PL3309: SOILS FOR FOOD SECURITY (2018-2019)

Content

The course examines soil conditions in relation to environmental sustainability and food security. This will be put into context of soil management, inherent soil properties and major limiting factors such as water availability.

• The first stage will consider the soil physical environment through aspects of structure, mechanical behaviour and the relationship with water. This will be supplemented with practical laboratory work to examine the impact of inherent soil properties and soil management.

• The soil chemical environment will focus on pH, mineralogy, exchange sites and nutrient/ trace nutrient availability. Contrasting soil types will be used to underpin these concepts. There will be complementary laboratory and field work and data processing.
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• The final stage will be to integrate the first two parts with the plant environment with a specific emphasis on agronomy and wider environmental impacts.  The impacts of increasing food production on the environment will also be considered. Modelling of soil processes related to food security and the environment will be taught.

Course Aims

• To understand the principles of the soil physical environment and to be able to make relevant measurements in relation to soil water relationships, transport processes, soil structure and physical limitations to plant growth.

• To understand the principles of the soil chemical environment, its relationship with the physical environment and to be able to interpret relevant measurements in the characterisation of soil chemical parameters.
• To relate the demands of modern agronomy to the soil physical and chemical environments in both a qualitative and quantitative manner.
• To understand the application of modelling to investigate the interaction between soils and food security.

Main Learning Outcomes

• A competent understanding of the underpinning factors of the soil physical and chemical environment.

• An ability to develop experimental procedures to analyse the soil physical and chemical environment.
• The capability of processing data associated with soil physical and chemical measurements and an understanding of the limitations and uncertainties associated with such data.
• The ability to integrate the plant environment with soil physical and chemical parameters.
• A working knowledge of the interaction between crops and different soil physical and chemical parameters, and an introduction to modelling of food security issues related to soil.

None

This course runs in weeks 13-17, and is scheduled in Thread 2 so may have contact hours in any or all of these times: Mondays, 14-18; Tuesday, all day; Friday, 14-18. If it is an optional course, there may also be contact hours on Wednesdays, 9-11.

Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.

More Information about Week Numbers

Executive Summary of student debates on a topic relevant to Soils for Food Security (25%)

Two laboratory reports with a strong emphasis on data analysis, statistical applications and summarizing large volumes of information.

i. Soil physics laboratory report (10%)

ii. Saline irrigation laboratory report (25%)

1st Attempt: 2-hour exam (40%)

Resit: Similar to 1st Attempt, with continuous assessment mark(s) and/or exam mark carried forward with an opportunity to resit either or both, depending on what was failed in the first attempt.

The field trips, tutorials and practical sessions will provide opportunities for student-student and student-instructor interaction.  Formative assessment will be provided during these interactions.

Students will get generic verbal feedback on each laboratory report and during tutorials in relation to progress on tasks.  Each student will receive individual feedback and a grade for each laboratory report.  Feedback will be provided as written comments.