[1] Much of his research during his early years at the University of Wisconsin-Madison was focused on discovering the processes by which plants obtain nutrients from the soil.

[1] Along with his work with soil and plants, he teamed up with George J. Barker, a Professor of Mining and Metallurgy to develop a treatment of clay in brick manufacture that cut production costs and improved quality.

Truog was known to be an inspiring worker, leader of strong character and a person of deep concern for family and friends.

His father served in the Civil War and shortly after married and began his wheat farm in Arcadia.

His father traveled to Colorado for a few years to learn how to run an irrigated farm and returned in 1884 when Emil was born.

It was common at the time for children living on a farm to go to school for 6 months and spend the other 6 working for their family.

They offered a full four-year program and he graduated from there in 1904 as the valedictorian of a class of nine boys.

[6] Emil Truog died on December 19, 1969, in a Madison, Wisconsin, nursing home.

His surviving family members at the time were daughter, Nancy; twins, John and Martha; and six grandchildren.

The pH level affected the amount of available nutrients in the soil for the plant to utilize.

A main goal of Truog's was to develop an easy and practical test that all farmers could use to amend their soils.

Soil scientists from foreign lands and all of the U.S. began arriving in Madison to learn how they could restore their fields.

[7] In the late 1930s Truog worked on a test to determine the amount of nitrogen in the soil which would become available in a season to plant life.

Truogs test more closely approximates the interaction of the bacteria and nitrogen throughout the growing season.

A lab worker measures a quarter teaspoon of soil to be tested into a boiling flask.

He figured that the farmers needed around 150 pounds of nitrogen to produce 100 bushels of corn.

[8] The Emil Truog Award is designed to recognize a recent Ph.D. degree recipient who has made an outstanding contribution to soil science as evidenced by his/her Ph.D. thesis or dissertation.