Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:
1. Define and describe the meaning of the term "a soil";
2. Describe the basic processes of soil formation including weathering;
3. Understand the process of the development of soil profile, soil horizons and their identification;
4. Identify the soil physical, chemical, and biological processes occurring in soil;
5. Describe the terms; soil pH, soil acidity and identify their effects on soil properties;
6. Understand the importance of soil as a medium for plant growth.
The concept of soil; Components of the soil; Soil forming processes; Factors of soil formation; Soil forming rocks and minerals; Soil profile and soil horizons; Soil classification; Soil texture, soil structure, soil density and their effect on plant growth; Soil colour; Managing soil air and soil temperature; Soil cation exchange and cation exchange capacity; Soil acidity and alkalinity; Soil moisture, soil water potential and their importance in crop production and water movement in soil; Soil degradation; Soil organisms; Soil organic matter; Soil as a medium for plant growth; Plant nutrients and their importance in crop production; Diffusion, mass flow, and oxidation-reduction potentials; Soils of PNG.
Foth, H. D., Fundamentals of Soil Science, John Wiley and Sons, New York, USA, 1990.
Bleeker, P. Soils of Papua New Guinea. ANU Press, Canberra, Australia, 1983.
Brady, N. C., Weil, R. R. The Nature and Properties of Soils, Prentice Hall, New Jersey, USA, 2007.
Continuous assessment 40%
Written examination 60%
Phone: +675 473 4999 Fax: +675 475 7776
