Recursos Naturales de Colombia: Soil Science, Social Reform, and Professional Boundary Formation, 1953–59

In 1953 Dr. Enrique Pérez Arbeláez published the fifth edition of Recursos Naturales de Colombia, which included two chapters on soil. Pérez Arbeláez was a Jesuit priest from Antioquia, who earned a doctorate in biology from Ludwig Maximilian University (Munich) in 1928. Known as the “father of Colombian ecology” for his work establishing the National Botanical Garden, Pérez Arbeláez followed the methods of José Celestino Mutis, the director of the 18^th century Royal Botanical Expedition in Nueva Granada. Despite these credentials. Recursos was strongly criticized. By that point in Colombia, a new generation of soil scientists had emerged. Several had trained with Dr. Hans Jenny, an internationally recognized soil scientist at Berkeley; others had worked with soil scientists from the Rockefeller Foundation. In the mid-1950s this new generation established the Colombian Soil Science Society, and began publishing a professional journal. They criticized Pérez Arbeláez’ lack of familiarity with their disciplinary methods, his interchangeable use of terms with distinct meanings (such as “humus” and “organic material”), and his numerous chemical mistakes. They also noted that he did not use language plain enough for lay readers to understand. Although professional boundary formation was a crucial element of their criticism, there was much more at stake. While scholars often portray Latin American technocrats as modernizers who ignored social concerns, in 1950s Colombia, some of the best professional opportunities for “agronomic engineers” lay in the communal action and extension programs focused on rehabilitating areas of the country affected by violence. Being able to translate scientific knowledge to layman’s terms was considered essential. Using scientific papers, theses and journal articles, as well as newspaper accounts and correspondence, this paper will explore the tension between soil scientists’ desire for professional boundaries and the need to ensure that their work could be understood by all.