Syllabus - ELEMENTS OF SOIL SCIENCE AE 502 - for Tribhuvan University Institute of Engineering All BE second year first part
ELEMENTS OF SOIL SCIENCE AE 502
Lectures : 3 Year : II
Tutorial : 1 Part : I
Practical : 2
Course
Objective:
To develop understanding about
soil forming processes and soil as natural body/medium for storage and movement of water, gases, heat, nutrients and
physical and chemical properties of soil.
1.
Definition, Concept and Use of
Soil: (2 hours)
1.1.
Soils in
relation to agricultural production
1.2.
Concepts of
land and soil
1.3.
Definition
and concept of soil science
2.
Soil Forming Factors, Processes
and Classification: (12 hours)
2.1.
Soil forming
rocks and minerals
2.2.
Weathering
of rocks and minerals
2.3.
Soil profile: horizon designations
2.4.
Morphological
properties
2.5.
Factors of
soil formation
2.6.
Major soil
forming processes
2.7.
Introduction
and history of soil classification
2.8.
Surface and
sub-surface
diagnostic horizons
2.9.
Soil
temperature regimes
2.10.
Soil
moisture regimes
2.11.
Classification
according to soil taxonomy
2.12.
FAO/UNESCO system of soil
classification
2.13.
Soils of
Nepal and their suitability for different purposes
2.14.
Processes of
soil survey and mapping
3.
Physical Properties of Soils: (8 hours)
3.1.
Soil color
3.2.
Mechanical
composition and textural classification
3.3.
Soil
structure
3.4.
Bulk
density, particle density and porosity
3.5.
Soil
consistency
3.6.
Soil
aeration
3.7.
Soil
moisture
3.8.
Soil heat
4.
Soil Physical Properties in
Relation to Plant Growth (8 hours)
4.1.
Soil
moisture:
4.1.1.
quantitative
concepts and measurements
4.1.2.
energy
concepts and measurement
4.1.3.
soil
moisture characteristics curves
4.1.4.
soil water
movements (saturated
and unsaturated)
4.1.5.
infiltration
and percolation
4.1.6.
moisture
extraction by plant roots
4.2.
Soil
aeration:
4.2.1.
significance
4.2.2.
composition
4.2.3.
mechanism of
renewal
4.3.
Soil
temperature:
4.3.1.
energy
balance
4.3.2.
soil thermal
properties
4.3.3.
diurnal and
seasonal variations
4.3.4.
significance
5.
Soil Chemistry and Fertility (15 hours)
5.1.
Soil
reaction:
5.1.1.
acidic soils
5.1.2.
saline soils
5.1.3.
alkali soils
5.1.4.
soil
amendments
5.1.5.
Soil
colloids and their properties
5.2.
Cation and
anion exchange phenomenon
5.3.
Macro and
secondary plant nutrients:
5.3.1.
forms
5.3.2.
functions
5.3.3.
deficiency
symptoms
5.3.4.
transformation
5.3.5.
availability
to the plants
5.4.
Introduction
to micro nutrients and their significance in plant growth
5.5.
Inorganic
fertilizers:
5.5.1.
composition
5.5.2.
uses
5.5.3.
behavior in
soil
5.6.
Soil
fertility evaluation:
5.6.1.
soil testing
5.6.2.
plant
analysis
5.6.3.
deficiency
symptoms
5.6.4.
biological
tests
5.7.
Soil organic
matters and organic manures
5.8.
Green
manuring and biofertilizers
Practical:
1.
Identification
of important rocks and minerals
2.
Collection
and preparation of soil samples
3.
Determination
of soil texture and consistency by feel method
4.
Identification
of soil structure
5.
Determination
of bulk density, particle density, total porosity and air porosity
6.
Particle
size analysis by hydrometer method
7.
Determination
of aggregate size distribution
8.
Study of
soil profile and morphological properties
9.
Determination
of soil moisture content by weight and volume
10.
Measurement
of soil moisture by metric suction
11.
Measurement
of soil moisture by electrical resistance method (use of soil moisture Meter)
12.
Observation
of capillary phenomenon in soil
13.
Determination
of hydraulic conductivity
14.
Determination
of infiltration characteristics of soils
15.
Use of soil
testing kit
16.
Determination
of organic matter in soils
17.
Determination
of soil pH and electrical conductivity
18.
Estimation
of available nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium
19.
Identification
of nutrient deficiency symptoms of major crops
References:
1. Nyle C. Brady. The
Nature and Properties of Soils. 10th edition. Prentice
Hall of India Ltd.
2. Biswas
T.D. and S.K. Mukharjee. A
Textbook of Soil Science. Tata McGraw Hill Publications
3. Oswal
M.C. Soil Physics. Oxford
and IBH Publishing Co. New Delhi
4. Gupta. P.K. Soil,
Plant , Water and Fertilizer Anlysis. Agrobios (India)
Evaluation
system:
The questions will cover all the
chapters of the syllabus. The evaluation scheme will be as indicated in
the table below:
|
Chapters
|
Hours
|
Marks
distribution*
|
|
1
|
2
|
4
|
|
2
|
12
|
20
|
|
3
|
8
|
14
|
|
4
|
8
|
14
|
|
5
|
15
|
28
|
|
Total
|
45
|
80
|
*There may be
minor variation in marks distribution
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