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SLM501Agricultural Sciences2 Unitsintermediate

Advanced Soil Fertility

This course focuses on the study of soil fertility, designed for undergraduate students in Agriculture and those interested in farming. It covers background knowledge of soils, essential nutrient elements, soil acidity and basicity reactions, soil fertility evaluation, and management practices. The course aims to improve understanding of inter-disciplinary approaches in agriculture. Students will learn about nutrient roles, deficiency symptoms, soil reactions, and evaluation methods to enhance plant growth and development.

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50h

Study Time

13

Weeks

4h

Per Week

basic

Math Level

Course Keywords

Soil fertilityNutrient elementsSoil aciditySoil evaluationSoil management

Course Overview

Everything you need to know about this course

Course Difficulty

Intermediate Level

Builds on foundational knowledge

65%

intermediate

➕

Math Level

Basic Math

📖

Learning Type

Theoretical Focus

Course Topics

Key areas covered in this course

1

Soil composition and classification

2

Essential plant nutrients

3

Soil acidity and alkalinity

4

Soil fertility evaluation methods

5

Soil fertility management practices

6

Crop rotation and continuous cropping

Total Topics6 topics

Ready to Start

No specific requirements needed

This course is designed to be accessible to all students. You can start immediately without any prior knowledge or specific preparation.

Assessment Methods

How your progress will be evaluated (3 methods)

Assignments

Comprehensive evaluation of course material understanding

Written Assessment

Tutor-Marked Assignments

Comprehensive evaluation of course material understanding

Written Assessment

Final Examination

Comprehensive evaluation of course material understanding

Written Assessment

Career Opportunities

Explore the career paths this course opens up for you

Agronomist

Apply your skills in this growing field

Soil Scientist

Apply your skills in this growing field

Farm Manager

Apply your skills in this growing field

Agricultural Consultant

Apply your skills in this growing field

Environmental Scientist

Apply your skills in this growing field

Industry Applications

Real-world sectors where you can apply your knowledge

AgricultureEnvironmental ManagementHorticultureLand ManagementResearch

Study Schedule Beta

A structured 13-week journey through the course content

Week

1

Module 1: Soils and Soil Fertility

4h

Unit 1: What is Soil?

2 study hours

•Read the unit content to understand the definition of soil.
•Identify the major components of soil: air, water, mineral matter, and organic matter.
•Explain the five important functions of soil in soil fertility.

Unit 2: Types of Soil in the Nigerian Savanna

2 study hours

•Study the four major soil types in the Nigerian savanna region: Entisols/Inceptisols, Alfisols/Luvisols, Ultisols/Acrisols, and Vertisols.
•Differentiate the soil types based on their features and characteristics.
•Understand the soil management practices for efficient use of each soil type.

Week

2

Module 1: Soils and Soil Fertility

4h

Unit 3: What is Soil Fertility?

2 study hours

•Define soil fertility and understand its importance in plant growth.
•Discuss the benefits of soil fertility for food quality and overall health.
•Explain the factors that affect the fertility of soil, including pH, climate, and soil organic matter.

Unit 4: Relationship between Soil and Soil Fertility

2 study hours

•Explain the relationship between soil and soil fertility.
•Understand the role of soil as a natural nutrient medium for crop growth.
•Discuss how soil fertility enhances good crop quality and production.

Week

3

Module 1: Soils and Soil Fertility

4h

Unit 5: Importance of Soil Fertility in Agriculture

2 study hours

•Explain the importance of soil fertility in agricultural production.
•Discuss the role of soil organic matter in soil fertility.
•Explain how to maintain soil organic matter levels for sustainable production.

Unit 6: What is Soil Productivity?

2 study hours

•Define soil productivity and differentiate it from soil fertility.
•Describe the factors that affect soil productivity, including climate, vegetation, and management activities.
•Understand the relationship between soil fertility, environmental factors, and management practices in achieving soil productivity.

Week

4

Module 2: Essential Soil Nutrient Elements in Soil Fertility

4h

Unit 1: Essentiality of Nutrient Elements, Classification and their Forms in Soil

2 study hours

•Define nutrient element and classify them based on source, usage, and physiological and biochemical behavior.
•State the criteria for considering a nutrient element as essential.
•Discuss the various forms of nutrient elements in soil.

Unit 2: Roles, Deficiency Symptoms, Toxicity and Correction of Nutrient Elements in Plants

2 study hours

•Explain macronutrients and their roles in plant growth.
•Discuss the role, deficiency symptoms, toxicity, and corrective measures of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P).
•Explain micronutrients and their roles in plant growth.

Week

5

Module 2: Essential Soil Nutrient Elements in Soil Fertility

4h

Unit 3: Movement of Nutrient Elements in Soil

2 study hours

•State how nutrient elements move to the root surface through root interception, mass flow, and diffusion.
•Understand the process of nutrient transport from the root to the plant through xylem and phloem tissues.

Unit 4: Factors Affecting Essential Nutrient Elements Availability in Soil

2 study hours

•Identify various factors affecting nutrient element availability in the soil, including soil temperature, moisture, pH, and root density.
•Discuss how these factors influence the uptake of nutrients by plants.

Week

6

Module 3: Soil Acidity and Basicity in Soil Fertility

4h

Unit 1: Soil Acidity

2 study hours

•Define soil acidity and list the sources of soil acidity.
•Explain the causes and factors affecting soil acidity.
•Discuss the effects of soil acidity on crops and soils, and explain ways to correct soil acidity.

Unit 2: Liming and Liming Materials

2 study hours

•Explain lime and liming, and list the various liming materials.
•Discuss the benefits of lime in improving soil fertility.
•Describe factors determining liming programs and how to determine liming requirements.

Week

7

Module 3: Soil Acidity and Basicity in Soil Fertility

4h

Unit 3: Soil Alkalinity (Basicity)

2 study hours

•Explain alkalinity and alkaline soil, and discuss the causes of soil alkalinity.
•Explain the sources of soil alkalinity and state the factors affecting alkalinity of soils.
•Describe the characteristics of an alkaline soil and explain the problems associated with soil alkalinity.

Unit 4: Salinity and Sodicity

2 study hours

•Define soil salinity and soil sodicity.
•Describe how to measure salinity and sodicity of a soil.
•Explain the effect of salt-affected soils on plants.
•Discuss how to reclaim a Saline, Saline-Sodic and Sodic soil.

Week

8

Module 4: Soil Fertility Evaluation

4h

Unit 1: What is Soil Fertility Evaluation?

2 study hours

•Explain soil fertility evaluation and its importance.
•State the difference between soil fertility and soil fertility evaluation.
•Discuss how to determine if a soil is fertile based on soil parameters.

Unit 2: Approaches / Ways to Soil Fertility Evaluation

2 study hours

•State the various approaches in fertility evaluation, including soil testing, plant analysis, and missing element technique.
•Explain the steps involved in each approach and their benefits and limitations.

Week

9

Module 4: Soil Fertility Evaluation

4h

Unit 3: Factors Affecting Soil Fertility Evaluation

2 study hours

•Identify the various factors that affect soil fertility evaluation, such as lack of experience, time of analysis, and variability in soil samples.
•List the factors affecting soil fertility evaluation and their impact on interpretation and recommendations.

Unit 4: Maintenance of Soil Fertility

2 study hours

•Discuss the characteristics of tropical soils and how to manage them.
•Explain the benefits of soil organic matter in soil fertility improvement and maintenance.
•Describe the role of microorganisms in soil fertility maintenance.

Week

10

Module 5: Soil Fertility Management Practices

4h

Unit 1: Soil and Crop Productivity

2 study hours

•Explain how crops and soil productivity can be sustained, maintained, or enhanced.
•Understand the importance of soil conservation and good soil management practices.
•Discuss the adoption of agronomic technologies to increase crop productivity.

Unit 2: Irrigation

2 study hours

•Define irrigation and explain its importance in agriculture.
•State the various types of irrigation systems and discuss the advantages of using irrigation.
•Understand the problems associated with irrigation and how to address them.

Week

11

Module 5: Soil Fertility Management Practices

4h

Unit 3: Soil Tillage

2 study hours

•Define soil tillage and discuss its advantages and disadvantages.
•Explain and differentiate the types of tillage, including clean tillage, conservation tillage, and zero tillage.
•Understand the effects of tillage on surface residues, soil loss, temperature, moisture, and microbial activity.

Unit 4: Organic Matter in Soil

2 study hours

•Define soil organic matter and justify its importance in productivity.
•Explain the rate of decomposition of soil organic matter under aerobic and anaerobic conditions.
•Discuss how to maintain soil organic matter for sustainable farming.

Week

12

Module 5: Soil Fertility Management Practices

4h

Unit 5: Rotation and Continuous Cropping

2 study hours

•Differentiate between rotation and continuous cropping.
•Discuss the effects of both rotation and continuous cropping on soil fertility and crop productivity.
•Understand the benefits of crop rotation in improving nutrient cycling and protecting soils from erosion.

Unit 6: Animal Manure

2 study hours

•Explain what animal manure is and identify their sources.
•Discuss the benefits, management, and storage of animal manure in improving soil fertility.
•Understand the importance of proper handling and disposal of animal manures to prevent environmental contamination.

Week

13

Module 5: Soil Fertility Management Practices

2h

Unit 7: Green Manure / Cover Cropping

2 study hours

•Explain what green manure and cover crops are.
•Discuss their importance to crop production, including increasing available nitrogen, moisture retention, and soil organic matter.
•Understand the role of green manure and cover crops in sustainable cropping systems.

This study schedule is in beta and may not be accurate. Please use it as a guide and consult the course outline for the most accurate information.

Course PDF Material

Read the complete course material as provided by NOUN.

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Study Tips & Exam Preparation

Expert tips to help you succeed in this course

1

Review the definitions of key terms related to soil types, nutrients, and soil reactions.

2

Create tables summarizing the roles, deficiency symptoms, and toxicity of essential nutrients (Units 1-2 in Module 2).

3

Practice solving problems related to liming requirements and calculating fertilizer application rates.

4

Focus on understanding the different soil fertility evaluation methods and their limitations (Module 4).

5

Develop diagrams illustrating the processes of nutrient movement in soil and uptake by plants (Unit 3 in Module 2).

6

Review the various soil management practices and their impact on soil fertility (Module 5).

7

Create concept maps linking soil acidity/alkalinity, nutrient availability, and plant growth.

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