General information
| Lecture | Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 11:00 AM, 116 Veihmeyer Hall |
| Laboratory | Wednesday, 1:00-4:00 PM, Hoagland Hall |
Course Goals
| Course Goals: | To give students in the resource and environmental science area an understanding of: |
| 1) forms and availability of nutrients in soil; | |
| 2) effects of fertilizers, cover crops, and other soil amendments on plant productivity and soil quality; |
|
| 3) nutrient sustainability in alternative agricultural and natural ecosystems; and | |
| 4) conduct and interpret soil fertility assays. |
Instructors
| Instructor: |
William R. Horwath 247 Hoagland Hall (3226 PES Building as of 4-18-02) (530) 754-6029 wrhorwath@ucdavis.edu |
| Office Hours: |
Monday, 3:00-5:00 PM; and Friday, 1:30-3:30 PM; or by appointment. |
| Teaching Assistant: |
Kelly Moran kkmoran@ucdavis.edu |
| Office Hours: | TBA |
Required reading
| Text: | |
| Required reading and handouts to be assigned. |
Grades and exams
| Date | |||
| Grading and | Midterm 1 | 15% April 24 | |
| Examinations: | Midterm 2 | 15% May 17 | |
| Final examination | 30% June 12 (10:30 AM) | ||
| Homework | 15% | ||
| Laboratory | 25% | ||
| Total | 100% | ||
| A 90-100% | |||
| B 80-89.9% | |||
| C 70-79.9% | |||
| D 60-69.9% | |||
| F below 60% | |||
| (all sections of class must be completed to receive a passing grade) | |||
Late Penalty for assignments: 10% reduction in grade for 1st day late then 5% for each additional day.
Course Outline
Course Outline and Assigned Reading
A. Introduction and what will be covered in class.
B. Factors affecting plant growth/Historical view of plant nutritionGrowth and expressionC. Sources of plant nutrients
Yield limiting factors
Essential elements
Function of nutrients
Atmosphere, water, mineralsD. Nutrients, Water Use, and Other Interactions E. Plant-soil relationships
Nutrient pools: soil solution, organic matter, exchangeable ions
Sources of exchange capacity in soilsF. Soil Reaction and Alkalinity
Cation exchange
Anion exchange
Mass flow
Diffusion
Root interception
pH and buffersG. Managing soil pH and Salinity
Soil acidity
Buffering capacity of soil
Active and potential soil acidity
pH effects on nutrient availability
Soil pH managementI. Soil nitrogen
Soil pH and plant growth
Liming materials
Liming materials and management
Salinity and sodicity
N CycleJ. N fertilizers and case studies
Biological N fixation
Atmospheric N inputs
Forms of soil N
Forms of N absorbed by plants
Processes affecting the fate of N in soil
Evaluation of soil NK. Soil phosphorus
Rice Cropping
Alternative sources of N
N management
P cycleL. P fertilizers and case studies
Soil pH and P
Organic P
Inorganic P
Factors influencing the fate of P in soil
Evaluation of soil PM. Soil potassium
P fertilizers
Behavior of P fertilizers
Biosolids
K cycleN. K fertilizers
Forms of K in soil
K availability
Evaluation of soil PO. Soil S
K fertilizers and management
CycleP. Soil sulfur, calcium and magnesium
Forms of S in soil
S evaluation
S fertilizers
C, S a and Mg cycleQ. Micronutrients: beneficial and toxic
Sources and behavior of soil
Fertilizers
Soil ironR. Soil Fertility Evaluation
Soil zinc
Soil Cu, Mn, B, Cl, Mo
Plant analysesS. Managed ecosystems
Fertility tests
Soil testing
Precision agriculture
Soil organic matterT. Nutrient cycling at the landscape level
Cover crops
Crop rotation
Compost
Animal wastes and biosolids
Forestry
Nutrient balances in ecosystems
Adverse environmental impacts of nutrients
Eutrophication
Global climate change and nutrient availability
Laboratory Schedule
Schedule of Laboratory Exercises
| Exercise | Topic | Laboratory Session |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Plant Fertility Trials (parts 1 and 2) | 1 and 2 |
| 2 | Soil Reaction | 2 |
| 3 | Soil Nitrogen and Carbon (part 1) | 3 |
| 3 | Soil Nitrogen and Carbon (part 2) | 4 |
| 4 | Soil Phosphorus | 5 |
| 5 | Field Trip, Soil Sampling Techniques | 6 |
| 1 | Plant Fertility Trials (part 3) | 7 |
| 6 | Soil Calcium, Magnesium and Potassium | 8 |
| 7 | Soil Test Interpretation and Discussion | 9 |
| 8 | Student Presentations and Discussion | 10 |
Plant Nutrient Deficiency Symptoms
Links to other Cool Sites on Fertilizers and Nutrient Management Practices
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