Methodology and levels of scientific research in agrochemistry

Scientific research is the process of studying a specific object, phenomenon, or subject with the goal of revealing the patterns of their origin and development, as well as transforming them for the benefit of society. The general goal of every scientific study is to understand the laws of nature and utilize them in human practical activities.

It is customary to distinguish between three interconnected and interdependent levels of research: descriptive, experimental, and theoretical.

The descriptive level is characteristic of the period of initial accumulation of knowledge about the object under study. Here, observations of the object under study and related phenomena are recorded (described) without setting up an experiment, i.e., without influencing the object. Based on such research, one can obtain information about plant growth and development during periods of drought and excessive humidity, cold or hot weather during specific parts of the growing season, and cultivation on different soils and under various climatic conditions.

The experimental level of research is characterized by the setting up of experiments, based on which data are accumulated. These data are analyzed, summarized, and used to draw practical conclusions, as well as to plan new experiments that allow for refining individual findings and obtaining new information. For example, an increase in plant productivity was established upon the application of gypsum to the soil. However, the reason for this positive effect remained outside the scope of the experiment. To clarify it, it is necessary to conduct a series of experiments with both soil and plants. In particular, it is required to establish on which soil types and in which crop species this growth in productivity is observed, in what quantities the gypsum needs to be applied, what processes occur in the soil and plants as a result, and so on. As information is accumulated, it is summarized and analyzed, and a theory is built upon it.

The term "theory," depending on the level of generalization, is interpreted as: 1) a generalization of experience and social practice that reflects the objective laws of nature and society; 2) a set of generalized propositions forming a science or a branch thereof, as well as rules in the field of any craft or art; 3) a set of scientific propositions, a doctrine regarding any phenomena or facts; 4) a system of views on any given issue.

At the theoretical level of research, knowledge is synthesized and general patterns are formed in a specific field of study. The results of experiments serve as the basis for this activity. However, a theory is not a mechanical sum of data from many experiments, but a qualitatively new stage of cognition that explains the interconnection and interdependence of individual processes. For example, the theory of mineral nutrition explains the cause-and-effect relationships of nutrient transformation processes in the soil, their uptake, conversion, and movement within plants, as well as their participation in synthetic processes. At the stage of theory formation, hypotheses are put forward regarding processes for which experimental data are not yet available. To confirm theoretical propositions, an experiment must be conducted. Consequently, the experimental and theoretical levels of understanding objects, processes, and phenomena are closely interconnected. A theory is used for a deeper understanding of experimental results, and an experiment, in turn, serves as the source material for creating a theory.

Classification and Objectives of Scientific Research

Scientific research is quite conditionally divided into fundamental and applied. In the process of fundamental research, new phenomena are studied and laws of nature are discovered, expanding knowledge about the world around us. Fundamental research is the basis of all scientific work.

Applied research is aimed at studying specific problems. This division is quite conditional, as at certain stages, fundamental research can shift into applied research and vice versa. The ultimate goal of all applied research is the implementation of its results into practice.

With regard to agricultural chemistry, fundamental research can be considered the study of the photosynthetic activity of plants, and applied research — the establishment of optimal parameters for:

• application rates of fertilizers;
• forms of fertilizer application;
• methods of fertilizer application;
• timing of fertilizer application that ensures maximum productivity of photosynthesis.

Scientific research is conducted to obtain new knowledge, as well as to use already known knowledge in human practical activities, in particular, with the aim of achieving higher yields of agricultural crops.