MORRISVILLE  STATE COLLEGE (SUNY College of Ag and Tech)

SCHOOL OF AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES

AGRO 110 - Soil Science

Fall 2008

Three (3) Credits  

Time:

9:00 – 9:50 A.M. M, F

INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Adam Khan (Dr. Khan), OFFICE: CHHL 208

                                                                        Lab: Charlton Hall 201

E-mail: Khana@morrisville.edu

Web page address: http://people.morrisville.edu/~khana.

REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS AND OTHER MATERIAL:

· Khan, Adam and M. Q. Khan. 2008. Introduction to Soil Physics, Genesis, and Classification.   Pearson Publishing Co., Inc. USA.

· Khan, Adam and M. Q. Khan. 2008. Introduction to Soil Chemistry and Fertility. Pearson Publishing Co., Inc. USA.

· Periodic Table 

· Calculator

SUPPLEMENTARY READING:

• 1. Brady, Nyle C. The Nature and Properties of Soil, 1994. 8th Edition, MacMillan Publishing Co., Inc., New York. 
• 2. Foth, Henry D. Fundamentals of Soil Science, 1990, John Wiley & Sons, New York. 
• 3. Tisdale, S. L. & Werner, L. Nelson, Soil Fertility and Fertilizers, 1984, 4th Edition, MacMillan Co., Inc., New York. 
• 4. Soil Science Society of American Journal 
• 5. Agronomy Journal 
• 6. Black, C.A. Soil Plant Relationship, 1968. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York. 

COURSE OUTLINE:

Section I:

1. Soil in General

• a. Soil 
• b. Study of soil 
• c. Soil vs. regolith 
• d. Soil profile 
• e. Surface vs. subsoil 
• f. Mineral vs. organic soil 
• g. Four major components of soil 

2. Some Physical Properties of Soil

• a. Soil texture 
• b. Particle density 
• c. Bulk density 
• d. Pore space 
• e. Soil structure 

3. Soil Water

• a. Importance 
• b. Structure 
• c. Properties 
• d. Soil water energy concept 
• e. Potential 
• f. Measuring soil moisture 
• g. Retention in the field 
• h. Classification and uptake of soil water 

4. Soil Water - Plant Continuum

• a. Evapotranspiration
• b. Magnitude of evapotranspiration
• c. Evaporation control 

5. Water Losses from Soil

• a. Percolation 
• b. Run off and soil erosion 
• c. Universal soil loss equation 
• d. Types of soil water erosion 

6. Soil Air

• a. Well aerated soil 
• b. Aeration problems 
• c. ODR 
• d. Composition of soil air 
• e. Effect on biological activity 
• f. Soil temperature 

Section II

1. Soil Colloids

• a. Inorganic and organic colloids 
• b. Silicate clays 
• c. Oxides and hydroxides 
• d. Humus 
• e. CEC 
• f. Percentage of base saturation 

2. Soil Reaction

• a. Source of H ions 
• b. Source of OH ions 
• c. Active vs. reserve acidity 
• d. Buffering of soil 
• e. Buffering capacity of soil 

3. Agri. Lime

• a. Liming material 
• b. Composition guarantee 
• c. Fineness guarantee 
• d. Reaction in soil 
• e. Effect on soil 
• f. Over liming 
• g. Amount to apply 

4. Chemical Pollutants

• a. Pesticides 
• b. Persistence in soil 
• c. Inorganic pollutants 
• d. Organic waste 

Section III

1. Plant Nutrients in Mineral Soils

• a. Factors controlling growth 
• b. Essential plant nutrients 
• c. Nutrient availability 
• d. Soil solution 
• e. pH
• f. Nutrient uptake 

2. Nitrogen

• a. Influence on plant 
• b. Forms of N in soil 
• c. N-cycle 
• d. Fixation of N by legumes  

3. Sulfur

• a. Deficiency symptoms 
• b. S requirement by crops 
• c. Natural sources 
• d. S cycle 

4. Phosphorus

• a. Influence on plant 
• b. P problem 
• c. P availability and surface area 
• d. Availability of organic P 
• e. Practical control of P availability 

5. Potassium

• a. Favorable effects 
• b. Deficiency symptoms 
• c. K problems 
• d. Forms and availability in soil 
• e. Factors affecting K fixation 

6. Micronutrients

• a. Deficiency vs. toxicity 
• b. Functions in higher plants 
• c. Source of micronutrients 
• d. Factors affecting availability 
• e. Chelates

7. Fertilizer and Fertilizer Management

• a. N carriers 
• b. P carriers 
• c. K carriers 
• d. Mixed fertilizers 
• e. Liquid fertilizers 
• f. Fertilizer guarantee 
• g. Methods of application  

8. Fertilizer Technology

• a. Fertilizer distribution 
• b. Granulation plants 
• i. Conventional ammoniation-granulation 
• ii. Modified ammoniation-granulation with preneutralizer
• iii. Ammoniation-granulation process with cross pipe reactor 

• c. Bulk blend 
• i. Problems with blends 
• 1. Segregation due to the particle size 
• 2. Segregation due to vibration 
• 3. Segregation due to balistic action 
• 4. Caking due to critical relative humidity and related causes 
• 5. Caking due to the chemical reaction 

Section IV

1. Origin, Nature, and Classification of P.M.

• a. Properties of rock 
• b. Weathering 
• c. Geological classification of P.M. 
• d. Residual 
• e. Colluvial and alluvial deposits 
• f. Marine sediments 
• g. Pleistocene 
• h. Glacial till 
• i. Glacial outwash 
• j. Glacial aeolian deposits 

2. Soil Formation, Classification and Survey

• a. Factors affecting soil formation 
• b. Soil profile and its development 
• c. Soil profile 

3. Soil Classification

• a. Diagnostic horizon 
• b. Classification and categories 
• c. Nomenclature 
• d. Soil orders 

4. Soil Survey

• a. Field maps 
• b. Use of soil survey 
• c. Land capability classification

Section V

1. Organisms of the Soils

• a. Primary consumers 
• b. Secondary and tertiary consumers 
• c. Organisms No. 
• d. Biomass 
• e. Metabolic activity 
• f. Soil microanimals
• g. Roots 
• h. Algae 
• i. Fungi 
• j. Bacteria 

2. Organic Matter

• a. Composition of plant residue 
• b. Decomposition 
• c. Carbon cycle