The latest version of ISTRO info, the December 2025 issue, is available for download.
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Dear Friends, I hope that all of you have a good end of the year. In this ISTRO INFO, we inform you about upcoming meetings and events organized in  different countries.

The new positions on the ISTRO Board will be announced in the next ISTRO Info, along with relevant information regarding the upcoming ISTRO Conference in Nigeria.
I hope all of you have a nice end of the year and all the best for 2026.
José Dörner

Obituary

Tom Batey (20 March 1933 — 4 November 2025)

In November 2025 members of the international soil management community lost a valued friend and highly respected colleague, Tom Batey.
Dr Tom Batey was born in 1933 at Broomhill Farm in West Woodburn, Northumbria, UK where his father farmed before moving to Gilchesters at Stamfordham in 1939. After his secondary schooling he went on to Kings College, University of Durham in Newcastle upon Tyne where he did an agricultural degree specialising in soil chemistry. While working on the home farm, Tom completed a PhD at Kings looking at the productivity of hill land in Northumberland.

including the Fell Sandstone soils near Rothbury and the Andesite soils of the Cheviots. In 1959, Tom commenced a career as a soil scientist.
His experience of farming was well utilised, bringing practical aspects to the fore. He spent 12 years in the state Advisory Service (NAAS, later ADAS) based at
Cambridge and Reading. This was followed by 17 years in academia in the University of Aberdeen, teaching soil management and land use at
undergraduate and post-graduate level, including a trip to Brazil in 1974 and New Zealand in 1980. In 1988, he began working independently as a soil management consultant for major farming groups in Czech Republic, Poland and Eastern England. He undertook several short assignments in Australia. During this period the assessment of soil compaction
directly in the field became a specialty, particularly related to the installation of gas and oil pipelines throughout the UK, and the production of irrigated cotton and dryland grain crops in Eastern and Western Australia.

Tom published ‘Soil Husbandry: A practical guide to the use and management of soils’ in 1988 and wrote over 100 scientific articles in peer-reviewed
journals. He also wrote a fascinating booklet about his early years entitled ‘A Country Bairn: Experiences
of life and work on a family farm 1933-1959’. Tom noted in this latter publication that ‘His career as a soil scientist took him to many countries but always
close to those who gain a living from the land.’ His later booklet ‘A Countryman at War’ is a vivid account of the bravery and commitment of his father during service as an infantryman in the 18th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers in the First World War.

Tom was active in the British Society of Soil Science and served as President in 1993-1994, where he helped smooth the transition of the house Journal of Soil Science to the European Journal of Soil Science. Tom had a great interest in the visual evaluation of soil and its application. One of his most impactful achievements for International Soil and Tillage Research Organisation (ISTRO) was pioneering the establishment of ‘Working Group F: Visual Soil Examination and Evaluation’ within ISTRO in 1983. The efforts of Tom and his colleagues associated with WG-F culminated in the production of:

• Soil & Tillage Research Volume 127, March 2013: Special Issue, ‘Applications of Visual Soil Evaluation’. Eds. LJ Munkholm, BC Ball, T Batey.
• ‘Visual Soil Evaluation: Realising potential crop production with minimum environmental impact, CABI, 2015. Eds. BC Ball and LJ Munkholm.

The current widespread popularity of visual techniques for soil assessment is perhaps a
testament to his persuasive enthusiasm. In his later years he loved to meet and share with fellow retired soil scientists over coffee and continued to referee papers. Tom will be sadly missed by his many friends and colleagues, but particularly by his beloved wife Beth and their son Dan and his family. Sadly, Tom lost his eldest son, Jamie, to a brain tumour in 2006. Tom was a kind, practical, articulate and inspiring man who will be long remembered for his exceptional ability to clearly explain to farmers and their advisers how to recognise and profitably manage the physical constraints to topsoil and subsoil function.

Prepared by: David McKenzie, Bruce Ball, Lars
Munkholm, Chris Mullins and Rachel Guimarães

The latest version of ISTRO info, the October 2025 issue, is available for download. In this issue:

Dear Friends, the present ISTRO INFO informs you of the different board positions that need to be filled during the next few months. Please do not hesitate
to send an email to Lars or me if you are interested in serving as a board member.

At the same time, we will actualize the format of our ISTRO Info in the next months, and we are working on the actualization of the ISTRO Website, improving some sections as the membership page.

At the end of July, we had a midterm meeting in Abuja, the Federal Capital of Nigeria, and the most relevant topics related to the next ISTRO Conference will be informed in the next weeks.

José Dörner

Obituary

With deep sorrow, we announce the passing of Professor Emeritus Donald Gabriels.

Born in Ghent, Belgium, May 30, 1946 – Passed away peacefully at home in De Pinte, July 22, 2025 

Donald Gabriels was a devoted husband to Mrs.
Jessie Myttenaere, a beloved father and grandfather, a caring brother, and a deeply respected scholar, mentor, and colleague.

He began his higher education at the Royal Military Academy in Laken, before graduating as an agricultural engineer from Ghent University in 1969.
He obtained a Master’s degree in Soil Physics from Iowa State University, USA (1971), and a PhD in Agricultural Sciences from Ghent University (1974).
In 1976, he pursued postdoctoral research in Soil Erosion and Soil Conservation at Purdue University, Indiana, to which he later returned for a sabbatical year at the end of his career.

At Ghent University’s Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, he first worked as a fellow of the Fund for Scientific Research (FWO) and, from 1992 onward, as Associate Professor in the Department of Soil Management and Soil Care. There he coordinated the Research Group on Soil Erosion and Soil Conservation and served for several years as Department Chair. His teaching and research focused on soil erosion, soil conservation, land degradation, desertification, and sustainable land use.

His impact extended far beyond Belgium. He was Coordinator of the International Centre for Eremology (ICE) and Chair of the UNESCO Chair in Eremology, establishing global recognition for the study of dryland environments. He also served as Coordinator of CAZALAC (Centro del Agua para Zonas Áridas y Semiáridas en América Latina y el Caribe), based in La Serena, Chile, a regional network uniting 22 countries, including Cuba, in collaborative research on water management in arid and semi-arid regions.

Donald co-founded and co-directed the College on Soil Physics at the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) in Trieste, where he served as director from 1983 onwards. He coorganized and lectured at the Latin American School of Soil Physics (ELAFIS) in Peru, Brazil, and Venezuela. He lectured worldwide on soil erosion, soil conservation, and soil technology, and initiated and participated in numerous international research projects.

He was a prolific scholar, publishing extensively in both academic and non-academic outlets. He founded and served as editor of the international journal Soil Technology. As a supervisor and mentor, he guided many PhD and MSc theses, often involving fieldwork conducted across diverse environments worldwide. He also organized numerous symposia, workshops, and congresses on topics such as soil erosion, rainfall simulation, soil surface sealing, and crusting.

Donald held prominent positions in the international scientific community, including vice-chair of the Subcommission on Land Degradation of the International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS), founder and council member of the European Society for Soil Conservation (ESSC), treasurer of the International Soil Science Society, and honorary member of the Polish Soil Science Society. His expertise was widely sought: he served as consultant and project coordinator for the FAO, the European Union, the Belgian and Flemish governments, and universities and research institutes across Africa, Latin America, Asia, and Europe.

In addition to his academic accomplishments, Donald was also a dedicated athlete, trainer, and mentor in several Belgian sports associations. Wim Cornelis Department of Environment, Ghent University

 Membership for ISTRO

*Regular membership fees is reduced to US$ 7 for members from Low- Income, Lower-Middle Income and Upper-Middle Income Economies as defined on the World Bank website.

For more information, please visit this webpage.

Call for new Assistant Secretary General

The Assistant Secretary General position will be vacant after the ISTRO conference in Abuja, Nigeria in 2027, where José Dörner will take over from Lars J. Munkholm as Secretary General. The position involves service for 6 years as Assistant Secretary General followed by 6 years of service as Secretary General. The Assistant Secretary is responsible for ISTRO INFO and assists the Secretary General and the ISTRO Board in the planning and coordination of ISTRO business. Nominations are being accepted from all ISTRO members in good standing. If a member wishes to nominate a colleague or even themselves, please send the name, a brief biographical statement outlining the candidate’s qualifications for the Assistant Secretary General position, and an affirmation that the candidate is willing to be on the ballot and to serve if elected to Secretary General Lars J. Munkholm on or before December 31st 2025. Please use the email address This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for this communication.

The latest version of ISTRO info, the June 2025 issue, is available for download. In this issue:

José Dörner
In the present ISTRO INFO we would like to highlight the different meetings and events will take place during 2025. The scientific meeting considers
interesting topics for ISTRO Members.
A midterm ISTRO Meeting will take place at the end of July in Abuja, Nigeria. Information about the midterm meeting will be informed in the next ISTRO Info.

Branch activities report
In 2024, elections for CROSTRO board members were conducted for the next three-year period (2024-2027).
The elected members are the same as in the previous mandate:
President of CROSTRO
Full Professor with tenure Danijel Jug, Ph.D.

Vice President of CROSTRO
Full Professor with tenure Irena Jug, Ph.D.

Secretary of CROSTRO
Full Professor Boris Đurđević, Ph.D.

Treasurer of CROSTRO
Associate Professor Bojana Brozović, Ph.D.

 ISTRO Midterm Meeting 2025
A midterm meeting will take place at 29-30 July 2025 in Abuja, Nigeria. The midterm board meeting will occur during ISTRO Nigeria Symposium holding at Bingham University.

The midterm meeting is organized by Joshua O. Olaoye (ISTRO President). Information about the midterm meeting will be informed in the next ISTRO Info.

We have a new Web Master.
Jonathan Fayard is a 45-year-old freelancer based in France, working independently since 2003. He specializes in creating websites for a wide range of sectors, including events, theater, artists, associations, and small to medium-sized businesses.
In addition to web development, he is also involved in publishing, offering services such as magazine and book editing, as well as graphic design for T-shirts and various printed materials.
Alongside his freelance work, Jonathan is an accomplished photographer and produces music videos for bands.
He is also a musician, performing as a drummer and guitarist in several projects.
Examples of his work can be found on his website:
https://jon-f.com/.

At the moment, Jonathan has made a few text corrections on the site and created a new page titled ISTRO Presidents, Secretaries General, and Treasurers.
He is currently working on setting up an Events page with the option for online registration, as well as developing the Membership section to allow users to join the association directly through the website.