrochemical Servicing Center. The Institute's activities for wide-scale survey and mapping of Ukrainian soil cover in 1956-1961 (that gave the Republic a sound scientific basis for processes of agrochemical and melioration monitoring, soils assessment, enhancement of soils fertility, effective management of agricultural lands etc.), were acknowledged as a historically important mission for Ukraine.