The document outlines the course objectives, units, and schedule for SAC 101 Fundamentals of Soil Science. The course aims to impart knowledge about soils, including their formation, properties, and pedological concepts. The four units cover soil genesis and classification, physical and chemical properties, organic matter and biology, and pollution. The practical schedule involves studying soil profiles, physical analysis methods, and determination of chemical properties. The course provides foundational knowledge of soil science concepts and analytical techniques.
The document outlines the course objectives, units, and schedule for SAC 101 Fundamentals of Soil Science. The course aims to impart knowledge about soils, including their formation, properties, and pedological concepts. The four units cover soil genesis and classification, physical and chemical properties, organic matter and biology, and pollution. The practical schedule involves studying soil profiles, physical analysis methods, and determination of chemical properties. The course provides foundational knowledge of soil science concepts and analytical techniques.
The document outlines the course objectives, units, and schedule for SAC 101 Fundamentals of Soil Science. The course aims to impart knowledge about soils, including their formation, properties, and pedological concepts. The four units cover soil genesis and classification, physical and chemical properties, organic matter and biology, and pollution. The practical schedule involves studying soil profiles, physical analysis methods, and determination of chemical properties. The course provides foundational knowledge of soil science concepts and analytical techniques.
The document outlines the course objectives, units, and schedule for SAC 101 Fundamentals of Soil Science. The course aims to impart knowledge about soils, including their formation, properties, and pedological concepts. The four units cover soil genesis and classification, physical and chemical properties, organic matter and biology, and pollution. The practical schedule involves studying soil profiles, physical analysis methods, and determination of chemical properties. The course provides foundational knowledge of soil science concepts and analytical techniques.
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SAC 101 Fundamentals of Soil Sciece (2+1)
Aim: To impart knowledge about soils, their formation, pedological and edaphological approaches and physical, chemical and biological properties of soils.
Unit I Soil as a natural body, Pedological and edaphological concepts of soil. Components of soil. Soil genesis: Composition of Earth's crust- soil forming rocks and minerals – Primary and secondary minerals. Weathering of rocks and minerals. Factors of soil formation. Soil forming processes. Soil Profile.
Unit II Soil physical properties: Soil texture, structure, density and porosity, soil colour, consistence and plasticity. Soil water retention, movement and availability. Soil air, composition, gaseous exchange-problem and its effect on crop growth. Source, amount and flow of heat in soil, Soil temperature and crop growth.
Unit III Soil physico chemical and chemical properties: Soil reaction-pH, soil acidity and alkalinity, buffering, effect of pH on nutrient availability. Electrical conductivity. Soil colloids - inorganic and organic. Silicate clays: constitution and properties, sources of charge, ion exchange, cation and anion exchange capacity and base saturation.
Unit IV Soil organic matter: composition, properties and its influence on soil properties. Humic substances - nature and properties. Soil Biology : Soil organisms : macro and micro organisms, their beneficial and harmful effects. Soil enzymes. Soil pollution – Types and behaviour of pesticides. Inorganic contaminants. Prevention and mitigation of soil pollution.
PRACTICAL SCHEDULE Study of soil profile in field. Study of soil sampling tools, collection of representative soil sample, its processing and storage. Study of soil forming rocks and minerals. Determination of soil density, moisture content and porosity. Determination of soil colour. Determination of soil texture by feel and Bouyoucos Methods. Studies of capillary rise phenomenon of water in soil column and water movement in soil. Demonstration of heat transfer in soil. Preparation and standardization of laboratory reagents, indicators and buffers. Determination of soil pH and electrical conductivity. Determination of cation exchange capacity of soil. Estimation of organic matter content of soil. Study of soil map. Lecture Schedule 1. Soil definition-Soil as a three dimensional natural body, Pedological and edaphological
2. Components of soil- Soil a three phase system-Composition of Earth's crust
3. Soil genesis: Soil forming rocks- definition, formation, classification of rocks- igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks.
4. Brief description of important rocks-mineralogical composition
5. Minerals-definition, occurrence, classification of important soil forming primary minerals-
silicate and non silicate minerals, ferro and non-ferro magnesium minerals
6. Formation of secondary minerals-clay minerals and amorphous minerals
7. Weathering-Rocks and minerals-physical, chemical and biological weathering
8. Factors of soil formation-Passive and active soil forming factors
14. Soil bulk density, particle density and porosity- factors influencing- significance
15. Soil colour- causes and measurement- Munsell colour chart- factors influencing soil colour- significance of soil colour
16. Soil consistence- cohesion, adhesion, plasticity, Atterberg's constants - upper and lower plastic limits, plasticity number- significance of soil consistence
17. Mid semester examination
18. Soil water- forms of water, units of expression and pF scale
19. Soil water potentials- gravitational, matric, osmotic- soil moisture constants and soil moisture 20. Movement of soil water- saturated and unsaturated flow-infiltration, hydraulic conductivity, percolation, permeability and drainage
21. Soil air, composition, gaseous exchange-Problem and its effect on crop growth
22. Source, amount and flow of heat in soil, Soil temperature and crop growth
23. Soil reaction (pH)- definition, pH scale, soil acidity and alkalinity, buffering, effect of pH on nutrient availability and factors affecting soil pH
24. Soil Electrical Conductivity- Factors affecting EC- its significance
25. Soil colloids- inorganic and organic
26. Silicate clays: constitution and classification- 1:1, 2:1 expanding and non expanding- 2:2 clay minerals, amorphous minerals and their properties
27. Source of charge, ion exchange- positive and negative charge- Isomorphous substitution, pH dependant charge.
28. Ion exchange- Cation and anion exchange capacity and base saturation
29. Soil organic matter: Composition, properties and its influence of soil properties
30. Humic substances- fractionation, nature and properties, theories of humus formation
31. Soil Biology- soil organisms: macro and micro organisms, their beneficial and harmful effects, soil enzymes
32. Soil carbon sequestration and carbon trading
33. Soil pollution- behaviour of pesticides and inorganic contaminants
34. Prevention and mitigation of soil pollution
Practical schedule
1. Study of soil sampling tools, collection of representative soil sample, its processing
2. Study of soil profile in field.
3. Study of soil forming rocks and minerals.
4. Determination of soil density and porosity.
5. Determination of soil colour and moisture content and porosity.
6. Determination of soil texture by feel and Bouyoucos Methods
7. Determination of soil texture by International pipette method.
8. Studies of capillary rise phenomenon of water in soil column and water movement in soil (Infiltration Rate)
9. Studies of capillary rise phenomenon of water in soil column and water movement in soil (Hydraulic conductivity)
10. Determination of soil temperature and demonstration of heat transfer.
11. Preparation and standardization of laboratory reagents, indicators and buffers
12. Determination of soil pH and electrical conductivity.
13. Determination of cation exchange capacity of soil - I.
14. Determination of cation exchange capacity of soil - II
15. Estimation of soil organic carbon.
16. Study of soil map (India and Tamil Nadu )
17. Practical Examination
Text Books 1. Brady, N.C. and Raymond, C.Weil. 2013. The Nature and Properties of Soils (14th Edition). Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall. 2. Fundamentals of Soil Science. 2009. ISSS Publication, New Delhi. 3. Sehgal, J. 2005. Pedology concepts and applications, Kalyani Publishers, New Delhi. 4. Das, D.K. 2013. Introductory Soil science, Kalyani Publishers, New Delhi. e-references
The students will gain knowledge on concepts and principles of analytical techniques. They will also acquire skills in various analytical techniques. Further, the knowledge gained will form as building block to pursue many research works.
