Introduction

This module outlines scientific bases for soil properties, soil fertility problems and indicators and soil fertility management. It enters in details of each nutrient and show how it can be available to crop nutrition. It describes the various factors and conditions allowing soil elements to change chemically. It allows a good understanding of how organic materials get decomposed and mineralized to provide nutrients in soil. The understanding of this module allows the understanding of other related modules including: Integrated Soil Fertility Management.

MODULES DESCRIPTION

 

1.   Module Code: _ ASM6121

2.   Module Title:  Applied Soil Science _

3.   Year:  1      Semester:      1                          Credits: 10__     

4.   First year of presentation:    2006               Administering School: SAFS   

5: Pre-requisite or co-requisite modules, excluded combinations: A BSc degree in subjects outlined in academic enrolment requirement section

6    Module coordinator: Professor Naramabuye Francois-Xavier

7. Allocation of study and teaching hours See Notes of Guidance                                                              

Total student hours   ___100____	Student hours	Staff hours
Lectures	15	15
Seminars/workshops	10	5
Practical classes/laboratory	10	10
Structured exercises	10	5
Set reading etc.	15	-
Self-directed study	10	-
Assignments – preparation and writing	15	15
Examination – revision and attendance	10	20
Field visit and report	10	20
Total	100	90 hours

 

8. Brief description of aims and content (not more than five lines)

This Module gives an overview of soil chemical, physical, and biological properties on nutrient balances, dynamics and cycling in agro-ecosystems as well as the relation between all soil properties and climatic conditions. This Module provides students with knowledge and skills needed for the module of ‘Integrated soil fertility management’ (ISFM) with focus on nutrient use efficiency and crop residue management.9. Learning Outcomes.

9.1       Knowledge and Understanding

Having successfully completed the module, students should be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

1.     tropical soil chemical, physical, and biological properties on nutrient balances in agro-ecoystems

2.     nutrient dynamics and cycling in agro-ecosystems

3.     Micro and macronutrients dynamics for use efficiency, crop residue management, interactions between water and nutrients, and socio-economic issues.

4.     Fertilizer manufacturing and connected environmental issues associated with fertilizer

5.     Analyze weather data in different agro-ecological zones and understand its relation with agroforestry systems

6.     Describe soils in the field and understand the relationship between soils, climate, landscape and agroforestry systems

9.2 Cognitive/Intellectual skills/Application of Knowledge

            Having successfully completed the module, students should be able to:

7. Design and implement soil fertility assessment and management for a given project, through soil sampling, soil analysis, interpretation and fertilizer recommendation.
8. Apply theoretical knowledge on nutrient dynamics in a field survey

9.3.   Communication/ICT/Numeracy/Analytic Techniques/Practical Skills

            Having successfully completed the module, students should be able to:

9.     Plan and execute soil laboratory analysis

10.  Write a professional scientific report in the area of soil science

11.  Prepare and execute a scientific presentation using appropriate ICT tools

9.4. General transferable skills

            Having successfully completed the module, students should be able to:

12.  Independently develop research and study questions for a given research projected connected to soil science. 

13.  Understanding of soil data collection and analysis

14.  Critically reflect on different possibilities and solutions on soil fertility problems

15.  Combine scientific knowledge with own field observations

 

10. Indicative Content

 

Advances in Soil Science Component: Soil fertility and biology: Introduction, definitions, factors affecting plant growth; Basic soil-plant relationships; Soils in Africa: General overview of soil fertility in Africa; Nutrient dynamics and cycling in agro ecosystems: Nitrogen dynamics, cycling and management; Phosphorus and Potassium dynamics, cycling and management; Sulfur dynamics, cycling and management; Na, Ca, Mg dynamics, cycling and management.

Nutrient dynamics and cycling in agro ecosystems Component: Micronutrients; Nature of soil acidity, soil acidity assessment, soil acidity correction; Case studies of soil fertility management in Rwanda.

 

11.  Learning and Teaching Strategy

Lectures, Practicals and Field studies                              

12. Assessment Strategy

The course will be assessed on the basis of a three-hour written examination (60% of the final mark) and the continuous assessment assignments (40% of the final mark). Students are required to achieve a pass mark ( 60%) on both the written examination and the practical assignments.

13. Assessment Pattern

 

Component	Weighting (%)	Learning objectives covered
In-course assessment:
Laboratory assignment	10	1,7,9
On-farm field research	10	3,5,6,7,8,13,15
Writing assignments	20	3,6,7,10,11,12,14,15
Final assessment:	60	1,2,3,4,13,14

 

11        Strategy for feedback and student support during module 

 Individual feedback on laboratory analysis and field work, group and individual feedback on writing assignments. On the individual essay students receive feedback on scientific level, quality of writing and presentation (content, structure, use of pictures and graphs)

12        Indicative Resources

Core Text (include number in library or URL) (inc ISBN)

1. Bationo A. 2004. Managing nutrient cycles to sustain soil fertility in sub-Saharan Africa. Academy Science Publishers (ASP), TSBF.
2. Gichuru et al. 2003. Soil fertility management in Africa: A regional Perspective. Academy Science Publishers (ASP), TSBF.
3. Okalebo et al. 2002 Laboratory methods of soil and plant analysis: a working manual. TSBF
4. Ahrens, C.D. 1994. Meteorology today. An introduction to weather, climate and the environment, 5^th ed., West Publishing, St. Paul, MN
5. Brady, N.C. and Weil, R.R., 2002. The nature and properties of soils, thirteenth edition. Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River NJ. pages 75-120, pages 720-724, pages 840-870

 

Handouts

1. Bationo, A. 1996. Long-term fertilizer use in sub-Saharan Africa. . International training program on plant nutrient management for sustainable agriculture, October 14-19, 1996; organized by IFDC in Co-sponsorship with Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock Development and Marketing, Government of Kenya
2. Byrnes BH. 1996. Soil testing and plant analysis. International training program on plant nutrient management for sustainable agriculture, October 14-19, 1996; organized by IFDC in Co-sponsorship with Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock Development and Marketing, Government of Kenya
3. Byrnes B.H. 1996. Environmental issues of fertilizer use. International training program on plant nutrient management for sustainable agriculture, October 14-19, 1996; organized by IFDC in Co-sponsorship with Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock Development and Marketing, Government of Kenya
4. Hellumus DT. 2003. Balanced nutrition. Blending orientation program for CHC commodities staff, Zambia, December 11-18, 2003, organized by IFDC.
5. Bationo A. Management of phosphorus fertilizers.

           

Background Texts (include number in library or URL) (inc ISBN)

1. Brady N.C. and Weil R.R. 2002. The nature and properties of soils. 13^th ed. Prentice Hall, NJ Havlin et al. 1998. Soil fertility and fertilizers: an introduction to nutrient management. 6^th ed. Prentice Hall.
2. UNIDO/IFDC 1998. Fertilizer manual. Kluwer Publishers
3. Woomer PL and Swift MJ. 1994. The Biological Management of Tropical Soil Fertility. Wiley and Sons: New York
4. Hartemink, A.E., 2003. Soil fertility decline in the tropics - with case studies on plantations. ISRIC-CABI Publishing, Wallingford. Pages 80-86, 92-96 and 103-107.
5. van Wambeke, A., 1988. Site selection and soil variability, First training workshop on site selection and characterization. IBSRAM Technical Notes no. 1. IBSRAM, Bangkok. Pages. 43-51.

 

Journals

1. Hartemink, A.E., 2006. Assessing soil fertility decline in the tropics using soil chemical data. Advances in Agronomy, 89: 179-225. (Only pages 193-197)
2. Salstein, D.A. 1995. Mean properties of the atmosphere. In Composition, chemistry and climate of the atmosphere. Singh, H.B. (ed.), Van Norstand Reinhold, NY, pp 19-49.

3.     Sanchez, P.A., Palm, C.A. and Buol, S.W., 2003. Fertility capability soil classification: a tool to help assess soil quality in the tropics. Geoderma, 114(3-4): 157-185

4.     Barrera-Bassols, N. and Zinck, J.A., 2003. Ethnopedology: a worldwide view on the soil knowledge of local people. Geoderma, 111(3-4): 171-195. 1. Knoblauch, Christoph and Naramabuye, Francois and Ndoli, Alain and Nieder, Rolf (2013) Das Verhalten von Phosphor in ausgewählten Böden eines Bergbaugebiets in Rwanda. In: Jahrestagung DBG , 7-12. September 2013, Universität Rostock.

5.     A. Ndoli, F. Naramabuye, R. V. Cao Diogo, A. Buerkert and R. Nieder4. 2013. Greenhouse experiments on soybean (Glycine max) growth on Technosol substrates from tantalum mining in Rwanda. International Journal of Agricultural Science Research Vol. 2(5), pp. 144-152, May 2013 Available online at http://academeresearchjournals.org/journal/ijasr ISSN 2327-3321 ©2013 Academe Research Journals

6. Naramabuye, FX; Haynes, RJ; Modi, AT, 2008. Cattle manure and grass residues as liming materials in a semi-subsistence farming system Agriculture Ecosystems and Environment vol. 124, no. 1-2, pp. 136-141

7.     Naramabuye, FX.and Haynes, RJ. 2007. The liming effect of five organic manures when incubated with an acid soil. Zeitschrift fur Pflanzenernahrung und Bodenkunde, vol. 170, no. 5, pp. 615-622

8. Naramabuye F.X and Haynes Richard J.2006. Effect of organic amendments on soil pH and Al solubility and use of laboratory indices to predict their liming effect (Soil Science, An interdisciplinary Approach to Soil Research. Vol 171(10) page:754-763
9. F.X. Naramabuye and R.J. Haynes. 2005. Short term effects of three animal manures on soil pH and Al solubility Australian Journal of Soil research,Vol 44,no 5
10. Naramabuye F.X, Mutesi J.P. 2007. Agroforestry for Oxisols fertility amelioration, a case study on the effects of Ficus benghalensis trees on soil pH, Organic C and P of an Oxisol of Rwanda (Southern Province, Huye, Tumba), ISAR Rwanda Institute for Agricultural Research 

 

Key websites and on-line resources

Teaching/Technical Assistance

• Laboratory assistance
• Driver for field visits

            Laboratory space and equipment

• Soil laboratory facilities Faculty of Agriculture        
• Equipment for soil and climate field analysis

            Computer requirements

• Computers for group assignments and reports

            Others

13: Please add anything else you think is important      

14:  Teaching Team

Prof Francois-Xavier Naramabuye