This course is concerned to clarify the
importance of plant nutrition and soil fertility in increasing agricultural
production, as well as knowing the differences between productive and fertile
soils. This course also describes the physical and chemical properties of soil
and their impact on the growth of agricultural crops. The student also learns
through this course the importance of studying the macro- and micronutrients,
their sources, functions, deficiency symptoms, and the mechanism of their
absorption by plants. Also, this course will discuss the types of chemical and
organic fertilizers, and methods of application them to the soil for various
plants and crops.
Intended learning outcomes
With success in the course, the student
will be able to:
A. Knowledge and understanding
A.1. Recognizes the basic meanings and
principles of soil fertility.
A.2. Enumerates soil properties that are
directly related to soil fertility and plant nutrition.
A.3. Explains the functions of nutrients
within a plant.
A.4. Recognizes the symptoms of
deficiency of each nutrient separately, and know the overlap between symptoms
and diseases.
A.5. Uses all Types of fertilizers in an
environmentally safe manner.
B. Mental skills
B 1. It relates the different soil
properties and their relationship to increasing production.
B.2. Links the role of nutrients within
the plant to increasing agricultural production.
B.3. Knows the difference between the
ways nutrients are absorbed and the mechanisms of their transport through the
plant.
B.4. Distinguishes between types of
chemical, organic and biological fertilizers.
B.5. Suggests different fertilizer
recommendations for agricultural crops.
C. Scientific and professional skills
C.1. Applies Laboratory safety
procedures inside the laboratory.
C.2. Uses various tools in the
laboratory of soil fertility and plant nutrition.
C.3. Deals with various types of
fertilizers (mineral - organic - biological).
C.4. Addresses problems that may occur
as a result of a lack of nutrients or an imbalance in the dynamic soil balance.
C.5. Calculates the concentrations of
nutrients available in the soil and gives the necessary fertilizer
recommendation for each crop.
D. General and transferable skills
D.1. Deals with the risks that may
result from the use of mineral or organic fertilizers.
D.2. Develops a scheme for the mechanism
of working as a team within the soil fertility and plant nutrition laboratory.
D.3. Chooses the safety way to apply fertilizer
to soil.
D.4. Deals with various devices and
tools within the laboratory.
D.5. Deals with various computer
programs such as Excel.
Teaching and learning methods
1. Lectures
2. Practical (within the laboratory of
soil fertility and plant nutrition).
3. Visiting Field, (Research
Stations of the Faculty of Agriculture and nearby farm).
