Organic Chemistry in Its Application to Agriculture and Physiology
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Justus von Liebig's 1840 publication, Organic Chemistry in Its Applications to Agriculture and Physiology, marked a pivotal moment in the development of agricultural sciences. Liebig argued that a scientific approach was essential for effective agriculture, challenging the prevailing "humus theory" that plants primarily derived their carbon from decaying organic matter.12
Instead, he proposed that plants obtained carbon from atmospheric photosynthesis. While Liebig incorrectly emphasized atmospheric ammonia and nitrates as the main sources of plant nitrogen, his work spurred the development of chemical fertilizers to provide essential trace minerals. His research laid the groundwork for understanding plant nutrition and the application of chemistry to agriculture and physiology.21
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