212-306 Processes in the Soil Environment

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Objectives:

By the completion of the subject, students should have developed an appreciation of the dynamic nature of the soil resource; have acquired detailed knowledge of chemical, physical and biological processes in the soil environment, particularly those which impact directly on plant growth; and have gained an understanding of how soils can be managed to optimise plant growth and minimise adverse effects on the environment.

Content:

Soil-plant relationships - Concepts in plant nutrition, mechanisms of nutrient uptake by roots, nutrient interactions; the rhizosphere, diffusion and mass flow, redox, carbon and nutrient dynamics; soil as a medium for plant growth, processes controlling nutrient availability with particular reference to nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, sulphur and the micro-nutrients; assessment of nutrient availability including quantity/intensity relationships; processes of soil acidification and amelioration of soil acidity.

Soil biotechnology - Symbionts and their role in plant nutrition, role of soil microorganisms in the control of plant disease, microbially-derived plant growth regulators, inoculation, soil enzymes and biological inhibitors.

Soil physical processes - soil structure classification and effects on water and solute movement, leaching and model descriptions of solute transport, environmental implications.

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