SOIL 306 — Management of Soil Environment
Agriculture · University of Ghana
Theory: Soil Chemistry (7 weeks): Nutrient elements: forms and their availability in soils, functions in plants, deficiency symptoms. Types of fertilizers, manufacture of nitrogen, phosphorus and potash fertilizers; fertilizers and calculations involving rates of application. Fertilizer usage: fertilizer and economic development, cost/benefit of fertilizer use, effect of fertilizer use on the soil environment. Fertilizer application methods: broadcast and band application, side-dressing, top dressing, foliar application; liming and liming materials. Nutrient uptake processes, mass flow, diffusion and contact exchange. Biochemistry/ Microbiology (6 weeks): Crop residues and their uses and management in agriculture, decomposition of organic matter (cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin), microbiology and biochemistry of composting (applications, microbiology and biochemistry), green manuring, nitrogen, phosphorus and sulphur transformation in soil. Practicals: Soil fertility assessment, pot experiments with N,P,K, and analysis of plant tissue, micro-nutrient analysis, free iron determinations, pH changes due to nitrogen fertilizers (demonstration in solution culture) heavy metals, soil salinity assessment: electrical conductivity, determination of inorganic carbon, soil carbonate content. Microbial decomposition of organic materials in soils (effect of temperature, C:N ratio, moisture, soil texture, etc.).
- Credits
- 3
- Level
- Level 300
- Semester
- Semester Two
Other courses on this programme
- AGEC 311 — Farm Management
- AGEC 312 — Project Analysis
- AGEC 313 — Microeconomic and Macroeconomic Theory
- AGEC 314 — Research Methods, Statistics & Mathematics for Economists & Business
- AGEX 311 — Development Sociology
- AGEX 312 — Extension Programme Planning and Evaluation
- AGEX 313 — Gender Planning and Development
- AGEX 314 — FBO Development and Management
- AGEX 316 — Climate Change and Adaptation in Agricultural Development
- AGRC 302 — Principles of Biotechnology
- AGRC 311 — Introductory Genetics
- ANIM 312 — Introduction to Ruminant Production
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Start freeCourse details from University of Ghana Volume 3 Handbook for the Bachelor's Degree: Course Descriptions for Programmes in the Sciences (2017).