Principles Of Soil Science
- Agricultural Sciences
- 200 level
- 2 credit units
- 252 pages
- 21 units
This course provides a comprehensive introduction to the principles of soil science. It explores fundamental soil concepts, including soil definition, origin, development, and forming factors. The course covers soil physical properties, interactions, types, and their agricultural implications. Students will learn about soil fertility components, organic matter, soil reaction, aeration, essential nutrients, fertilizers, and soil-plant analysis. The course concludes with soil fertility improvement and maintenance for sustainable crop yields.
About this course
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Study hours
- 120 hours
- Maths
- Basic
- Content
- Theoretical, practical
- Practical work
- Yes
- Assignments
- Tutor marked assignments
- Final examination
What you'll read
The real module and unit structure of SLM201, taken from the course material NOUN publishes.
One paragraph, so you can see how it reads
SLM201 · Unit 1: Some Basic Concepts of Soil
In addition, the course comes with a list of recommended textbooks, which though are not compulsory for you to acquire or indeed read, are necessary as supplements to the course material.
What you should be able to do
- Explain the nature and uses of soil in natural and modified environments.
- Describe the soil-forming factors and processes.
- Identify the roles of essential nutrient elements in plant growth.
- Apply principles of soil testing and plant analysis for profitable crop production.
- Identify ways of maintaining soil productivity and making problem soils productive.
- Explain the application of lime to ameliorate acid soils and the role of organic matter in soil productivity.
What it prepares you for
- Agronomist
- Soil Scientist
- Environmental Consultant
- Agricultural Extension Officer
- Farm Manager
- Agriculture
- Environmental Management
- Land Reclamation
- Fertilizer Production
- Natural Resource Management
Where it gets hard
The units students slow down on, and what makes each one heavy.
- Module 2: Processes in the Soil Environment
Unit 2: Soil Aeration and Temperature
Understanding the redox potential requires a solid grasp of chemistry principles and their application to soil dynamics.
- Module 2: Processes in the Soil Environment
Unit 5: Soil Colloids and Ion Exchange in Soils
Ion exchange involves complex interactions between solid and solution phases, requiring understanding of soil chemistry and plant nutrition.
- Module 3: Soil-Plant Nutrients Interaction
Unit 2: Nitrogen as Plant Nutrient
Nitrogen transformations are complex and influenced by numerous factors, requiring a deep understanding of soil microbiology and chemistry.
A suggested way through it
13 weeks, about 32 hours in total. Yours will differ.
- Week 1Module 1: The Soil Habitat
Unit 1: Some Basic Concepts of Soil · 2 hours
Define soil and its importance.. Explain the composition of soil.. Discuss the various uses of soil..
- Week 2Module 1: The Soil Habitat
Unit 2: Origin and Development of Soil (Soil Genesis) · 2 hours
Describe the different types of rocks that serve as parent materials.. Explain the factors and processes that form soil.. Discuss the characteristics of different soils..
- Week 3Module 1: The Soil Habitat
Unit 3: Fundamental Concepts of Soil Physics · 2 hours
Explain soil texture and its importance.. Describe soil permeability and related properties.. Discuss soil compaction and porosity..
- Week 4Module 1: The Soil Habitat
Unit 4: Soil Classification and Survey · 2 hours
Explain soil classification and survey.. Describe different types of soil surveys.. Discuss the characteristics used for soil classification..
- Week 5Module 1: The Soil Habitat
Unit 5: Plant Growth Requirements · 2 hours
Identify factors contributing to crop growth.. Explain the concept of the principle of limiting factor in crop production.. Discuss plant nutrient essentiality..
- Week 6Module 2: Processes in the Soil Environment
Unit 1: Water in the Soil-Plant System · 2 hours
Discuss the gains and losses of water in the soil-plant system.. Explain the effect of well- and poorly-drained soils.. Describe the management of soil water for efficient use by crops..
- Week 7Module 2: Processes in the Soil Environment
Unit 2: Soil Aeration and Temperature · 2 hours
Explain how redox potential affects nutrient availability.. Discuss the importance of optimum soil temperatures for plant growth..
- Week 8Module 2: Processes in the Soil Environment
Unit 3: Soil Organic Matter and Soil Organisms · 2 hours
Discuss the importance of maintaining organic matter.. Explain the reasons for low organic matter content in soils.. Describe the roles of organisms in the transformation of soil organic matter..
- Week 9Module 2: Processes in the Soil Environment
Unit 4: Soil Reaction: Acidity and Alkalinity · 2 hours
Explain soil acidity and conditions that make soils acidic.. Discuss the effects of soil reaction on plant growth.. Describe lime and liming practices..
- Week 10Module 2: Processes in the Soil Environment
Unit 5: Soil Colloids and Ion Exchange in Soils · 2 hours
Explain the interactions between the solid and solution phases of the soil.. Discuss cation exchange reactions and cation exchange capacity.. Describe the implications of cation exchange in plant nutrition..
- Week 11Module 3: Soil-Plant Nutrients Interaction
Unit 1: Fertilizers as Agricultural Input · 2 hours
Discuss different types of fertilizer materials.. Explain fertilizer formulations and economic use of fertilizers.. Describe fertilizer specifications and calculations..
Unit 2: Nitrogen as Plant Nutrient · 2 hours
Describe the forms and functions of nitrogen in plants.. Explain the nitrogen cycle and factors affecting N-transformations.. Detect N-deficient symptoms in crops..
- Week 12Module 3: Soil-Plant Nutrients Interaction
Unit 3: Phosphorus Nutrition in Plants · 2 hours
Explain forms and functions of phosphorus in soil and plants.. Discuss the problem of p-recovery in acid and alkaline soils.. Detect p-deficiency syndromes in field crops..
Unit 4: Potassium Nutrition in Plants · 2 hours
Discuss potassium cycling problems in agricultural and forestry systems.. Explain the high potassium demand by crops.. Describe potassium cycling problems both in agricultural and forestry systems..
- Week 13Module 4: Soil Fertility Evaluation and Management
Unit 5: Sulphur, Calcium and Magnesium · 2 hours
Explain the functions of sulphur, calcium and magnesium in crops.. Describe the factors affecting their functions in crops and availability in soils..
Module 4: Soil Fertility Evaluation and Management · 2 hours
Review all course materials.. Work on assignments.. Prepare for final examination..
Preparing for the exam
- Focus on understanding soil-forming factors and their impact on soil properties (Units 1-2).
- Practice soil texture identification using the 'Feel Method' and soil triangle (Unit 3).
- Create concept maps linking Units 4-5 to understand how soil classification relates to plant growth requirements.
- Review the chemical equations in Units 6-9 to understand nutrient availability under different soil conditions.
- Memorize the deficiency symptoms of major and secondary nutrients (Units 10-14).
- Practice fertilizer calculations and understand fertilizer ratios (Unit 15).
- Understand the principles of soil analysis and testing, including sampling procedures (Units 16-17).
- Focus on the reclamation and management of halomorphic soils (Unit 19).
- Review soil and water conservation practices, including the Universal Soil Loss Equation (Unit 20).
Questions students ask about this course
What is SLM201 about?
This course provides a comprehensive introduction to the principles of soil science. It explores fundamental soil concepts, including soil definition, origin, development, and forming factors. The course covers soil physical properties, interactions, types, and their agricultural implications. Students will learn about soil fertility components, organic matter, soil reaction, aeration, essential nutrients, fertilizers, and soil-plant analysis. The course concludes with soil fertility improvement and maintenance for sustainable crop yields.
How many units does SLM201 have?
SLM201, Principles Of Soil Science, has 21 units across 4 modules, over 252 pages of course material. You can read it one unit at a time.
How many credit units is SLM201?
SLM201 carries 2 credit units, at 200 level in Agricultural Sciences.
Is SLM201 hard?
SLM201 is rated intermediate level, with basic mathematical content. It is mostly theoretical and practical work, and it has a practical component.
How long does SLM201 take to study?
About 120 hours of study, spread across its 21 units.
How is SLM201 assessed?
SLM201 is assessed by assignments, tutor marked assignments and final examination.
What can I do with SLM201?
Agronomist, Soil Scientist, Environmental Consultant, Agricultural Extension Officer and Farm Manager.