-ology, -logy, -ologist, -logist
(Greek: a suffix meaning: to talk, to speak; a branch of knowledge; any science or academic field that ends in -ology which is a variant of -logy; a person who speaks in a certain manner; someone who deals with certain topics or subjects)
The word -ology is a back-formation from the names of certain disciplines. The -logy element basically means "the study of ____". Such words are formed from Greek or Latin roots with the terminal -logy derived from the Greek suffix -λογια (-logia), speaking, from λεγειν (legein), "to speak".
The suffix -ology is considered to be misleading sometimes as when the "o" is actually part of the word stem that receives the -logy ending; such as, bio + logy.
Through the years -ology and -logy have come to mean, "study of" or "science of" and either of these suffixes often utilize the form of -ologist, "one who (whatever the preceding element refers to)".
The examples shown in this unit represent just a small fraction of the many words that exist in various dictionaries.
2. Ecology as applied to agriculture.
2. The quantitative science of plant life and plant nutrition.
2. The study of the relationships between agricultural systems and their environments.
3. Ecology as applied to agriculture.
2. The study of minerals of importance to farming and horticulture, especially with regards to soil fertility and fertilizer components. These minerals are usually essential plant nutrients and are referred to as agrominerals.
Expanding the understanding of agrogeology
Agrogeology is the study of the natural fertilization that takes place when weathering breaks rocks into their constituent elements. It was first studied in the early nineteenth century; however, the success of the artificial fertilizers eliminated interest in this natural approach until the late 1970s when Dr. Chesworth, a geologist at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada, combined his theoretical studies of rock decomposition to determine that weathering of a common volcanic rock like basalt made land more fertile.
Continuing studies indicate that volcanic rocks like basalt, supply the nutrients necessary for plant and animal growth. The essential elements for plant growth include: carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sulfur, iron, manganese, zinc, copper, boron, molybdenum and chlorine. In addition, the presence of rock fragments in the soil and on the soil surface significantly influences infiltration, runoff, and moisture storage, all of which significantly effect plant growth.
In recent years, soil scientists have conducted numerous studies to reduce the application of chemical fertilizers on the nation's farmlands. Results from these analyses indicate remineralization can achieve a series of benefits:
- Combat the effects of pests and diseases that effect plant growth.
- Reduce the water requirements necessary for plant growth.
- Lower the cost of production and produce higher yields on treated lands.
- Provide the necessary nutrients to increase the quality and quantity of the plants grown.
