LECTURER:    P. Nyamugafata
                        E.M Qovere

 OFFICE:   DL39    Ext. 1433

 GENERAL INFORMATION

 This is a one semester course of 52 contact hours shared as follows:

•  Two 1 hour lectures per week.
•  One 3 hour practical every fortnight.
•  Students should be reminded that practicals are compulsory and a score of zero will be obtained for absence.

•  final examination will contribute 70% of the final course mark.
•  continuous assessment will comprise the following:
•  laboratory reports, field trip reports and ad  hoc tests and assignments this will contribute 30- of final course mark.

 Recommended Textbooks

 1.   Brady, N.C Nature and Properties of Soils.

 2.   White, R.E Introduction to Principles and Practice of Soil Science.

 3.   Foth, H.D. Fundamentals of Soil Science.

 4.   Buol, et.al Soil Genesis and Classification

 5.   Hillel, D. Introduction to Soil Physics

 6.   Marshall and Holmes.  Soil Physics

 7.   Hadas, Swartzendruber, Rijtema, Fuchs and Yaron (eds.) 1971. Physical aspects of soil water and
       salts in ecosystems.

NB.  Students are encouraged to read as widely as possible.

 1. General Introduction to Soil Science

•  Process of soil formation; weathering
•  Soil forming factors (climate, time, parent material, relief, organisms).
•  Soil forming processes (podzolization, gleying, ferralitization, leaching etc)
•  Soil Morphology

•  Silicate and non-silicate minerals; physio-chemical properties of soil minerals.

•  Ion exchange (cation and anion), soil pH,  salinity, sodicity.
•  Management of saline and sodic soils.

•  Soil as disperse three phase system, phase relationships;
•  Porosity, bulk density, soil texture.

•  Consistence limits, soil compactibility, trafficability,
•  Tillage, draft power requirement.

•  Soil structure and soil organic matter, management of soil structure;
•  Soil tilth and soil friability (seedbed preparation).

• Soil water content and soil water potential, soil water retention, available water capacity, soil water budgets (hydrological cycle), evapotranspiration, infiltration, soil water movement.

•  Sources and availability of plant nutrients in soils.

•  Fertilizer application, liming.

11. Land Resources Allocation