MORRISVILLE  STATE COLLEGE (SUNY College of Ag and Tech)

SCHOOL OF AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES

 

AGRO 110 - Soil Science

Spring 2009

Three (3) Credits  

Time:

 

Section 1: 8:00 – 8:50 A.M. T, R

Section 2: 9:00 - 9:50 A.M. T, R

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. 

2. Soil Formation, Classification and Survey

3. Soil Classification

4. Soil Survey

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. Deco