HRT 320 Soil Science and Fertility

Spring

The course provides an understanding of the physical, microbiological and chemical properties of soil, and how soil fertility translates to plant nutrition. Starting with the physical makeup of soil, its function as a chemical cation exchange complex will be examined. The course covers basic principles of nutrient availability, nutrient cycling, and the roles of different elements in plant nutrition. Management techniques covered include nutrient testing in soil and plant tissue, fertilization, acidity and liming, and additions of organic matter. The environmental fate of essential and minor nutrients will be studied, as well as pollution risks and impacts on bodies of water (e.g. eutrophication). The cycling of nutrients and carbon through soils, the biosphere, the hydrosphere, and the atmosphere is discussed. The impacts of human practices such as fertilization, mining, fossil fuel consumption, irrigation, and waste disposal on the quality of soils in both managed and natural systems are considered. Hands-on manipulation of nutrients in soil and plants with associated measurement techniques will be studied in the lab. Prerequisite: CHM 122 and CHM 123, HRT 200

4 credit hours