Arthur Edwin Peterson was an American soil scientist based in Wisconsin.[1] Peterson was a professor in the University of Wisconsin-Madison Soil Science Department and was known as a soils specialist.[2] He was known for his research in soil and water conservation, no-till corn planting, frost depth reporting, and land application of bio-solids.[3] In 1992, Bob Bjorklund described Peterson the "guru of soils."[4]
Arthur Edwin Peterson | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 11, 1923 |
| Died | January 26, 2015 |
| Academic background | |
| Alma mater | University of Wisconsin |
Early life
editArthur Edwin Peterson was born on March 11, 1923 near Curtiss, Wisconsin, to Edwin and Anna (Thompson) Peterson.[5] He married Eva Ann Mundth in 1944, and they had three sons named Donald, Robert, and William. Peterson received a Sears Roebuck Agriculture Foundation Scholarship to study agriculture at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, which was interrupted by his enrolment in the U.S. Army Air Corp Meteorology program. Peterson served with the 3124th Signal Port Service Co., then returned to UW-Madison and completed B.S. (1948), M.S., and Ph.D. degrees at the College of Agriculture.[6][7]
Career
editPeterson joined the faculty of the UW Soil Science Department in 1950, where he worked until his retirement in 1994.[8] Peterson's research included topics such as conservation tillage, wide-row corn, interseeding, and the prevention of soil erosion.[9][10] In 1960, he worked with the State Crop Reporting Service and cemetery officials to create a statewide frost depth reporting network. In 1965, Peterson temporarily relocated to Maadi, Egypt and joined the Rockefeller Foundation as Chief Resident Consultant to the Egyptian Minister of Agriculture. This was one of several international agriculture projects in which Peterson participated.
Madison Cheese Fertilization Project
editIn 1954, Arthur E. Peterson led a Cheese Fertilization Project in Madison, Wisconsin in which leftover whey from nearby cheese factories was used in soil fertilization.[11][12][13]
The Janesville Sludge Project
editPeterson led the Janesville Sludge Project in Janesville, Wisconsin in 1972.[14]
Bibliography
edit- Exchangeable Magnesium, Calcium Content and Exchange Capacity by Horizons of Various Wisconsin Soils (1948)
- Magnesium Nutrition of Peas and Potatoes (1950)
- Land Forming: The Wojta System of Land Forming Surface Drainage (1960)
- Universal Soil Loss Equation: Past, Present, and Future (1977)
References
edit- ^ Pagel, Ray (February 4, 1971). "Soil Saving Practices Also Protect Water". Green Bay Press-Gazette. p. A12.
- ^ Bjorklund, Robert C. (April 1, 1977). "Believe It or Not—It's Wetter Than Normal". Wisconsin State Journal. p. 1.
- ^ "Arthur E. Peterson". funeralinnovations.com. Retrieved 2024-04-15.
- ^ Bjorklund, Bob (October 25, 1992). "He's The Guru of Soils". Wisconsin State Journal. p. 2F.
- ^ "Arthur E. Peterson". funeralinnovations.com. Retrieved 2024-04-15.
- ^ Badger Vol. 63. University of Wisconsin-Madison. 1948.
- ^ Memorial Resolution of the Faculty of the University of Wisconsin-Madison On the Death of Professor Emeritus Arthur E. Peterson. University of Wisconsin–Madison. May 4, 2015.
- ^ "Arthur E. Peterson". funeralinnovations.com. Retrieved 2024-04-15.
- ^ "Owen Field Day Offers View of Farm Research". Marshfield News-Herald. August 11, 1955. p. 9.
- ^ Peterson, Arthur E. (March 4, 1982). "Farm View: Conservation Tillage". Wisconsin State Journal. p. 8.
- ^ "Cheese Factor Waste Used As Fertilizer". Janesville Daily Gazette. March 31, 1954. p. 6.
- ^ "Cheese Waste Has Value as Fertilizer". Leader-Telegram. June 22, 1954. p. 3.
- ^ "Whey Good Fertilizer". The Sheboygan Press. March 30, 1954. p. 19.
- ^ Bjorklund, Robert C. (February 4, 1972). "Sewage Gains As Fertilizer". Wisconsin State Journal. p. 1.